Allison and Nathan

Best Job Ever

2011-07-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever mentioned on this blog that I was employed this last school year. I always said that I would go to work when my youngest child was in school. Well . . . I was lucky enough to get the best job on the planet, as far as I'm concerned. I was an instructional assistant (aide) in the fourth grade at an Elementary School a mere 3 miles from my house. I loved EVERYTHING about it!
1) I went directly to work after dropping my kids off at their school.
2) It took me less than five minutes to get there.
3) The school was in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, so it was a beautiful and pleasant drive.
4) I only worked 3 1/2 hours a day, so I still had the afternoons to myself to do what ever I wanted.
5) I worked at a school, so I had the same days off as my kids - summers off too.
6) I loved what I did every day: helping 4th graders with their math, grading papers (math tests were my favorite), hanging artwork, helping students study for math and spelling tests, etc.
7) The four teachers I worked with were amazing! We had a great time together planning, discussing the students and chatting during recess.
8) I enjoyed all 120 fourth graders (some of them more than others) that I spent time with every day.

I took my camera to work on the last day of school . . .

There's a neat little trail behind the playground.

Mrs. Mickelsen's class

Mrs. Todd's class

Mrs. Heward's class

Mrs. Norris' class

Too bad jobs with the school district are on a year-to-year basis and the school didn't have the budget for aides this next school year. But I've been hired back at the same school in the Resource department. Hopefully this new job will be as awesome as the last one!

Dance Festival

2011-07-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

The boys' elementary school had a dance festival for the first time this year. It was held during the last week of school in the park across the street from the school. Each entire grade did a different dance. It was the cutest thing ever - I hope they do it every year!

First Grade: Chicken Dance

Third Grade: The Cupid Shuffle

I could only see Elliot for 2 1/2 seconds in this whole dance - his class was in the very back.

Spring Break in Moab

2011-07-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know it's July. But, hey - being Girls Camp director left me no time the last couple of months for things like laundry, dinner, hubby and especially blogs. Here's what we did during Spring Break:

Rafting the Colorado River . . .

Henry scraped his ankle getting out of that tree, so he asked our river guide for help . . .

Going on a hike . . .

Walking through this tunnel . . .

. . . to the other side.

Looking back at the tunnel we came out of

Going back through . . . see how dark?

Arches National Park . . .

Hiking to the famous Delicate Arch . . .

Woo hoo!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day has come and gone again. It was nice, as usual. Samantha and Gillian made chocolate gravy and homemade biscuits and everyone served it to me in bed. Sweet! There were also some handmade cards and $100 on my breakfast tray. Even more sweet! The Young Men gave the moms chocolate dipped strawberries at church. In the evening, we got to talk to Grandma (face to face on Skype) and Nana (on the phone since she didn't have access to a computer). After the boys went to bed, my daughters set up a spa in the basement and rubbed my shoulders and gave me a pedicure. Ahhhh. While that was going on, Nathan brought me a fancy chocolate ice cream bar and a glass of sparkling juice. Doesn't get much better than that!

I'm always a little sad to have the royal treatment for Mother's Day end . . . but not too sad, because in reality, my family treats me very well. For the most part :)

My mother in law sent me this card that she made.

It's so retro - she knows me too well.

Snuggling

2011-05-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight before bed, Henry and I were curled up together on my bed, snuggling. Henry said, "Mommy, I'm so glad I got you - you're the best mommy."

I said, "Are you sure you wouldn't like a different mommy better?"

"No . . .

. . . but I wish you were magic."

Flat Henry

2011-05-03T21:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, Henry's first grade teacher read a book to his class called Flat Stanley. It's basically a story about a boy who gets flattened by a bulletin board (kinda morbid for a kids story). But Stanley discovers that since he's flat, he can fit in an envelope and be mailed anywhere in the world for the cost of a postage stamp - boy, wouldn't that be nice. Henry's class decided to make a flat likeness of themselves to be mailed to a friend or family member in a different state to have an adventure. Henry mailed his "flat" self to his aunt Hailee in Phoenix.

What we didn't expect was the way fun book that Hailee and the kids sent back to Henry last week:

Isn't that so cute?

Hailee even put the extra little faces she made in a pouch at the back of the book!

This was the best thing we've gotten in the mail in a really long time!

Dinosaurs

2011-05-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

-Roarrrr!

- Ahh!

By Henry

Airborne

2011-04-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

This fun trampoline place opened up in Draper recently. We took advantage of its much bounciness one evening as a family chore reward. It was super boingy and exhausting!

I am ashamed to say that I chickened out on my flip at the last second. I did redeem myself later with a

sweet front handspring into the pit . . . with no video to prove it, of course.

I think these blurry pictures are funny:

Pfew! Tired and ready to go home.

Basketball On the Brain

2011-04-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Elliot's new shirt says it all. This kid is obsessed with basketball. He watches it on TV (doesn't matter who's playing), collects basketball cards and shoots hoops in the front yard - rain or shine.

While we're on the subject of basketball . . . Elliot and Henry just finished a season of Jr. Jazz. I don't have a single good video of Henry because he literally would only keep the basketball for half a second every time it was passed to him. Not even enough time to press the record button on the camera.

But I have some good videos of Elliot:

Elliot's age group doesn't play positions, but he was basically the point guard. His teammates usually gave him the ball to take down the court. He definitely had the best ball handling skills on the team. By far. He's excited to go to a basketball camp this summer with his best friend.

Dylan came to one of Elliot's games

We're looking forward to when Elliot's in fifth grade and can play in a competitive league. Jr. Jazz is fun, but it's run by Sandy Parks & Recreation and uses volunteer coaches. Nathan coached Henry's team, but Elliot's coach had no clue what she was doing and rarely showed up on time (if she showed up at all). Nathan stepped in as coach a few times, which the other parents appreciated, and helped out on the scoreboard once too.

One more year of Jr. Jazz. Go Elliot!

Shower Buddies

2011-04-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I decided that Henry was too big for baths. I had him start showering with Elliot, which actually saves a lot of time and hot water. Why didn't I think of this sooner? Anyway, during the boys' morning before-school showers, I'm in the bathroom as well, combing my hair. So, I can hear all the conversation that goes on between them in the shower. Don't get me wrong, once in a while I hear a lot of arguing and the sound of wet hands slapping wet bodies. But mostly, they are so cute that I stand there and smile and snicker to myself. I've thought about recording these adorable exchanges, and I still might, but for now, I'd like to share what I heard this morning. Word for word.

Henry: "It's my turn for the water."

Elliot: "Ok. Do I have shampoo still?"

H: "Yeah, in the back."

E: "Is it out?"

H: "No, a little more to the left."

E: "I don't feel any on that side."

H: "Oh, I mean your right."

E: "Here, let me get it a little warmer for you . . . ah, that feels good."

H: "It's a little hot, but it will do."

H: "K. All your soap's out."

I love it.

Chore Chart

2011-04-11T21:22:00.001-07:00

About six weeks ago, I came up with a new system for doing chores around here. You see, the old way of giving each child a mere one or two chores a week (plus keeping a clean room), and then spending all day Saturday begging them to do them, all the while enduring whining and complaining in several pitches . . . wasn't working. I had noticed that my children weren't acting like part of family. They hated pitching in to get a job done faster, wouldn't dare pick up an item that didn't belong to them and in general, behaved like a bunch of poor Cinderellas. (I do have to say that the issue was predominately my two teenage daughters - but is that surprising?) I felt it was important for my kids to serve each other and feel like they were contributing to our family.

The solution:

For Family Home Evening, we had a brief discussion about service and being part of community/family. We talked about how if one person chooses not to do their part, it effects those around them - like the idea that "if one wheel falls off, then the car can't go". Next, we all sat in a circle and I pulled out 30 or so small cards cut from cardstock. I asked the kids to name all of the things that have to be done to make the household run smoothly. The list was rattled off very quickly: doing laundry, making dinner, going to work, sweeping the floors, cleaning toilets, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, pulling weeds, making the beds, taking out the trash, etc. As each job was mentioned, I wrote it down on a card and handed it to the person in the circle that is typically responsible for that particular job. The list went on and on and when we were finished, we each held up the cards we had been given. I'm sure it's no big shocker that Henry and Elliot were each holding two cards, and that I, the mom, had about 23 cards in my hand. Now, everyone could visually and plainly see the amount of responsibility each person in the family actually has. I'm proud to say that I got the reaction I was looking for - my kids said, "Wow, mom and dad sure do a lot of things for us!" And a couple of them realized finally that the meager amount of work they were asked to do on a weekly basis was absolutely nothing to complain about. I had them where I wanted them. Then, I brought out the chart I had made and the cards were redistributed. * I should note that although I don't have 23 cards a week anymore, I still have far more than the children do. And that's as it should be - after all, a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do! Kids can't pay the bills. Or get the groceries. Nor should they have to.

Yes, I misspelled "when".

This has worked oh so brilliantly!

* The kids are actually excited to dump out the cards and pick new chores each week.
* Since we all have different jobs from week to week, doing chores doesn't get boring.
* Everyone has a say in choosing their own chores, so no one feels like they're being forced to do anything.
* Doing a job that someone else is usually supposed to do, like making their bed for them, feels a lot like service.
* Since the kids can see in their baggie what they have to do, I don't have to remind or nag (hallelujah).
* I'm surprised the kids haven't asked for a raise in their allowance, due to the addition of chores. Good thing, since we weren't planning on giving them one.
* I didn't think it would happen, but I have witnessed certain people taking chores out of other bags, just to be nice :)
* I have discovered that getting an extra chore for complaining only happens ONCE. That lesson is one quickly learned.
* I've learned that a mom is much happier and more laid back when some of the house work has been lifted from her shoulders.
* I'm super impressed with Nathan for being so willing to participate in this new chore system - the majority of the "cards" were never his responsibility before. I'm grateful that he's vacuuming and dusting with the rest of us, even after working hard all week.
* Best of all, everyone in the family, including the parents, feels motivated to get all their cards in the "Done" bag so that they don't let the rest of the family down by missing out on the family reward. It's happened. So far, our family rewards have included things like going out for ice cream, buying a new movie on DVD and going to Airborne Trampoline Arena (although we've told the kids that the family reward can be as simple as a pack of gum for everyone, which they're totally cool with as well).

Well, mission accomplished . . . so far. Here's how I know:

1. The last time we chose new chores, Gillian observed, "I actually have about three times the chores I used to have, but it feels like less." Exactly. It doesn't feel like work anymore.

2. This last weekend, Samantha commented, "I've felt a difference in our family lately. Everyone's happier I think." I've felt it too. I think we're all feeling that unity that comes from working together and serving the members of our family.

We'll see how long it lasts . . .

Intro to Ebay

2011-04-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

I've decided to bypass worrying about catching up on the past and blogging in the now . . . for now. I'll still have to play catch-up later.

Tonight, Elliot and Henry had their first experience with ebay and learned how an auction works. They have both been dying to own an actual Harry Potter wizard wand. They found a seller on ebay who makes authentic replicas of wands used by various wizards in the movies. They have been drooling over them via computer screen for weeks, as their weekly allowance slowly filled their wallets. Tonight, at 8:20pm, with both wallets bulging with 20+ dollars and the wands of their dreams nearing auction end, the boys excitedly watched the little red numbers count backwards as their bids went higher. Dad helped with the clicking of the mouse at just the right moment. Very crucial. The Death Eater wand Henry wanted slipped from his fingers as the bidding went past his maximum bid of $23.

He was crushed for a moment, but wait . . . there was a Professor Severus Snape wand with a bid of $.99 ending in just 3 minutes! With much anticipation and much squealing, he became the winner of said Prof. Snape wand for a mere $1.04!

Henry's initial disappointment about the first wand disappeared. Tears avoided. Attention then moved to Elliot's Narcissa Malfoy (who is that?) wand.

He remained the highest bidder at $15.50 for the final 5 minutes of the auction and easily won his prize, although a little concerned that Henry only had to fork over a buck for his wand. But hey, it was his second choice. All in all, it was a great introduction to auctions - the bidding, the winning and the losing. (I'm just glad they both came away with something!)

What was so cute that it inspired me to sit down and blog about it, was that Henry sleepily came out of his room at nearly 10:00 pm, climbed on Nathan's lap and told him, "Dad, someone else got that Death Eater wand. And maybe a Dumbledore wand . . ."

Adorable- he was laying there in bed thinking about wizard wands.

I hope the mail isn't slow.

Christmas in the Desert

2011-03-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

Yea, I know Christmas was almost three months ago, but I'm not as behind on my blogging as some others... This December, we planned on going down to AZ right after Christmas as usual, but then we changed out minds and decided to go before Christmas . . . and didn't mention the change of plans to our parents:

It was kinda fun going to bed Christmas Eve in my parents house - something I haven't done in 15 years.

New pj's

Here are some random (and blurry) shots of Christmas Day with both sides of the family.

Thanks Nana!

Somehow, we all ended up wearing purple.

Gotta make a trip to see Grandma in the Mountains.

Henry and Elliot shakin' their booties with the dancing Santa:

Cousins' party

As always, and to Nathan's despair, we attended the Fiesta Bowl Parade. This year it was brrrrrr. This is the only picture I liked from that event:

This is how the kids looked when the adults left them to go out to dinner New Year's Eve.

And this is how the kids looked the night before we came back home.

And there it is in a nutshell. Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving with Mickey

2011-01-27T20:48:00.000-08:00

This last Thanksgiving, we thought we'd change things up a bit and go out of town (and NOT cook). Of course we picked Disneyland . . .

We stretched our legs in Vegas . . .

These are the biggest gumballs I've ever seen!

Our first day at Disneyland was Elliot's birthday. 9!

Happy Birthday E!

Elliot was chosen for the Jedi Training Academy. Probably because of the sign . . .

Jack Skellington is Elliot's favorite character.

Some group shots:

We were thrilled to see that they brought back Captain EO. Awesome.

Of course, the best thing about Disneyland is the rides. This was the first time that we were able to go on ALL of the rides together. Super fun!

Oh, let's not forget about Thanksgiving dinner! We had ours on Main Street.

Two versions of turkey dinner:

We also spent a day in Hollywood . . .

. . . and Newport Beach.

I honestly have no idea why we make them roll up their pants. Like it helps.

Yay for vacations!

Wolf

2010-11-29T22:18:00.000-08:00

Elliot was excited for the Pack Meeting we had two weeks ago. He had completed all the requirements for his Wolf badge. He also received a gold arrow point, 2 silver arrow points and 3 gold beads. And since he turned 9, he now moves on to the Bear den.

Don't he look cute in his uniform? I love this kid!

Geocaching Party

2010-11-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

Elliot's turning 9 soon, and since we'll be in California on his birthday, we had his party this last Saturday. Elliot's new favorite thing - second only to basketball - is geocaching, so naturally, that's what he wanted to invite his friends to do. Nathan was only too happy to plan the whole thing (we need to have these kind of parties more often!)
For anyone who's not cool enough to know what geocaching is: You use a handheld GPS to find caches (treasures) of various sizes, that others have hidden at certain coordinates. Once found, you write your name in the log book that's inside and then you can take any object or trinket out of the cache as long as you replace it with something of equal value.
For Elliot's party, I went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of small toys and gave them to the boys to keep or trade as they wanted. Nathan bought them each a neat water bottle holder that can be attached to a belt loop. This ended up being a bit of a nuisance for the boys that weren't wearing a belt and had to hold on to their pants the entire time to keep them from falling down!

This is the first cache they found. I love this picture.

Nathan's taking a video of the boys with his iPod in this picture.

We only had one minor injury. William scratched his face in this mess of twigs when they got a little off course. What's funny about this next picture is that ALL of them are right there in front of that middle tree. You just can't see them.

The coolest part of the hunt was walking through this long, creepy, wet drainage pipe.

These guys found all eight caches they went after and they had a BLAST doing it. Three of the boys didn't even know what geocaching was before they went with Elliot!

The New Addition

2010-11-11T19:46:00.001-08:00

This was delivered today:

We're totally excited to have a piano in the house again. We had to leave our hand me down, 100 year old, cobweb-y monster with broken keys behind in AZ, and I've missed it (well, not that piano, but a piano). And when my girls started expressing their desire for piano lessons - and when that turned into begging - we decided it was time to look for one. It just so happened, I found what I was looking for immediately. I looked on KSL, and the very first page of search results had this piano that was the perfect size, color and style and was a screaming deal to boot! Six days later, it's in our living room! Right after it arrived, I pulled out all of my old sheet music and started out with Ashokan Farewell - for mom, since it was her favorite and she asked my to play it all the time back when I was still living at home. Well, the girls are excited to start lessons next week, especially since their own mother is going to be teaching them. Elliot and Henry are even thinking of getting in on that action. Sure . . . why not?

Is It Possible to Go Senile at Age 35?

2010-11-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, seriously, I think I'm losing my mind. Last night, we went to watch Sam and Gill play in the regional volleyball tournament. In between games, we ran over to Panda Express to grab some dinner. When we got back, Gillian asked if she could use my cell phone to call a friend. I handed it to her and then she left the room to make the call. Literally one minute later, I opened my purse to grab my phone to text someone . . . my phone was gone! I kept searching my purse as the panic set in. The only place I thought it could be was at Panda Express, since it was the last place I remembered using it. I ran out to the car and speeded over to the restaurant. My phone was not at our table and it wasn't in the trash - I know because I looked. I ran back out to my car to check if it had fallen out of my purse and on the car floor. As I frantically searched, I decided to say a prayer. It was then that I finally remembered that Gillian had the phone! When I got back to the volleyball game, Nathan was waiting for me in the parking lot. He had a good laugh and apparently, so did all the girls on the volleyball team, since they had solved The Case of the Missing Phone long before I got back.

And then . . .

30 minutes later, when we piled in the car to go home, I opened my purse to get the car keys. Now they were missing. I digged around for a few seconds before I realized that I had already put the keys in the ignition and the car was running!

And then . . .

The next day, I used my debit card at an ATM. A while later, I opened my wallet and saw an empty space where my debit card should have been. What the heck? Did I really leave the card in the ATM machine? It took me a while to find the card in a different slot, behind the Costco card.

Goodness! I really need to get more rest . . . or go brunette . . . or get a CT scan . . .

Bryce Canyon

2010-11-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

Let's go back in time a few weeks to our Fall Break. We loaded the kids in the car and headed south to Bryce Canyon. Along the way, we stopped to hunt for several geocaches. Geocaching is Elliot's new favorite, and he was thrilled to find every cache we searched for.

We also passed right by Big Rock Candy Mountain. It looks kinda cool!

We stayed in Panquitch for a night and then on to Bryce Canyon.

Now, if you're married to Nathan, hiking around a National Park is a requirement.

Hike #1

We went in search of the famous Bristlecone Pine tree. The ones in Bryce Canyon are roughly 1700 years old, but there are some in the world that are 4600 years old! Bristlecone Pines grow in the most desolate spots - where there's lots of sun and very little water. They are distinguished by the way the pine needles grow in a foxtail shape. Nathan was impressed.

That is a very sad looking Bristlecone Pine right behind us:

This was a cool formation. I was snapping a few shots when a guy from Canada asked if I wanted to use his fisheye lens for a minute. Heck yeah! See the difference?

Then he took a picture of us with his lens still on my camera. It's totally neat except for the fact that I ruined the picture with my blink.

Hike #2

We hiked down into the canyon right passed Thor's Hammer, the most famous Hoodoo in the park.

Yes, I said Hoodoo. Here's a quick lesson on how Bryce Canyon was formed:

It's basically from erosion and the freezing temperatures in the winter. Anyway, here's the rest of the hike.

This is the Bryce Canyon Ampitheater. It really does look like there are a bunch of hoodoos seated in an ampitheater watching a concert or something.

This tree looks like it's going to walk away!

Bryce Canyon was beautiful and it made for the perfect fall break family adventure!

Today

2010-11-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today, I couldn't stop eating sugar cookies. I have plenty of leftover Halloween ghosts, pumpkins and bats sitting in a Tupperware. The frosting is just sitting out on the counter, making it real easy to grab a cookie, smear a little frosting on the top, and pop it into my mouth. I must be low on sugar . . .

A Bunch of Zombies . . . and a Prince

2010-11-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

Well, another Halloween has come and gone. It was super fun - let's start at the beginning:

Gotta get the pumpkins carved!

First, Dad cuts the top off and the boys scoop out the guts. Look what had sprouted inside the dark pumpkin!

Next, everyone draws what they want the pumpkin to look like. Then, we vote.

Mom roasts the pumpkin seeds while Dad carves the pumpkin's new face.

The Vampire pumpkin wins the election.

The pumpkins go out to the front porch and then . . . caramel apples for dessert!

Friday is the ward Trunk-or-Treat. The kids fill their buckets to the top with candy and Mom and Dad win one of the grand prizes for decorated trunk. Cool!

Saturday is Halloween (for all intents and purposes). Here in Utah, there are so many church members, that even non-members don't mind moving Halloween ahead one day. Too bad the weather is kinda miserable this year: cold, rainy, windy. Too windy to decorate the front porch for trick or treaters. We decide the leave all our spooky stuff in the trunk from the night before and open the garage door.

We dress up in costume for the third time this week and head over to Greg and Andrea's for a little pre-trick-or-treating dinner party. We watch the rain come down all through dinner, wondering if the kids will think all that candy will be worth braving the elements for.

It's funny how much Elliot looks like another Elliott, who was also a zombie (or a hunchback) on Halloween!

Time to trick-or-treat! Mom stays behind (there's no WAY she's walking around the neighborhood freezing HER butt off) to pass out candy to the other brave trick-or-treaters and to get ready for all the girls Gillian and Samantha have invited to the house for a Halloween party.

Let the candy trading begin!

I absolutely LOVE these girls! We miss the six others that couldn't come.

After doughnuts and fresh apple cider, a Halloween must-have, they all cozy up together to watch The Private Eyes, one of my favorite movies. It's a hit!

They all had a spooky good time . . . here come the cavities!

Fall Has Fallen

2010-10-25T22:17:00.001-07:00

We get excited for fall around here. Our first fall in Utah was right on time and spectacular...

Last year, it froze early - in late September - before the leaves even had a chance to change. Therefore, no pictures.

This year, we decided to take a drive along the Alpine Loop, which is famous for it's amazing fall color. We went in September, to beat any possible freeze. We beat it alright. We drove through still green Aspen trees in 85 degree weather.

The Dixon girls

Henry and Gavin doin' what they do best.

The temperature remained unseasonably warm for most of October and we thought that fall would disappoint again this year. But, last Sunday we woke up and saw this:

Finally! We figured that if this side of the mountain was that pretty, then it would be awesome on the other side. So we took a drive. We were right...

Gotta love it!

I Really Need To Catch Up On My Blogging...

2010-10-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Okay-

Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit in August.

We went rafting down the Provo River.

The boat they brought with them didn't work so well, so they stayed pretty wet.

So did this girl. We thought it was funny that her tube was way to little to be effective.

Rafting was all we did, though. Grandma and Grandpa's trip was cut short. Sadly, Granny had a stroke and they rushed back to AZ to be with her. Granny passed away shortly after. Sommer and I flew down to AZ for her funeral. We both had the unique and special experience of helping to get Granny dressed and ready for the viewing - I'll never forget it.

Here are the things that made Granny...well, Granny!

- Enchiladas

- Jello Poke-Cake

- Crooked Smiles

- The Dishtowel Dance

- Christmas Chimes

- Roast Beef, Potatoes & Gravy

- Singing me nursery rhymes from the Children's Encyclopedia

- Fry Cakes

- Teaching me how to braid using red, white and blue yarn.

- Telling me "I'll have your ear!" when I was being a twerp - which was NEVER.

- The old clock that chimed in the living room.

- Date Nut Candy at Christmas, which is totally famous!

- Teaching me how to Candlewick (does anyone know what that IS anymore?)

- Letting us grandkids play "Murder in the Dark" in Grandpa's office.

- Her giggle

- Saving the funnies for us out of the Sunday paper. We didn't get the paper.

- Playing the organ

- Telling me that my lost tooth will grow back in solid gold if I didn't stick my tongue in the empty space.

I love you Granny!

I was in AZ during the first week of school. The kids got off to a great start.

We have two Middle-Schoolers this year. This is the group they walk to school with every morning. (Notice the dork in the window behind them?)

Then Gillian turned 12!

And that's all for now!

Bear Lake

2010-09-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

In August, we spent a weekend at Bear Lake with some friends in the ward. It was the end of the season, so the weather was a little cool (but not too cool for raspberry shakes). We lucked out, though, the day we spent at the lake beach . . . sunny!

Jax, Lily and Katie

Abby, Jana, Jake and Jonah

Henry and Riley

Sam and Meg

Allison, Jana, Katie and Kathy

Nathan, Tyler, Tate, Greg and Jory making a mountain out of a molehill!

Deer Creek

2010-09-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

Back in the Spring, our ward had a silent auction to raise funds for Youth Conference. We won a day on the Abrahamson's boat. We tried to go one day in July, but the keys to the boat mysteriously disappeared, so we rescheduled.

It was windy and the water was way too choppy, but we still managed to have fun!

36

2010-09-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

Nathan got a skateboard for his birthday. He tried it out to see if he still had moves.

Gillian was more a fan of the skateboard than Nathan was. It's been sitting in the garage ever since.

Girls Camp

2010-09-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

I finally pulled some pictures from Gillian's camera. Here's the ones she took at Girls Camp in July:

Rachel and Sammie

Maddie and Sam

That's disturbing.

Where'd the Summer Go?

2010-08-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

Is is possible to be busy doing nothing? I think so. It must be, because that's exactly been the case around here this summer. Since we got back from AZ, we haven't really done anything super exciting, but our days are still filled with the usual summer past times: sleeping in, swimming, playing with neighborhood friends, vegging on the couch watching TV, getting books from the library and letting them sit in a pile in the corner until it's time to return them, playing lots of Wii (Henry got two new games for his b-day), Happy Hour slushes at Sonic, movies, and staying up until 9:30 or 10:00 waiting for the sun to go down. Speaking of, this is what the sky looked like last night over the mountains at sunset:

Samantha and Gillian went to Girls Camp 3 weeks ago, and Elliot attended his first Cub Scout camp - super fun for them! I dropped Sam off at another camp early this morning. Lucky. Oakcrest camp is just for girls who are going in 8th or 9th grade, and she was way excited to go.

Oh, yeah - there was the Fourth of July. We went to downtown Provo with Sommer's family for the Freedom Festival. Now I've done it. Don't need to do it again. Then we went to Bridalveil Falls in Provo Canyon for a picnic and to let the kids play in the water. And of course we saw fireworks.

Red, white and blue cake. . .

. . . followed by sparklers.

We do have some more exciting plans for August, however. We will be going to Lagoon when Samantha gets back from Oakcrest, and then a weekend at Bear Lake with ward friends. Grandma and Grandpa AND Nana and Papa are coming for a visit, and Nathan and the boys have a Fathers and Sons outing. So, when it's all said and done, I think it will have been a favorable summer. And school will start again - hoorah!

Arizona

2010-06-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

After our visitors left, I packed up the kids and headed to Arizona for 10 days. Sommer did the same. We did plenty of fun things, including finally getting to really see baby Duncan, playing at the park and the splash pad, going out to dinner in Scottdale, lunch with Granny, a birthday party for Henry at Peter Piper Pizza, going to the pool, and a Jackson family party. I only remembered to pull out my camera a couple of times to take pictures:

And we managed to survive the heat. Barely.

Schools Out! Time for...Visitors!

2010-06-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

Nana, Papa, Aubree and Olivia came for a visit. They arrived on the last day of school - what a way to kick off the summer! We took them to Slab to see Eric and eat the best pizza in the world. We also visted Temple Square in Salt Lake City and had dinner at Ruth's Diner in Emigration Canyon. We spent Sunday afternoon in Millcreek Canyon and drove back to SLC to see the temple light up when the sun went down.

Aubree was really intersted in the temples. We put our pajamas on one night just to drive to the Draper Temple after dark.

We were happy to learn that Aubree had been taking the missionary discussions and was wanting to be baptized. We're so proud of you Aubs!

Aunt Nat

2010-05-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

Gillian was recently assigned a project at school to write a report about her hero. This is what she came up with:

My hero is my aunt Natalie. She is a great example to me. She has been through a lot. She had a premature baby boy. He was born 15 weeks early! He was in the hospital for a long time. When he was finally able to go home, no one was able to see him. I only got to see him through a window! Although I have never get to spend time with him, I am sure Natalie is raising a wonderful little boy. She has made it through this rough past year.

My aunt Natalie is also funny. She has a great sense of humor! She laughs at our jokes and has her own share of making everybody laugh. I always have a great time when she is around.

She is also very nice and caring. I know she is always there for me. She will play with all the little cousins. She will cheer you up when you're sad. My aunt Natalie is no Super hero, she is just a one of kind person. I love you Nat!

Pinewood Derby

2010-05-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

From the moment Elliot became a Cub Scout, he's been looking forward to the Pinewood Derby. Tonight was finally the night!

Here's the car:

3...2...1...

GO!

Elliot's car was the winner the first two times down the track, and came in second in the two races after that. His hopes for first place were high, but as it turned out, the winners are determined by their average speed down the track, not by the number of races won. Elliot ended up in about 6th or 7th place, but he said he had a lot of fun. We'll get 'em next year Elliot!

2010-05-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Crap.

Quartz

2010-05-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

A little background before the punchline...

Elliot recently had a geology unit in school and he has become obsessed with rocks. He comes home from school everyday with rocks he's picked up on the way home from school. He begged us to get the rock tumbler down from the shelf only to find that the rubber piece that turns the gear was worn. After much pestering, we fixed the gear and ordered new grit and polish. He's also been reading tons of books on the subject of rocks.

So... needless to say, I found it extremely hilarious this evening when Elliot came running down the hall in a panic with an agitated Henry right on his heels with a large piece of quartz in his hand. Elliot screams, "Mom! Henry's going to hit me with the 7th hardest mineral!"

More of Henry's School Drawings

2010-04-30T13:40:00.001-07:00

Alien Octopus

Walrus

Ode to Spring Soccer

2010-04-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Cold
Wet
Umbrellas
Wind
Rain
Cold
Blankets
Snow...
...and some soccer.

Spring soccer stinks.

Spring Break

2010-04-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Katelyn, Brian and baby Lily came to see us for Easter weekend. Katelyn wanted this...

...but got this instead.

So we made the best of what we had. We went sledding.

Lily looked like this when we first put her down in the snow...

...but she warmed up to it real quick!

She liked to lean forward and stick her face right in the snow, but her favorite part was the sledding. She made super cute excited noises all the way down the hill and then when the ride was over, she said, "More!"

This picture makes me laugh.

And so does this one.

We got waffles in Salt Lake City one morning and then went back later that night for Tony Caputo's.

Nathan and I heared that Nathan's cousin had opened a pizza place in Provo, so of course we had to give it a try.

Waiting for the pizzas...

It was hands down the best pizza I've ever had - thanks Eric, we'll definitely be back (especially because I've been seriously craving the Buffalo Wing Pizza ever since)!

Time for bowling in the Wilkinson Center at BYU.

Strike!

The anticipation of a strike. It was.

Let's not forget Easter.

Thanks for coming guys, and for bringing Lily - that was the best part!

Just Some Pics

2010-04-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

I have a picture of me and Nathan on our kitchen wall that I've been wanting to update. The weather was really nice a couple of Sundays ago, so I begged Gillian to take a few shots of us. We didn't get any good enough to put on the wall, but I'll post a couple of them here...in case anyone at home has forgotten what we look like.

Albatross

2010-04-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

Elliot's class did their animal reports a couple weeks ago. Elliot was given the Albatross. He made a trifold poster with pictures and facts, which he did entirely on his own. He was also required to make a habitat containing his animal made out of clay. Elliot made his clay albatross without any help from me. It turned out pretty cool. See?

Karate Kid

2010-04-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

Henry took a six week karate class at the elementary school. He didn't really like it that much - I think he was expecting to become a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle after the first class. He didn't even earn a belt...but he looked cute doing the moves!

April Fools

2010-04-01T15:46:00.001-07:00

Was this you, Emily? Ha ha.

Something - asaurus

2010-03-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

- by Henry

14 Years

2010-03-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

Today (March 9), Nathan and I have been married 14 years! We celebrated this anniversary in style. Friday night, we checked into a Bed & Breakfast on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City, just blocks from Temple Square. I love staying in these old grand mansions full of history and charm.

After we checked in, we drove to Holladay to have dinner at Franck's, a fancy four-star restaurant that served French American cuisine. We were very impressed - from the appetizer to dessert. Everything we put in our mouths was absolutely de-lish! Nathan fell in love with the carrot cake nested in a tower of swirled white and milk chocolate. I had the lemon creme brulee with a tiny scoop of house-made lemon ice cream. Oh-my-gosh!

When we got back to our room at the Inn, there were candles lit and music playing. Very romantic. Nathan and I laid on the bed for a while (to let all of that yummy food digest) and our thoughts reflected back to when Nathan proposed way back on December 23, 1995. I asked Nathan, "If 35 year-old Nathan could go back in time and talk to 21 year-old Nathan right before he proposed, what would he tell him?" Nathan thought about that for a second and responded, "He would tell him, 'Go for it, because it's going to be awesome!'"

The next morning, we were served breakfast in bed and then we headed out to enjoy some downtown urban living. We shopped at some vintage stores and found this:

For lunch, we stumbled upon this amazing Italian market/deli called Tony Caputo's. I died over the parmesan cheese that was sprinkled all over my pasta cacciatori, so I bought half a pound of it in the market!

Nathan and I also found and tasted to best chocolates ever. Chris Blue is a genius chocolatier and only sells his handmade and painted chocolates there at Caputo's and in his store in Berkley, CA.

I had the lemon truffle and the passion fruit caramel. Nathan tried pistachio and grapefruit & rosemary. Pistachio was the best.

We also made a quick stop at Les Madeleine's Bakery for a Kouing-aman and went to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for some Mormon "essentials". As we walked through Temple Square, we saw many new brides having their pictures taken. As we passed one newly-wed couple, the bride looked away from her photographer and caught my eye. I silently told her, "Today is magical, but in 14 years, if you're lucky, you'll be just like me - still in love with the man I married, with four incredible kids at home waiting for us to return (and to give them the treats we bought for them). That's real magic."

So, Nathan. Thank you for the last 14 years - the good, the bad and the fantastic. I love you!

And 34 year-old Allison would definitely urge 20 year-old Allison to say "Yes"!

Snow?

2010-03-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

We haven't seen this since December. I was wondering where winter went...

I love waking up to a winter wonderland.

Too bad I have to go out in it - I have lots to do today!

Bobcat

2010-02-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Elliot's first Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts. Elliot was excited because he had earned the rank of Bobcat (after being in Cub Scouts for only two months) and received his first badge. I was so proud.

He also got a pin that he was to pin on his wonderful mom.

The icing on the cake, literally, was the Most Elegant award he got for the cake that he and Nathan made together - absolutely no help from me (that's the rule). It was a hit!

Good job E!

- And yes, Elliot is due for a haircut!

Don't Play With Your Food

2010-02-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

I'm quessing Elliot didn't feel like eating his dinner tonight...

Ahhh...

2010-02-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

Our front door faces the south, which is where the sun comes in during the winter (when there is sun). Sometimes I like to sit on the stairs and bask in this little slice of warmth.
Yep - just like a cat.

Boys and Bugs

2010-01-20T21:24:00.001-08:00

Stick bug and Caterpillar

It was my turn today to host Henry's play group. There are five boys in the group and I could just eat every one of them up - they're so cute! I love having Max, Jake, Eli and Caleb over every five weeks for crafts and treats. Today we made bugs and ate "grasshopper" ice cream sundaes.

Christmas Passed

2010-01-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

I'm finally blogging about Christmas! I didn't really take any pictures - I've come to value how nice it is to see Christmas morning (waking up, running to see what Santa brought, and tearing through the presents) with my own eyes and not through a camera lens. I know it's bad for a mom to not capture moments like these, but being camera-free once in a while . . . oh, so nice!

Christmas day was awesome. The kids all got exactly what they wanted: ipods and a Wii. We spent the whole day playing games, trying on new clothes and eating good food. Then we packed up to leave for AZ the next day. We made the drive in record time - 9 1/2 hours! We spent the first 3 days with Nathan's family opening presents, relaxing and going out to our favorite places to eat. We finally got to meet baby Duncan. We weren't allowed to get close to him, but we got to to see him through his bedroom window. So cute! We also had the chance to see Kyler play in a hockey tournament at the Coyote's arena. Go Ky!

Next, we spent a few days with my family. First, we went on a hike in the White Tank Mountains. That night, we had the cousins Christmas party and opened more presents. We were able to get Sommer's family on the webcam, so it felt like everybody was there. The rest of the trip included a movie on New Years Eve (wish I had a picture of mom trying to sneak the empty popcorn bucket into the theater under her shall to get a free refill), shopping at Last Chance, the Fiesta Bowl Parade and a trip to Smeeks (candy store). Good times. Here are some snapshots of the few times I bothered to pull out my camera:

White Tanks

Walking sticks from Grandma & Grandpa.

Dad and Nathan trying out the sweet bikes Mom and Dad gave each other for Christmas.

Goodbye, Arizona! We'll miss the Mexican food, desert, shopping, 72 degrees, familiar sites and loved ones - everything that reminds us that we are home. Until next time . . .

Family Portrait

2010-01-16T15:22:00.001-08:00

And check out or debut on Youtube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElXzM2RyBuA

Bye!

Leo

2010-01-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

In December, Elliot bought a leopard gecko with his birthday money. I was very skeptical about a creepy reptile pet at first, but now I think Leo is pretty cool. He's cute and small, and it's fun to watch him eat.

Ewww!

Here's where Leo lives. He loves to hide in the log most of the time.

The only thing I don't love about a having a pet reptile is having pet crickets as well.

Good thing feeding time is Elliot's job!

Showing Off

2010-01-11T12:22:00.000-08:00

Henry thinks he's so cool now that he can read. The books he's reading go something like this..."See it. See! See! I see it." So you see, he's not quite reading novels yet, but he thinks it's awesome!

Jr. Jazz

2010-01-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned before, Elliot is playing basketball on the Jr. Jazz League. His team's record is 3-1 and Elliot has made some pretty good shots. These are the only pictures I've taken - too bad they're blurry.

Silent Night

2009-12-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

"At the focal point of all human history, a point illuminated by a new star in the heavens revealed for such a purpose, probably no other mortal watched - none but a poor young carpenter, a beautiful virgin mother, and silent stabled animals who had not the power to utter the sacredness they had seen. Shepherds would soon arrive and later, wise men from the East. Later yet, the memory of that night would bring Santa Claus and Frosty and Rudolph - and all would be welcome. But first and forever there was just a little family, without toys or trees or tinsel. With a baby - that's how Christmas began."

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

You Know Your 5 Year Old Goes To Public School when...

2009-12-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

... you ask him to please sing the REAL lyrics to Jingle Bells, and all he can come up with is, "Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg..."

It's Great to Be 8!

2009-12-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

Elliot turned 8 right before Thanksgiving. He looked so cool in his new jeans and Beatles (his favorite band) t-shirt.

The day before his birthday, he invited Riley and William to join us at the Classic Fun Center. They played in the Bounce Zone, the Blast Zone and even squeezed in a game of Laser Tag. It looked like they had a ton of fun.

On his birthday, Sommer's family came over to have cake and ice cream.

And then, last Saturday, was baptism day. It ended up being a busy and eventful day for Elliot. He had his first Jr. Jazz game early in the morning. He was a little unsure of himself at first, but he found his confidence near the end of the game. He was an incredible defender - he never left the man he was guarding (even when his team had the ball!) I wish I could post the video I took because he made a beautiful jumpshot that I was lucky to capture on film.

The baptism was great. I was a little bummed that I didn't really get to see Elliot until he actually entered the font, but it was awesome watching Nathan baptize his first son.

Lots of hugs afterwards - Sommer and Jeremy brought their kids, and Riley and William came to support Elliot as well. Elliot was especially excited that Nana and Papa were able to come from AZ to enjoy this wonderful weekend with us.

We love you Elliot and we're so proud of you! Hooray for turning 8!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-08T21:35:00.000-08:00

Again, this year, Thanksgiving was low key - just the way we like it. We slept in (except for Nathan, who was in charge of this year's ward Turkey Bowl), watched the Macy's parade on TV, and had a quiet morning. I was impressed when Gillian decided to entertain the boys with a couple of cute projects. I love that about her.

We had dinner, which was delicious, at Sommer and Jeremy's house. I was in charge of the centerpiece.

We spent the rest of the evening browsing through Black Friday ads and eating pie. The next morning, Nathan and I crawled out of bed at 4:30 am to join the other crazy people looking for a good deal. Later, we took the kids Christmas shopping, to a movie and then to the new In-n-Out that just opened by our house. Overall, it was another successful and satisfying Thanksgiving weekend. Now, looking forward to Christmas..........

First Snow

2009-11-14T21:41:00.001-08:00

7th Grade Choir

2009-11-14T21:36:00.001-08:00

Samantha had her first choir performance last week. They sang only four songs. Henry was grateful we were outta there in twenty minutes!

Halloween '09

2009-11-11T22:14:00.000-08:00

Here's our spooks!

The kids dressed up three different times this year. They had a costume parade at school, our ward Trunk-or-Treat and actual Halloween night. Let the candy trading begin!

Stud

2009-11-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

Nathan picked up my camera one Sunday to snap a photo of Elliot. I see why. I can't believe my little man is about to turn 8!

Our Violinist

2009-11-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

Gillian has recently taken up the violin to join her school orchestra and has already had her first performance. She's actually pretty good. I thought that when we got her the violin, that we would have to get everyone some earplugs as well to endure the squeaky noises that I was positive would come out of that instrument. Not the case. She's excited for her Christmas concert in December at the South Towne Expo. Go Gilly!

St. George Getaway

2009-11-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Nathan and I were lucky enough to get a break from the kids and go on a couples getaway in southern Utah. The Summerhays were kind enough to invite us and two other fun couples in our ward to stay in their family's vacation home in St. George. It was such a blast! While most of us would probably agree that we spent most of our time eating, we managed to sqeeze in a bunch of other worthwhile activities. The guys played a round of golf while the girls enjoyed a little shopping. We attended a play at the Tuachan, a beautiful outdoor theater nestled in the red rock. We checked out a really cool "narrow" and climbed around the rocks, and even fit in a session at the St. George Temple. It was really fun to spend time with some of the couples in our ward and get to know them better - although there are some things better left unknown! I know, right?

Thanks for the great weekend Greg and Andrea!

Now I Know My ABC's

2009-10-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

Like I said in an earlier post, Henry loves school. He's been really excited to learn the letters in the alphabet. He's been learning one letter a day since the first week of school and he was looking forward to getting to "Z". I anticipated which day that would be (today) and I had a prize waiting for him. How lucky I was to find gummy alphabet letters at the store! The first thing Henry did with them was...

Nice Looking Family, Eh?

2009-10-12T11:54:00.001-07:00

We took our Fall Family Photo yesterday. We decided that this would be an annual thing, since fall is our favorite season and the colors in a fall photo would go nicely in our house. We were sorely disappointed, however, that the canyon we chose had already passed its fall prime. Little Cottonwood is quite a higher elevation and the weather there has already reached freezing. We totally missed the fall colors, but the pictures turned out cute anyway.

Photo editing courtesy of Hailee

The Ultimate Compliment

2009-10-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

Something that Nathan really enjoys is a good biscuit. I've always stunk at making homemade biscuits - I usually use Bisquick and on occasion have resorted to biscuits in a can. This was unfortunate since Nathan is a huge fan of jam (especially homemade) and his family's famous chocolate gravy recipe.

Well, I recently found a great biscuit recipe on Food Network and even watched a few online videos on successful biscuit making. I decided to give biscuits another try. Last night, I produced the flakiest, largest and most delicious biscuits I've ever made in my life. The best part was that Nathan said "Mmmm" after every bite. But here's the ultimate compliment: After dinner, as Nathan was rinsing off the plates, he said, wait for it................. "Honey, I think those were the best biscuits I've ever had." It gets even better. Next he said, "Those were maybe even better than my Grandmother's biscuits." Whoo hoo! And there you have it. That has got to be one of the nicest things he's ever said to me. I think when a wife is ever able to duplicate or surpass the culinary genius of a man's mother or grandmother, she has achieved the highest form of success in the kitchen. Feels good. (And of course, no offense to Grandma Nadine - she's still the queen of baking).

Now if I could only make a decent pie crust................

Disclaimer: The photo on this post is NOT of the biscuits I made last night, but it could have been - they looked just like the picture!

Mirror Lake

2009-09-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day, we went to Mirror Lake. This is a glacier lake high in the Uintas, the mountain range east of the Wasatch Mountains. The elevation is 10,700 ft, so even though it's early September, it was a little chilly.

A certain someone was grumpy and freezing the entire time.

We took the raft out for a paddle around the lake.

Then we decided to go around the lake on foot.

See Nathan and Henry?

Wierd floaty lake grass

On the way down the mountain, we stopped to get a look at Provo River Falls.

Nathan must get right in the middle of every waterfall he visits.

This picture was worth flipping a U-turn for.

We finished the day in Heber City for burgers and shakes. What a nice day off!

Kindergarten

2009-09-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

Henry finally started Kindergarten last Thursday. He's been waiting "his whole life" to go to school and now it's really here. He loves his teacher, Mrs. Broderick, recess, storytime and the little boy he sits by, Hunter Hunter (that's what he calls him). He's made lots of friends - I knew he would. Henry wants to read more than anything, so he's come home every day excited about the new letters he's been learning. I can't wait for math to begin. Henry is a wiz at numbers. He can count well over 100, can do addition (like 12+7), and can tell time. He'll blow his teacher away!

On the first day of school, Henry was supposed to wear his favorite t-shirt for show & tell. No surprises here.

I took this picture this morning. It's not the first day of school anymore - they just looked so gosh darn cute!

Silly Dream

2009-09-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

This morning while Henry was having his breakfast, he told us about the dream he had last night. It went something like this:

There were three cats - blue, pink and orange. They were being chased by two white eggs. These eggs had faces and one of them was "the fat guy" who weighed 80 hundred pounds. Before the eggs caught the cats they started cracking all over.

The End.

Sunday Nap

2009-08-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

And They're Off...

2009-08-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

Have a great day guys! Kindergarten doesn't start until next week, so Henry will have to wait for his "First Day of School Front Porch" photo.

Back to School Feast

2009-08-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by a fellow blogger to hold a "Back-to-School Feast". I thought it would be a fun and special way to kick off the new school year. What I really love is the idea of having a family theme. Nathan and I have been discussing ways we can get our kids to show and feel more love and support for each other and also to see how important being a member of a family really is. So, I chose Unity for this year's theme. This school year we'll work on being a team - "All for one and one for all!"

The Menu:

Herb-Crusted Pork Loin
Peggy's Cheesy Potatoes

Too Much Chocolate Bundt Cake

Shirley Temples

The feast was a success. The kids appreciated the extra attention given to starting school. They were already excited anyway - this just made it better!

Bear Lake

2009-08-26T12:59:00.001-07:00

We finished off the summer with a bang. The Bishop and his family invited us out for a fun weekend at Bear Lake. What a blast! We enjoyed the beach.......

..............and the boat.

This was our kids' first experience on a ski boat.

Rachel was the only one brave enough to try the knee board.

Bishop tried his best to make Nathan and Leslie take a spill.

Success!

Gillian and Rachel got bumped off as well.

But it was all good, because it was time for a swim break.

Mark, Nathan & Leslie

We also enjoyed famous Bear Lake raspberry shakes and the HUGE Old Ephriam 28" pizza.

Other things we didn't enjoy so much were ICE cold showers, sunburns and a little rain as we tried to pack up. We were also disappointed to never hear one of Bishop's "Rocco and the Dudemeister" stories - we were promised! It was really fun spending time with the Dixons and getting to know them better. Thanks for sharing your weekend guys!

So Random

2009-08-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

I'm expecting my new cell phone to arrive tomorrow and I finally figured out how to transfer My Pix and My Flix from my current cell phone's memory to the computer via the micro SD card. So, enjoy some random images and video from the last two years.

IMAX Theatre. The first picture I took on the phone. This was also taken on Nathan's first day at his new job in Utah. My plan was to send him lots of pics to he wouldn't feel like he was missing everything. (Sep. 2007)

ZZZZZZZZ.....

Nathan's favorite cell pic of Henry - it doesn't even really look like him!

I use my cell phone to report injuries to the grandparents.

Cheese!

Jackson Christmas Party - gifts from great-grandma J. (Dec. 2007)

Proof that Henry used to love his fingers and his "pillow".

Henry and Max watching William play Nintendo DS. (2008)

Which one?

After I found Henry hiding behind the filthy clothes racks at Mervyn's. (Nov. 2007)

Me with curly hair. (2007)

Samantha ate a kiwi fruit on a plate. When I went to wash it, this is what I saw. Looks like a ghost! (2008)

Ruth's Diner in Emigration Canyon. (May 2009)

New little shopping carts at Smith's. (April 2009)

Clark Planetarium, Salt Lake City (May 2009)
On the moon:

On Mars:

My kids are such nerds. (Dec. 2007)

Now it's movie time!

2007

When Nathan was flying back and forth on a plane while working in Utah, I had my ringtone for his calls set to "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane" by John Denver. One night when Nathan was away, I was listening at Henry's bedroom door and overheard him in his crib singing.

We took the kids the meet Spiderman at Toys R Us. Samantha was being shy, and was bugged that he called her a "sour puss". (Dec. 2007)

This is the one that makes me and Nathan laugh every time we see it. Nathan asked Henry if he likes Everett, a little boy in our Avondale ward. His answer was a little random, but very funny! (Feb. 2008)

Sharing a Milestone

2009-08-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Last October, I was introduced to a woman who inspires me, motivates me - makes me laugh, cry, cheer and want to be a better person. I've only known Stephanie Neilson through reading her blog. Her outlook on life and the eternal perspective that she seems to hold on to, even through one of the worst trials I think a woman and a mother could face, fills me with gratitude for what I have and hope for who I can become. Nathan and I have tried to show our support by attending a Mindy Gledhill benefit concert and donating to a silent auction held for Nie Nie. Last night, on the first anniversary of her near-fatal plane crash, we had the opportunity to show Stephanie how much we care for her by supporting her on her first hike up Y Mountain since the accident.

Stephanie stood at the trail gate to personally thank all who came to share this milestone with her. She gave each of us a hug and then we started up the trail.

Stephanie and Christian started the hike ten minutes later, hand in hand. Along the trail, Nathan and I recognized many faces from Stephanie's blog - her children, sisters, Jimmy the dog, and even Mindy Gledhill and her family. We paused to chat with Steve Craig (an old friend of mine) and his kids. The next thing we knew, Stephanie had caught up to us, said a quick "hello" to Steve, and then left us in the dust! What a woman! We were able to catch up to her once or twice, but as everyone knows, I stink at hiking, so Stephanie the super trooper ended up beating us to the top.

Everyone cheered when when Stephanie and Christian made it to the big white "Y". She didn't seem terribly worn out (I, on the other hand, was dying.) There were tears and smiles as the Neilson family hugged each other for a moment, paused for a few pictures and then let some balloons go in the sky.

Nathan and I watched the sun set and then headed back down the mountain.

Nathan's water bottle got in the way as I was taking the perfect sunset picture, but I think I looks pretty cool anyway.

So, once again, Nie Nie gave me cause to take a step back, look inside myself, and see what's really important. I'll keep my loved ones close and my Heavenly Father closer. I'll be grateful for the blessings that I have and pray for blessings to be poured out over Stephanie and her family.

Goodbye LC

2009-08-10T13:26:00.001-07:00

If someone would have asked me two years ago (well, maybe even last week) if Nathan would ever sell his Landcruiser, I would have responded with a resounding "No!" Nathan purchased this 1991 Toyota Landcruiser in February 2007 to pull the camp trailer we had just acquired. He set right to work spending long hours in the garage (and more money than I wanted to part with) fixing it up. I used to complain that he loved the Landcruiser more than me and that he should just go ahead and marry it. The Landcruiser (lovingly nicknamed LC by Nathan), did end up taking us on some fun camping trips with the trailer, including Yellowstone and my favorite, Yosemite National Park in California. However, this 18 year old, 10 mpg gas guzzler with 221,000 miles on the odometer was never intended to be a work commuter car. But the Landcruiser has been just that during the 18 months that we've lived in Utah. All the gas that LC has been guzzling got to be quite ridiculous, so when the government approved another $2 billion for the "Cash for Clunkers" rebate program, we decided it was time to trade her in for something more efficient. It's sad to let LC go with the good times (and stickers on the back windshield) that will go with her, especially since she's going to be torn apart for scrap metal. Every time the car salesman called the Landcruiser the "clunker", I said, "Don't call it that!" The good thing about the new car, a light green 2009 Hyundai Accent, is that the money we'll save in gas just about pays the car payment. It's a no-brainer. The only downside is that all camping trips are suspended until we can replace my minivan with a car that can pull a trailer. Bummer. The kids love the new car (mostly because it's lime green), and it is nice to own a new car - something that Nathan and I have never done in our lives.

Here's some photos of some of the places we went with the Landcruiser:

Yosemite

Yellowstone

Grand Tetons

Various camping trips

Not to mention that it was Landcruiser we were driving when we drove down Lombard Street and across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

So long, LC. Thanks for the fun memories!

P.S. My favorite memory with the Landcruiser, the one that still makes me laugh when I think about it, cannot be written down. The story is so good that it has to be told - as all good stories should be. For those who haven't heard about the "Camp Verde Incident", just ask, and I'll gladly tell it again.