The Reese Family

More Pictures of Christmas Day at the Cardinals and Cowboys Football Game!

2011-02-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

More pictues of Christmas at the game!

2010 Christmas Morning

2011-02-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

The kids were so happy to wake up to toys and jerseys they have been wanting. Conner and Derek got the Cardinals black jerseys they've been dying to get, and Cameron got a Saints and Colts jersey. He also wanted a cardinals black, but I guess Santa couldn't find one in his size. He might have to wait until his Birthday for that one! Sydney got clothes, a butterfly hatching contraption, and a couple DS games she can play on Conner's DS. Alexa got a Tea party table and set she absolutely loves, and Austin got some toy trucks and clothes. Alexa was having a tea party with her siblings just minutes after waking up. About a half hour after opening presents, we told the kids that there was one more present from us they needed to open. After a scavenger hunt to find the present, the kids were slightly confused when they found an envelope. We told them to sit on the couch and open the envelope(while we video taped). The 3 oldest boys were screaming when they found out the present was taking the whole family to Arizona to watch the Cardinals play the Cowboys on Christmas day. We got ready quickly, and were out the door to Arizona by 8:30am Christmas morning. The kids were slightly excited!

Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Terry's House

2011-02-25T21:44:00.000-08:00

It was nice to have my parents home from their mission. Each year we've had Christmas Eve at my parents house, and acted out the story of Mary and Joseph. Last year(because my parents were gone on a mission) we went to my sister's house and acted it out. This year my parents were home and we had it at their house. The kids liked dressing in their costumes, singing the Christmas songs, and being the center of attention.

Ward Christmas Party

2011-02-25T21:35:00.001-08:00

These were pictures from our Ward Christmas Party. Austin wasn't very happy about sitting on Santa's lap, and Alexa was absolutely terrified of Santa!

more pictures of Knott's Trip

2010-12-17T23:28:00.000-08:00

At the Beach in California

2010-12-17T23:22:00.000-08:00

We love the Beach!

Pictures of our Knott's Berry Farm Trip!

2010-12-17T23:18:00.000-08:00

We took our annual trip to Knott's Berry Farm the second week of December. We went with the Raban's, and Sheri, Mike, and Jillian(Steve's sister/Brother in law, and child). We drove down after school on a Friday and came home late Monday night. While we were there we went to the Beach, and went to Knott's two different days. Saturday was a nightmare at Knott's. They were running a promotion for Toys for Tots, and way to many people were there that day. Monday was awesome! We hardly waited in lines, and rode everything we wanted multiple times.

Funny Alexa!

2010-12-17T23:10:00.000-08:00

Alexa makes us laugh! She is always pretending she is the Mom. She lays her dolls down all over the house, but makes sure she tucks them in with a blanket and pillow. We find her dolls in the high chair, car seat, tile floor, bathtub, etc. We love this girl! I took a few pictures of where we find her dolls.

Alexa turns 3 years old!

2010-12-17T23:03:00.000-08:00

On December 11, Alexa had her 3rd Birthday! We were in California, going to Knott's Berry Farm on her actual Birthday. We let her open her present in the car outside our hotel. We got her a tea set, because she is always playing with the one at Steve's parents house. She was so happy about the tea set! She wouldn't put it down, and held it on her lap while we drove to the Theme Park. We let the kids decorate Christmas cookies in a bakery at Knott's. Conner and Derek won stuffed animals by scoring a certain amount of points in a basketball game, and they gave Alexa the stuffed bears for her birthday. She was so excited about the bears, and wanted to hold them the rest of the time at Knott's.

Conner Received the Priesthood

2010-12-17T22:51:00.000-08:00

I can't believe our oldest child Conner is 12! Where did the time go? He recieved the priesthood on December 5, 2010. Both sets of Grandparents were in attendance during the blessing. We are so grateful for Conner. He is such a fun, energetic, obedient, and responsible child. He is such a good older brother! He loves his siblings, and it is obvious they love him!

Cam's Flag Football

2010-12-17T22:42:00.000-08:00

Cameron loves Football! He wanted to play tackle this year, but he wasn't old enough. The next best option was Flag Football, and he gladly accepted. He is so fun to watch play. He is aggressive, and knows exactly where the ball is going. He made many interceptions, and a fair share of touchdowns this season! He is keeping his fingers crossed that next year they need a few more players for tackle, and will resort to a few 3rd graders.

Conner's 12th Birthday Party

2010-12-17T22:21:00.000-08:00

Conner had a friend's party a few days after his actual Birthday. He had about 15 friends over! They played football, basketball, jumped on the tramp, and ate! Conner and Derek have the (perfect push up), so I told the kids 5 bucks would go to the person who could do the most push ups. His friend Drake won with 34! Good Times!

Old North Church

2010-12-17T22:04:00.000-08:00

The Old North Church was the last building that we visited on our trip. It is the oldest standing church in Boston. Inside this steeple, on the night of April 18, 1775, Robert Newman and John Pulling Jr. climbed to the top (almost 8 stories) to hold two lanterns, signaling to colonists in Charlestown that the Redcoats were on the march. Two lanterns meant that British soldiers intended to cross the Charles River to Cambrige, rather than taking the longer land-route. These soldiers would march to Lexington and on to Concord in an effort to capture guns and ammunition from the colonists.
Meanwhile, Paul Revere's friends rowed him across the Charles River to Charlestown. He borrowed a horse to start his famous "Midnight Ride" to Lexington, where he would warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that the Redcoats were coming.

Paul Revere's House, and the delicious Boston Cream Pie!

2010-12-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

Paul Revere's House is the oldest wooden building in downtown Boston. This house was build for a wealthy merchant around 1680. In 1770 Paul Revere purchased the house and lived here with his family for most of the next 30 years. Most of his children were born here. He was living in this house when he made his now famous ride on the night of April 18-19, 1775. After visiting this house we set out to find some Boston Cream Pie! We found some, and it was heaven!

Old State House

2010-12-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

The Old State House is the oldest and most significant public building on the Freedom trail. The balcony pictured in the back of Steve and Conner is where the first reading of the Declaration of Independence to the people of Boston took place in 1776. 200 years later, Queen Elizabeth 11 standing on the very same balcony, surrounded by thousands of cheering Americans who gathered to celebrate our bicentennial.

Granary Burying Ground

2010-12-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

We visited the Granary Burying Ground. It is the 3rd oldest graveyard in Boston, started in 1660. Many famous patriots are buried here, including Paul Revere, three signers of the Declaration of Independence, and Benjamin Franklin's parents.

Boston Common Park

2010-12-17T20:46:00.000-08:00

We walked the Freedom Trail which consists of a 2.5 mile walk. This 2.5 miles trail is marked with red brick, and takes you to 16 original history places where it all began. The Freedom Trail begins at Boston Common's Park, which is America's oldest public park. Years ago this park had three uses; as a field for grazing cattle, as a training ground for the Town Militia( minute men and British troops) and as a place for public punishments. Today, the park has an ice-skating rink. The rink was scheduled to open up two days after we left Boston. We would have loved to go ice-skating outdoor.

Yummy Food and Good Company

2010-12-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

While in Boston we enjoyed a range of different restaurants. Conner loves seafood, so every restaurant we visited he ordered seafood. One of Steve's high-school friends just happened to be in Boston for work, so we met up with her at a fun Irish Pub. The food was great, and the music was awesome. We stayed there and visited for almost 4 hours. We had a lot of catching up to do. They had a football game on T.V., so Conner watched the game while we visited. We also ate at a Japanese restaurant, and a few cafes on the street. The food in Boston is delicious!

Boston Public Library and New England Aquarium

2010-12-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

We went to the Boston Public Library. This is unlike any Library I have ever visited. With 14.9 million volumes, the Boston Library is the third largest library in the U.S. In addition to its extensive circulating Library the Library's collection has special strengths in art and art history, American history, and maintains a depository of governmental documents. There are large collections of prints, works on paper, photographs, and maps, rare books, and medieval manuscripts. After the Library we went to the New England Aquarium. We weren't very impressed with this Aquarium. There weren't very many exhibits, and after going to the Aquarium in Chicago it is hard to enjoy smaller Aquariums. None the less, we had a great time!

Tour of Harvard College

2010-12-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

We toured Harvard University, which was founded in 1636 and is one of America's oldest Universities. Harvard is on a 22-acre plot, and is home to Massachusetts Hall, Memorial Church, the Wadsworth House and the Widener Memorial Library-the third largest library in the nation.

Museum of Fine Arts

2010-12-17T18:09:00.000-08:00

We visited the Museum of Fine Arts. This museum included historic icons from around the world and across the ages including Ancient Egyptian, Classical and Asian Art, as well as world-renowned collections of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts. We then headed to the subway, and went to Down Town Boston in search of a bakery. We were told by many people that we needed to try a canolie(pasty filled with cream). They were right! Canolies are Delicious!

Fenway Park in Boston

2010-12-17T17:32:00.000-08:00

We toured Fenway Park. This is the oldest ball park in Major League Baseball. It was such a great tour. They told some cool stories of how the Red Socks team started. We sat atop the famous Green Monster. We will have to go back to Boson when the Red Socks are playing, so we can catch a game!

Boston Bruins Hockey Game

2010-12-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

Steve and Conner went to see the Boston Bruins play a hockey game at TD Garden. This is the same stadium where the Celtics play, but they didn't have a home game while we were there. Steve and Conner were impressed at how well the fans support their team. They thought the game was awesome!

Boston's Museum of Science

2010-12-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

We thought the Museum of Science was pretty cool. We sat through an awesome presentation on how lightning works. Conner and Steve also entered a contest of who could build the tallest structure(out of some kind of tinker toy). The trick was that you could only use 10 pieces, and it had to be strong enough to hold a small stuffed bear. They didn't win, but had fun during the process.

Quincy Market on the Waterfront

2010-11-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

There is a huge market place that surrounds the waterfront in Down Town Boston. We visited the authentic replica of the set of TVs "Cheers." We also ate in Quincy Market which holds over 70 different restaurants. We looked in many of the shops. Conner purchased a Patriots sweatshirt, and my parents bought him a Bruins beanie. The Bruins are the Boston's Ice Hockey team. Conner and my Mom joined in with a street musician that was playing music with wooden Indian flute.

Bunker Hill Monument

2010-11-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

This is us at the Bunker Hill Monument. This was the place where the first major battle of the American Revolution was fought. On June 17, 1775, colonists defended the hill against thousands of British soldiers who had rowed across the Charles River to attack them. After struggling for many hours with little ammunition and no reinforcements, the colonists fled into the countryside. The British troops had won the battle. One night, a few months later, colonial soldiers placed cannons on top of Dorchester Heights, a neighboring hill which overlooks Boston. They pointed them at the British ships in the harbor below and threatened to attack. Soon after, British troops sailed out of Boston, never to return.

USS Constitution

2010-11-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

We toured the USS Constitution ship in Boston. It is the world's oldest commissioned warship still afloat. In 1794, George Washington ordered the construction of six frigates, essentially creating the United States Navy. One of those ships, built in Boston, was the constitution. She has protected the merchant fleet from Barbary pirates and fought famous battles in the war of 1812. We also toured the USS Constitution Museum. This museum is located alongside the ship, and houses the ship's logs, weapons, documents, charts, journals,decorative arts, and more.

Conner's 12th Birthday Present to Boston

2010-11-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

Steve and I decided to make a tradition when the kids turn 12 and 16 years old. They can choose anywhere in the United States that Southwest flys(since we have Southwest points). Conner loves the New England Patriots football team. He decided Boston was the one place he wanted to visit. Steve went to Boston for a day on his church history tour, but I had never been. We invited my parents to go with us. We arranged to pay our sister in law to stay at our house with the other five children while we were gone. On November 12, at 5am as we were headed to Vegas to catch our flight, we discovered that my sister in law had gotten the flu during the night and was throwing up. She had called her husband, which is my brother to come and stay with the kids until she felt better. We weren't sure how long she would be sick, so I called my sister Lisa in St. George. She had to work, but her husband drove to Logandale and picked up Austin, Alexa, and Derek to take back to St.George. Cameron had a flag football game the next day, and Sydney has a gymnastics program so they stayed here in Logandale. Steve's Mother drove out from Vegas to stay with them. Long story short, by the next day Kayla was feeling better and drove to St. George to pick up the kids. A few days later, Alexa started throwing up and had diarrea. Fun Fun!! My brother Justin, and his wife Kayla were very tired by the time we got back.

Veteran's Day Parade

2010-11-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

This year Derek and Sydney were in the Veteran's Day Parade. Derek's scout troop walked in uniforms, and Sydney's cheer/gymnastics group also walked in uniforms. The kids loved running after the candy that was thrown. One float was throwing footballs and hats. Cameron, Derek, and Conner were screaming,"Throw me a football!" Well, they did throw a few footballs. Cameron and Derek lucked out in getting one, and Conner caught a hat.

Conner's Football team won the Championship!

2010-11-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

Conner had a great time in football this year. He played Left Guard and Left Tackle on Defense. He really started understanding his position, and because of his speed was able to get a few great sacks this year. He also recovered a fumble, and made some great tackles. His team went undefeated this season, so they made the playoffs. They won the playoff game, which put them into the finals for the championship game. Conner was at every practice and game this season, but unfortunately he didn't make the championship game. There wasn't a schedule that showed the dates for the final games, and we had booked flights to go to Boston for Conner's 12th Birthday. We told him that we were still going to Boston, but let him choose whether he wanted to stay or go to Boston. That was a difficult choice for him, but in the end he chose Boston. His team ended up winning that Championship game! Everyone, including Conner got trophies! He is looking forward to next year's football season.

Derek's Tackle Football year has ended!

2010-11-20T11:57:00.001-08:00

This was Derek's first year playing Tackle Football. He had a great first time experience! He started off playing quarterback, and then about middle of the season they moved him to full back and tight end on offence. He also played outside line backer and defensive end on defence. Derek's favorite game was against Pine View in S.T.George, because he threw a touch down pass that helped them win the game. He also loved that game because he had his best tackle of the season while playing defence. He can't wait until next football season!

More Pictures of Halloween

2010-11-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

These are some of the pictures we took on Halloween. The kids rock climbed, and jumped around inside a water bubble. They loved these activities!

Trick or Treat?

2010-11-07T08:03:00.000-08:00

This is how our Halloween Day went. Derek had a football game in Mesquite in the morning. After the game we came home and got in costumes for our subdivision Halloween party at the Evan's house. After the party the kids Trick or treated around our subdivision. Conner pulled Alexa and Austin in their wagon. It was like they had died and gone to heaven! They held their candy buckets and ate what ever they wanted while Conner pulled them around! Then the kids wanted to go up to the Fair Grounds where Parks and Recreation had planned games, trunk or treat, and food. While we were there the oldest 4 kids rock climbed, ate, and jumped around inside a plastic bubble that was on top of water. The kids loved this activity! Around 7:30 pm we headed over for some donuts and hot chocolate at the Anderson's home. They do a big fire in their front yard every year on Halloween, and give out chili, donuts, and hot chocolate. Last of all, we went home and let Alexa,Sydney, and Cameron hand out candy to all the trick or treaters. I took a picture of Alexa and Sydney sitting on the ground next to our front door. They had a big bowl of candy, and were anxiously awaiting the next group of trick or treaters. (I think they enjoyed giving the candy away, as much as receiving it. The rest of us decided to watch a movie and chill out! It was a fun, and exhausting Halloween!

Pumpkin carving time

2010-11-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

The kids wanted to carve pumpkins, so while Conner and Derek were at football practice Steve helped the kids carve pumpkins. They had so much fun drawing different faces on the pumpkins. They also thought it was cool when the candles lit up the jack-o-lantern faces.

More pictures of Staheli's farm

2010-11-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

More pictures of Staheli's farm!

Fun at Stahelie's Farm in S.T. George

2010-11-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

Preston(my nephew) was doing a fund raiser for his school in S.T.George. They were selling family passes to Staheli's farm. The pass included pizza and drinks. We went with the Creager family and my parents. Megan and Coral(my nieces) also were with my parents. The kids had a blast. We rode on a trailer with hay out to the corn maze, saw pig races, and let the kids play on all the equipment. They rode on the swinging horses, swung on tire ropes, rode in wagons, and climbed hay stacks. It had been raining a few day before, and their was mud everywhere. All the kids had to take off their shoes before getting in the car to go home! Getting the mud off the shoes was not as much fun!

Pumpkin Patch at the Ag Farm

2010-11-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

The local agriculture farm in Overton had over 2,000 pumpkins this year. Both Elementary schools in the valley chartered a bus, and took all students to the farm. While at the farm they chose their own pumpkin, wrote their name on it, and had a worker cut it off the vine for them to take home. The farm also donated ice-cream to each school. Steve brought Austin and Alexa over to go on the field trip with my class. It just so happened that Derek was at the farm with his class the same time my class was there. Alexa decided to pick her nose during the picture, and Austin was asleep so this was the best picture we could come up with.

Boys Night Out with Dad

2010-11-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

Steve took off work to go with Conner on one of his scout over night camp outs. Long story short, the camp out got postponed to another weekend. Since Steve had already taken the night off, he decided to take the 3 older boys on a camp out to Red Rock. He invited his brother(and his two boy) and our brother in law. They build a huge fire and roasted marshmallows for smores. They also went hiking and told stories late into the evening. They had a great time!

2010-10-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Derek's Football Birthday Party

2010-10-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

A few days after Derek's actual birthday, he had a friends football party at the park. His cousin Mason came down from S.T. George, and over 20 other friends came to the party. They played skins against shirts the entire two hours of the party. They all seemed to have a great time!

Derek's Birthday!

2010-10-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

Derek turned 10 years old on October 13th. We surprised him that morning by keeping him home from school, so that he could go target shooting with Steve and his Grandpa Terry. They took some pumpkins out for target practice, and according to the pictures, Derek did quite well! Around noon, Steve took Derek out for some lunch and then dropped him off at school with cookies for his 4th grade class. Derek thought this was a great Birthday present!

Austin's first haircut

2010-10-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

I went outside last Sunday to find Austin had climbed up on top of the kids play table. He was screaming for someone to get him down. I noticed how long his hair had gotten, so I suggested to Steve that we cut his hair. Steve loves Austin's natural curl, and was reluctant to cut it. I commented that it would be nice to even out his hair since he has a lot on the sides, but not as much on top. Giving Austin a sucker resulted in a very easy haircut. He looks like a new child with his buzzed hair. This is one of the new church outfits he got for his birthday. Isn't he cute?

Austin the Birthday Boy!

2010-10-03T09:04:00.001-07:00

We had a birthday party for Austin's first Birthday. All of Steve's family that live in Vegas came out after church! We ate pork and rice burritos, fruit, and cake. Austin got some Thomas the train pajamas, a new church outfit, and plenty of other clothes. From the before and after pictures, Austin seemed to really enjoy his cake!

Austin turns 1

2010-10-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

Our baby Austin just turned one. I can't believe it's already been a year! He is now a toddler! This child doesn't stay still for a second. He wants to be outside with his siblings on the trampoline, or playing football with his brothers. He is tackled no less than 50 times a day by Cameron, and he actually likes the rough play. We decided to have two separate Birthday parties for him, because of the size of both families. We had a 45 minute pizza, brownie party in S.T. George at a park near Derek's football game. This party was with my side of the family. We had just come from two Soccer games in Logandale, and had a 45 minute gap of time before Derek's football game. With as busy as our lives are, we have become very good at managing time down to the second.

Cameron and Sydney started Soccer!

2010-09-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

Once again we are in Soccer season. This year though, Sydney's old enough to play. Cameron said he didn't want to play soccer because he doesn't like it very much. All it took was to tell him that Soccer will get him in shape for Football. He's all about Soccer Now! Last game he made the winning goal for his team with 6 seconds to go! This is Sydney's first year for sports. She loves soccer games, and practices. Most of all, she loves that her game shirt is pink and it matches her pink shoes and shin guards. She is so girl!! She has been playing really well. She is aggressive, and gets right in there to kick the ball. Both of the kids like their teams and coaches! Steve and I are glad the soccer games don't conflict with Conner and Derek's football games. Soccer games are on Thursday and Football games are on Saturday's. I guess we lucked out for this season anyway!

Sydney's Birthday Party!

2010-09-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Sydney had a great time at her Birthday Party. She got lots of fun presents, and played many games. All the girls left with painted toenails or fingernails. They loved playing the game, "Dead Man" on the trampoline, and they devoured all of the cupcakes.The hit of the party were the glow in the dark bracelets! The kids were running around the house looking for a dark place. We discovered a few of them standing in the shower with the lights off and door closed. Sydney is so happy to finally be 5!

Sydney turns 5

2010-09-15T18:05:00.001-07:00

This is Sydney on her actual birthday. She woke up to a brand new bike! A week before her birthday, I get a call from one of my friends. She has a daughter the same age as Sydney. They live in our subdivision, and take turns riding their bikes to each other's homes. Sydney had left her bike behind my friends car without her knowing, and she accidentally hit it while backing out. If it was going to happen, it couldn't have been at a better time. A week later she has a brand new Pink bike. She wanted to take some cookies into her school class, so Derek and I stayed up late making some snicker doodles. She was also so excited to wear her birthday crown that her primary teacher made her. Her teacher also gave her a stuffed care bear. She was in heaven on her birthday!

Back to School Bus Stop Breakfast

2010-09-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Once again the tradition for our subdivision. The kids and parents meet early at the bus stop prior to school, and eat breakfast together. Each street is instructed to bring certain items for the breakfast. There was plenty of good food there. We brought donuts! The kids definitely weren't hungry going to school!

Cam's Day

2010-09-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

At the end of the school year last year, Cameron was given a certificate for a free lunch for bringing in some box top during the school year. The lunch also included a friend. So, a couple of weeks ago, we finally got around to taking Cameron, his friends Bradley and Dillon, to lunch at Sugar's. They were in rare form and refused to take a "normal" picture.

Back to School

2010-09-04T09:08:00.001-07:00

What happened to our Summer? We had a fun summer, but it seemed like it went faster than usual. These are pictures of the first day of school. Conner is now in 6th grade, so he was already at school when these pictures were taken. We have 4 kids in 3 different schools this year. Conner is at the middle school, Derek and Cameron at Bowler Elementary, and Sydney is at Perkins Elementary for full day Kindergarten. I am still teaching Early Childhood at Perkins, but now I am full day instead of Half Day. The School District is no longer doing any shared contracts, so it was resign or full day. We are a very busy family to say the least! Steve is home with Alexa and Austin all day Monday, and Tuesday-Thursday we have a friend come to our home at 1:00 when Steve leaves for work. She stays there until 3:45 when I get home from work. On Friday, Conner gets out of school at 12:50, and Steve picks him up from school. Conner watches the kids on that day until I get home from work. Busy days! How many more days until Summer?

Sydney at Cheer Camp

2010-09-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Each summer right before school starts up again, the High school cheerleaders put on a junior cheer camp. This is Sydney's second year of attending. She loved it!

Austin's Walking

2010-09-04T08:37:00.001-07:00

Austin started taking steps when he turned 10 months old, but by 11 months old he was pretty much running. He is full of energy, and extremely independent! He wants to feed himself, as you can tell from one of these photos. He loves to climb on things, and jump on the trampoline. If we eat something in front of him, he will scream at the top of his lungs until the food is shared with him! Thanks to Cameron, Austin is tough as nails. Cameron has been practicing his football tackling moves on him. He is so much fun, and we are so glad he is in our family!

Happy 14th Anniversary Steve

2010-08-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

Steve and I celebrated our 14Th Year Anniversary while we were on the Cruise Ship. Our waiters sang, "Happy Anniversary to you," and told us to kiss the entire time they were singing. We kept kissing even after the song was over, until our waiters told us we could stop! They brought us a piece of cake with a candle on top! I couldn't resist the picture of me and the towel monkey! We are sad that the cruise has ended, and reality is back! To make up for our sadness, we are currently planning for our next vacation!

Day in Ensenada

2010-08-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

Steve and I have already been on this exact cruise before, so we had no intentions of getting off the boat while in Ensenada. However, Jeremy was a bit sceptical about getting off without translator Steve, so we were coerced into tagging along in case Jeremy needed a Spanish Translator(which was never necessary). We were glad that we got off though, because I found a cute purse for my Sister-in-law(who was taking care of our 2 girls).

Karaoke Night on the Ship

2010-08-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Karaoke night was hilarious! Steve got up and did Karaoke to the song, "Save a Horse, ride a Cowboy." Karaoke up to that point had been nothing but horrific Celine Dion and Bette Midler renditions. When Steve got up, he turned the boredom into a party with the crowd all on their feet. Needless to say, he had us laughing ourselves to tears. I got up with Lisa, Kori, and Jenae and sang, "The Eye Of The Tiger." We did okay, had fun, but nothing could rival the show Steve put on for the crowd!

Formal Night on the Cruise

2010-08-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures of our formal night on the cruise. We had an awesome dinner that consisted of Lobster and shrimp, mushroom soup, and prime rib.

Day 2 at Catalina

2010-08-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

We took a tender from our ship to Catalina. While in Catalina we rented golf carts and cruised around the island. We wanted to ride on the zip line, but they were all sold out for the day. We made many stops to take pictures of the beautiful scenery.

Much Needed Vacation!

2010-08-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Steve and I went on a 5 day cruise to Ensenada and Catalina. We went with three other couples- Kori and Brian, Lisa and Jeremy, and Jenae and Chris. It was so relaxing, and fun! These are pictures from the first day. I love the animals they make out of washcloths. Steve thought the bunny looked better with his sunglasses.

Primary Service Activity

2010-08-22T16:25:00.001-07:00

Steve and I teach the 11 year old Primary class in church. All the classes were asked to do one service project. After discussing a few different possibilities, we all agreed on Babysitting. I called up a few different families that had younger children, and asked if they would like us to watch their children while they had a date night. It didn't take much convincing! Our 11 year old class were busy for 3 hours straight. They played dress up, took stroller rides, made cookies, ate pizza, jumped on the tramp, and put train tracks together. Steve and I were highly impressed at how well they did with the kids!

Jumping Jacks

2010-08-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to S.T.George to see Lisa and Jeremy's new house. While we were there we went to Jumping Jacks with Brad's family, and Lisa's family. The younger kids had a blast on all the blown up slides, and the older kids had fun playing tag while going up and down the slides.

Golden Nugget

2010-08-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

We stayed a couple nights at the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas. My brother Brad's family, sister Lisa's family, and brother Justin's family all joined in the fun. The hotel has a cool water slide that goes through a shark aquarium. The kids thought that was pretty cool. While we were there we swam, ate, went to movies, and hung out! Conner, Preston, and Kyler flew out to Chicago the last morning we were at the Hotel. My parents were on their way home from their mission, and wanted 5 of their oldest grandchildren to fly out and tour some of the church history sites with them. After taking the kids to the airport, we headed home! It was fun getting together with everyone.

Old Missionary Friend

2010-08-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Steve's old missionary friend and his family came into town for a funeral. We met up with them for pizza. Steve and Rick reminisced the old days.

Sad Day!

2010-08-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

Derek threw his cousin Mason a Good-Bye party. After living in Logandale for over 10 years, they have decided to move to S.T.George. Derek and Mason are best of friends. They are 3 months apart, and the exact size and weight. They could easily be mistaken for twins. They have played on the same basketball, soccer, baseball, and flag football teams. We were looking forward to watching them play on the same team in High school. Now, they will more than likely be competing against each other in many of these sports. We have enjoyed living so close to their family, and will miss them greatly.

24th of July Celebration

2010-08-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

We got together with Steve's side of the family and celebrated the 24th of July. Many different church wards got together and put on a huge parade with games for the kids. It started out with a parade. The kids collected more candy from the parade, than at Halloween. Then they had a pancake breakfast with watermelon They also had snow cones, face painting, dunk tanks, and many other games. Sydney, Alexa, and Austin got their face painted along with their cousins. Do you think Austin looks better with or without the mustache? After the celebration we went to Steve's sister's house. We ate pizza and went swimming. Good times were had by all that day!

Girls Night Out

2010-08-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

I got together with my Mother-in -law and all of my sisters-in-law for a girls night out in Las Vegas. We ate at Claim Jumper, and then shopped for a while. It was a relaxing night out!

2010-08-11T07:57:00.001-07:00

Austin went in for a surgery a few days after getting back from our Idaho trip. He was born with a bump on the back of his head. After taking him to a general surgeon, it was diagnosed as a cyst. The doctor said that it was more of a nuisance than anything. Over time the cyst would fill with fluid and have to be drained. Getting it removed sounded a lot more appealing. We were a little nervous having him go in for this surgery, since he was only 10 months old. They wouldn't let him have anything to eat or drink after 4am, and the surgery didn't take place until 9:45am. I thought for sure Austin would be freaking out since his normal routine consists of food and drink often, but he actually did very well. He was such a happy camper before the surgery, but not so much coming out of it. The nurses couldn't get him to calm down after the surgery, so I suggested they give him a bottle of formula. The nurse wouldn't allow anything but water, but my doctor was fine with formula. After a few minutes of the doctor and nurse arguing, I was allowed to feed Austin a bottle. He downed 6 ounces of formula like it was nothing. Then he ate a container of squash, graham crackers, and 2 Popsicles. After eating he was fine! Like I said, the kid enjoys food.

Rigby Lake

2010-08-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

After Bear Country we decided to go to Rigby Lake. It was a beautiful day, and we all enjoyed being outside in the water.

Rides at Bear Country

2010-08-09T18:11:00.001-07:00

These are pictures of the kids and their cousins on the rides at Bear Country. They all had a good time!

Bear Country

2010-08-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

After packing up the tent and leaving the campsite, we drove a couple hours to Rigby, Idaho to visit Steve's sister and her family. While we were there we went to Bear Country. The kids favorite part was watching the bears come up close to our vehicle. They were hoping one would jump up on the back or front of our car like they did on our visit three years ago, but they were a little more mild this time. Feeding the deer, goats, and other animals were also some fun activities we did at Bear Country.

More Idaho Pictures

2010-08-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

Just a few more pictures of the kids riding the Rhino, fishing(Sydney was all smiles when she caught her fish,) Cameron was in heaven after catching a water snake. The kids love camping!

Lava Hot Springs in Idaho

2010-08-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

During our Idaho trip, we took one day to go to Lava Hot Springs. The kids thought they were in heaven with huge diving boards, and fast water slides. Steve, Kaden, and Mason loved jumping off the highest 33 foot diving board. Derek and Conner made it to the 2nd highest board, but we couldn't convince them to go any higher. Sydney and Cameron went off the 3rd highest many times, and they wanted to go higher. Steve and I didn't want them to go any higher for safety purposes. You pretty much sign your life away when going on the diving boards. They make you sign a contract that says,"Jump at your own risk, we aren't liable." When Steve did a back flip off one of the boards, I started to get a little nervous. It's a good thing we have a very good life insurance plan!! All the kids went on the water slides! Steve and I took turns going on different slides with individual kids. We all had a blast. It brought me back to the Wet and Wild Water Park days of Las Vegas.

Red Neck Water Park

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

While we were in Idaho, we drove over to Weston Idaho. Jeremy grew up in Weston, and showed the kids some of the activities he did growing up. One of these activities included floating down an irrigation canal. The kids and Steve wasted no time jumping in the water. I've had plenty of irrigation water experiences, and decided to pass on this one. Steve referred to this canal as the, "Red Neck Water Park of Weston Idaho." After we got back to our camp site the kids roasted marshmallows for smores, and played fugitive when it got dark. Fugitive is played in teams of 3 or 4 people. One person is designated to be the spot lighter who tries to catch the other players. The teams start in one location and have to get to another location without being identified by the person with the spot light. The person with the spot light is on a four wheeler or rhino, and the teams of players are on foot trying to get to their location. If the players are spotlighted they are out. The kids played this game about every night. It was common for many kids to have cuts, bruises, and be completely soaked from going through trees, brush, and rivers trying to get to the location. The kids love the outdoors, and asked us numerous times if we could move to Cub River.

Continuation of Idaho Trip

2010-08-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

Once we made it to the campground at Cub River, we spent some time getting the tent and camp area all set up. The kids spent the next four days fishing and hiking. Each of the kids got their own fishing pole. They soon became self-proclaimed fishing experts. Sydney actually caught two fish with very little help...she was so excited. Cameron caught a few, one of which he was able to cast and reel in all by himself. Derek and Conner both caught several fish. While they were there, cousins Kaden and Preston taught them how to clean and gut the fish. Then showed our boys how to cook them. They all ate several fish.
As if all the fish weren't enough, the kids also caught a water snake and a chipmunk which they also barbecued and ate. They even tried to trap a skunk that kept sneaking into our camp at night. Thank goodness nobody got sprayed!
Inside the tent we set up port a cribs for both Austin and Alexa. It was a short walk to any running water, so getting the kids hands and faces washed, along with brushing teeth was always a chore.

Idaho Camping/Fishing Trip

2010-08-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Steve decided to write this portion of the blog!
Back in July, we took our summer family trip. We went camping up in southern Idaho with the Creager's and Baldwins. What an experience just getting up there with all the kids and equipment! First of all, we decided we'd leave Saturday morning at around oh...9am. Haahhahahah, like that really happened! But we did manage to get out the door after packing the car all day long, with everything except the kitchen sink...at about 2pm. It literally got to the point that we couldn't organize our junk anymore, so we loaded the kids...then started to load more crap around the kids. We made a point of telling the kids there would be no bathroom breaks for the first few hours. We did make a dinner stop (since lunch time had long since passed) in Beaver. Then on again for a couple hours until Austin started to shoot projectile type vomit up near Payson. Needless to say, a clean up at the local Wal-Mart took place. Our car was sooo overpacked that we didn't even want to get clothes out for the night. So, we purchased the kids all clearance out fits at Wal-Mart to avoid having to unpack that night. Well, we decided to push our day of travel up to Logan and called the local Comfort Inn while enroute. Once we got north of Salt Lake we quickly learned that there was the most obnoxious freeway construction in full swing. What should have taken roughly an hour or so, suddenly became an additional 3 hour journey! Steve was just a jewel during the saga...and Frosty the Snow Man exists in Death Valley in July!!!
So, if the stress of the trip up wasn't enough, as we began our approach into Logan, literally 10 minutes away at 2:30am, we hear Derek in the back seat began to cough a subtle cough. Oh no we thought, please say it isn't so??? Yes, with just 10 minutes left of driving, Derek began to toss chunks all over the back of the car. All over meaning, on the church clothes, the seat, the floor, much of the food, the shoes, blankets, pillows, and every other thing in the pukes path! "Just turn around and forget the whole thing," we thought. We didn't even stop, just yelled to the back over a bunch of barf-covered screaming and tired kids, "we'll be to the motel in 10 minutes, just deal with it!"
So, after a very stressful day of illness and travel, we arrived at the Comfort Inn at nearly 3am. Sandy entered the lobby and told the poor clerk behind the desk the following without skipping a breath:
"We have been traveling all day, we have six kids, two are sick, they have been screaming and throwing up, they're all tired and we have no intentions of unpacking the car tonight. I need two port a cribs set up in the room asap and my husband is going to need whatever cleaning supplies you can provide as to clean up the back of our barf infested Suburban." Well, poor Travis didn't know what to say, he merely stated that he too came from a very large family and would be glad to help. He was the best! He brought out cleaning supplies and assisted us in getting laundry started and even folded the clean clothes after we finally got to bed. We're so glad the clerk wasn't some jerk with a chip on his shoulder. Otherwise, there surely would have been a 911 call placed that night. Most-likely from the clerk reporting two deranged adults with a bunch of screaming kids.

4th of July celebration!

2010-08-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

If we're in town, and Steve doesn't have to work we typically have a 4Th of July Swim Party. We weren't planning on it this year, because Derek had an All Stars Baseball game in Las Vegas. When we found out that the game was in the morning, we decided to go ahead and have one. We invited some family and friends over to celebrate. We had a great time swimming, eating, and watching the fireworks from the fairgrounds near our house. I love the picture of the kids on the shoulders of their parents. They wanted to see the fireworks as close as possible. Alexa was so tired after the fireworks, that she crashed on the chair. She must have been tired to sleep through all the noise!
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More Pictures of Cousin Stay!

2010-08-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

These were pictures of the reservoir and the water park in Mesquite. I think I counted 16 kids in total! At least the kids couldn't complain about not having anyone to play with!

Cousin Fun!

2010-08-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

My sister Angela, and her 4 kids came up from Arizona for a few weeks. Each day we would get all together with Lisa and her 5 kids, Angela's kids, my kids, and a few friends. My cousin Garry's 2 boys were also in Logandale visiting their Grandma, so for a few days they also joined in the fun. We planned a different activity to do each day. Some of the activities included: Swimming and playing pool at my house, going to the water park in Mesquite, swimming and catching frogs at the reservoir, going to the movies in Mesquite, trapping lizards in our backyard, and playing football and basketball. The kids also attended a 4 day football camp in S.T.George. My oldest 3 boys, Angela's 3 boys, and Mason attended the camp. It was so nice to carpool with Lisa and Angela. We each took one turn driving the boys, and the last day we all drove and hung out with Brad and Toni's family. We ate lunch at Toni and Brad's house, and then went to the movie Karate Kid. During the two week stay, Angela and her husband Jason flew to Switzerland for 6 days. Their 4 kids hung out with us. The kids had a blast with their cousins! Fun Times!!

Allstars

2010-08-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

Baseball season has been so busy, that I haven't taken hardly any pictures. From the end of March through the end of May we have been breathing Baseball. Conner, Derek, and Cameron all played. Each of them were on different teams, and each of them had at least two games a week. This was my life for 2 1/2 months.
Monday- Cam and Derek both practiced from 4-6- Steve coached Cam's team
Tuesday- Conner's game- These games were either held at 5:30 or 7:00- The 7:00 games finished around 9:30 at night. I had very tired little kids by then. Many times he would have a double header, and have games at 5:30 and 7:00.
Wednesday- Cam's game and Conner's practice- Steve works every Wednesday, so I coached along with a few other women most of these Wednesday nights.
Thursday- Derek's game
Friday- Baseball lessons with their cousins Kaden and Preston. They get paid by the hour to work with the boys.
Saturday- All three boys have games. Some are in Vegas while others are in Logandale. Steve and I split up to cover all the games.
It's a good thing that we love sports! We love to watch the boys play! Baseball season is long and hot, but we wouldn't change a thing.
Anyway, I didn't get any pictures from the regular Baseball season, but these pictures are of Derek in All stars. He was one of the 12 kids chosen to play on the Little League Minor Baseball team. Some of these pictures are of his cousin Mason pitching, and Derek catching. It was fun to have them on the same team. They had 4 games(all played in Las Vegas). Derek played catcher, and did an awesome job. The kids all did well, but we just couldn't compete with Vegas teams. Many of the Vegas players do club ball, and they are very, very, good. Finally, by the second week of July we are finished with Baseball. Now the kids are getting ready for Football!

Primary Party

2010-08-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Steve and I team teach the 11 year old class in church. They've been so good during lessons that we gave them a pool party. Almost our whole class was in attendance. We barbecued hamburgers, drank sodas, and ate ice-cream and cake. We ate very healthy that day! The kids loved swimming with their friends, and being thrown in the pool by Steve.

Tarzan

2010-08-04T19:54:00.001-07:00

Steve and I took all the kids(minus Alexa who stayed at Aunt Toni and Uncle Brad's house)to the musical Tarzan in S.T. George. The play was 3 hours long in the very late evening, so we had a few kids that were asleep by the time it was over. The kids were really liking it in the beginning, but a couple hours into it they were ready to be done. The kids loved the young Tarzan. He did a great job!

DayCamp 2010

2010-08-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Derek had a fun Scout Day Camp experience! Some of the activities included archery, BB guns shooting, and cooking. They also had a Family day where water was sprayed on the kids out of a Fire Hose. Steve was one of the volunteers on the Fire truck, and had a great time spraying individual people(including me.)

Last Day of School

2010-08-04T19:05:00.001-07:00

Conner graduated from the 5Th grade, and is moving on to the Middle School. He got straight A's for the first time in Elementary School. He worked so hard this year, and we were so excited for him! Derek also got straight A's and had a blast this third grade year in his Aunt Becky's class. His cousin Mason, and many of his best friends were also in the class. Cameron loved first grade! We weren't able to snap a picture of him, but he had a fun last day of school. Cam also worked hard in school this year, and received A's and B's on his report card. Good job boys!!

Memorial Day

2010-08-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

We headed to my parents cabin in Pine Valley Utah for Memorial Day. My brother Brad's family, and sister Lisa's family also went up for the Holiday weekend. Conner and Derek were so eager to sell cookies and lemonade, that they made 6 dozen cookies before we left. It paid off in the end when they made $92.00 in less than 2 hours. A few cousins decided to help sell the cookies, and were paid $5.oo an hour for working. The boys were able to purchase the baseball glove they've been wanting with their cookie money. After leaving Pine Valley, we headed to Brad's house in S.T. George to swim and barbecue.

Disneyland Pictures

2010-06-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

We took a picture of Conner standing in front of a very familiar Ice-cream parlor. This was the same parlor where he was found 9 years ago. Conner was two years old, and Derek was about 8 months old. We were at Disneyland in the summer with most of my immediate family. Conner was buckled in the double stroller, and Derek was in his car seat. I was standing next to the stroller talking to my sisters. A few minutes went by and I glanced down at the stroller. Conner was no where to be found. I remember feeling like there was no way we would ever find him with the amount of people that were in the park that day. All my family members, Steve, and I were looking for him everywhere. We were standing by Thunder Mountain Railroad when he went missing. Steve yelled down at all the people in line, and asked if anyone had seen a two year old blond boy. He remembered what he was wearing down to the color of his underwear. I hadn't paid enough attention to those little details, so I was relieved when Steve was able to tell the security officers all the information they were asking.(I'm pretty sure Steve is in the right profession.) It took about 45 minutes, which seemed like hours before he was found at this Ice-cream parlor next to the front entrance. He had walked from Thunder mountain Railroad to the Front Entrance without anyone notifying security. A lady that was working in the Ice-cream parlor noticed he was by himself. She brought him into the shop, and gave him free ice-cream while she notified security. That day will never be forgotten. After 45 minutes we started to loose hope that he would be found! Many scenarios ran through our mind, but in the end our prayers were answered.

More Disneyland pictures

2010-06-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

The kids had a blast riding space mountain, tea cups, Indiana Jones, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dumbo ride and many others. The lines weren't bad, so we were able to go on most of the rides in the amount of time we were there. We decided to spend more money and eat at the Spring Country Buffet, rather than spend a lot of money on hamburgers and hot dogs. The food ended up being delicious. It was all you can eat barbecued ribs, chicken, sausage, coleslaw, cornbread, corn on the cob, and beans. My kids asked me if Grandpa Terry would approve of this food since it was cowboy food. I told them I think he would definitely approve!

Princess Sydney and Alexa

2010-06-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

While at Disneyland, the girls were insistent that they get to meet the Princesses. After a very long wait, their wish came true. Syndey was so excited, and Alexa all of a sudden became shy. She decided it was better to hide behind her big sissy. Then we gave them princess suckers! They were on cloud 9!

More pictures of Newport

2010-06-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

We saw a Baskin Robbins Ice cream sign on the street next to our Hotel. The sign had an arrow pointing the direction to the store. We decided to walk with the kids to the store, thinking it must be close. We ended up walking about 15 minutes before we found the shop.(Things we do for a good Treat!) I guess one of the benefits to having a big family is being able to try many different flavors of ice-cream. Each person got a different flavor, and we all shared!

California Trip

2010-06-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

We took a four day trip to California. We pulled the kids out of school for a few days, and Steve and I took off work. While we were there we went to Disneyland, Newport Beach, and the Newport Temple. The weather was windy while we were at the beach, but that didn't stop the kids a bit. They played baseball for hours on the beach, and then had fun on the playground equipment. While eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory, Alexa pretended to be the Mom and fed Austin some of her food. The Newport Temple is beautiful! We had a fun time taking pictures of the kids next to such beautiful landscaping.

Our little Austin!

2010-06-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that our 8 1/2 month old baby Austin is crawling all over the place, pulling himself up on furniture, and eating pretty much everything we eat! About a month ago he got his two bottom teeth. Our little baby has become a toddler over night. He is huge for his age! Just like the others, he is in the 97Th percentile for height and weight. The other day he crawled under the bed and couldn't get out. He is such a good baby! The kids adore him, and Sydney is Little Mother Hen to him. She carries him all over the house, and plays with him when I am busy doing other things.

Sydney's May Day Dance

2010-06-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sydney has been in my Early Childhood class this year as a peer model. This year for the annual May Day Dance, the kids performed to a song called, "Lettercise," by Dr. Jean. This song goes over all the letters and sounds of the alphabet, while doing exercises. The kids wore t-shirts with alphabet letters, headbands, and long socks with tennis shoes. We taught them hand motions for each letter of the alphabet. They did so good, and were awfully cute!

End of the Year Music Recital

2010-06-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sydney has been in a music class for the past year. The class is called, "Let's Play Music." They attend once a week for 45 minutes. Parents are encouraged to attend with their child every other week. The class is very creative and fun! The class emphasizes melodic and harmonic ear training, teaches note reading, and teaches the basics of harmony and chord progressions. This class is for children ages 4-8. It is basically a preparatory class for piano. Sydney has loved this class, but decided next year she wants to keep taking gymnastics and try out sports. Sydney's cousin Rylee, and good friends Paige and Savannah were also in this music class.

May Day Dance

2010-06-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of the kids at the annual May Day Dance for Bowler Elementary. Conner is in the 5th grade, so he wrapped the May pole. Both Steve and I had the chance to wrap the May Pole with him. Great Grandma Terry was there and told me that she wrapped the pole when she went to school in Logandale(over 75 years ago). Wow! That is a very long tradition! Derek is in 3rd grade, and performed a Western dance. Cameron is in the 1st grade, and they performed a dance to the song, "Move it, Move it." They all did great. One of the highlights of the night was winning a basket of home decorations from a raffle that we entered.

Easter Dinner and Egg Hunt

2010-06-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday we drove to Vegas and ate dinner at Steve's parents house. Almost all of Steve's side of the family were in attendance. The kids had fun hunting eggs that were filled with money. It's a tradition for Steve's Mom and Dad to fill eggs with dollar bills and write names of each Grandchild on the outside of the egg. Each child gets about 5 dollars! They love this tradition!

Easter Morning

2010-06-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

The kids woke up to lots of fun things in their baskets. The Easter Bunny treated them well this year. They all got their favorite kind of chips and gum. The older boys got deodorant and cologne(They actually wear this stuff.) The younger kids got school workbooks, mechanical pencils, and bubbles. It was a fun day!

Family Egg Hunt at Valley of Fire

2010-06-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

This year we went out to the Valley of Fire for a picnic/Egg Hunt. Lots of my side of the family were there. The kids love to hang out with their cousins. We had a simple egg hunt for the young children, and an intense egg hunt for the older kids. Lots of climbing was involved in finding the eggs. This will probably be a new tradition we start doing with the family every Easter!

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-06-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

The kids had a fun Easter this year. They had their fair share of Easter Egg Hunts and candy. These pictures are taken at the Fair grounds in Logandale. This Egg Hunt was put on by Parks and Recreation. Cousins and friends joined us that day. Cameron was quite excited when he found one of the eggs that had a number inside. He was the grand prize winner of an Easter basket filled with water guns! If you know Cameron, then you are very aware that he loves to win! He was very protective of the basket, and didn't let it out of his sight!

Grand Slam Canyon

2010-06-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

Over Spring Break we went to Grand Slam Canyon at Circus Circus. Almost all of the cousins from Steve's side were able to go with us. The kids had a great time riding the rides, and hanging out with cousins.

11 Year Old Scout Overnighter

2010-04-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Back on the 19th of March, Conner had an eleven year old scout overnighter out at the Overton Wildlife Refuge. All of the dads were invited and Steve went along. We couldn't find a smaller tent, so Steve and Conner set up our big family tent. Conner made sure he told me that it was the biggest tent of all. The focus of the camp out was to introduce the boys to the importance of the preisthood. Conner is sporting pictures of him wearing the "Armor of God."
There was also an obstacle course where the boys were able to challenge their fathers in a race. Conner smoked Steve by a landslide the first go round, but Steve improved in the second go round and only lost by a few seconds. It was a fun and spiritual experience for both Steve and Conner.

More California Pictures!

2010-04-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

We went to Ventura Beach for the day. The weather was perfect! The water was freezing, but that didn't stop the kids for a second! They were riding the waves, looking for sea shells, and playing baseball on the beach. Austin took a long nap in his car seat while we were there! Hearing the sound of the waves must have relaxed him more than usual. We can't wait for our next excursion to the Beach!

Spring Break in California

2010-04-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

We went to Ventura California for 4 days during our Spring Break. While we were there we went to Santa Barbara, and the Beach. The weather was perfect! During our visit to Santa Barbara we rented bikes and cruised around the Pier. We discovered a cartoon artist, and paid him to draw all eight members of our family. He first drew the 2 girls together, and had them dressing up in my high heels and wearing my jewelry. Then all four boys were drawn. They of course were playing basketball, baseball, and football in the picture. Then Steve and I were drawn. I told the artist that both of us work, and juggle the task of taking care of the house, and getting all of our 6 children to their activities. The pictures turned out great! We already have them framed, and hanging in our house.