What's Up With Us?

Day 25: Torrance Report

2012-01-25T21:53:00.000-08:00

Well today was finally the day!!! We finished Sydney's Torrance report for her class. We did 12 Torrance activities which we do mostly as a family. Three of them counted from field trips that her class went on. Auntie Katelin took her on 3 of the activities and also was there for a 4th- go to a Torrance Restaurant, El Paso Cantina... where else?? So it was alot of hard work, but it was worth it, and I'm proud that she finished it.

Day 25: Chorley
Age: 47 days old, 7 weeks

Day 24: Veterans Memorial

2012-01-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

Today Sydney and I went to the Torrance Veterans Memorial. We used it towards one of the places to see for her Torrance Report. My grandpa's brother, Robert Hatter's name is on the wall so we wrote about him and what happened for her report. It's cool to see the ties that we have to Torrance.

Day 24: Chorley
Age: 46 days old
Jeremy is also doing his own version of the 365 challenge. He is taking a daily picture of Chorley and then going to add it in a slide show at the end.. He takes a picture in the same place, and on the same blanket. I can't wait to see how much she grows over a year.

Day 23: First Bottle

2012-01-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

Well we finally did it.. We gave Chorley a bottle. Jeremy actually was the one to give it to her. At first, she wasn't too excited about it, but after a few minutes, she decided to go for it and drank it... waaaahhh hoooo.

Day 23: Chorley
Age: 45 days old

Day 22: Cuddles

2012-01-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days, I just wanted to hold Chorley and cuddle, even take a lil nap with her. I couldn't resist, she is sooo super cuddley and cute. So we rested for awhile and watched a movie on the couch. I know she'll be getting bigger soon enough, so some days it's worth it just to take time out for the little moments.

Day 22: Chorley
Age: 44 days old

Day 21: Madrona Marsh

2012-01-22T18:42:00.000-08:00

Sydney has a project at school, called a Torrance Report. She has to go to several different Torrance locations, take pictures, and write about each one. We are aiming to get 12 done, to get an A, and have one more to visit. #11 was the Madrona Marsh and we went as a family. The kids were super excited, since we drive by it all the time, and couldn't wait to actually walk inside, behind the gates. We also walked around the museum part too, which was pretty interesting. The kids had a great time.

Day 21: Chorley (our lil "bear")
Age: 43 days old

Day 20: Play Time

2012-01-20T21:56:00.000-08:00

One of the new things we just got Chorley was a little play gym for her to play with. We had one of these for Austin and we called it the "bug" and I think Sydney even used the same thing, but it's time for a new one, and this one has lots of fun gadgets for Chorley to discover. So far, she seems to enjoy it, and I know she will learn to love it even more, the older and more advanced she gets. I'm excited to see how much she grows over time with it too.

Day 20: Chorley
Age: 42 days old

Day 19: Scouts

2012-01-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

Well Thursday at our house is Scouts Day. We are the Weblos leaders for the ward, and Austin is in that level, so Thursdays is dedicated to Scouts. Prepping the lessons, talking about who is teaching what, and then our whole family goes to Scouts and we hold our meeting. Some days it can be a bit stressful to get everything ready, and some weeks it's really fun. But overall, it's a pretty fun calling and we both have enjoyed it.

Day 19: Chorley
Age: 41 days old

Day 18: Jeans

2012-01-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

Today I was back in a pair of my jeans. Not my skinnier sized jeans, but one my fave pairs of jeans. It made me happy, and feel pretty normal again. I know I'm not where I want to be, but I'm still on the mend, it's been 6 weeks since having Chorley, and I can't really exercise till the 8 week mark either. I've also had a couple small setbacks with recovering, so it hasn't gone as quickly as I had hoped for. But just to be back in some cute jeans put a smile on my face today.

Day 18: Chorley
Age: 40 days old, 6 weeks

Day 17: Lifesavers

2012-01-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

I am really grateful to live so close to my parents. They have been a HUGE help over the last few month, through a move, my pregnancy and helping me after I had the baby. Today was one of those days when I was glad they were close by... Not only did we need help picking the kids up from school, help with a priesthood blessing, and watching Chorley while I went to a last minute unscheduled doctor's appt, but they also brought by some cookies for the kids, and got them going on their homework and helped me out. I am really grateful for them being right there for us and willing to help out when we need it.
Day 17: Chorley
Age: 39 days old

Day 16:No School

2012-01-16T20:29:00.000-08:00

Today was MLK Jr day, so the kids had the holiday off from school. It was great. Jeremy made a pancake breakfast, we got to sleep in, Chorley slept for almost 7 hours and we went out to lunch. The kids had fun, notice that Sydney has an orange in her mouth, whereas Austin has a lemon.. his choice.. I even got the kids new shoes, Austin is now in a size 7 mens, (I'm not that far off wearing about a mens size 8 shoe), Sydney is a size 4 girls and Austin is already on another size of new church pants, the 3rd time this year... Let the growth spurt begin.

Day 16: Chorley
Age: 38 days old

Day 15: Lazy Sunday Game Day

2012-01-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

Now that we have 9 o clock church, there's alot more family time in the afternoon. The kids LOVE to play games, so they brought out a couple and we all played a family game of Sorry.. Of course, since it's Sorry... the sweet game of revenge, some people got sent back to Start a few times, a few tears were involved and some feelings were hurt. Of course after the games, the kids couldn't wait to play again.. lol... But it was fun. (And we actually made it to church during the opening song.. all of us).

Day 15: Chorley
age: 37 days old

Day 14: Boys and Girls Day

2012-01-14T22:01:00.000-08:00

Today was kinda boys and girls day. Daddy and Austin started working on their Pinewood Derby car, since they have the Pinewood Derby race at the end of January here. They cleared out some space in the garage and started working on the car. Then me, Sydney and Chorley went to the mall and had some girlie time checking out some stores. Sydney felt like a big girl, and Chorley was great in the stroller the whole time.

Day 14: Chorley
Age: 36 days old

Day 13: Friday the 13th

2012-01-14T21:59:00.001-08:00

As always, I always am excited when it's a Friday the 13th... just something about it that makes me day a bit better. The kids watched BeetleJuice for the first time and loved it, they thought it was pretty funny. Then they kept watching some scary Goosebumps since they were having a scary marathon on one of the kid stations.

Day 13: Chorley
Age: 36 days old

Day 12: Busy day

2012-01-14T21:55:00.001-08:00

Today was SUPER busy.. Sydney started her tumbling class back up. Homework needed to be done. We taught at Scouts and had a meeting before Scouts, and then grab dinner and then tried to get everyone in bed on time. ugggh what a day. So there were lots of things to take pictures of, but this is the one for the day that is super cute. Chorley and Lily. Lily is really tender around Chorley. I'm not too sure if she totally knows what to think of her yet, but she loves to sniff her.

Day 12: Chorley
Age : 35 days old
I love watching Chorely discover her hands

Day 11: Kinda Scary

2012-01-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

Today when I woke up, I have to admit I was a little bit scared of what I heard. Helicopters flying overhead, a few of them. When the noise didn't stop after about 15-20 minutes I knew something was wrong. Jeremy was out on his walk with Lily, the kids were at school, and it was just me and Chorley at home. Well the helicopters kept going, and I even heard talking over a microphone/loud speaker which I know was not a good sign. Jeremy finally came home from his walk and said it was a News and Police helicopters and something was going on. Apparently a guy in court escaped from the courthouse and ran out and was on the loose. Of course, my parents live pretty close to the courthouse, and really we aren't all that far from it either. The kids school is also pretty close to it, and luckily their school went on lockdown. Then Sydney's class was on a walking fieldtrip today also, in Torrance. Luckily, they went to the downtown area of Torrance and were ok. The bad ending.. they didn't catch the guy after all that.

Day 11: Chorley
Age: 34 days old

Day 10: One cold Puppy.

2012-01-10T22:04:00.000-08:00

I should have taken a picture of the dinner we are, it's a family favorite, homemade potato soup. I've been meaning to make it for about two weeks, but just kept putting it off. Well it was worth the wait.. yummmm. and everyone ate it up too, plus I always make a double batch so we can have some for tomorrow night too. Sydney was very playful with Lily today. Sometimes she gets worried about her being outside. But, seeing as how California really doesn't get that cold, maybe low 60s in the early evening, Sydney felt the need to bring her jacket out to Lily and cuddle her to make sure she was super warm. It was cute, and Sydney has such a big heart for animals.

Day 10: Chorley
Age: 33 days old (sometimes you can't always ask for a happy photo)

Day 9: Sister, Katelin

2012-01-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

It's been great having Katelin down and visiting us here. She's been able to come over, hang out with the kids, catch up on some Super Smash Bros with Jeremy and I've gotten to hang out with her too. Today she was a HUGE help at our house, cleaning the house, changing the beds, and washing and cleaning out both cars. I haven't seen our house this clean in awhile, and I'm sure she doesn't realize what a huge help it is to me. Sadly, she is going back up to Utah tomorrow, so we'll miss her around here.

Day 9: Chorley
Age: 32 days old

Day 8: My 3 Babies

2012-01-09T22:56:00.000-08:00

This is the first official photo of me with the 3 kids. I realized I didn't have one of me and the 3 kids yet, we don't even have a full family picture yet, so that is something that I am going to have to work on forsure. But I was sitting on the couch with the kids after church, and realized that I am sooo blessed to be a mother over these 3 wonderful kids. I couldn't ask for anything better than to be a mother to them.

Day 8: Chorley
Age: 31 days old

Day 7: Dinner out with Katelin, 1 Month Old

2012-01-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Day 7: Dinner out with Katelin. We went to an old family favorite for dinner, Ruby's. I have to say their garlic and sweet potato fries are super yummy, how can you just pick one? The kids had a fun time with Katelin, and Jeremy has enjoying catching up on some Super Smash Bros with her too. We even got to paint our fingernails, something that I never get to do, so it was a fun girlie activity.

Day 7
Chorley: 1 month old
I can't believe it's been one month since Chorley was born!!! It has gone by quickly, but I've been enjoying it all. I LOVE when babies are soooo small, so little, and make the cutest little squirms and peeping noises when they sleep or eat, and just sit there staring off, trying to make sense of this brand new world. I can tell she has grown alot in this past month, and finally really fitting into the 0-3 month clothes, which were just a bit too big when we brought her home. This is the first time I've ever had a few newborn outfits for one of our kids. We are so blessed to have her in our family.

Day 6: El Paso Cantina

2012-01-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

Day 6: El Paso Cantina. One of my FAVE places in the world to eat. It's perfect for a Friday night, esp when you don't feel like cooking, and you can just drool over the chips and salsa, that are super delicious!!! yum... We went out to dinner tonight, as a family, with my parents and Katelin. It was a superb dinner, as always. I got the fish tacos, and was not disappointed, it's my new FAVE thing to get from there.

Day 6
Chorley: 29 days

Day 5: Lil Ms Reader

2012-01-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days for Sydney, she was just devouring a book. She does it often, even have several books going at one time. Today she couldn't put down her book. She read extra for homework, at Scouts while we taught the boys, waiting for the shower, and anytime in between. I LOVE that she is such a book worm, and makes me wish I had more time to give to reading.

Day 5:
Chorley: 28 Days

Day 4: A Cuddle and An Ouch

2012-01-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

Day 4: Look who got their first ouchie... Looks like her nails are a little bit too long and Chorley gave her face a lil scratch, poor thing. I hate trying to trim babies nails, I'm sooo afraid I'm going to hurt them, but it looks like it's time to cut those things down.
When I got home from Target, where else, I came home to these two lil cuddle bugs. Of course, Jeremy was trying to take a nap, but I woke him up for the picture.
Day 4
Chorley: 28 days

Day 3: Back to the Grind

2012-01-03T21:36:00.001-08:00

Day 3: Back to the Grind... Well it was back to school for the kids, after having off over 2 weeks from school. I think everyone was a bit tired today, and had a hard time getting up. Chorley slept pretty good in the night, so that was wonderful for us. Jeremy ended up not having to go in, and just get things ready from home. So we kinda had a fun morning, hanging out, and a lunch date too, which is always super fun and a bonus. Other than that, it was back to school, homework, and on schedule.

Day 3
Chorley: 27 days

Day 2: Last day of Vacation

2012-01-02T21:46:00.000-08:00

Day 2: well it was the last day of vacation for the kids and Jeremy, which really made me kinda sad. This holiday break, we've pretty much just hung out as a family, took it easy, and kept things low key. So tomorrow will be back to the normal schedule and a quiet house. I actually miss everyone during the day, and it just seems like something is missing when everyone is gone. So the kids played outside, rode their bikes, and enjoyed some freedom. It wasn't even cold outside for January, but Austin wanted to pretend he was a motorcycle rider and got on a jacket and gloves.

Day 2:
Chorley: 26 days

Day 1: Project Life/ Project 365

2012-01-01T22:13:00.000-08:00

Day 1:
well I have ALWAYS wanted to do this, and I always meant to start this at the New Year, but I just got overwhelmed and decided to wait it out. Last year I had great intentions of even doing Project 12, but well.... never got that one going off the ground either. Usually in January I'm pretty burned out on taking pictures, so I don't take many after the holidays. So, I think I can aim to try that this year too. So here it goes, and hopefully I can stick with this one for this year.
This is my first photo, it's of the kids... it's how we spent the day, together as a family, starting the new year off right, together. I got my good camera fixed and am excited to start taking lots of pictures and doing some daily documenting of us, and what we go through this year as a family. Last year was FULL of CHANGE... a Move, a New State, a New Baby, New School for the kids, No Work for me, and Jeremy working in house at his work... This year, I'm not all sure what it has in store for us, but I hope it's just as good as last year and we stay as strong as we did last year.

Also, I'm going to aim to take a picture of Chorley everyday and show how much she grows:
Day 1:
Chorley: 25 days old.
Welcome to 2012.

Sydney's 2nd Grade Dance

2011-06-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

For Sydney's 2nd grade dance, they did their routine to the Jungle Book "Walk Like Me" song. Once they learned it, Sydney came home and dug out the movie and then would play it over, and over, and over again, and do her routine along with it, to get some extra practice.

Austin's 4th Grade Dance

2011-06-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

For Austin's 4th grade dance, they did the Kung Fu Panda song. Austin LOVED that they choose this song. And as you can tell, he got quite into it. I think he had ALOT of fun!!

Sydney's Tap Dance

2011-06-12T08:14:00.001-07:00

This year Sydney has really improved in her tap dancing. I was so thrilled to see how much she has improved over the last couple of years and all she has learned. I think this year, but moving up with the older girls class, she was able to really learn alot and work harder. She is in the back row in the beginning of the dance and then moves up to the front row.

Sydney's Glow in the Dark Hula Hoop Dance

2011-06-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

This routine of Sydney's was realllly cool. It's kinda hard to see. But, they all had glow in the dark hula hoops, and when the lights went out, they all glowed green. It looked really cool, and the girls all worked soooo hard on this routine. It turned out great. I was really amazed too. Sydney is in the back right hand corner.

Sydney's Dance Recital (5/11)

2011-06-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well it was time for another one of Sydney's dance recitals. She was sooo excited and looking forward to getting up back on stage and dancing again. Her teacher really pushed them and came up with some pretty cool dance routines for her age group. I LOVED Sydney's outfit this year, she just looks sooo grown up in it too.

Sydney and her friend Hailey, who was also in her school class:

Our little dancer:

Proud mommy and Sydney:

Sydney and her daddy:

Sydney's Dance Recital

2010-12-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

Here is one of her dance recital performances.. I loved how the girls outfits all looked on stage.. She did amazing... My lil dancer...

Sydney's Winter Dance Recital 2010

2010-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was Sydney's dance recital. I was in LOVE with their outfits and she looked soooo adorable in it. It needed to be altered a bit, so thanks to Kristine and her sewing expertise and DownEast for an undershirt.. I also made her headband to go along with her outfit. They were each given a piece of fabric that matched and could put it in their hair however they wanted to, so I got some tulle, some glittery fabric, felt and a headband. I used some of the pink to make it pop and then used the rest of it to tie in the back of her ponytail.

Sydney has realllly done well this year in dance, she moved up a level to the older girl's class and it she was super excited to learn harder songs and did great. She LOVES to perform and her recital is one of her FAVE things. She loved to get all dressed up and put on a bit of lipstick. She had one jazz number which was to "What I Like About you" and she really enjoyed learning that dance. Then her tap song was to " Its Beginning to looks Alot like Christmas". She did amazing on both...This first picture is my favorite. She is really growing up.

check her out:

Getting Ready to go on:

Sydney in front of the Christmas tree:

Austin a proud big brother:

Proud mom and dad with their lil dancer:

Family Pics 2010

2010-12-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

Well we finally got around to taking some new and much needed family pictures. We had been having some overcast and cloudy weather, so we were waiting for some nice sun to get out, and take some pics. I LOVE that time of day, as the sun is kinda coming down at the end of the day and gives a warm glow over the Earth. I also love how the lighting comes out in the photos too. It seems to fade pretty quick so you need to take quick photos. Here are some of the pictures that we took and I think they turned out pretty good. The kids wanted Lily to be in some pics, but she was more interested in exploring, but I got a couple...The kids and Lily:

Pics of Austin and Sydney:

Our lil Lily:

Day 29 & 30: Thankful

2010-12-05T21:20:00.001-08:00

Day 30 I am:
Thankful for taking the time this month to count my blessings.

Day 29 I am:
Thankful for my job that allows me to be flexible and be home with the kids enough
Thankful for having all that we do, and not having to think where our next meal will come from
Thankful for enjoying to exercise.

Day 25-28: Thankful

2010-11-28T20:50:00.001-08:00

Day 28 I am:
Thankful for the beautiful snow outside
Thankful for Jeremy's yummy paella for dinner tonight
Thankful for being able to sub in Austin's Primary class today

Day 27 I am:
Thankful for being able to sleep in and wake up to a yummy breakfast
Thankful for being able to communicate with my husband
Thankful for having our nephews come over to spend the night

Day 26 I am:
Thankful for the photo shoot I got to do with Sydney
Thankful for a lazy day, with no where to be, and not much to do
Thankful I got to be scrappy and crafty today

Day 25 I am:
Thankful that our first ever turkey turned out well, and we had LOTS of delicious food
Thankful that we could spend the day with family
Thankful for Jeremy, for the amazing husband he is, and Austin for the handsome cute kid he is, and Sydney my sweet lil girl with lots of sass.

Day 19-24: Thankful

2010-11-24T20:58:00.000-08:00

Day 24: I am:
Thankful for the day off of work, the kids had the day off and just got to hang out.
Thankful I found a turkey last minute, so we will have one tomorrow.
Thankful for a good night's sleep.

Day 23: I am:
Thankful for being able to help at Sydney's class party.
Thankful to teach the scouts about baking, something I love.
Thankful for a mini nap, that grabbed in the afternoon.

Day 22: I am:
Thankful for Lily, our new puppy that came home today.
Thankful for driving safe throughout the day.
Thankful for seeing the joy on my kids face when they saw Lily.

Day 21: I am:
Thankful for some time away.
Thankful for a warm, safe home.
Thankful for the snow we got.

Day 20: I am:
Thankful to be married to Jeremy for the past 12 years, the good, the bad, and for making it this far.
Thankful for the the small things, like the excitement the kids had for just going swimming.
Thankful for the beauty of Park City.

Day 19: I am:
Thankful for a anniversary date with my husband, to my favorite restaurant, the Cheesecake Factory, and a movie.
Thankful for my sister, who watched the kids overnight.
Thankful for the chance to spend some dating time with Jeremy...

Day 14-17: Thankful

2010-11-17T22:16:00.000-08:00

Day 17 I am:
thankful for good friends to hang out with and have girl time with
thankful I had time to get everything done today
thankful to watch my kids smile, giggle and have pure excitement

Day 16 I am:
thankful for our car that gets to everywhere I need to be
thankful for my calling a Bear Asst leader, I really enjoy being in scouts
thankful for Amish bread in the morning, it tastes sooo yummy

Day 15 I am:
thankful that Austin could come walking with my at the track and have some good talks
thankful for a night to just hang out with my husband and vege out
thankful for the heater in our house that works

Day 14 I am:
thankful for the small yummy things like peanut butter m & m's
thankful to have the opportunity to be a mom
thankful for wonderful smell of Amish bread cooking in the oven

Day 12 & 13: Thankful

2010-11-14T08:56:00.001-08:00

Day 13 I am:
Thankful that we have heat to keep us warm in our house
Thankful we had a lazy Saturday and all kinda just hung out at home
Thankful that Austin read me a book when it was nap time, and for some special time with him.

Day 12 I am:
Thankful for the sun that was out shining, it makes me happy
Thankful for Jeremy who got up in the night with Austin and let me sleep
Thankful for having scrappy night here with neighborhood friends.

Day 10 & 11: Thankful

2010-11-11T20:57:00.001-08:00

Day 11: I am:

thankful to work out and exercise today.
thankful that the kids have lots of friends
thankful for the lunch date with my husband today

Day 10: I am
thankful that my kids still give me a good bye kiss and tell me they love me
thankful for the tender moments of tucking my sweet babies into bed each night
thankful for a very comfortable bed to sleep in each night.

Day 9: Thankful

2010-11-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

I am:

Thankful for the healthier changes that I've made in the last year and being able to stick with them.
Thankful that the kids enjoy reading
Thankful for the enjoyment I find in baking and trying new recipes.

Day 8: Thankful

2010-11-08T21:41:00.000-08:00

I am:

thankful for the job I have and that I enjoy it
thankful for the few moments I get to hang out with Jeremy before the kids come through the door and are home after school
thankful that Sydney enjoyed starting gymnastics as much as she did, the smile and beaming joy said enough.

Day 7: Thankful

2010-11-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

I am:

Thankful for an extra hour of sleep
Thankful for the gospel in my life, for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and the knowledge and peace the gospel brings to me.
Thankful for my husband who made dinner tonight.

Day 6: thankful

2010-11-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

I am:

Thankful to cuddle in bed this morning with my babies
Thankful for the house that we have
Thankful that the house is clean, smells yummy and feels good

Day 5 Thankful

2010-11-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

I am:

thankful for getting together with ladies in the ward/neighborhood and be able to craft with them and just hang out and talk
thankful it was warm enough to walk to the mailbox bare footed
thankful for a lunch date with Jeremy today and to have some sushi

Day 4 thankful

2010-11-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

I am:

thankful that dinner was already made, and made life easier tonight
thankful that the kids have lots of friends in the neighborhood to play with
thankful for friends that understand my hobby and love it as much as I do

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well this Halloween came up pretty quick this year. Both kids figured out what they wanted to be early on, so that made life easy. I just had to buy the fabric and my sister, Kristine did all the costume sewing and the costumes turned out amazing!!!!! Both kids looked great and loved their costumes. Austin went as Dr Robinson and added the touch of the stereoscope and the official look of the glasses himself. Sydney went as Dorothy, in ruby red slippers and a basket with Toto and all.. I took the kids for the first part of the night trick of treating in the RAIN and very cold, which was not too fun, but they had a blast. Esp when Micah found a church building with trunk or treat, and raided it with the kids, they got loooooaded up!!! Jeremy handed out candy, full dressed with his creepy mask. We decked out the house pretty good, but had a minor over usage of one of the electrical outlets!! opppps.. But the house looked good. Then when it was Jeremy's turn to go with the kids, it stopped raining and they did a couple more blocks.. So all in all.. another WONDERFUL Halloween!!!!

Sydney as Dorthy, red slippers and all:

Austin as Dr Robinson:

Dr Jessop and Dr Robinson

All the cousins getting ready to head out in the RAIN to trick or treat;

Thankful for

2010-11-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ok I saw this and am going to try it, but I need to make up for the days I didn't post:

Nov 3rd:
Thankful we live in a place where we can see leaves that change colors
Thankful I can help in Sydney's class on Wednesdays
Thankful I could be creative today

Nov 2nd:
Thankful to be married to an amazing man, who still loves me, regardless of my many faults
Thankful to go to Scouts today and watch him hang out with his friends
Thankful I could just exercise and have fun at zumba

Nov 1st:
Thankful for my kids who are healthy
Thankful for the groceries that we could buy today
Thankful for the peaceful walk/jog I could take today

Funny Conversation

2010-09-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

I can say my kids are pretty typical, Austin is such a boy and Sydney can be sooo girlie at times. The kids were talking about what we were going to do for after school tomorrow,
so I say: "Well if you get done all your homework today, we can do something fun after school tomorrow. What do you want to do?"
Sydney: "Chuck E Cheese" (which is my least fave place, so probably not LOL!!)
Austin: "Sky diving"
Me: "No I don't think so"
Sydney: "No, cuz then my earrings might fall out!!!!"

I couldn't help but laugh.

We got a WOLF in the house

2010-07-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well tonight we had a great accomplishment tonight. Austin got his WOLF award. He has been working really hard this summer to get everything done and finally got it all finished. He also got: 1 gold arrow point, 6 silver arrow points, and 10 belt loops!!! Way to go little buddy. Austin was sooo excited and looking forward to this pack meeting for quite awhile. Since school's been out, we started to work to get everything done and have made the effort to get everything up to date. I also received the parent wolf pin and got pinned by Austin. I am sooo proud of all his hard work and excitement for the scout program.

Receiving the mom pin:

One proud mom and her new WOLF:

Check out all the beltloops:

A new WOLF:

Locks of Love

2010-06-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Ever since I really started to grow my hair out, and it became a good length of long, I knew once I cut it, that I would donate it to Locks of Love. Sydney did it over a year ago and I was sooo impressed. I've been going back and forth about the big cut for over a year, but I didn't want to do it during winter. I had the hair cut all picked out, and the color that I wanted to do.. I finally had reallly been thinking about it and then the last time I went to Shelley to get my hair done, I said next time I'm chopping it off. Yup, all 14 inches of it to donate to Locks of Love.. I also ended up taking about another 2-3 inches off that to get the cut just right.. I couldn't believe how LONG my hair had really gotten over the past few years. But am I happy? YUP.. do I LOVE it? YUP!! am I glad I did it? YUP.. did I miss my long hair? a bit. but there's always growing it back. But for now I am sooo in love with how short, quick and easy and how little shampoo I have to use..

Before the cut:
Ready.... Set.... Snip...

The BIG cut Holding 14" inches of my hair:

The NEW look:

Shelley, who makes my hair look amazing:

Pine Wood Derby

2010-05-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well it's that time of year, our first major scouting event, the pinewood derby. Austin was sooo excited when he got his car, and well, so was Jeremy. They crafted out a design and then got the car all ready, painted it, and lookin HOT for the big derby. Austin picked out the colors, and I added some the the decals (aka rub ons) so I was helpful in the design department. The night of the race, Austin was super excited. The car didn't come in first, but it didn't come in last either, so that was good. There were 4 heats and then the last qualifying race. Afterwards, all the big dads got to race their own, or their sons cars, for some fun of their own. I have to say it was pretty cool to watch all the cars and see how each one turned out so differently...

The night before the big race:
On the sidelines, getting all pumped up:

Austin and friends showing off their cool cars:

Austin's award: Starry Knight

Derby Car:

There it goes:

Jeremy racing the car with the big boyz later on:

Sydney's Spring Dance Recital

2010-05-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend was Sydney's big spring dance recital. She LOVES to dance on stage, wear her dress up outfit and do her dance. She did great as always. Her class is so cute to watch. They did their tap number to Walk in the Rain, which they used umbrellas as props and it was reallly cute. They also did a dance number to Mony Mony, which was really fun and energetic, I really enjoyed watching her do that dance. Sydney was sooo excited to get her trophy at the end, she was just gleaming from ear to ear. I am so proud of her, all the hard work she puts into learning her routines. Way to go Syd!!

Sydney dancing, front and center stage:

Walk in the Rain with umbrellas

Can you spare a drop? Gee I'm glad you found me

Mony Mony dance:

Lookin good on the way to the recital:

Ready to go, ready to walk in the rain:

After the show, with her trophy:

Easter...

2010-04-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

Well this Easter fell on Conference weekend, so that made it kind of nice. The only bummer is that we didn't get to dress up in our Easter new church wear. I'll have to get some pics next week. The kids actually got to see the Easter Bunny at the grocery store on Saturday, but Austin seems to be a bit too big to want to take a photo with the bunny. The eggs were dyed and colored, Jeremy did a great job with the kids. The next morning the Easter bunny came by, and left lots of fun Easter goodies for the kids.. even a small basket for mom and dad.. The Easter bunny knows we LOVE those Reece Peanut Butter eggs!!! yum... We spent the day, watching conference and just hanging out as a family. I was in charge of Easter dinner at our house. We had the Jessops, my dad, my lil sis and her roommate over for it. I always am a sucker for a good ham, and lots of fun side fixings. I also tried a new recipe, chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bars, and YES they were amazing.. so it was a lovely Easter weekend..

Austin and Sydney with the Easter bunny:
Dyed Easter Eggs...

Look what the Easter bunny left:

Sydney and her basket

Austin with his basket, and very excited about the new Wimpy kid book

Easter Egg Hunt eggs Cool towels and new flip flops, from the Easter bunny New sun swimwear from the Easter Bunny

Sydney's Dr Seuss Program

2010-03-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

Last week was Sydney's Dr Seuss school program that all the first graders were in. Each child got to wear their fave pjs, wear a cute Dr Seuss hat they made and sign lots of songs about reading, word tricks and spelling. Sydney was right in the middle and even got to be one of the characters in the mock wedding that they did. She sang all the words, nice and loud and loved being up on the stage. She really does enjoy being in the spotlight and show off that toothless smile that she is now sporting.

Look at those missing teeth.. the top two and the bottom two.. she lost 3 in about a week.

Kolob Canyon

2010-03-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

Since we were already down in St George, we wanted something to at least do or see while we were there. So we went to Kolob Canyons, somewhere we had never been before and took the drive around the canyons to check it out. The sun was out shining and totally gorgeous, and really gave for some nice pictures, against all the red rocks and blue skies, and white snow. It just seemed to make all the photos really pop and the mountains jump out at ya. It's a pretty short drive around the canyons, which was perfect since we didn't have much time. At the top lookout point, there was quite a bit of snow. Craig and Eric came on the drive behind us. Of course it didn't take long before there was a snowball fight going on. Yup, esp Austin he jumped in on it with the big boys and was having a blast.

Sydney shivering: Austin, caught in the snow, it was pretty deep

Eric, Jeremy and Craig in a snowball fight

Saying Goodbye to a Loved One

2010-03-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

Sadly we got the word this past week that Jeremy's grandma Weight has passed away. It's always hard, esp with a grandparent. You kind just think they are going to be around forever and with you always. She had been really sick for a long time, and the last couple of years struggling with health even more. But she was very extremely strong in the gospel and had a great testimony of the Savior, and so we know where she is. We went down for the funeral in St George this past Wednesday and then went to the gravesite dedication on Thursday up in Springville. It was nice for us to see lots of aunts, uncles, cousins and their children, and get to visit with so much family.

the 4 Sons:
All the Robinson Boyz:

Our Family:

Sydney and Austin:

The Robinson Family:

The Pallbearers:

Saying Goodbye:

Seeing Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins:

Jeremy and I with Grandpa Weight:

Austin's Basketball Season

2010-03-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

This year basketball was alot harder for Austin, since they had the 3rd and 4th graders play together for the teams. The games were a lot quicker, a bit more interesting, and even some rough playing. I quite enjoyed it. So Austin was one of the younger kids in the league, luckily he had a good neighbor friend on his team too. Austin is great at defence and blocking his man, his height always seems to be on his side. He also learned that the kids are alot more aggressive the older they get and so it wasn't as easy this year.. It was lots of fun to watch him at the games.

Austin and his medal:
This was the perfect shot Austin was taking and the ref jumped right in front as the camera went off:

Taking some shots:

Practicing before the game: Nice shot buddy:

Sydney's Basketball Season

2010-03-05T15:18:00.000-08:00

This year I asked Sydney if she wanted to play basketball, and she was really excited to play this season. Last season, in the first game, the ball hit right on her face and she was shy for the rest of the season. This year was a whole new Sydney playing out on the court. She got the idea of the game, defense, dribbling down the court to make shots, and also taking the ball away from the other team. Each game she averaged between 2-4 baskets per game. She was really fierce on the court and has that competitive edge that makes her fast. Also doesn't hurt, that she is quite a bit taller than alot of the other kids.. She was sooo much fun to watch.
Sydney and her medal:
Taking a shot in the game:

Check out this dribbler:

Practicing her shot:

This is actually Sydney's shot, she is on the right side of the photo and has the yellow wristband.. and YUP she made the shot:

My Baby Becomes A Big Girl

2010-02-13T22:42:00.000-08:00

The topic of piercing ears comes up every now and again. I always thought when I had a little girl I would get them done for her as a baby, but I just never got around to getting Sydney's done. So we've talked about it from time to time, but she always said, when she was bigger. Then at dinner tonight, she asked what it felt like and I kinda showed her, and she said "I want to get my ears pierced".. I was like really? She said YES... We double checked to make sure and that SHE wanted to.. She said yes and she did. So after dinner, we hit the mall, aka Clarie's, and got her ears pierced. She was very excited, jumped in the chair. I explained what would happen ahead of time and she picked out some cute diamond stars. Very good choice. Then, the girl made the dots and we were good. She got the first gun to pierce and Sydney got a big scared. The first hole was done.. Then the tears came.. It took a minute or two or talking to and then boom.. hole #2 was done.. We did buy a couple of pairs of new earrings, but those won't be used for 6 weeks. Afterwards, Sydney was so happy and excited. The tears has passed and my little girl is growing up...

Sitting in the big chair with a princess bear
Making the Dots on the Ears

Ready for hole #1 A few tears along the way

All Smiles and Looking Grown Up

Monster Truck Show

2010-02-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

Well today we did something that we never had, and wasn't sure I was ever really going to do, or ready for. Austin had been asking about Monster Trucks for awhile now and wanted to know when he'd ever get a chance to go and see them. After a couple of months of talking about it, the commercials starting coming and then the tickets went for a discount.. and Jeremy and I said hey what the heck.. Yes the redneck in us both, came out.. I always kinda wondered what the shows would be like, but didn't think I'd ever go. When we got the the door the man offered us ear plugs, I thought it can't be that bad.. Well when we got in, we noticed YES we need those.. Austin loved Gravedigger and choose to cheer him on.. He LOVED every minute of it and just sat in awe watching. Sydney choose the fun, cute Monster Mutt truck.. she cheered for him and he won the big stand off. Sydney was not as into it, but was a trooper and had fun. The motorcycle tricks were seriously crazy and amazing.. I just sat there thinking, please don't crash and ruin your stunt. I don't think I could do a whole motorcycle show, that is crazy stuff.. But it was an experience and fun to do..

Gravedigger and Monster Mutt go head to head
The kids watch in awe:

Crazy Motorcycle Tricks

Gravedigger Goes Down

Cute Conversation with an 8 Yr Old

2010-02-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

Wow.. so I've kinda sorta neglected this blog a little bit.. ok aLOT bit.. The holidays came, and got crazy and I just couldn't quite find the time to add to this blog.. so I'm going to try and work on that and see if I can get something posted at least once a week. It seems like January and February I kinda take my own personal hiatus from taking a ton of photos and so I don't post much.. But I need to work on that and get back to letting ya know what's going on..

Yesterday I had the cutest conversation with Austin and it still puts a giggle on my face just thinking about it. He is 8 and reading his chapter book for homework, I was sitting by him and he looked over and asked "What's a king size mattress?"
I said "Well kinda like the size of a bed that me and dad have."(We do have a Cal King, but I didn't think I needed to get into all that)
Austin asks "So is there a queen mattress?"
I said "Yes its the size of the best in the guest bedroom downstairs. It's a bit bigger than your bed."
Austin asks "So that means I have a prince size?"
LOL... I couldn't help but chuckle.. because, well, I guess it would make sense.
So I explained "Well actually it's just called a full size mattress and that is the size you and Sydney both have."
Austin "Oh, ok."

How cute is that?

Halloween Time

2009-11-01T20:55:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween we had an eyeball monster and a cute lil witch. Sydney was kinda going back and forth with what to be, but when she found this fun witch hat with orange hair, and she knew she wanted to be a witch. We found this totally cool eyeball hat for Austin and decided to make his costume revolve around it and create an eyeball monster. This is my first official take on making a costume, broke out the sewing machine and all. Created this fun eyeball shirt, with a help of a link from my sister Kristine, and some great makeup. We created an eyeball monster. Both of them were so proud and excited to wear their costumes and could NOT wait to go trick of treating. We also of course, decked out with house with lots of Halloween fun decor. Jeremy had the fog machine going and wore a scary cape and mask to hand out candy, and even scared a couple of kids. Halloween is by far my favorite holiday.

Cousins: A ninja, an eyeball monster, an army commander, a fireman, and a lil witch

Scary Outside Decor:

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

One of the funniest things to do at Halloween is carve a pumpkin. That's right, yucky guts, stringy seeds and a hand full of mush. Yum. Each one of us always gets our own pumpkin to theme and carve. Austin choose an eyeball and Sydney a witch, to go along with their costumes. Jeremy decided to go easy and did a Mr Sad face. I decided to stick to my Cali roots and go with a Roxy logo pumpkin.. yup wishing I was on the beach in Cali.

Getting the Yuckies Out

4 Pumpkins, Roxy, witch, eyeball and Mr Sad My Roxy pumpkin

Corn Bellys

2009-11-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite places to go for fun Halloween festivities is Corn Bellys. The kids love it too and could probably stay there all day. They seemed to spend most of the time on the giant bounce pillows and were just having the best time jumping.. ahhh to be a kid again. I also love the corn maze, we decided to do just 1/2 and were able to find our way out in a decent time too. There is soo much to do there, the go carts, haunted house, and giant haunted monster, and play time too. I love the hay ride. We had never been to a place that does them till here and I just love how relaxing it is. Can't wait to go again next year. Is it Halloween again yet?

Park City Mini Trip

2009-11-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

For UEA weekend, we decided it was a good idea to take a break and take a mini trip, so where do we head that's not to far away? Park City. I LOVE that town, it totally reminds me of San Luis Obispo, colder, but kinda laid back, a great place to unwind and feel like you're slowing down a bit. The weather was totally amazing and gorgeous and much warmer than I was thinking. We hit the outlets, saw a movie, ate some yummy mexican food, went swimming and walked around downtown. On the way back, we kinda just took our time heading home. We did the Provo Canyon drive and saw all the changing leaves. We also went to Heber Valley railroad and checked out the trains, also stopped for some yummy sushi on the way home. yum.. it was a much needed fun trip.

Dwontown Park City:

Park City Moose:

Heber Valley Railroad:

Halloween Carnival

2009-11-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

Every year for UEA, I always take the kids to the carnival that a private school puts on in the area. The kids love it and really look forward to it. Usually the weather is great for it, just like it was when we went. I think their favorite thing to do is the face paint. They love picking from what they have. Austin got a shark this year, and Sydney got some fave swirls and stars. The kids had lots of fun, there was a spook house, lots of jumpers, a train ride, tons of games, go carts, and shooting off rockets. They also had some handmade goods and were selling loaves of bread for $1!!! and it was delicious.. so I bought a couple of loaves. Tons of holiday fun to start off autumn.

Fall Canyon Drive, A Tradition

2009-10-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

Well it's that time of year: fall, leaves changing, and general conference. Since we knew Sunday afternoon was going to be yucky weather, we went up to the canyon for our fall drive (a family tradition) on Saturday afternoon and listening to the Saturday afternoon session (which was one of my faves) in the car on the drive. It was reallllly cold already, since the storm was coming in, there was no sun. So I'm hoping to get in at least one more fall canyon drive in, on a sunny day to really grab out some of those vibrant fall colors.. We took a few pics, mainly from the car, and here is what we got.. That's one of our fave spots to get out at and take some family pictures..

Aaaaarrrrgh.... Matey

2009-09-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided to take the kids on a fun adventure to the new Pirates Island. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, so we brought along Katelin with us, with hopes of seeing Jack Sparrow and finding some booty (treasure).. The atmosphere of the place was really fun, and the kids thought it was pretty dang cool. We got some yummy food, and not bad like I was expected. Afterwards we had to hit the arcade of course, for some fun. We played the ever cool and fun skee ball, which is my fave. The kids got enough tickets to actually get some fun prizes. It was tons of fun, and so glad that we went.. ahhh, my lil pirates...

Sydney's Soccer

2009-09-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

It is really fun to watch Sydney play and enjoy the game of soccer. Not only as a parent, but as her coach, I can really see that she has such a fun time out on the field. She likes playing both offensive and defense. She has scored several goals this season, and really hustles and works hard to score. She has started to judge where the ball is going to go, and where she needs to be for a play to work out. Sydney has that spunky, sassy, competitive spirit in her, that I saw in me and that makes me so excited. I love to watch her play.

Austins Soccer Team

2009-09-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

This year Austin gets to play on the older soccer team, the 3rd and 4th graders. They play the larger fields, goal keepers and referees.. He has really enjoyed it and even scored a few goals this season so far. They still have one more game. I LOVE watching this age, where they are really starting to get into the game and play hard, and so much fun to watch. This year Austin's team isn't too great, but they have really improved over the season and I've enjoyed watching that. It's so fun to see Austin out there and enjoy a sport that I love.

Austin's Baptism

2009-09-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

I am sooo proud as a mother of Austin, and the big decision he has made to be baptized. He was soo excited and looking forward to it for months. He kept talking about it and all I could think was, have I taught you enough, did I do a good enough job, will you always desire to choose the right and live a life close to the gospel? Luckily he has had amazing teachers, primary leaders, wonderful grandparents and great aunties and uncles to help along the way. I know I forsure haven't done it all myself. Austin, you looked soo happy, so sweet, so full of the spirit. I am sooo proud of you, and love you sooo much. You have such a strong testimony of right and wrong, you choose the right, and I am proud.
The day was wonderful, the baptism was beautiful. It was so nice to have lots of family and friends come to share and support in your special day.
Austin:
Austin with mom and dad

Our Family

Hatter Family

Austin & Auntie Katelin Sydney & Austin in their Sunday best

Austin, cousin Bailey, Sydney

Caitlin and Katelin

Austin Turns 8

2009-08-29T09:32:00.001-07:00

My sweet lil handsome guy.. My oldest baby.. The one that gave me a really hard delivery... and was such a hungry, active baby.. He is still sooo curious, loves to find out what's going on, how things work, be outdoors, and on the go.. Still the same as when he was a baby. I am soo proud of him and how he's grown. Overall desires to choose the right, makes good decisions, has good friends and enjoys school and learning. He is such a strong minded child, but in such a great way. He has strength and such a laid back personality, something that will help him as he grows up....
so HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sweet Austin.. I love you and am sooo proud of you.. I am super lucky to be your mom...

First Day of School

2009-08-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

well it's that time of year again, the first day of school. New clothes, new backpacks, new teachers, and a new year ahead of them. Both kids have great teachers, so I am really excited for them. I have to say they both looked really adorable in their brand new clothes for school today. They even let me be the total mom, take them to school and take lots of pictures. Sydney is sooo excited to go all day and bring her lunch. Austin is excited to be a bigger kid at school. I am so proud of them both.

Austin, 3rd Grade:
Sydney, 1st Grade:

New Clothes and Ready to go:

Walking into School:

My Two Lil Buddies:

Austin and some buddies:

Sydney is soo girlie and yet just one of the boys:

Waterboy:

2009-07-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

I just HAD to post this picture, it makes me smile. Austin the waterboy.. ready for water and action...

Sea World

2009-07-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

To finish off our Cali trip, we finally made it down to Sea World, somewhere I've been wanting to go to for SUCH a long time. The last time I've been I was about 15 or so. We didn't tell the kids so they were VERY excited. They had a great deal where adults get in for kids prices and everyone gets to go back a 2nd day free. Gotta love that. So we went most of the day Friday and then half of Saturday. We got to see everything and a couple of the Shamu shows. For the night show, the kids sat in the 2nd row and were begging to be splashed, but we sat further back, since the show wasn't crowded and managed to stay dry. It's always amazing to see such beautiful creates and just watch the whales swim, and then visit all the reef tanks. The arctic exhibit was really cool too and we went late at night and barely anyone was there. The kids were playing a game with the walrus, tapping on the glass and he'd tap back. It was fun to watch them, and watch them get sooo excited over it all. What a fun packed trip....

Check out that huge turtle:

Hands on with the Sea Stars: Waiting for the Shamu show to start:

soooo excited for the show to start:

The kids were sooo excited to sit in row 2 for the night show, they wanted to be splashed sooo badly... we sat in row 11, and did NOT get wet.. sydney's new fave animal.. a manatee

Austin hanging in the polar bear caves:

LOVE this photo: The polar bears, one of my fave animals:

Shamu show:

That is one BIG anemone:

2 Babies... Crew and Kade:

2009-07-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

ohhhhh look how cute these two lil guys are.. meet Crew and Kade, my newest nephews.. aren't they just adorable? and yes they smell sooo yummy and are the perfect size for cuddling and holding. Kim asked me to do a photo shoot with them and I totally had a blast. Had fun playing around with my camera, different setting and coloring and they were really good for the photos too. So cute to see these new little guys and can't wait to see them grow up, they are just sooo sweet.. Here are some pics of the several tons that I took:

Park Play Time:

2009-07-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Got to take the kids to Greenwood park for a bit before the photo shoot of the babies. I was telling Austin that I used to bring him to this park all the time when he was about 2 and Sydney was just a baby. It was perfect for his size and had a gate to keep him on lock down. Watching them play on the trip, I really realize how big they are getting and grown up they are becoming. Of course then I think, have I taught them enough, do they know what they need to know, am I doing a good enough job, will they be happy always? sooo many questions, and just hope that I am on the right track as a parent. But for the mean time, it's just fun to watch them let loose and play...

Hermosa Beach Fun:

2009-07-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

Took another Beach day and headed off to Hermosa, which is my fave place to take the kids to. The beach was actually pretty crowded, but didn't stop the kids from getting in the water and having a good time.. Was kinda nice to just lay out and unwind, listen to the waves.. It's really nice that the kids are older and really lovin just playing in the water, or building sand castles. Sydney was the one who I couldn't ever get out of the water this trip, and was so much fun to watch her. Austin of course, would live at the beach if I gave him the option..

Love this photo:
Sydney:

Haley:

Ryder:

austin:

Tyler building in the sand:
Jordan:

Emily:

Day in the O.C.

2009-07-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was tons of fun, I headed out to see my cousin, Alise and her kids and spend the day together. Her house is sooo cute I just love it and the kids all got along and had a blast.. of course they found a common interest immediately that got them talking.. the Wii and Star Wars.. Perfect.. We grabbed some In N Out for lunch and headed to the park, the kids ate and played, and they had a really cool airplane that they just loved.. Then we headed out to the Huntington Beach pier. They were setting up for the US Surf Open which was starting when we were going to leave.. I was sooo bummed not to be there for it, maybe next year. On the pier there were some guys catching sand sharks and wow!!! they were pretty big too. Also hit HSS for some great surf deals, 40-50% off, so had to grab something for everyone, I LOVE that store.. Then headed back to the house to hang out and chat.. It was sooo good to see Alise, I miss that girlie sooo much and maybe one day we'll live closer...

Sydney, Hunter, Austin and Connor:
austin & sydney at the fountain:

Playing at the park, there was a cool airplane there and the kids loved it:

The tire swing, Austin loved it:

Huntington Beach Firepits FHE

2009-07-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

For FHE we decided to head out to the fire-pits at Huntington Beach, one of my fave places for some good pit cooking.. Katelin and I headed down earlier with a few of the kids to get some beach time in.. Later on everyone else came, Rysn started us a kickin fire that lasted the whole time.. We cooked some yummy hot dogs and afterwards started the real fun... smores.. YUM... We had quite the line up going and really whipped those bad boyz out. Kristine likes to burn marshmallows to a crisp, while me and Ryan like them nice and golden brown... The kids all loved it and had a complete blast.

Beach Cousins:
Me, Caroline (spotted her newest Farrah Faucett do') and Kristine:

Cousins and Smores:

Emily, the perfect beach baby, just happy and content being outdoors at the beach:

Jordan, Sydney and Austin in the surf

Redondo Beach Surf

2009-07-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

While we were in Cali, after church we thought we would take the kids for a lovely Sunday afternoon walk at the beach.. We totally talked it over, and they promised that they WOULD not get their clothes wet, go in the water, and if they did they were willing to be grounded.. I think it lasted maybe like 3 minutes. then one of them, got "caught by a big wave" then another one "fell in the waves" and lastly "the waves got bigger".... so are you can see, by the end of the beach walk, they were soaked, swimming in the waves and having a blast.. Kinda couldn't blame, them the water was perfect............

Catching some cool waves:

Tyler and Austin havin some beach fun:

Sydney doing her beach dance:

This is how they all started out, in clothes, dry, and behind the water:

Cali Swimming and Cousins

2009-07-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

The first day we were on our Cali vacation was to get out in the sun and swim!!!! It was sooo gorgeous and the weather was perfect. The kids were in their bathing suits in seconds. My parents had 3 pools set up for the kids- the big one, the one with the slide in the middle, and then a lil kiddie one for the young-ins.. Later on we went over and swam at Kim and Justin's pool and the kids had such a blast. They are becoming such good swimmers and love to just jump in the pool. But getting them to line up for this picture was soo hard, they kept just jumping in, again and again...

Big Splash: Jordan, Bailey, Tyler, Austin, Sydney
Sydney:

Emily:

Haley:

Austin:

Ryder:

Brody:

Jordan: Crew and Kade:

T- Ball Cutie...

2009-07-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to get Sydney into Tball and she was more than excited to join. There are actually almost more girls than boys on the team, and quite a few from the neighborhood.. She is just lovin how fun it is, and she is really sporty too.. that's my girl. Their team is called the Grasshoppers which goes perfectly with those green shirts. We had to have the coach teach her to bat as a leftie, since she is the only one on the team. She is excellent at running after it and making sure the ball gets to first base, she is just sooo excited to be out there, and it's soo fun to watch.

running into home plate:

Leftie up to bat:

Hittin it out of the park:

Gotta love the trucker hat:

Austin... cute lil guy

2009-07-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

Austin, is such a cutie.. such a fun lil guy, totally a happy go lucky kid, very laid back, takes it as it comes.. and those darn freckles are just sooo irresistible.. when he is in the mood he is perfect for a photo shoot and I love taking his picture. He also loves this beanie we got in Morro Bay and wears it all the time, I finally had to get another one, but love the way it looks on him.. Such a handsome kid.. and I know he two front teeth will one day come in.. until then, gotta love the toothey grin...

4th of July Fun

2009-07-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July evening, we had a BBQ with the Jessops and had some good times and yummy food.. The kids had a blast, swimming and playing in the backyard and enjoying the outdoor sun, the weather wasn't too hot. Jeremy did some grillin on the BBQ and me and Kris had lots of yummy sides too, esp the fruit pasta salad.. I made some festive fun treats for after dinner which the kids LOVED.. all the boys got the blues one.. Later on we headed over to thanksgiving point for the fireworks show. It lasted a pretty long time and this time it didn't take an hour to get home, which was really nice...

Festive Treats:
All the boys loved the blue cupcakes:

Cousins hanging out and having fun:

Me and My Lil Buddy Ryder: fun Fireworks at Thanksgiving Point:

4th of July Mid Day Activities

2009-07-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

well we got together with the Robinson family that was in Utah for a 4th of July lunch and playtime at the park. We met up at a park in SLC and had a great time.. Enjoyed some yummy lunch, delicious watermelon, and I made some festive red, white and blue cupcakes.. Afterwards we got out there for a friendly family game of baseball.. Felt really good to get out there and hit the heck out of that ball, the kids were impressed how far I could hit it.. me too... but it was lots of fun..
Check out this All American Cuties:

Lehi Days: Rodeo

2009-07-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

Finally we got to go to the actual rodeo this year. The last two years we missed out on sold out tickets, so made sure that we got our tickets early to go. We all wore our cowgirl/ cowboy hats... so hee haw and ready to go. We had sooo much fun at the rodeo, I really had no idea what to expect and was really impressed. Of course the rodeo clown had some hilarious jokes, which kept us laughing. Also loved the half time show the stunt motorcycle riding. I have to say my favorite was the bull riding, no one quite made it to the 8 second mark, which was a bit sad, and there were two lil "oh my gosh" moments, when things didn't work out for the cowboys- those are some strong guys out there. The kids had a blast, and are already to go again for next year, so I can't wait.

Check out These Cowboys:
Me and Syd

Motorcycle Tricks:

Lehi Days: Carnival

2009-07-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

After the parade, is the carnival over at the park. The kids love going there and really look forward to it. I like it because everything is pretty cheap. They did most of the jumpers/ slides, which are only $.25 to go on a turn. Of course the first thing to do is the pony rides, and could never forget the train ride either. At the end of it all, we got some snow cones to wash down the hot day.

Sydney loved her cute lil pony:
Austin was really excited to ride a big horse:

The boyz:

Me and lil Syd cowgirl: Gotta love the train ride:

Lehi Days: Main Parade

2009-07-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

We had our usual spot for the parade, the kids were lined up with their "cannnn-diiie" bags and ready for action. This years parade was kinda long, but the kids really got loaded up. Also got some fun coupons that we will definitely be using this summer to keep busy. Sydney got to "break" a karate board {see below} and I think Sydney and Jordan were the winners for the most candy retrieved. I also love when they bring out the water bottles!!! and yup, got one.

Kids waiting for all the fun and cannnn-diie to start coming their way

Austin giving Ryder a few tips about how to collect some good candy:

Talk about a "sweet" brown ride:

Sydney got choosen out of the group of kids by a karate studio to "break" a board.. It took here a try or two, but she did it and was sooo proud of herself:

The kids LOVED this float with all the cool Star Wars characters, I think Austin was possibly drooling:

Lehi Days: Kids Parade

2009-07-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

On Friday evening was the kids parade.. It was nice a cool, a few sprinkles, but nothing major. This is the parade where all the kids floats come out and our kids really enjoy seeing what they create. There were some really fun floats this year. Of course Austin's fave part is the fire engine and the police cars..

Lehi Days: Horse Parade

2009-07-02T23:51:00.000-07:00

Well here is the first of the parades that we had for Lehi Days. The horse parade which starts at the park and then end at the first night at the rodeo.. The kids were all lined up, and we steaked out our spot a day before, got the chairs out and ready, and the kids loved the horses.

Ryder, Sydney, Austin, Bailey, Jordan, Mckay, Camry:
Lil Cutie Ryder:

Lehi Days: BBQ in the Park

2009-07-02T23:47:00.000-07:00

Gotta love the dinner at the BBQ in the park... some good ole yummy food, music on the stage, and big huge sugar cookies for dessert. The kids also love that they have a jumper and big slide there to play on afterwards. It's so funny, we were talking about the first year we moved here and went to the Lehi Days, Austin was barely able to go into the jumper, and was one of the little kids and we were nervous he'd get jumped on, and Sydney was just in the stroller the whole time. Now the kids are totally in their element and just having a great time..

Lehi Days: Bird Show and Fountain Time

2009-07-02T23:43:00.000-07:00

One of the really cool things we got to do that week at the museum was see the bird show. And wow those are some huge birds. There were falcons, eagles, and several other birds that they brought out and taught us about. Did you know that falcons are fastest animals? faster than mountain lions? I didn't, but Austin answered it correctly when they asked the question.. These birds are just beautiful... Afterwards, it was really hot, so the kids went and got their feet wet in the fountain.. That helped to cool them off.

Lehi Day: Museum

2009-07-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

One of the fun things about Lehi Days is that the Hutching's Museum has free admission every day for the week. I have never been, but Austin went for a field trip and really enjoyed it. We saw a magic show while we went there and the kids sat up front and LOVED it, they thought it was really fun and exciting. Then we toured the museum and saw lots of fun stuff, the kids even ended up going to jail while we were there... Yup, they had fun.

Lehi Days: Picnic In the Park

2009-07-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

Our favorite time of year is the Lehi Days week that we have each year, and the city puts on a week full of activities.. We look forward to it so much and the kids REALLY love it, since there is sooo much fun stuff for them to do, and us as a family. The first night has the picnic in the park. We do the same thing each time, pick up some Subway sandwiches and grab the big blanket and eat in the park, enjoying the live entertainment. The kids love it, since at the end they get chocolate Popsicles.. Plus they like to dance around to the music... As you can see, we had fun.

Junior Rangers

2009-06-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

At each of the National Parks, they have a junior ranger program, where kids can become a "junior ranger". They are given a workbook/ activity book and have to do so many pages in each book depending on their age. They also need to pick up a certain amount of trash with in the park, either see the park movie or attend a class given by a park ranger. Once they complete the activities for their age level, they take their booklet up to the rangers, and they pass it off, and then do the junior ranger pledge. They are then given junior ranger badges to wear and keep. So the kids became junior rangers at Zions, Bryce, and Capitol Reef. It was very cool and exciting, it also gave them something to be on the lookout for around the park, and were so excited when they "found" or "saw" what they were looking for..

Funnies from our Trip

2009-06-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Not only did we have a super fun time on our trip, but there were also some memorable and really funny moments, a couple of which were caught on pictures... so here are just a couple:

THIS SIGN!!!!! There will be a $5.00 charge for whining.. I made the kids stand by it for a picture and let them know that they would agree and obey the rule on the sign.. unfortunately the kids don't have THAT much money... LOL but there was the cutest older couple in the restaurant where we took this and they were quite amused by it.
REAL OR FAKE COP??? ok this was sooo funny.. In the very small town of Loa, UT... this cop car was sitting off of the main road, right where you have to drop down from the 65 to 30 in a very short distance. Of course it freaked me out on the way in since I couldn't see who was in the car, but on the way back!!! oh my gosh, sooo funny.. We had to get out and take a picture of this "hard working cop" (yes that is a dummy!!!)

SLACKERS: just LOVE the name of this burger place, so we have to pick here to eat... yummy too, esp the garlic burgers

Sydney's choice of Play Friends: Wonder Woman and Luke Skywalker

We let the kids bring a few toys into the car to play with along the way, and these were Syd's choice of characters.. I guess both do have a sort of super powers and could be a great team- Luke with the Jedi force and Wonder Woman, with her invisible jet and cute and cold bracelets that have magical powers to fight off anything.

CATTLE ON THE FREEWAY: ok I've seen those signs a million times of the cattle crossing and never seen one crossing, or on the freeway.. but we were driving along and looks like one of the gang got stuck ON the freeway, of course the rest of his buddies were much smarter than he was to get caught.. do how do they get back???

There was also another sign on the freeway that made us totally crack up, I wanted a picture soo bad but couldn't get to turning around on the 2 lane highway.. but it said: "Fine will be issued for ANY uncovered load......" yup, cracks me up...

Animals while we were out & about

2009-06-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

One of the really cool things about the national parks and taking some of the out of the way roads that we did was being able to see lots of wildlife. We also saw several other animals and the kids would get sooo excited each time they spotted some form of wildlife.. The ostrich farm was really cool to see on the way into Zions.. they were just all standing there, not really moving and facing the same direction, so of course, we had to take a pic... In the car, Austin got sick of saying oh there's horses or cows, or whatever, so he came up with " oh there's some neigh-ers, there's some moo-ers, check out those baa-ers" such a funny kid, totally out of no where, so that cracked us all up...

Deer, we saw at all 3 national parks, this pic is from Bryce:
Ostriches at an ostrich farm right outside of Zions:

Lots of lizards and different kinds too: Cute lil chipmunks, reminds me of the Disney Chip N Dale cartoons:

Day 3 Manti Temple

2009-06-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

One of the temples we haven't gotten a chance to go by and visit is the Manti Temple.. and wow it is sooo big. I've seen it before but it's been a really long time. We took the route that would take us through the town, so that we could make sure we could check it out. The building is just gorgeous. One very cool thing, is that when we were driving away from it, you could really see it for such a long time and the view was amazing...

DAY 3 Capitol Reef National Park

2009-06-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

So originally when we were planning the trip we had no idea about what or where Capitol Reef was, but have to say it more than a pleasant and exciting surprise. The views were amazing and there was quite a bit to see in there. Years ago, a verrrry long time ago, the area was totally covered by water, which gave it the reef name. Then back in the late 1800s settlers came to this valley and started a small town. The climate makes it so that you can grows lots of fruit trees and is almost tropical like. But at the same time, there are several creeks and there is tons of flash flooding, which has also destroyed the village several times. When we were driving around there were warning where flash floods occurred and you could see where they ran through and over the roads too. There was some old ancient tribal art on the rocks, which was very cool to look at and the kids were entertained with it. We did a couple little hikes. In an old home, there is a cute little store with homemade items and the BEST homemade pies and ice cream. Yum. Also the deer there were sooo tame, they just let us come right up to them and take pictures. We even drove right up along side some, and they didn't even flinch.
Also the house that is in the picture below, not bigger than one room, was the house to one of the settlers that housed him, his wife and 10 kids!! The two youngest kids slept in the house with the parents, and the older kids slept on a ledge carved out of the mountain behind the house and they slept in the open there!!! Crazy.. But we had a great time and are hoping to get to go back again sometime. We didn't even get to see it all, but loved it and had a great time.

Twin rocks:

Gorgeous cliffs and scenery:

This is so intriging how the rock has just worn away: Old tribal rock art: One of the first settlers homes- home to parents and 10 kids!!!

Old fashioned store and home, with very yummy homemade pies and ice cream: Valley view: Jeremy in the "reef":

LOVE how the sun just highlights this rock area: