Russell Family

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-26T16:18:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!! I know at the Russell household we were extra good this year and Santa was very good to us.
The kids in their Christmas Eve PJ's from Grandma Deanne.

On Christmas Eve we went to Dann and Jeanel's house for dinner and the kids opened up their presents from grandma and grandpa. Christmas morning was a success. Allie got her light blue DS that she just knew Santa would get her. Beau is an easy going kid who does not ever ask for anything specific so it makes things a little tricky for us/Santa. He was very pleased with his paper jamz and skateboard so we were all happy. Karlee loved her vanity and panda pillow pet. I surprised Greg with a new shot gun. It is a camouflage Benali Super Nova. (Just in case that means anything to anyone.) His work was very busy in December and we saw very little of him that month so I thought it was a well deserved gift. He takes very good care of our family and is always sacrificing for us and I love him to pieces. Here is that silly dog again. Why does she keep showing up in my posts? It is almost like she is part of the family or something. Here we are at Grandma Deanne and Grandpa Burt's house. The kids just adore Deanne. She is one fun Grandma. She is always throwing parties for the kids and plans exciting activities for them. Allie doing her Diva pose at my parents home. (If you could not already tell with all the BYU stuff in the back ground.) They had there party a little later than usual because they planned it around Brayden's phone call home so everyone could talk to him.

We got home by late evening and we may even look a little tired but we had to get in a family portrait on Christmas by the Christmas tree. Sometimes holidays are a little more hectic than they should be but I feel holidays are best spent with the ones you love most.

December Fun

2010-12-20T11:00:00.003-07:00

The kids had waited so long for it to snow so they could play in it but when it finally snowed it was only a little amount. They were not going to let that stop them from building a snow man. Too bad it only lasted a day.

At the Ressler Christmas Party. Usually each family has to come up with some sort of talent to share and this year we left it to Karlee, Bailey, Kalie, and Kelsey (My cousin Seth's Daughter). They sang Silent Night in German. My grandpa is German so it was all for him. They did a FANTASTIC job!!

Me, Ashley, Kelli, Jolie, and Joel with my Grandpa Pete.

I wish I would of taken more pictures at the party. They talked about this maybe being the last Ressler Christmas party. I hope its not because I never get to see them as it is except at parties. I guess when the family is growing to big for even a church gym it makes it hard to get together.

The kids and I rode the front runner down to Salt Lake to meet Greg after work. We were meeting Greg's family at the Spaghetti Factory and then we were going to Temple Square to see the lights. The Spaghetti Factory is not our favorite place to go, but Greg's family loves it. It was fun to get together and visit with everyone though.

This is the first time we have taken our kids down to temple square around Christmas time. It was so pretty and we even had a few snow flakes fall making the pictures even more festive. Aren't we just the cutest family. I don't know why Beau always pulls out his goofy face every time a picture is taken. Maybe the freezing temperature had a little to do with it. This is Dann and some of the grand kids in front of the fountain. Not everyone came to temple square because of the weather and it was getting late so they needed to get their kids home to bed.

It was a fun evening and we even made it to the last Nativity Narration before they closed.

Beau the Webelo

2010-12-14T16:12:00.002-07:00

Beau has worked so hard the past 7 months to earn his Webelo badge and his Arrow of Light. He loves being in scouts. They took me out as the Webelo's Den Leader when he got in so I was sad that I didn't get to be his leader. He still had great group of leaders helping him and I am so grateful for them. The Cub Scout Program is so wonderful and it teachs young boys important skills that is very helpful in everyday life. He can't wait until he is old enough to go into the Boy Scouts.

Dann's 60th

2010-12-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

Greg's Dad turned 60 and Greg and his brothers and sisters threw him a surprise birthday party.

His favorite present was his bullseye shirt which made him a perfect target for the kids to spray him with silly string. It was hilarious!! You can't have a 60th birthday without a few gag gifts. It was a fun night thanks to Jenn who put it all together.

It is All About Allie

2010-11-14T14:40:00.001-07:00

Greg took Allie to Disney on Ice. It was a fun father-daughter night. It was the weekend of her birthday and Karlee, Beau, and I were at the BYU football game so it was a great excuse for just the two of them to go.
Allie is a Daddy's girl. Can you tell?You can not enjoy the show without a very over priced lighted Disney cup with a slush in it.

Her Birthday was on a Sunday this year. Usually we take them out to eat the night before and then I make their favorite meal on their birthday (if its on a Sunday) but this time she wanted to invite everyone over for dinner. She did not have a friend party this year so I decided it would be OK to invite everyone over for the Birthday dinner. We had BBQ pork and beef. Our house is too small for as many people that came but we seemed to manage fine. We had a great night with a wonderful family. Allie got the American Girl Doll that she wanted and many other nice things. She said it was a PERFECT DAY!

This is Allie in her new Birthday dress. Allie is a fun loving girl with so much enthusiasm and lots of spunk and drama and she never leaves home with out looking her best and lip gloss. She is also very sweet and caring and loves taking care of her younger nieces and nephews. If you ever need a hug or cheering up she is there for you. I can not believe she is already 7. I love her so much and she will always be my baby girl.

Allie's 1st grade class went on a field trip to the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum. She of course wanted her daddy to go with them. She insisted that her teacher needed her dad's strong muscles to carry the box of sack lunches so I had to stay home this time.

If you have never been to that museum then I recommend you go. It a fun learning environment with so many different things to do.

Halloween

2010-10-31T10:15:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite things about Halloween when I was growing up was the parades at school. I loved working my way through all of the hallways and showing off my costume to the parents and other students. The party in the classroom afterward was just as rewarding. Many schools do not celebrate the same traditional holidays as I once did as a kid. It makes me so happy that my kids' school follows the same traditions I had.
Allie showing off her Minnie Mouse costume. This is the first year she did not dress-up as a princess.

Karlee was a cute Halloween girl. She was wearing a shirt that said costume. She is so creative. She wanted to be something cute because for her school play she had to change into something scary as you will see further down.

Beau was a handsome little hunter. The poor deer in his backpack never had a chance.

Can you guess which one she is? The sixth grade perform a very cute Halloween play every year.

At the end of the play they danced to Michael Jackson's song "Thriller". So so so so scary that it was way to cute.

Greg's mom had a Halloween party at her house. She does fun games and activities with the kids and of course there is always yummy food.

Pumpkin carving in the garage.

We ended up with an owl, a skull, and a shout out to our Cougars. They were getting ready to go trick or treating in the freezing cold rain.

Camping

2010-10-16T14:53:00.000-06:00

I think we went the whole summer without any camping or four wheeling trips so we tried to squeeze in a few in October. It was probably the best time to go because the scenery was beautiful. I love the smell and look of the trees in the fall. Brooke(my sister in law) parents were so nice to let us stay one weekend at their cabin.
We stopped on this trail to do some target shooting.

I was trying to play around with my new camera trying to get a few good shots of the beautiful trees and Allie walked by and started posing for me. She is my diva.

Tagen was wearing a hat and he took it off because he was sweating. He had foam coming from his hair. I guess he didn't wash all of the shampoo out of his hair from the night before so Ashley helped him out by pouring her cold water over his head. He is too funny. We don't have to many family shots so I will put this one in here only because of that. I am not too fond of my flat dirty hair, but what else can you do when you have been on a four wheeler with the wind and dirt blowing in your face. We all have BYU shirts on because it was the BYU and TCU football game. We watched it on TV back at the cabin. It was a very sad game.

We also went up Logan Canyon with my brother Joel and his family in my parents trailer. We went on some four wheeling trails up by Bear Lake. I am a wimp when it comes to going on some trails. I don't like going on narrow roads with steep hills and long drop-offs and there were one too many for me on this trail. So next time I will gladly stay back at the trailer. Look how pretty though, at least we got some good pictures It makes me so happy that they love each other so much. Well on camera they do anyway.

Are you Ready for Some Football

2010-09-25T14:23:00.001-06:00

My favorite season of the year is Fall. Greg loves this time of year for the hunting season but I love this time of year because of FOOTBALL!! As long as I can remember my parents have had season tickets to the BYU football games. They have enough so that a few people from each of my siblings families can go to the game. My kids have went to more games than I was ever allowed to as a kid. I guess grand kids take precedence.
Eating at the Cougar Eat after picking out a few much needed things at the bookstore. You know my parents own stock in that store. You can never own to many BYU t-shirts, footballs, or pens.

Celebrating after a very well deserved victory. Tagen, Bailey, Beau, and Tyler.

Take that San Diego St. Beau, Allie, and Tyler. The kids just love going to the games.

State Fair and a Crane Hunt

2010-09-11T10:02:00.000-06:00

When I was young I remember my parents taking me to the Utah State fair every year. I remember the stinky animals and the rides they never let me ride because it was too much money. It isok because they did let us go down the big yellow slide and that seemed to always make up for not going on any of the other rides. I have never taken my kids to the fair so when we were looking for something to do one Saturday I was glad to take them. Some things never change though. It was still just as stinky as I remember and I wouldn't let my kids ride on any of the rides either. They were just as satified seeing all of the farm animals. We even had a huge hog charge at us. Good Times!! We of course had to enjoy a few snacks while we were there. How about some deep fried snickers or chocolate covered bacon. Both were delicious!
The pony ride was a hit.

Beau was a good sport to go on this with Allie. She didn't want to go alone. Doesn't he look thrilled. He is such a good brother. Of course we had to slide down the big yellow slide. They had just waxed the slide so it was extra slick and it made you go super fast. The kids had a blast. It was a fun day. Karlee couldn't come because she was at a rhematiod arthritis day camp at Primary Childrens. We all can't wait to go again next year.

Greg and his brother Steve went to Wyoming to hunt crane. I guess it is a special tag you can get. They came home with some great stories. I am happy they both got one; they had to work hard for them.

First Day of School

2010-08-23T09:13:00.002-06:00

The summer went by so fast and it never seems like there is ever enough time to fit everything you want to do in your schedule. The first day of school is already here. This is a bitter-sweet day. This is the first year all 3 will be in school all day. What ever will I do with myself all day long. It is sad they are growing up so fast but I am looking forward to some ME time.

Allie is in first grade.

Beau is in 5th grade. Karlee is in 6th Grade.

I bet you are wondering why I have this picture of an upside down dog. This is our dog Daisy. I have no idea why this picture is here and I can't figure out how to take it off so you are stuck with it. This pic does match her personality though- GOOFY!!

Florida!!!

2010-08-20T09:15:00.000-06:00

Greg had a NATCO work meeting in Florida and guess who got to go with him? ME! Beau also got to tag along. We had decided a few years ago that our kids could take turns going on these work/relaxation trips with us. It was Beaus turn and he could not have been happier to be going to Florida. I did feel a little guilty leaving the two girls home but they were just as excited to be staying with relatives while we were gone. (Thanks to all who helped take care of them.)

We stayed at the Westin Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. It is a private resort so it had its own private beach; it was nice that the beach was not over crowded. This picture is of Beau standing by one of the hotel's swimming pools.

One of the days Greg got done with his meetings early so we drove down to Key Largo. We would have kept going to Key West but it would have been another 2 hour drive.

This is still in Key Largo behind this popular Bar/Souvenir shop called the Caribbean Club.

On our way back to our Hotel from Key Largo we stopped in Ft Lauderdale and ate at this Seafood place. We ate right on the dock. I am not a seafood lover but Greg is and he loved it. I enjoyed the incredible view and Beau had a blast looking at the catfish, jelly fish, barracudas, and moon fish swimming in the water. There were these lights in the water and you could everything in it.

The boys were fascinated by all the fish. The jelly fish glowed in the water.

Greg and Beau in the ocean looking for sea shells. (Beau is the one floating in the background.) Beau picked up something that looked like a sea shell and it ended up being a crab. It scared him half to death and he threw it back in the ocean. Greg tried to find it again so we could get a picture of it, but it was no where to be found.

If you have not noticed I am trying to limit the number of pictures I am in but since this is not a close up I will let this one slide. The building in the background is our hotel.

This is Hollywood Beach. It is a popular public beach. It was very hot and humid that day and we didn't bring our swim suits with us so we did not stay long. The beach was very crowded and we wanted to just go back to our private beach.

According to the travel channel Hollywood Beach has one of the best boardwalks in the country. We were dying from the heat or else we would have walked more of it. Don't worry we cooled off at Ben and Jerry's. We definitely ran into the most interesting people here. After our quick trip to Hollywood Beach we headed to Miami. It was so much fun there and of course we had to make a trip to the Hard Rock Cafe.

We took a ride on the Atlantic in this super fun and fast speed boat. I didn't put as many Miami Pictures on here as I thought. It was such a fun day there though. We saw some cool sights and went to this awesome outside mall where we did some shopping. Beau's favorite part was seeing all of the places that are in CSI Miami. (his favorite TV show) This is the view from our hotel room balcony. It was so humid that day that I could not keep the lens from fogging up. There is so many things that I miss about that place. I miss the relaxation, the gorgeous views, the sound of the ocean, the food, and the smell of the hotel. (It had an incredible clean fresh smell.) I hope some day to go back but it will be with the whole family because I will admit I, missed my girls!!!

A Wedding and A Funeral

2010-08-18T11:26:00.002-06:00

My Sister Ashley got married Aug 17. This is her second marriage. We will pretend the first one didn't even exist. Let's just say the first guy was a fraud and broke her heart. I am so happy for her. I know Bret will take care of her and they fit each other perfectly. I wish them an eternity of happiness. They were sealed in the SLC Temple and then later had their luncheon and open house at the Maddox Lodge.

Ashley and my adorable and sweet Grandpa Pete.

This is what you get when you try to take a picture of kids the age of 1 month to 15 years and this wasn't even all of them, but they are still cute don't you think? Allie really wanted her picture taken by the pretty flowers around the temple grounds.

Greg's Grandpa Russell passed away on August 9. Ever since his grandma died his grandpa was not the same. What a joyous day for him to be reunited with his beloved wife. She is all he talked about since her passing. He could be an awry old fart sometimes but he loved his family and would do anything for any one of them.

Here's a picture of some of the grand kids before the funeral. The red polka-dot dresses were bought for Grandma Russell's funeral last year.

He served in both the Army and Air Force and had full military honors and a 6 gun salute at the graveside. It was so neat to see. I had never seen this done before.

The plaque above the drawing of Grandpa Russell is all of the medals he received will serving in the military.

It was a sad but special day. I helped my brother put a video together to show during the viewing and I think it was so neat getting to know him better just by going through all of his old pictures and military papers. What an honorable and courageous man he was.

Fun Summer Stuff

2010-07-28T19:36:00.000-06:00

So here is a quick look at most of the fun things we did in June and July. It took a while to warm up this summer and with all of the rain we had in June a lot of our outdoor activities were canceled or postponed. We wanted to do more fishing and camping this year and we went a total of one time. Well there is always next year because August is too busy for us.

We went fishing with my parents to Blackfoot Reservoir. This was a favorite spot for us to go when I was a kid. We always caught a ton of fish. (rainbow trout) Well we have fished here a few times since then at the same spot, not that I am grown and have my own kids, and we have been skunked every time. It sure did not live up to its name. For my Dads sake we decided to give it one more try and lucky for us we were not disappointed. Karlee was the first to catch one. (Greg actually caught a carp first, but that doesn't count because they are ugly trash fish)

Allie spent some time fishing with her Barbie fishing pole but most of her time was spent in the trailer. There were too many bugs and dirt for her taste.

My Dad caught the next fish. I was so happy he did. He can now prove to the grand kids that there really are fish in Blackfoot.

This is my Mom's fish. She of course caught the biggest one. The kids had so much fun. Beau fished his heart out but still didn't get one. He was the most dedicated at staying by his pole and watching everyone else's. I felt bad he didn't get one, but there is always next time. We still had a blast.

We went to Stadium of Fire in Provo over the 4th of July. Carrie Underwood was the headliner.

We were walking to Lavell Edwards Stadium from our hotel

We had a lot of family from both sides of the family sitting by us. They did this really neat Armed Forces presentation. They had a bunch of Eagle Scouts who lined the field with flags along with groups Men and Woman who are serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. I love how patriotic they make this every year and I especially love when the jets fly by

Carrie Underwood was awesome and she sang all the songs we wanted her too. The kids favorite was " Undo It".

Next to the the jets and Carrie, would have to be the fireworks. You can't see better fireworks in Utah than here. They are the BEST!!! (minus the music malfunction at the beginning)

We went to Burley,ID the end of June for the first Woodall Family Reunion. The only distant Woodall relative I have ever met was my Grandpa Woodall's Sister. I have heard many stories of Burley from my Dad and Grandpa; some good and some bad. So I didn't know what to expect. It turned out we had a great time. There wasn't that many people that came but the ones that did treated us like we had known them forever. They were the nicest people I have ever met. Our truck broke down while we were there and some guy at a repair shop let Greg borrow some stuff so we could get our truck started for the ride back home.

We were driving to a cemetery to look at some of our relatives graves and we passed a field full of huge Elk. The Snake River was right next to the park were the reunion was held. There were a few racing speed boats on the river so we came down to watch them.

The park also had this small pond there so Greg and the kids had fun catching a few small trout. It was catch and release only.
My Uncle Lou, My Dad and their cousin Georgina. Her family was so nice. Her husband talked to Greg for hours.

There was like one day in June that was actually hot so we go out the slip n slide and the kids and a few neighbors had a blast cooling off.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

2010-06-24T23:49:00.000-06:00

Starting the first of May through the end of June our week nights were consumed with baseball and softball. Greg coached Beau's team for the first time with the help of his brother Steve and they did an awesome job. Karlee played for the same team she played with last year in Roy. Karlee's team took 2ND place; they lost to the same team they lost last year.
Karlee practiced her pitching this year and thanks to her Uncle Christian she has turned into quite a good little pitcher. She was very accurate and her speed has picked up too. Her biggest change was her confidence. She actually believed in herself.

Karlee was one of the girls who always got on base. She didn't hit home runs but you could count on her getting to the base and hitting others in home.

Her coach giving her a high-five. He is so great with the girls on the team. Karlee was the youngest girl on the team and she was playing against girls a year or two older than her and her coach always told her how amazed he was that she could keep up and play better than most of the older girls.

Karlee was also an awesome third baseman. She made several outs on third when runners would steal the base which also means the catcher was pretty awesome too for getting it to her in time.

Beau has played baseball in Roy the past few years so we decided to try Clinton Rec again. Roy was coach pitch but in Clinton it is machine pitch.

Beau is the skinny boy on short-stop. He played so good and really tried to help his team do their best.

Beau is an awesome hitter. With machine pitch you have to swing every time there is a pitch so a lot of boys would strike out but not Beau he got on base almost every time. In one game he even hit a game winning home-run.

Greg and Steve did a great job coaching and motivating the team. Clinton Rec turned out to be very unorganized and was not consistent with their rules which for made for some interesting games. Greg kept his cool most of the time and there was only a couple shouting matches. (one of them included my Mom and the umpire. My mother is very passionate about baseball and softball games.)

This is cute little Kinlee at one of the games. She is my adorable niece and I can't get enough of her. She reminds me so much of my kids when they were babies.

Schools Out

2010-06-04T12:58:00.004-06:00

Beau had a field trip with the 4th grade to the Bird Refuge in Syracuse back at the beginning of May. Greg went with them and Beau loves when his dad can go on field trips with him. This is a very cool place that we didn't even know existed. We have already went back as a family.

Here is a picture of Beau and his friend Dylan. Funny they look so cold when it is a first week in May. May was full of crazy weather.

Here is Beau in the 4th grade program. It was on the great state of UTAH!! They sang some cute songs and Beau even had a small part: "Utah was finally a state on January 4 1896. The great state of Utah has a land area of 84,990 square miles and is divided into 29 counties." He did have one small problem with the program though. They sang a song where all the boys had to sing this part that went like this: " Ute Ute Utah, Ute Ute Utah". He came home from school the day he learned it to tell me that he was singing a song that reminded him of the U of U and he hated it and there was no way he could sing it. I tried to explain it was just about the Ute Indians not the University but he still couldn't do it.

It is hard to believe the school year is over. My kids loved their teachers, learned a lot, and made great new friends. Last year we made the decision to take them to a charter school. We tried it for a year but in the end we were ready to go back to a pubic school. It was not for us for many reasons but we are so glad to be back here at Parkside. It was a GREAT year!!! Here are some pictures of their last few days at school.

Beau doing the sack race, but it looks like he might have an advantage with his foot sticking out at the bottom. Greg and I both helped out at field day so we were able to get a few pictures.

Here Allie is trying to help her team fill up the milk jug with water.

Here Beau is in the relay race where you had to ride this tricycle, jump rope, ride a scooter, and then shoot some baskets.

Here is Karlee and one of the new friends she made this year, Shelbi.

The fire department came at the end of the day and shot out water with their big truck. They do this every year and the kids have a blast with it.

Karlee with her teacher Ms Keller. She was a fun teacher and Karlee adored her.

Beau with his teacher Ms Ferrell. He loved being in her class and they got along great. We had heard from some people she was pretty strict and mean but we didn't have any problems with her. She was a GREAT teacher.

Allie had a kindergarten program and this is her posing for the camera. This is something she did throughout the program. She would give Greg a look so he knew when to take it. He finally had to put the camera away so she would pay attention to what was going on. It was such a cute program and they all did a wonderful job. I still can't believe she is ready for 1st grade. This is Allie with her teacher Mrs. Hughes. Allie absolutely loved her and after school she never left without giving her a hug. Allie can be quite dramatic and was a big talker but Mrs Hughes always knew how to handle her. The last day of school was very hard for Allie. She cried and cried because she was going to miss her so much.

Allie thought she was so lucky to be able to go school with her cousin Lauryn. She loves playing with her and loved that she got to see her every day. This is Allie and her good friend Zoe. We live by each other so they play together almost every day. They get along so great. Give them some barbies and dress up clothes and they could play for hours. Here is Allie with a few more good friends Peyton and Myka. Allie is lucky to have so many good friends in our neighborhood. Karlee and Beau only have a few people their age that live around us but Allie has several.

Beau's 10th B-Day

2010-05-15T11:38:00.001-06:00

Beau had such a great time on his birthday. He woke up early and opened a few presents then Greg, Beau and his cousin Luke went to the Scouting Jambaree at the Weber County Fairgrounds. They had so much fun!!! When they got home we took him to dinner. He chose to go to Jeremiah's in Ogden. He loves to eat breakfast food there and ate the Mountain Man Breakfast. It's funny that a skinny boy can eat so much food!! After dinner we came home and had a a party with all the family.
Here are some fun facts about Beau:
* He loves Movies!!
* When he was born he had tons of hair. (he had his first hair cut at 3 months)
* As a toddler he would throw fits and throw himself back on the floor usually hitting his head on something on the way down. I have never seen another kid throw as good of tantrums as he did.
* He could run a computer, TV, and VCR by the age of 2.
* He is my most accident prown kid. He has had stitches 5 times. Luckily no broken bones yet.
* Oh did I mention HE LOVES BYU!!! (He is proud to mention that while his Uncle Brayden is on his mission he was handed down the duty of being #1 Fan).
* He wants to either go to Germany, Japan or Canada on his mission.
* He takes good care of his younger cousins. He loves to make them laugh.
* He loves to read.
* He loves to go hunting and fishing with his family.
* He likes to be called Beauzer.
* He is a sweet, tender-hearted, kind and very helpful person.
WE LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!! Thanks for being such a good kid buddy.
The smile says it all about how he felt the day went.

This Beau and his cousin Luke at the Jambaree.

This was his first present he opened and I guess it was more important to see the new WII game he recieved than to see his face.

Where does all the time go?

2010-05-03T10:13:00.003-06:00

I was downloading some pictures off my camera and I noticed this picture of my kids. I could not believe how grown-up they look. Yes, they make me feel old and birthday #34 is coming up too quickly. The biggest thing I realized though was I need to let life slow down a bit. Our lives get so busy and frustrating that we forget to appreciate what great kids (family) we have. I definitely need to slow down and cherish each moment I have with them. I love being their Mom!! Now STOP growing up so fast!

Give me a Big Smile

2010-05-03T09:42:00.003-06:00

Allie's front top teeth have been loose, it seems like for months. A couple of weeks ago she was playing with one and look what happened. Do you like how her mouth is wide open? She didn't think just smiling would show the missing tooth.
Two days later it happened again. This time she let her Dad pull it out. She was laying in bed when she noticed it was very loose and she was afraid it would come out in her sleep and then she would swollow it and if there was no tooth then there would be no toothfairy. So she was not going to bed until that tooth was out.

She smiled much better in this one. She was so excited to have them out and now she can't wait for them to grow back in. She is growing up too fast.

Where Does She Get Her Moves?

2010-04-10T23:14:00.003-06:00

In Case You Were Wondering.......

2010-03-11T01:26:00.002-07:00

I admit it; I am a slacker. I have been absent from my blog for almost 5 months. I did try to sum up many things we have done in the past few months in the posts below. I will try to do better. No promises though.

Grandma Woodall

2010-03-10T23:59:00.001-07:00

Abbigail Purser "Gail" Woodall (1927 - 2010)
ROY - Abbigail "Gail" Purser Woodall, loving matriarch of our family, returned to her Heavenly Father on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010. She was born June 27, 1927, in Hyde Park, Utah, a daughter of Lyman Albert and Abbie Hyde Purser. She spent her years growing up in Preston, Idaho.On Sept. 25, 1946, Gail married the love of her life, H. Dean Woodall in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Their marriage was performed by Apostle Matthew Cowley. After their marriage they moved to Burley, Idaho, and in 1961, they moved to Roy, Utah. Dean passed away on Nov. 4, 2006.She is survived by her children; Louis (Linda) Woodall, Layton; Randy (Pam) Woodall, Roy; Jo Ann (Nalyn) Olney, Providence; Susan (Norm) Swallow, Kaysville; and Jane (Jon) Ritchie, Roy; 23 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren, with four on the way. She is also survived by her brothers, Gordon (Dot) Purser and Sterling Purser; and sisters, Josie Mae Purser and Joann (Dave) Ezola.Funeral services will be held Monday, Feb. 15, 2010, at 11 a.m. in the Roy 3rd Ward, 5930 S. 2200 West, Roy, Utah. Friends and family may call Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Myers Roy Mortuary, 5865 S. 1900 West, Roy, Utah; and Monday from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. prior to services at the church.Interment in the Preston, Idaho, city cemetery.Send condolences to family at http://www.myers-mortuary.com/

I can not even express how much I love my Grandma. She was one of the sweetest and most loving people I know. I will miss her so much but I am glad she is free of the agony she was going through and she is reunited with my Grandpa. I know I will see them both again some day.

Beau

2010-03-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month Beau received his Bear in Cub Scouts. It was a ton of hard work and I am so proud of him. Good job Beau!!!

Greg decided to coach Beau's basketball team this year. The recreation was short on coaches and Greg stepped up to help. It is hard for him to ask for time off but he did his best and my brother Christian helped out when Greg was at work. More than half of the kids had never played basketball before so it was definitely a learning experience. They did pull off a few wins and by the end of the season all of the boys improved tremendously.

The end of January Beau had his pinewood derby race. Greg helped him build his car. He won 1st in his pack and 3rd over all. I have no pictures of the race because my camera broke.

Karlee's 11th B-day

2010-03-10T23:53:00.006-07:00

I can not believe Karlee is already 11 years old. Where does the time go. She is growing into such a beautiful young lady. She has a sweet personality and I love her so much.

So Greg and I caved. I told her she wouldn't get a cell phone until she was in Jr high. After much thinking and many rules we decided she could get one. I do feel safer for her knowing she has the phone and I can reach her when I am not around her. She has proven to be more responsible since having the phone as well. Let's hope it continues.

It was a great day! We also gave her a new quilt that my Mom made for her bed. It is new colors so we are redoing her room. I will post the pictures when we get the room completely finished.

JT

2010-03-10T21:49:00.002-07:00

Jonathon Tavenari came to Karlee, Beau and Allie's Elementary school back in Jan. He is a senior BYU basketball player. He gave a very nice speech to the students. Karlee was chose by the gym teacher to give him a gift and a basketball to sign for the school after his speech. Greg had to take her something at school that day and it happened to be right after she found out. He ran home to get the camara because the assembly was about to start other wise we would not have even known about it.

Christmas in Disneyland 2009

2010-03-10T18:31:00.005-07:00

Dec 24-29 2009
This year for Christmas we surprised our kids and took them to Disneyland for Christmas. We were so happy that Greg's Mom, Deanne and her husband, Burt came along. They were so good to us there and it was nice to have some family there to share the holiday with. It was the best Christmas we have ever had. We woke our kids early on Dec. 23 and told them Santa had brought us an early present and we were going to Disneyland. They were so excited. (until they found out we were driving there) Even with the long drive we still made the best of it and I do not remember hardly any complaining.
When I was a kid, we would always drive to Disneyland straight through without stopping or we would stop in St George for a night. My Dad always tried to avoid Las Vegas and other surrounding places. Well Greg's step-dad found this hotel just out of Vegas for only $20 a night. We thought it would be good enough to sleep for a night and then be on our way. With a name like Whiskey Pete's, could it really be that bad? (he-he) If you don't mind a dirty-stinky room then yes $2o is worth it. We did have breakfast at their coffee shop the next morning and it wasn't too bad. I understand why my Dad did what he did when I was younger and next time if we drive again, I will follow his footsteps.

We arrive in Anaheim at about 4pm on Christmas Eve. We stayed at the Fairfield Marriott across the street from Disneyland. We had an excellent view. We could see the fireworks each night from our room. The rooms were very clean and smoke-free. Christmas Eve Santa was at the hotel and the kids wanted a picture with him. It's a good thing Santa knew which hotel we were at.

The decorations there were unbelievable. Everything looked amazing. The icicles on the castle lite up at night and it was beautiful. We had a nice family offer to take our picture. They were fellow BYU fans. Burt rented a scooter to ride around the park. He has cancer and didn't know if he could make it walking all day. Too bad Deanne didn't have one. I felt bad for her; she had a hard time keeping up with us and she had to take several breaks to catch her breath.

Right as we walked in the park Goofy was there and the kids ran straight to him. He even had his holiday attire on.

This area was always so crowded so we had to just work our way in to get a semi decent picture. You can't come here and not get a picture here. I am not sure who the other 2 people to the right of us are, but I am sure we were in their picture as well.

We did spend one day at the beach. It was the coldest day out here but it was still fun. Here we are standing on the Huntington Beach pier. You wouldn't believe all the people surfing. The water was freezing.

We drove down the coast a bit and went to a more private beach called Corona Del Mar. It was prettier and less busy. By the time we found it though it was almost dark so we didn't stay long.

Here's a picture of my sexy hubby as we watched the sunset.

This was such a fun trip. I did worry a little that my kids would forget what the real meaning of Christmas is but we talked about Jesus' Birth several times, we had a short lesson on Christmas Eve, we went to church there, and we tried to go out of our way to serve those around us. In the end I think this trip helped us grow closer as a family and give us a greater appreciation for each other as well. I am also truly grateful that Greg's Mom and step-dad were able to share this time with us. Other Christmas's come and go and you rarely remember what you did and got for Christmas but in 2009 we made memories to last forever.

Pre-Christmas Fun

2010-03-10T18:10:00.002-07:00

Greg's Mom had an early Christmas party Dec 13. She had bought the kids matching Christmas PJs and wanted the kids to have them before Christmas. She came with us to Disneyland so she had to have her parties a little early.
From back to front: Brindee, Hayley, Karlee, Lauryn, Allie, Kambree, Beau, Paislee, Maddie, Tylee, Jacob, and Kamryn.

My sister Kelli made this apron for me to give to Greg's mom Deanne. I forced him to try it on for me so I could tie the bows on it before I wrapped it. This is his black mail picture but he kind of looked like he was enjoying it a little too much huh?

School Plays

2010-03-10T17:33:00.001-07:00

Beau and Karlee both had plays they participated in with their classes.

Dec 19 2009
Beau's 4th grade class performed The Christmas Carol. Beau played Marley. He had his part memorized the day he got it. He did an awesome job!!!

Nov 17 2009

Karlee's Class did the First Thanksgiving. She was the narrator. Didn't she look so cute!!! She did an excellant job. She was glad she didn't have to memorize anything, since she was the narrator she was able to just read it.

My baby is 6

2010-03-10T17:10:00.002-07:00

Nov 14 Allie turned 6. We had such a fun day. We take the kids to their favorite place to eat on their birthdays and she chose Maddox. Yeah for me because that is my favorite place to eat as well. Later on we had all of our family over for her party. She is one spoiled girl!!!!!
The night before her birthday she had her friend party. She really wanted a sleepover but she is too young for that so we came up with the idea of a pretend sleepover party. All the girls came in their PJ's and we did everything you do at a sleepover and the parents picked them up by 9pm. Allie told me it was the best party ever so I guess it was a success.

2009-12-05T23:31:00.002-07:00

We had family pictures taken back in November but I have been extremely busy to keep my blog updated but I will try to do better and get caught up. Here are a few of the pics. My brother Christian did them for us.

This last picture was very hard to do. We wanted a picture with our dog Daisy and she would not hold still for more than a second. She is a crazy dog but we still think she's part of the family.

DEER HUNTING

2009-10-12T10:21:00.002-06:00

This year Greg decided to go deer hunting in Wyoming. A friend of ours goes there every year and usually comes home with a pretty nice deer. Greg has not shot anything bigger than a 2-point so he was hoping for something bigger than that. The kids and I went with him. We used my Mom and Dad's trailer otherwise I don't think we would of stayed. It snowed part of the time and it was freezing tempertures almost the whole time. I think there was one day in the high 40's so it was pretty warm that day. (ha-ha) Besides the weather we still had lots of fun and even met some new friends.Allie posing just inside the trailer. Don't let the short sleeves fool you, she just refused to wear a coat for the picture.

Here is Beau at camp. I am not sure why he has the funny look on his face.

Here is a picture of all the kids at camp. The first deer was shot by the boy holding the antlers, the second was shot by the girl in the black sweatshirt, (whom Allie called her best-friend, hey there is only a 10 yr age difference), and the third was shot by our friends brother-in-law.Here is Greg with his 4-point. If you want the long story of how he shot it ask him. All I know is he is happy so I am happy. Here is Greg and the kids posing with the Ricks Family and of course the deer. First one is Callie's deer, then Cash's, and then Greg's. Yeah for all of them!!!!

ELDER WOODALL

2009-10-12T09:27:00.003-06:00

My youngest brother, Brayden reported to the MTC on Sept. 23. He will stay there for 2 monthes and then off to Germany he goes. He is so exicited about going there. My Grandpa Pete was born in Germany and that just makes going there even better. Brayden will have a lot to learn but I don't think I have ever seen a more prepared (mentally and physically) young man ready to serve. He will do GREAT!!!

This is Brayden and my mom and dad the night before when he was set apart as a missionary.

All the grandkids with their uncle Brayden. (minus Tyler) They are going to miss him so much. All of the smack-downs, farting in their faces, getting hit in the head with a ball, the teasing, and playing football, baseball and basketball together will truly be missed. He really was a fun Uncle to them, at times you would think he was more like a sibling to them. So this picture is when my Mom and Dad had dropped him off at the curb and with the MTC's new rules only one car per missionary is allowed and you drop him off and then say good-bye then leave. It takes about 2 minutes. The rest of us didn't want to miss out so we parked across from the MTC and walked to the side walk in front and yelled good-bye and took pictures from there. I am sure we looked like morons but lets just say we did it for the kids. We took this picture in the parking lot across from the MTC. This is where we said our real good-byes, cried and gave lots of hugs. He did not need to be there until 1pm so before this we stopped and ate lunch at TGI Friday's in Provo. (a favorite place for him to eat when in Provo besides Brick Oven but we already ate there the Sat before the BYU game.

Cougar Football Kickoff

2009-08-31T13:30:00.002-06:00

Every year before the BYU football season starts they have what is called a Cougar Kickoff where fans can come and meet the players and get autographs. My Family and I try to go every year. (You know we are the biggest fans EVER!!!) My little brother Brayden has them sign a Y flag every year and the players usually comment on how they look forward to signing each year. The kids get so excited when we go and I am pretty sure that my Mom and Dad get just as excited. This is is Tagen, Bailey, Brayden, Allie, Karlee, and Beau with Max Hall. For those of you who don't know he is their quarterback.

Allie insisted that Max Hall sign her cheerleader bear with a pink marker. Also the hat Max is wearing is actually Beau's hat. He took it off Beau's head and told him that was a cool hat and he kidded around with him like he was going to keep it. I thought it was so cute how he interacted with all the kids and Beau told me that I can never wash his hat again.

This is all of them with Dennis Pitta. He is BYU's awesome tight end.

This is Allie getting mad at Dennis because he did not use her pink marker. I love how she's not even afraid to tell a big tall football player off. I am glad though he was able to laugh about it. He did offer to outline it in pink but she turned him down. We could not pass up a chance of getting a picture with some cheerleaders. I thought Allie would be the most excited about it but by the looks of Beau's cheesey smile I think he is pretty darn happy.
One other funny thing that happened that night was My Mom would tell every player she talked to that it was her birthday on Sept 5 (1st game this season against Oklahoma @ Dallas Cowboys stadium) so she was hoping for a really good present from them. (you know a WIN!!) You don't get any more TRUE BLUE than my Mom.
It was a fun night!!!

GO BYU!!!! I hope they have an awesome year.

Summer Fun!!!

2009-08-16T13:54:00.008-06:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything new. This summer has pretty much flew by and I can not believe school starts in one week. (though the kids and mostly me are ready for them to go back) Allie starts kindergarton this year so I will have all three kids in school. I tried to be sad about it but Allie is too excited about going, plus it will be nice to have a few hours to myself every day.
Here are a few (too many) pictures of things we have done the past month.

We were invited by our neighors (the Stevensons) to go camping with them but Greg couldn't get all of work off so we just went up for the day.
Beau and Jake playing in the fire pit.

It was very pretty up there I wish we could have stayed longer. The girls wanted to get in a few shots of them posing pretty. Allie can not get her picture taken without some big dramatic pose.

Allie and Zoe.

We went fishing at Trial Lake(Uintas) while we were there. It was a lot of fun. We didn't catch any monsters but the kids were just excited to catch something. We caught a variety of trout. There was albino, rainbow, and brook trout.

I even caught one.

Beau was a little disappointed because he only caught one and it was very small.

I think Allie took this picture of Zoe. CUTE!!

Karlee has begged me for a while to let her cut her hair short and I finally gave in and let her cut it. It will always grow back right?

She cut 10 inches off and she donated it to "Locks of Love". She is such a sweet girl and it doesn't matter what length her hair is, she will always be beautiful.

LAGOON!!!!

This is a picture of the kids right before we left. Wicked is in the back ground which was Karlee and Beau's favorite ride. Allie wasn't tall enough to ride it. Her favorite was the Ba Tagen, Greg and Beau

Greg and Karlee rode on the Sky Coaster. She was so brave. They both said the scariest part was being lifted up in the sky and when they dropped it was nothing but fun. I am sure the whole park heard her scream.

My Mom came with us. We talked her into buying a ride pass and I am glad we did because I think she enjoyed riding the rides as much as the kids. Actually my whole family went this was Kandis, Mylee, Tyler, and Christian. There was a few of them that had to work so they came later but it was nice to spend the day with them.

There were many days spent swimming in Grandma's back yard.

This is our usual spot at the Roy parade in front of the fire station. Karlee was in the parade with her softball team the Roy City Racers. They took 2nd place in the tri-city tournament.(they should of taken 1st but that is another story) They were awesome girls and I loved watching them play. Karlee and Bailey both played in the all-star game.

On July 24th we went on a picnic with Greg's family at a park in Huntsville. There was a neat playground for the kids and lots of yummy food. Some how I only got pictures of the kids though.

Beau at the top of the climbing wall.

This tree had three different slides that went down it. This is Allie and Lauryn they are inseperable when they are together.

fishing

2009-07-20T10:29:00.003-06:00

We went fishing up to Lost Creek a few weeks ago but I am just getting around to posting it now. Greg wants to get back into fishing because he thinks we do not go as much as in years past. He had the day off so we headed up to Lost Creek. We did not catch any trout but we did catch several chubs. The kids didn't mind though they were just glad to be catching something. We had a very fun day.

We can't wait to go again and maybe next time we will catch somthing we can keep.

BYU football photo shoot at Salt Flats

2009-07-13T12:41:00.002-06:00

I love BYU Football!!
Photo Shoot: Location-Salt Flats

Cub Scout Day Camp

2009-07-06T09:54:00.000-06:00

Beau and Greg had a fun day at Cub Scout Camp at Camp Keisel!! I am so glad that Greg is so involved with our kids. They love it when he is able to go with them places. With Greg's crazy work schedule, he is lucky to make it any where. He is such and GREAT DAD!! (& hubby)

These are all the boys in Beau's pack that went.

As you can see he was a natural with the arrow.

This is Beau going through the obstacle course.

I went to Camp Keisel a few days later with the Webelos because I am one of the leaders. It was fun but I did not like to row boats. This calling is full of all sorts of surprises and challenges but I have learned so much. I must say I have enjoyed it so far. We have a good group of boys and my friend Melissa is the other leader with me. We both knew nothing about the scouting program before this so we have learned a ton.

Happy Birthday Grandma Russell

2009-06-30T18:25:00.000-06:00

Grandma Russell's Funeral was on what would have been her 87th Birthday so we met back at her grave and sang Happy Birthday to her. All the kids had balloons they let go at the end. What a great way to end the day.

Grandma Russell's Funeral

2009-06-30T17:02:00.001-06:00

Greg's Grandma Russell's Funeral was Monday. It was such a beautiful day. Greg's dad Dann and Uncle Scott gave very nice talks. The grandkids and Kristin sang. The bishop and and a neighbor (Shaun Myers) also gave some lovely remarks. Grandma Russell was such a sweet, loving, and caring person. She lived her life serving others compassionating. She was a GREAT Lady!! We know she is now rejoicing in heaven with loved ones and free of pain. We will miss her and love her very much!!
Greg, Steve, Jenn, Jeanal, Dann, Kristin, and Mike.

His Grandma loved to wear the color red so we bought the kids matching red dresses. The 2 boys wore red ties. (picture is minus Jacob)

Greg dedicated the grave. He was very nervous because this was his first time but the prayer was beautiful.

Have you thought about donation?

2009-06-26T10:45:00.000-06:00

Before My handsome hubby worked at Intermontain Donor Services I did not give much thought to organ or tissue donation but now I know so much more about it. I have followed blogs of people who are waiting for an organ or those who have passed on and donated. I have read of their inspiring sacrfices and touching life stories. I could never do what Greg has to do, for I would get too personally involved with each case but I have learned so much about the process that my understanding of the importance of it has increased. So YES I will donate my organs and tissue when I die.

(Don't think I am trying to force this on anyone. I only wanted to mention my belief on donation and how important it is that you discuss your wishes with family members whether you donate or not.)

http://www.yesutah.org/

St.George

2009-06-14T14:04:00.001-06:00

We spent a few days down in St.George this past week and we had tons of fun. We went with my parents and siblings and it turned out pretty nice for as many of us as there were. We had a few problems on the way down like the 4-wheeler trailer we were pulling had a tire blow. We had a spare but it limited us to only driving 60-65mph the rest of the time. Also I had the pleasure of being sick the entire trip. I have had a cough/flu symptoms for 2 wks now and it is kicking my butt!! I went to the Dr before the trip and they did nothing for me. So I sucked it up and tried my best to enjoy the trip. (isn't that what Mom's are suppose to do)

The weather was perfect!! It was partly cloudy and in the 80's and NO RAIN!! We went to Tuacahn to see Annie the first night which the kids loved and then some of them went to Footloose the second night. (Annie was cute but I think I would of liked Footloose better). We went to the Sand Hollow sand dunes with the 4-wheelers during the day and the boys and kids had a blast doing that. We also got a little shopping and swimming in.

My camara had no batteries for the first part of our trip so the pictures were limited to only 4-wheeling.

Cute picture of Greg and the kids.

Karlee driving the 4-wheeler with my brother Christian.

Isn't Beau such a stud.

Taylor Swift

2009-05-27T10:31:00.000-06:00

We went to the Taylor Swift concert last night and it was awesome. This look on Allie's face sums it all up. She even said it was better than Miley Cyrus.

We had such a blast. It was was one of my favorite concerts I've been too and I am so glad I was able to take my kids. There were a lot of screaming girls but I also heard Beau yelling "Taylor Swift is HOT!!" several times. She sang all the songs Karlee and Allie love and her performance was very entertaining.

Ashley, Bailey, Karlee, and Allie standing in front of one the tour buses.

One of her songs (Hey Stephen) she sang in the crowd and then walked down the aisle and hugged and shook peoples hands as she walked down.
We took front-runner on the way down to meet Greg at work.

As you can see we were a long way up but we had a front view of the stage. We were in the cheap seats but with all the big screens we didn't miss a thing.

Pre-School Grad

2009-05-27T10:19:00.000-06:00

Allie had her Pre-School Graduation last week. She is so excited to start kindergarton, but she was sad when she realized that Miss Mindy would not be going with her. Mindy has been such a great teacher for her and Allie has adored her and has learned so much. I appreciate all the hard work Mindy puts forth for all the kids.

This is Allie's little friend Skyler. She wanted her picture with him.

This was everyone in her class. It is a great picture of everyone looking away from the camera.

Field Trip, Birthday, & Recital

2009-05-17T14:57:00.000-06:00

Karlee and Allie had their dance recital on Sat. They danced and cheered beautifully. Here are a few pictures of the night.

Karlee, Allie and Bailey striking a pose.

Allie is on the back row second one over. My camera takes great shots.

(This is my favorite photo.) I was trying to get a shot of Karlee doing her stunt and I am not quite sure which one is her. Good thing Greg got video of it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAU!!!!

My little guy is not so little anymore. He turned 9 on Friday. (May15)

This is his favorite present Guitar Hero World tour. He was very hard to shop for because he did not ask for any specific thing.

Friday morning before he went to school. Greg also took him a kids meal for lunch and ate with him.

This was him later that night at the family party. We had a very crowded house. We should of had it outside. What a fun day we had with Beau.

ALLIE'S FIELD TRIP TO THE ROY FIRE STATION.

This is Allie and her cousin Lauryn.

This is a pose (well they are sort-of posing) with the whole group. Their favorite part was when they shot water out of the fire truck.

2009-05-10T14:13:00.001-06:00

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T13:32:00.000-06:00

I want to wish my Mom a Happy Mother's Day today. She is one of the #1 reasons of why I am who I am today. With all seven of her kids (the oldest is 38 the youngest 18) she stayed at home and took care of us. My dad at one time worked several different jobs just so she did not have to. My dad always taught us that we treat our mother with the utmost respect and love, and if we didn't we would be in for it when he got home for work. I truly am so grateful for everything she has taught me and is still teaching me. I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

Here are a few quotes I found on Mother's I would like to share:

Elder M. Russell Ballard on mothering:

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be “full-time moms,” at least during the most formative years of their children’s lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work part-or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else." “Daughters of God,” Ensign, May 2008, 108–10

"...one of the greatest things a father can do for his children is to love their mother."
President Howard W. Hunter on motherhood:

A man who holds the priesthood has reverence for motherhood. Mothers are given a sacred privilege to “bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of [the] Father continued, that he may be glorified” ( D&C 132:63).

“President Gordon B. Hinckley stated that “God planted within women something divine.” That something is the gift and the gifts of motherhood. Elder Matthew Cowley taught that “men have to have something given to them [in mortality] to make them saviors of men, but not mothers, not women. [They] are born with an inherent right, an inherent authority, to be the saviors of human souls … and the regenerating force in the lives of God’s children.” .” Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 96

Wolf Badge

2009-05-05T22:02:00.001-06:00

Beau earned his Wolf Cub Scout Badge tonight. He also earned 5 silver arrows and one gold. He has worked so hard for them and we are so proud of him. Great job Beauser!! We love you. He will be turning 9 next week so he will move on to the Bears.

It's finally out!!

2009-05-05T21:45:00.000-06:00

Allie lost her first tooth Monday night. It has been ready to come out for a couple of days now but she has been to scared to let anyone pull it out. She was getting ready for bed and I noticed it was barely hanging on and I didn't want it to come out in her sleep and have her swallow it or something. After some coaxing she let me give it a tug and out it came. She was so excited and went immediately to bed to wait for the tooth fairy to come. Little did she know that the tooth fairy would not come until she was fast asleep.

More Fun Stuff

2009-04-21T13:41:00.000-06:00

So I finally got all of my pictures downloaded from my camera so this may be an overload of too many random pictures, so sorry.

So I am sad to say this is the best picture I had of my kids on Easter and there was not even one of the whole family. I need to be better at getting more family pics.

This was the shot right before the one above. I guess the sun was too bright for them. They are hilarious.

Here is a pic with them and some of their cousins right before their Easter egg hunt at my Mom and Dad's house.

Greg and his brothers and sisters threw their Mom Deanne a surprise birthday party last month. She is such a sweetheart. Her and Burt have been through so much these past few monthes and Deanne has been going non-stop trying to take care of him. She is always trying to help someone out even when she herself may have to much going on. She is such an amazing Grandma to my kids and they love her to death. I could not have asked for a better mother-in-law. I love her so much!!

This last picture of Allie was taken right before we went to church one Sunday. You can kind of see a scab by her left eye. (it was worse than what the camara shows) Her shoulder and elbow were also scraped up. She skidded down the sidewalk face first a few days earlier. Well, she was worried about going to church and people making fun of her face. (its hard to believe at 5 she is already worried about this kind of stuff) So we decided to have a photo shoot to boost her self-confidence. By the time we left she was feeling FABULOUS!!

Happy Easter

2009-04-16T11:32:00.000-06:00

This is a late post but I hope everyone had a great Easter. There is a link below to an awesome message that the church put out for Easter it goes along with Elder Holland's conference talk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc

I am teaching the Relief Society Lesson for Joni this week and I want to use this video for it but I have not figured out a way to download it so if anyone has any ideas let me know.

Fun Stuff

2009-04-06T10:38:00.000-06:00

Karlee and Beau have been feeling left out that I have not talked about them lately so here are a couple things they have done the past month.

Here is Beau with his rocket at the Space Derby for Cub Scouts. Greg helped him make a replica of the Space Shuttle. He won for fastest rocket. He is a wolf and is excited to advance to bears in May.

This is Karlee at school. She did a report on Ida B Wells for Black History Month. They were also suppose to dress up as their person. (sorry I didn't take a full view of her) but she looked very cute for putting the outfit together at the last minute. Also on a funny note she had a boy in her class tell her that it would be easy for her to dress up since she was already half black. (LOL) I know she has an olive complexion but, come on REALLY!

Heaven

2009-03-31T09:46:00.001-06:00

So Allie asked me a funny question yesterday and I thought I would share it. We were in the truck on the way home from the store and out of the blue she asks " Mom, is Heaven in the dirt?" I could tell she had been thinking about this for a while. At first I was not sure why she would think this but as I was trying to explain to her where heaven was I put two and two together. In Feb. my sweet Grandma Reah passed away and she knew she was in Heaven but she was also at the cemetery when we buried her. I guess at the time I did not do a very good job explaining that her spirit was in Heaven and only her body was buried. So now I understand why she would think Heaven was in the dirt? Allie is so funny and I am so glad I was able to clear that up for her.

12 Wonderful Years

2009-03-21T18:50:00.000-06:00

March 21, 1997 Greg and I were married.

We went to Jr High and High School together but we never dated until 2 yrs after graduation. I worked with his sister Kristin and she sort of set us up. Our first date was Sept 1 hiking up Waterfall Canyon. I knew after that date I was going to marry him. We were engaged by Nov. and married in March. I tried to scan in one of our wedding photos but I couldn't figure it out. I am sure it would of given you all a good laugh. We have changed a lot but our love has not. I love him more and more every day. I could not have asked for a better Husband or Father to our children. Happy Anniversary Honey!!

Miss Weber County Pagent

2009-03-15T19:15:00.000-06:00

My cousin Erica asked Allie to be her Little Miss in the Miss Weber County Pagent last Friday. She escorted her during the evening gown competition and there was a part where all the Little Misses came out on stage and a guy sang Taylor Swifts "Love Story" to them. That is Allie's favorite song so she was very excited to have it sung to her. Here are a few pics of the night...

It was such a fun night and thanks to Erica for letting Allie be a part of it.

Daisy

2009-03-08T00:40:00.000-07:00

This is our cute dog Daisy. She will be 2 in April. I would call her very spoiled. She owns the back yard. That trampoline she is on along with the swing-set are her favorite toys. She loves to dig lots of holes and chew on anything she can get her paws on. She also loves to play keep away and go on walks. The kids love playing with her.

Allie

2009-03-08T00:13:00.001-07:00

Allie turned 5 last fall and is in pre-school and can not wait to start Kindergarten. She is what you would call a (Drama Queen). Although she would call herself a "princess". She loves to sing and dance and play dress up. She loves to wear cute clothes and she will not wear it if she does not think it is cute.(I already know what you are thinking) All her dresses (according to her) need to pass the twirl test before she will wear them. She has a collection of lipgloss that any little girl would love. She never leaves home with out it. We can always count on her to keep things interesting at our home. We love her so much!

Beau

2009-03-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

Beau will be 9 in a few monthes and is in the 3rd grade. He just finished up his Jr Jazz basketball games for the season. He loves playing all sports and watching BYU football and basketball. His love for electronics came at a very young age. He could run a VCR, DVD Player, and a computer by the age of 2. He has always been very smart and picks up on things very fast. You can also call him a movie fanatic. He has a list of all the movies he wants to see and knows when they will be in theaters and when they are out on dvd. You gotta love this kid!

Karlee

2009-03-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

Karlee just turned 10 earlier this year and is in 4th grade. She is my oldest and I am sad to see her growing up so fast. She has always been so sweet and happy and her smile is contagious. I just hope is sticks with her as her pre-teen years approach. Karlee loves to dance and listen to music (Taylor Swift is her fav at the time being) and she is very proud of her "pure popstar" status on her American Idol WII game. (no one can beat her) She is also looking forward to Turkey Hunting this spring with her Dad and try out her new shot gun she got for her birthday.

First Blog Post

2009-03-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

Well I have decided to try out this world of blogging. It's not going to be anything fancy but we will see how it goes. I am not very good at this kind of stuff. It took me over 4 hours to get this page set up but I am finally understanding some of it. (you can laugh if you want) I am not computer smart at all. I enjoy looking at so many other people's blogs it is time I start my own, so here we go. I promise it will be better tomorrow.