Kris' world

Ready or NOT!

2011-11-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

In Kilee's Adult Living class they give the students 5 days to take care of a plastic baby. It is computerized and cries, eats and even needs it's diaper changed. Kilee had the baby once for a few days when she went to Mountain View High School in a child development class and it was a breeze. So she was so excited to get to have the chance to be a pretend mom again. She picked out clothes for the baby and even made some cute headbands. Well... Day one was great the baby was cute and quiet and it was fun until night time came. Kilee was up during the night and still had to get up to go to school the next day. Not just school but also night school. Friday wasn't bad, she was a little tired but thinking she was o.k. Then it happened, the baby woke up every hour, needing to be fed, burped and changed. Saturday morning I took the baby from Kilee so she could get a little sleep, she was exhausted. She woke up and took over and for the next few days she was ready to put the baby in the car and forget about it. It was about this time I realized that the project worked. The first day I was a little worried that it was going to make her want a baby now, but after the first day the lesson was learned. Parenting is not easy, babies need lots of time and attention and sleep is rare with a new born. So after 5 days we were both exhausted, tired of feeding a plastic baby and ready to give her back. She got 100% on the project but was never so happy to be done. After all she is a teenager and loves her sleep. What a great way to teach kids they are not ready for parenthood. It should be a requirement for all students.

Day 1 all smiles!

Baby Gabriella

Her face says it ALL!

Happy Birthday To ME!

2011-11-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

It's amazing to my how fast the time goes by the older I get. I remember being in high school and couldn't wait to turn 16, it seemed like the days and months took forever. Now it seems like time is flying by and I just want to slow it down and enjoy the last little bit I have with Kilee before she leaves home. With her being in night school the last 7 weeks it has seemed like we haven't seen each other much. BUT on my 44th birthday she surprised me. My little 17 year old girl decided to make my birthday special and boy did she ever. I woke up to a phone call from Kelsie wishing me a happy birthday. I was laying in bed just chatting with her about school and my plans for the day when SURPRISE Kilee walked in my room. I was so confused why she wasn't at school but she told me to hang up the phone she had a surprise for me. I walked into the living room and tears filled my eyes. She had not only decorated the room, but made me the most precious poster of 44 reasons why she loved me. WOW.... there were hearts cut out that were spread on the floor with more reasons that she loved me. One of my favorites, You're HOT, so I'm HOT :) She is beautiful inside and out! So needless to say the start of my birthday was AMAZING!!!

Kayla came and spent the day with me while Kilee went to school. We went to Two Rivers Spa and had pedicures. If you ever want to pamper yourself go there, get the hot wax pedicure, it's incredible. It was Kayla's first pedicure ever and she was a little nervous because her feet are so ticklish, but she loved it. It was fun to sit and talk and laugh, Kayla can always make me laugh. Then off to lunch at one of my favorite places, Chicago Connection for their salad bar. Kilee and Jordon came for lunch, then back to school for Kilee while Kayla, Jordon and I went to the mall. After the mall I came home and just rested and got ready to go out to dinner with Mom and Dad. We went to Ling and Louie's it's a new chinese restaurant. It was delicious and they gave me a free dessert that was to die for.

Out of all of my 44 birthdays, this is one I will never forget. It wasn't the presents that I received but the thought that went into it. I have 3 amazing girls that love me a lot! I'm one lucky mom!

My baby is a Senior :(

2011-08-29T21:06:00.001-07:00

August 2011

Kindergarten picture 1999

I can't believe it's really here. I was told 23 years ago to watch out because before you know it they grow up and you wonder where the time went. Well I have enjoyed the last 23 years, I have loved being a mom I just can't believe that my baby is actually going to be a senior! Then the news comes that she is signing up for night school and graduating early. So instead of having 9 months to get ready I have 4 1/2. I'm not sure how to feel. I am excited for her and for the next phase of her life...well at least I think I am. I am sad she is my last and will be leaving me.

Where did the time go? When I think back I have sweet memories, memories that will always be in my heart. The Halloween party where there were apples to bob for and Kilee dressed as an angel at 2 took several bites out of several apples before we found her. Going to dialysis with my Grandma every week and hating the smell but making her Great Grandma fall in love with her. All the disney movies we almost had memorized before she would finally pick a new one. Her love for Dalmatians and pigs and most anything little. Playing soccer for so many years and taking out girls and boys twice her size. Broken arms, a total of 5. Good thing we had different doctors or they might have thought she was abused. Skipping school, but not hiding it... actually showing up at my work just to say hi. Her hatred for white water rafting after she thought she was going to drown in the Payette River. Her love for dogs and BSU football. Her sensitive side that comes out on occasion, her beautiful smile, and her funny sense of humor. Her hugs and her kisses, her funny accents that she does so good! Most of all just her goodness. One day she is going to make one lucky man very happy. She is beautiful on the inside and out! I love you Kilee J... go get em!

New Job... Good bye Subway, Hello U Swirl

2011-08-29T20:18:00.001-07:00

So after working at Subway on and off for the last 7 years, as a Subway artist, Manager, Field Consultant and Area Manager it's time for a change. Two weeks ago I put in my 2 weeks notice and for the last week I have been working both jobs. Wednesday will be my last day at Subway and I leave with some mixed feeling. I have had amazing employees, people that I would have never met otherwise. I have met some wonderful people that I was lucky enough to make their sandwiches. It's interesting to me that even though I don't know a lot of my customers names, I know what sandwiches they like and what they want on them. When I told Nancy, one of my favorite customers today that Wednesday was my last day she was so sad. She is such a cute lady has the same mini sandwich everyday. Veggie on wheat with provolone, all the veggies no onions or hot peppers, parmesan cheese, oil and vinegar. Even if Wednesday is the last day I make her sandwich I will always remember her sweet smile and how she made my day a little bit happier. It has been amazing working with my three girls, teaching them, learning from them and and spending my days with them, even on the days they were so bossy. Things I will miss... my customers, Candi and Shawn the BSU volleyball coaches, Nancy, my every friday customers, spinach and pickles only guy, BSU Vice Pres... came in for breakfast and lunch... The breakfast man with cancer, the biker guy that rode his bike everyday, bill, the BSU football players, Kailey, the flatbread veggie lady with extra pickles and I mean extra pickles and last but not least, Dirk and Dorn, the funeral guys that might start eating yogurt for lunch just to see me. All of my employees that have been with me since the beginning, Tim for always having my back no matter when I called him frantic, Hayden for covering any shift at any time, Winema for being the best closer a Manager could every have, Becky for being so reliable, Ian for being so funny and making me laugh, Brittani my sunshine girl, and of course Kayla, Kelsie, Kilee and even my son in law Jordon that could do prep faster than anyone... I've had a lot more employees over the last 2 years and to all of you I say Thanks, you made my job so much more enjoyable!

Now what? I will be starting a new adventure, a similar job but also a new challenge. I have gone from sandwiches to frozen yogurt. U Swirl is a self serve frozen yogurt place where people actually serve themselves. There is still so much to do and so much to learn but so far I think I am going to love my new job. It is so much closer to home and the hours are so much better, no more 5 a.m. :) I will have time to work out again before work and have time with Kilee after work. I think U Swirl is going to be a perfect fit.

3 Weekends, 3 Trips, 3 States = AMAZING

2011-08-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

The last three weekends have been a whirlwind of excitement, adventure, fun, laughter, shopping, spending time with family and just relaxing.

Weekend #1. Seattle, Washington... Just me and my mom.

Get on Expedia, look at last minute deals, talk about going, find a good deal, push the buy button... done! My mom and I have well, I don't think ever just gone away for the weekend alone. Just me and her, no kids, no dad, just us. What made us think it was a good idea? I'm really not sure it just happened. We talked about it while I was at work and when I got home we booked it and a few days later we were on our way.

So what did we do in Seattle?

-We pushed the emergency button on the train... without realizing it, and the man sitting across from us was telling us that we had to tell the conductor there was no emergency... we looked at him like he was crazy until we heard the conductor asking if we were ok... we laughed and laughed.. the people around us didn't think it was as funny as we did.

-We shopped, and shopped and shopped.

-Ate amazing food (including ice cream, cheese cake, fudge...) :)

-Walked and walked (my mom at 73 is my hero!)

-Watched shark week in our hotel

-Space needle day and night...

-Meet a new friend from Mexico that hung out with us....

-Talked, and talked about important things like life and having faith

-Laughed

-Pikes Place Market

Thanks for the weekend mom, thanks for leaving dad :) even though we weren't sure he would be o.k. without you. Thanks for just letting me talk and for just letting me be me and for shopping hours and hours with me. I will always cherish our memories.

Weekend #2 Draper, Utah

August 11 we left for Utah to go school shopping. I took 2 days off work and took Kelsie and Kilee and we were off. We stayed with my brother Mark and his wife Lora and they were such great hosts. They fed us shopped with us took us to my nephews football scrimmage... GO Brandon! We got in on all the missionary drama (You made a great choice Victoria (: can't wait to meet him) We worked out with them and couldn't move our arms the next day. We went to Temple Square and took some pictures. It was such a fun weekend, just hanging out with family and laughing and of course some serious shopping.

Weekend #3 Stanley, Idaho

This was the most relaxing weekend of the three. We had a beautiful camp site right next to the lake with a beautiful view of the Sawtooth mountains. We hiked, which we thought was going to be an easy 5 mile hike which turned into a not so easy 9 mile hike. The problem.. we talked my 73 year old mother into going with us. What a trooper she made it home with very sore muscles a sore back and hurting knees. She moved very slowly the next two days. We sat around the fire and talked for hours. I took the dogs on lots of walks and Bentley came home brown instead of white. We ate too much food, dutch oven chicken, potatoes, cobbler, tin foil dinners, pancakes, eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, sandwiches, smores...more smores. We napped, and fished, and read, and relaxed and had a great time.

I woke up early the last morning just to go sit by the lake and watch the sun rise. I wanted time to think about the things that have been on my mind. It was so peaceful sitting by the lake watching the sunrise. I am in awe with the beauty of this earth and the things we take for granted. We decided that we should go back every year to the same camp ground, same spot. It was the most peaceful camp ground I have ever been to.

View from our camp site :)

Kilee and Rocky

Good Morning!!

Ready to go...

We made it!

Going down?

Sunrise on Stanley Lake

Kayla Don Turns 23

2011-08-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

Kayla Don Heap

Born: August 16, 1988

Rexburg, Idaho

August 16, 1988 was such a scary day. After waiting 9 1/2 months for our first baby the Dr. finally decided to start me. I was due July 30 and on August 15 they decided it was time to start labor. After 23 1/2 hours of labor, trying to decided if we should do a c section or natural, 3 different doctors and a LOT of pain... Kayla finally decided to come into this world at 7:32 a.m. As soon as she was born she was taken away without even telling us if she was a boy or girl. She wasn't breathing, she was blue and her lungs were full. I didn't get to see her until 6 p.m. that night, almost 12 hours after delivering her. I thought the babies laying next to her in the incubators must have been very premature so I asked the nurse how early they were... she replied, honey they are full grown, one weighing 5.8 lbs and the other 6. Kayla weighed 8.14 and compared to the other two she looked like she was 2 months old. Going home from the hospital without her was the hardest thing I had ever done. When we finally got her home we really didn't know what to do with her, we had never been parents... I remember her crying and crying in the middle of the night and after about an hour we called the hospital to ask them if she had done that while they had taken care of her. They asked if we had tried to feed her...oops... we feed her and she went to sleep. At 2 weeks Kayla slept through the night and after staying a few days with my mom, she told me "enjoy her Kristina, you will never have another one like her." Kayla was an amazing baby, she was an amazing toddler, teen and still to this day amazes me. Happy Birthday Kayla d... hope all your wishes and dreams come true!!!

Kelsie's 20th Birthday in Mexico

2011-07-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

Kelsie turned 20 years old while we were on our cruise. What better birthday hat then a purple sombrero. She was so adorable, our waiters brought her a special dessert and she wore her sombrero everywhere she went we let everyone know it was her birthday hat. When we got back we had a little family dinner and gave her the cutest bike ever. She loved it and it will be so nice to take to college this fall.

I love Kelsie, she is so fun to be with. It has been a wonderful 20 years.. Kelsie has always been my stubborn one, from the time she was 3 when asked to get her jammies on.. Kelsie would just look at us and say NO. But when Kelsie puts her mind to something she succeeds. She has proved over and over that with hard work and dedication you can accomplish anything. I know that this fall they will be a empty spot in our home without her. There will be no one asking me to go to Joann's to shop for hours :( or to just go get a diet cherry limeade. Kelsie you will be greatly missed. Go.... with all of our love, make friends, laugh, have tons of fun... and always remember who you are!

Mexican Riviera Cruise

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

Mexico

In June we packed our bags and headed for Mexico. We planned our vacation about 9 months ago and then waited for what seemed like forever. When the day finally came we were so excited. The first day we had a few mishaps..We got off the plane in L.A. and got our luggage but when we tried to look up the information on my phone for our rental car, my internet on my phone would not work. After being on the phone with a carrier I won't mention but it starts with a big T... I finally had internet service. We got our rental car and found our hotel. Kayla and Jordon wanted to find a Chik-fil-a so we looked on the GPS and found one at a mall. We ate and shopped and talked about our upcoming adventure... everyone was all smiles, until we walked out to the car and I noticed that there was a huge scratch on the bumper of our rental car. After calls to the rental car agency and to the police, filling out a police report and spending a few hours in the mall parking lot they determined that the car that had matching scratches on their front bumper and was parked next to me...WAS NOT the car that hit us. Tape showed that another car drove in, hit the car and drove off. ???? We left the mall and went to the hotel to rest... the kids decided to go swimming and were very disappointed when the pool was FREEZING! So decided to sit in the hot tub and it was EMPTY. Third try was the sauna which was broken... 3 strikes??? This trip had to get better!!! After dinner we decided to take the rental car back so we didn't have to get up early in the morning. We had to wait quite a while for a shuttle back to the airport then another shuttle back to our hotel..The kids played and laughed and we got a lot of looks...but at least we still had smiles on our faces... what a day!... BUT we were still so excited for our Adventure the next day.

So mad waiting for me to get my internet back

Kayla and Jordon

Kelsie, Me and Kilee

Mom and Dad...

Our rental

the car parked next to us that didn't hit us???

Once we got on the ship it was all smiles.. the weather was nice and we were ready for our 7 days on board. The first two days were spent on the ship, we played miniature golf, worked out, ATE, ATE, and ATE some more, watched some pretty bad shows, laid in the sun, swam, ate some more, played cards, sang karaoke, and just relaxed.

This chocolate molten cake was HEAVEN! Me and Ki ordered it

every night we ate in the dining room.... It may be the

single reason I gained weight!

Creme Brulee

Kelsie LOVES ribs!!!

Still in love

Formal Night....

Our first stop was Cabo... It was HOT... We went on a water taxi out to lovers beach and then to another beach.... we shopped, walked, got lost, had so many people try to sell us their goods and actually bought some from the cutest little Mexican girl. We went back to the ship early and soaked up the sun and then back to sea for the night. The next day Mom and Dad decided to stay on the ship and so Jordon, Kayla, Kelsie, Kilee and I went back into Cabo to go shopping. It was so fun to be with Jordon, and it was nice that we had a body guard. He got called our body guard, our baby sitter... Not too many people bugged us... it was so fun to hear him speak spanish to the locals and watch their faces when this white young man was speaking to them in their language. There were some men talking about the girls in spanish as we walked by.. Jordon turned around to them and in spanish told them that he could understand what they were saying.. they laughed and were shocked and then he said which one do you want. There were people that asked him where he learned his spanish and he told them about his mission. At one little market there was a little girl that was so taken by him she just sat and stared at him while he was bartering for a better price.

Don't drink the water! Drink Diet Coke

Water Taxi

A sale we couldn't resist

New pets????

Our next stop was Puerto Vallarta... It was beautiful, I woke up early and went up on deck in time to see us come into port. It was amazing how the ship pulled in and turned all the way around and ended up parked perfectly next to the dock. The sunrise was amazing and I was so mad that I had forgotten my camera but didn't want to leave the beautiful view to get it. Our day was an adventure to say the least. We drove about an hour into the jungle, on our way we drove past the locals and saw the poverty and shop after shop, make shift restaurants, drought, hungry cows, an LDS church and it made me so thankful for my blessings in this life. We had no idea what an incredible adventure was ahead of us. Zip lines through the jungle, rappelling from high trees, meeting wonderful guides that made us laugh, learning we could do scary and hard things. It was worth every penny and if you are even in Puerto Vallarta, go see the guides at Puerto Vallarta Adventures, you won't be disappointed.

Our last two days were spent on the ship and we were a little sad that we didn't have sun. It was cloudy and windy and cold so we made the best of it. We played a lot of phase 10, relaxed, read, went to some more shows, ate a lot of frozen yogurt and more amazing food... watched movies on the big screen, sang more karaoke and just enjoyed each others company.

Now were back and wondering where to go next... we're ready to start saving and planning... I love vacations but mostly I just love being with my family and the memories we make.

Winter/Spring... all in one

2011-07-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

It's been an busy winter/spring.. taking over another Subway and hiring so many new employees has kept me so busy. Sometimes too busy, sometimes I wonder if it is worth the extra money that they are paying me to be so tired and to feel like I'm either at work or on the phone with work. Winter left and Spring came and went. I don't have many pictures of events so I decided just to highlight some of my favorites...

Easter was amazing, I love thinking about the Savior and his Atonement and the chance that it gives me in this life to repent and make it back to my Heavenly Father. I continued to serve in the Young Womens and loved every minute of it. I have since been released but the time that I was able to be with the Young women was incredible. They taught me so much and will always be in my heart. We were able to go to the homeless shelter and serve dinner. What a great experience that every human should take the opportunity to do. We sang them a song and talked to them and on the way home stopped for milkshakes at Fanci Freeze... :) These girls are so amazing... they talked about the spirit that they felt as they served the least of these... how they felt love for these homeless men that they didn't know their stories but felt like they were friends. I will always remember the feelings I felt as I shared my testimony monthly with these girls and the things they taught me. I remember when I first got called 5 years ago... I told the girls that I didn't cry.. well by the end.. I cried and cried.. we felt the spirit, we learned, we laughed, we loved. I had the opportunity to work with the most Amazing women ever. Alaine Buckley, Lauri Gabrielsen, Colleen Richards, Elaine Rudd, Rachel Johnson, Camille Miller, Melissa McComber and many others.. I will always cherish my time in the Hickories Ward Young women.

In April the girls and Jordon finally got their Christmas present... tickets to a Broadway play in Boise... WICKED... We were so excited it was finally here. And our wait was worth it!!! It brought tears to my eyes.. I loved it, they loved it. I would have bought more tickets for another night if I would have known it was so good!

Then there were just some random moments...

Our Adorable Puppies...

Pedicures with Kels and a yummy lunch with Kayla at Eagle High...

The end of May, Kayla and I flew to Portland for her best friends wedding. She was the maid of honor and I was just the mom of the maid of honor. We shopped and ate and laughed.. we cried at things we hoped for and spent most of mothers day together. We rode the escalator at Target and I spoiled her a little.. It's nice to still be able to do that even though she is married and so responsible. It was the first time we spent time just alone since I went to mothers week a few years ago at BYU-I.. Thanks for the weekend Kayla.. You still make me laugh!

Kayla and Darci

I've decided I like baking new things... trying new recipes.. now that I don't have someone to complain about my cooking I rather like it. (did I just say that out loud? oops... ) Kelsie and Kayla have found so many recipes and so I started trying some and found some of my own. We made Lion House Rolls.. to DIE for!!! CKP bbq chicken pizza... Yummm... and a Strawberry cake dessert that was soooo good.. We love the so many websites if you want a list just let me know..

Kilee's 17th Birthday...

2011-07-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

My Baby...

I can't even believe how fast time has gone by. I remember someone once telling me enjoy those girls because before you know it they will be grown and gone. I have loved having girls and have even enjoyed each stage of life with them from the funny things they say as 2 year olds to the teenage years when they are trying to find independence. What can I say about my Kilee? She is amazing.. she amazes me with her strength to do what is right. She has never followed the mold... she usually does what Kilee decides Kilee is going to do. She has had a lot of difficult trials in her life and one day I am sure she will look back and know exactly why she has had to go through the things she has. She is strong, she is so wise for such a little girl. I remember when she was 3 and my parents were on their mission. It came my time to serve my Grandma as she was having to do dialysis 3 times a week. On Mondays I took my Grandma to and from the dialysis center. The other girls were in school and Kilee had to go with me. One day I said come on Ki let's go pick up Grandma... she looked at me and said go ahead mom... just lock the door, I will just stay here. I just remember thinking who is this child... needless to say I had to bribe her with a slurpee and off we went. During that 18 months my Grandma feel in love with Kilee. What a special bond they developed. She never wore anything but a dress and if she was wearing something else it was usually a swimsuit. She loved Grandma and Grandpa’s pool and would swim for hours back and forth just where she could touch. When I think it has been 17 years since I was in Winnemucca, Nevada having another beautiful girl with a head full of hair... It amazes me how time flies. To you my little KiKi... Thanks for letting me be your mom... I have loved sharing this life with you!!

Kilee and some of her friends at her birthday dinner

MAACO Bowl Las Vegas.. BSU vs. Utah

2011-07-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

The end of December we drove to Las Vegas to go to the MAACO bowl to watch BSU in their last game of the season. Who knew that when we decided to drive it would be risking our lives. The drive from Boise to Salt Lake was uneventful, it was the next morning after leaving Draper that the storms began. A 6 hour drive turned into about 10 as we drove 20 miles an hour and sometimes were at a complete stop on the interstate. At one exit there were so many semi trucks pulled over that they were blocking the interstate so they could put chains on. We counted well over 20 slide offs and when a semi would dare go into the other lane they threw so much slush on the windshield that it was impossible to see for a few minutes. It was probably the scariest drive I have ever personally driven. Next time we decided it would be worth the money to fly!

The game wasn't the best game we dominated the UTE's, the weather was horrible it was so rainy and muddy... but we love our Bronco's and didn't want to miss it! The defense was incredible and the offense held their own, the score ended up 26-3 and should have been much higher on our side. Until next season... GOOOOOOOOOOO BRONCOS!

Christmas 2010

2011-07-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

The Christmas Story

It's a little funny to me that I am blogging about Christmas in July :) But it was an amazing Christmas. We made gingerbread houses at Aaron and Katie's house. Everyone was so creative, and they actually turned out amazing. Kayla and Jordon spent Christmas with his parents in Star Valley which was the hardest part, I guess I have to learn to share. We ate a lot of food, Jacob, Natalie and Hailey did the Christmas pageant for us, they were adorable. Aaron made us Christmas breakfast, it was so yummy. We laughed, talked, enjoyed each others company... everything that Christmas should be.

Yummy snacks

Dad & Mom

Kelsie & Kilee's houses..

Kelsie & Natalie

Kilee and Hailey in the box FORT

NO BOYS ALLOWED!

Hailey, Me and Natalie

Aaron & Katie...amazing hosts

My girls... Kilee and Kelsie

Reminders...

2011-07-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we just need reminders to do the things that are important. The thing I love about blogging that I get to remember the special moments in my families lives. I was at Dick's Sporting Goods store last night when I ran into one of my favorite friends, Kristen. She reminded me that it was time to blog :) She even knew that the last thing I had blogged was Kayla's graduation and that both Kelsie and Kayla's blogs were updated regularly. So here it goes... it's time to blog

Kayla's college graduation!!!

2010-12-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

In December Kayla graduated from BYU-I with a major in Health Education and a minor in English. She passed both of her Praxis tests so can teach either subject in any state. Right after graduation we loaded up their apartment to move to Boise. She will be doing her student teaching at Eagle High School while Jordon attends BSU...Go Broncos! We are so proud of Kayla and her accomplishments this far in her life! Good Job Kayla Don!

Jordon and Kayla

The fam...

Kiss from mom

Kayla's favorite teacher Marie

Dad and Kayla

Moving out

Apt #609....

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-28T18:41:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year we rented a cabin at Tamarack and went to the mountains to relax! It was more of a very nice house than a cabin, with plenty of room for everyone. The Master Bedroom was it's very own suite. We let Kayla and Jordon have it since they missed our trip to Seattle. We ate, played games, guesstures, killer bunnies, scribblish and lots of cards.... We watched a football game that we don't like to talk about! Took naps, ate some more and just enjoyed each others company.

Kayla and Jordon

Kilee, Kelsie, Bentley and Rocky

Kayla, Jordon, Kels, me

Sisters

Napping

Yummy dinner!!!!!

Seattle=GOOD TIMES

2010-11-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

Kelsie and Kilee at the Sea-Tac Airport

In October we went to Seattle just for a little get away, Kelsie met us there from Moscow and we had a great time! We ate Seafood (not Kilee she just had her picture taken with seafood), went to Pikes Place, made sure we put gum on the gum wall, walked along the wharf, relaxed, went to the aquarium, music museum, sci-fi museum and the Space Needle...all in one weekend!

So Good!

Aquarium

Gum Wall

Pikes Place

Wharf

Kilee not eating seafood

Me and Kels ready for our crab!

Yoda

Music Museum

Space Needle

Powder Puff

2010-11-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

Jasmine and Kilee

Kilee decided to play powder puff football this year for the Junior team. At a whooping 5 feet tall she played running back and actually had one really good play, well lets just say it would have been good if they hadn't called the quarterback down before she ran for about 12 yards. She was so nervous before the game thinking she might get hurt but after the game she was all smiles. She will be back next year for the Seniors and hopefully they will come out victorious.

University of Idaho/ Coeur d' Alene

2010-10-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

Kelsie decided to go to University of Idaho for her first year of college. So we packed up all of her belongings plus some of mine and drove the 5 1/2 hours to Moscow, Idaho. It is a beautiful drive but it was also a sad one. Since we were going to Northern Idaho we decided to take a few days and go to Coeur d'Alene and play. Coeur d'Alene is a beautiful city with Lakes and trees everywhere you look. We played at Silverwood (Kilee got a little sick) and Kelsie and Kilee had a great last weekend together. They played and laughed, hugged a lot then hugged some more. I know I will miss her working with me at Subway, helping me stay on track, laughing with me, making shopping lists for me and to do lists before we left work. I will miss her sweet smile and her warm hugs and I am so grateful for cell phones and airplanes!

me and kelsie ann

kilee j and kelsie a

Ready to start college?

Love and Theft, Lady Antebellum and TIM MCGRAW!!

2010-10-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

When we heard that Tim McGraw was coming to Boise we decided that it was a must see! On the day tickets went on sale we were all in my bedroom with all 4 of us on a different computer trying to get the best tickets we could. Kelsie was the winner with 12th row floor seats. We just didn't know how good the seats were until we found they were right next to part of the stage. Kilee was the first to touch his hand (many times) before Kelsie joined her and then Kayla then me. It was an amazing concert from the beginning to the end. We started out our night out at Smash Burger (one of our favorite places!) it was so tasty!

Me and Kels

Kayla and Kilee

Love and Theft

Kelsie and Kilee with Love and Theft

Lady Antebellum

Tim McGraw

Kels and Ki touching Tim's hand

Girls Camp 2010

2010-07-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

We had such a blast at girls camp this year. We had wonderful devotionals, amazing food, fun things to do, and such great girls to be with! From faith walks to obstacle courses, a very steep hike to a fun day of boating. It was all so inspiring and fun. Testimony meeting was awesome, it is always a spiritual high after coming back from camp. A special thanks to Mary Dahl, Charity Hine and Alaine Buckley for being such inspired leaders to pull of such a wonderful camp. Loved every minute of it. (except when I fell off of the rope wall!) :(

Kilee Surfing

me surfing

little stream on our hike

Eating lunch at the end of the hike

just some thugs :)

beautiful lake that we hiked to

me and Ki

July 4th Fun and Fireworks!

2010-07-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July we went to my Aunt's cabin in Garden Valley. We relaxed, swam, star gazed, made smores (yum), went to the starlight theatre to see The Wizard of Oz, watched fireworks and enjoyed each others company.

Jordon keeping Scout warm

The newlyweds

Me and my girls

Kilee and Hailey

Kelsie and Jake

Kelsie, Natalie, and Hailey waiting for fireworks

Kilee, Kayla and Jordon making smores :)

After we waited forever for the best pizza we were happy!

Kilee eating the best PIZZA

Kelsie Turns 19!

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

Highlights of Kelsie's 18th year...

Four Wheeling with her Dad

Adrianos Baptism - Kelsie, Kilee and Kirstie sang If the Savior Stood Beside Me

Women's Celebration Walk

BSU beats TCU in Fiesta Bowl...front row seats!

Best Friend Lauren's Baptism- Kelsie and Mark M. Sang I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Buying a sewing machine and sewing her first apron without a pattern

Kelsie took up roller blading with her best minion Lauren :)

Happy Birthday Kelsie Ann! It's been a great year of amazing experiences! Never forget the influence you can have on those around you! Remember who you are and go get em! love you little min!

Wedding....

2010-04-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

April 16, 2010 Jordon and Kayla were married in the Boise Temple. The flowers were in full bloom and it was a beautiful 70 degree day. With friends and family it made the day PERFECT. After only having 6 weeks to plan a wedding we were all so surprised how well it turned out. Thanks to all the people that shared their wedding decorations, their time and talent and all those who came to the shower and reception and your generosity. We couldn't have done it without all the help! Kelsie was such a trooper, everyday at work we would make a list of all we needed to do that day, including phone calls, errands, sewing, head bands, etc. We spent many hours at JoAnns fabric, Hobby Lobby, shopping for dresses, buying things and taking things back, trying things and trying things again. After all was said and done....it turned out AMAZING! Beautiful Bride, Handsome Groom, and a lot of LOVE! Here's just a few pictures of the amazing day. Melissa Niu was the photographer and her brother Layne was the vidoeographer and they did an outstanding job.

Pure Joy

2010-04-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

On April 9 after 4 hours of bridal/wedding pictures we drove to Logan for Kayla to go through the temple on Saturday morning. We arrived at 1:30 in the morning and with 6 of us we were told the only rooms they had left were with 1 king size bed. To say the least it was a very short night but what lay ahead was so amazing that the sleepless night was worth every minute. I can't explain the joy I felt as my heart was so full as Kayla finished up in the Celestial room with her family there to greet her and give her hugs. With tears in her eyes she said "these aren't sad tears, I'm just so happy." She loved the temple and I know that her and Jordon will go back often. I have had joy in my life but I have never felt joy like this.

Kilee FINALLY turns 16

2010-03-07T11:50:00.000-08:00

February 25 Kilee turned 16. She is finally legal to drive at night! Finally old enough to date, not that she is too thrilled about that and is finally legal to work in the state of Idaho. Really not thrilled about that! So how did she want to celebrate her 16th? She had her heart set on going to the mountains to a cabin for the weekend with her best friend. Timing, weather, plans just didn't come together, so we went to plan 2 which she decided on dinner with her family and best friend at the Melting Pot, and some new clothes. He good Friend Adriano's birthday is just a few days after hers so we also celebrated with dinner at Good Wood with Molly, Presley and Adriano a few days before their birthdays.

A few things I love about Kilee...

1. She loves hugs and is so willing to give them whenever you need one.

2. She has such a strong will and uses it to make good decisions.

3. She is very trustworthy.

4. She is an amazing nurse and will take care of you if you are sick or just feeling down.

5. Kilee is funny and makes me laugh.

6. She is an honest person and much more mature than her 16 years.

7. She has a heart of gold

8. She is fun to be with

Kilee came into this world 16 years ago, another girl with a headful of hair. In the Town of Winnemucca, Nevada I was so happy to have another girl. She was a beautiful baby and has grown into a beautiful young woman. Kilee, I hope all your wishes and dreams come true not only in this next year but for a lifetime! I love You!!

Kilee and Great Grandma Waters..80 years apart

Kilee and Adriano...

Kilee and her best friend Abby being silly

Cereal Anyone?

2010-02-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

BIG sale on cereal

So Albertsons had a little sale on Quaker Cereal...and my favorite cereal and my girls just happens to be cinnamon life. At a dollar a box, I just couldn't resist! I cleaned the shelves at the Broadway Albertsons, sent mom to the Five Mile store and then finished off at the Eagle store. 60 Boxes of cereal, 20 boxes of oatmeal and 20 boxes of granola bars. Great deal! Many people have asked if we will really eat it all? I'm not really sure but if not we have a lot of cereal to share! I

Girls Camp

2009-08-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

Girls camp was amazing this year. We had good leaders, great cooks and amazing girls! We chopped wood, shot guns, zip lined, archery, watched cows being branded, skits, bracelet making for women's shelter, swam in a very cold river and ate tons of good food.

4th year hikers

On our geo cache/ hike/nature walk...

Making bracelets for service

rounding up the calves to brand

Kelsie Turns 18

2009-08-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

In June Kelsie turned 18, she is now considered an adult. That's a little scary to me knowing I only have one more left in High School. The last 18 years has flown by and as I look back to the time that she was born and the colicky baby that she was I am amazed at the young woman she is turning into. She is a hard worker and knows what she wants, she is loving and would do anything to help someone in need. She has good friends that love her and she is very loyal. Kels, Hope the next 18 years plus bring you happiness and lots of laughs!

My Little Gangster Girl...When being Gangster wasn't cool!

Kelsie is a little dare devil when it comes to four wheeling. She has no

fear and loves to go fast. When the rest are worried about the trail Kelsie

is ready to go, full speed ahead!

2nd Annual Extreme Sports

2009-08-28T20:36:00.001-07:00

So I have been a really, really bad blogger lately and missed some pretty important milestones. The girls have been bugging me to blog and so tonight I was looking through pictures and decided it was time...so here it goes... I love it when the girls play together, last year they got the scooter, pogo stick, sidewalk chalk and the hula hoop out and had their own little extreme sports. SOOOO..they decided that it should be an annual event so out came the equipment and they were on their way...they even let me get involved.

Mothers Weekend at BYU-I

2009-06-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

I had a great weekend visiting Kayla at BYU-I. We drove up to Yellowstone and went to the Playmill theatre to see Foot Loose. It was really a cute play and we had fun walking around, playing at the park and we even found some choke cherry syrup. We went to the mall and laughed really hard when she hated the clothes she was trying on. At one point even the man waiting for his wife was laughing so hard he had to walk away. Kayla has such a great sense of humor and can always make me laugh! We went to Red Robin and had a great lunch we ordered the same thing we always have...teriyaki chicken sandwich-YUM! We made quesadillas with her cool quesadilla maker and impress all her roommates with my mad skills. We stayed up way too late, ate way too much and had an amazing weekend. I look forward to going to going back next semester. Thanks for all the fun Kayla D! I love you tons!

Kayla and her roomate Jillian dancing in the park

Graduation..she finally made it!

2009-06-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

CHS Class of 2009

I look back on my graduation and think about how hard I thought school was and how it would be so nice to be an adult....hmmmm....I think I would go back to my parents paying for rent and food and most everything. When my biggest cares consisted of what I would do on the weekend, if I would have a date and what college I would go to. I really didn't know what it was or would be like to care for another human being. I had no idea the worry that my parents felt as I started driving and watching me pull out of the driveway praying that I would be safe. I had no idea what they went through when I came home late or went out with a boy they didn't approve of. I remember living for me and only me, don't get me wrong, I was a pretty good kid that actually got along with my parents. But until you have a child of your own you just have no idea. Now number 2 is graduated and thinking she is ready to leave and be on her own. Oh the things she will learn, the eye opening experiences she will have. Now she will learn to appreciate her family, her parents, even her little annoying sister. She will have to make her own meals, buy her own groceries and make sure she makes it to all her classes. On the other hand how exciting to fly, to experience life, to test the waters and find out who she really is. Kelsie has always had a mind of her own...she isn't afraid trying new things, she is a hard worker and is very determined. Hopefully the things she has been taught will be remembered and she will soar! As a mother it is so hard to let go but so fun to watch as they turn into adults and achieve their goals.

GOOD LUCK KELS....I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOU!

Kayla, Kelsie & Kilee

First EVER Pedicure

2009-05-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday I went with my good friend Julie to get my very first pedicure. I can't believe I'm almost 42 and have never had one. I probably should have never had one because...I really loved it! It was so relaxing, so nice to have some one rub my feet, so nice to have them painted by someone else, so nice to sit and visit with Julie. I think I might have to have a lot more pedicures in the future!

Kelsie's last dance...

2009-05-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

Kelsie and her BFF's Laura and Lauren

Kelsie doing her solo for the last time

Me and my friend Julie Matthews

Kelsie's last performance as a Sweet Liberty dancer was the first of the month. I had very mixed feelings about it being over. I love to watch her dance but I hate sitting all day on bleachers! It has been a long 3 years with a lot of emotions, times she loved it and times she was ready to quit. I am so proud of her for sticking with it and refining her talent. Oh the stories she will have to tell her children. For the last 3 years she has been to school at 5:45 and even when she was very sick she rarely missed. She has won 2 National titles and 1 Grand National title. She has been a State Champion all three years and swept all Idaho competitions as well as Regional Competitions. Sweet Liberty is a winning team with a winning tradition and Kelsie has had an amazing opportunity to be a part of it. At the spring show they do a parents dance to show everyone that the talents the girls have do not always come from the parents. It was fun doing it but it was pretty much a joke, because we really CAN'T dance! But I am the mom of a Grand National Champion!

End of soccer...at least for this spring!

2009-05-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

Kilee's brusied hand

One of my Russian players, Ben

We had a great soccer season this year, we added some new players to our team and everyone seemed to play great together. Kilee hurt her arm halfway through the season by getting smashed between two girls as she was heading for the goal. We had x-rays and an MRI but they both turn up negative. In the end it was just a really bad sprain, which after having 5 broken arms we were very happy with until it took forever to heal. One of the highlights for me was our little Russian players. Ben and Pete are adopted from Russia, Pete has been here 3 years and Ben just over 3 months when I met him. There was quite an language barrier when we started but by the end he was speaking much more english and understanding what I was telling him to do. They had wonderful skills but had never played on a soccer team. It was fun to watch them evolve into team players. In our last game we were so far ahead that we had to pull players off as we scored so I told the boys that the only one allowed to score was one of the girls, Kat. Ben worked so hard to get the ball to her to score when he really wanted just to shoot. With a few minutes left in the game I yelled at him to SHOOT, he turned around with a puzzled look on his face and said "you say no!" I told him "now I say yes!" he looked so confused turned around and shot the ball. Over all it was a really fun season!

Prom 09

2009-05-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Kelsie went to prom with her boyfriend Zach Parkinson. They had a great time and also looked great together. We borrowed the dress which saved us a lot of money and she still looked beautiful. For their day date they went to Zach's house and made lemon souffle pancakes with raspberry syrup. They had plans to go to the Cheesecake Factory with 15 other couples and called a few hours ahead but when they got there they said the wait would be about 2 hours! So they went to Panda Express for dinner then to the dance at Steuckle Sky Club at BSU. They had a great time, and in the end it was a very inexpensive date!

Kayla's gone AGAIN!

2009-05-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

So you would think that it would get easier each time one of your children leaves for school. Especially after being gone for almost 3 years! BUT, I have found that it never gets easy! Kayla has been such a great daughter and as she grows into an adult we have become such good friends. It seems harder and harder to say good bye knowing that soon she will have a family of her own and probably won't call me everyday. I am so proud of her and the amazing person she is turning out to be because of the good choices she is making with her life. Kayla has always had an obedient spirit and is willing to serve others. This year she was called as a counselor in the Relief Society in her student ward. She is loving her calling and the young ladies that she is working with. I think it is wonderful for her to be involved and what a blessing for her to be in a leadership role. I know it will prepare her for not only future callings but also help her be a better wife and mother.

Wisdom Teeth

2009-04-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

Friday Kelsie got her wisdom teeth out. Everything went great and on the way home she was saying all sorts of funny things. She asked me if they brought her to the car in a wheel chair and I told her they had then she asked if they thought she was quadriplegic. She asked if she watched Barney when she was little, I told her she did, she said AWESOME! She kept asking who put her sweatshirt on and I told her it was the nurse, her response 3 times "What's her name" I told her Melissa she says " she's nice I like her." When I pulled up to Albertsons to get her scripts I told her to stay in the car she got out as soon as I stopped. I had to run around and hold her up. While we were waiting for her drugs she told me they had cut her tongue out and that's why she had so much gauze in her mouth. I told her they didn't, she wouldn't believe me. Through all of this conversation her mouth was full of gauze and I couldn't understand her very well so she was repeating herself over and over. Finally I told her to quit talking...she DIDN'T.

All day she did very well, the pain was controllable and she was eating and sleeping. Then the trauma started! At 4 in the morning Kelsie woke me up asking for more meds. I got up to get them for her and something to eat with it. She walked to the bathroom and then walked into the kitchen. As I was putting Jello in a bowl she said I feel light headed then BAM she was face first on the floor. She hit the chair, that thankfully moved and missed the desk by an inch! I tried to turn her over which was so hard because it was dead weight finally she came to and started crying, we got her turned over and her mouth was full of blood. My blood pressure dropped and I sat down by her and yelled for Kilee who had been sleeping in the same room with us. She jumped up and ran in the kitchen and I was telling her to get me some gauze or paper towels while I felt like I was passing out. Kelsie said she felt like she was going to throw up, then Kilee said she felt like she was going to throw up. I told Kilee to run and get Kayla up then I passed out next to Kelsie. Kilee got to Kayla told her I needed her then proceeded to pass out on the bathroom floor. By the time Kayla came downstairs I had started throwing up, Kelsie was crying, and Kilee was green on the floor upstairs. Good thing Kayla was here we were all a mess. We got Kelsie back in her chair and I caught my breath I called my mom and dad and Ben and my Dad gave her a blessing. My mom is very calming in tramatic situations so was able to calm us all down. After it was all over Kelsie ate her Jello with a hole in her lip and a very sore chin and we all tried to get some rest. WHAT A NIGHT!! I am so thankful it wasn't worse than it was. I use to be able to handle trauma but I think with age and seeing my kids in pain is just too much!

Chubby Cheeks!

Hole in the lip...OUCH!!

Her favorite..Mashed Potatoes

Grand National Champions!!

2009-04-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

My Little Elvis

So this has been an interesting year for Sweet Liberty. It's always a challenge for a new team to gel and work as a team but it's a bigger challenge when it's not just a new team but a new team with 2 new coaches. From learning dances late to changing dances right before competitions it has been a hard year. There were times Kelsie wanted to quit and times that I wanted her to quit, but she persevered and in the end she has grown and it has all been worth it.

Coming home with a National Grand Champion Trophy is the best way to end her high school dancing career. I will miss watching her dance, I will miss her tongue sticking out and her cute little winks and her beautiful smile. It has been a fun ride!

Laura Monroe, Lauren Matthews, Kelsie

Morgan Miller, Kelsie, Kirstie Parkinson

Kelsie kissing the National Grand Champion Trophy

Sweet Liberty #1

Spring Break 09

2009-04-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas Strip: Mom, me, Kilee, Krystin, Beth, Dad, Krista

where's Kayla?

Kayla and Krystin Bateman Las Vegas

We had so much fun over spring break! Since we had to go to Anaheim for Dance Nationals we decided to take a road trip with Grandma and Grandpa in their motor home. We took 2 days to drive there including a stop in Las Vegas to spend some time with my niece. I believe that my dad is a very brave man, the only man in a motor home for a week with 6 females can be very scary. Kelsie had to stay home to practice more dancing so Kayla and Kilee were both able to take a friend. We loved Disneyland, we loved California Adventures, we loved the new Toy Story ride, we loved hanging around our friends, Molly, Adriano, Delia and Kaylee. We loved Soaring over California, and Splash Mountain, I hated Space Mountain but the girls loved it. We had beautiful weather between 70 and 80 degrees and loved the fireworks. We had such a great time we had a hard time coming back to reality.

Me and Kayla waiting for Toy Story

Krista, Kilee, Adriano and Kaylee

Catch up once again....Sweet Sweeps State

2009-04-02T18:31:00.001-07:00

Well I guess you could say that all the hard work is paying off. These girls get up every morning to be at practice at 5:45, most school sports last 3 or 4 months dance goes from August to May with very few days off. During competition season they practice nights and sometimes on Saturdays. But when you see the results all the hard work and early mornings are worth it all!

SWEET LIBERTY SWEEPS STATE

Military 1st

Novelty 1st

Small Dance 1st

Large Dance 1st

Kick 1st

5A State Champions!

Kels with some of the trophies

PNW 2 down 2 to go

2009-03-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was PNW which stands for Pacific Northwest Competition. It was mainly teams from Idaho but there was one from Utah. I find myself hating bleachers every time. They are hard, uncomfortable, squishy and crowded! But I wouldn't miss Kelsie dancing her last few competitions for anything! So for 10 hours we sit on bleachers, getting there early enough that we get a wall to rest our backs on. Watching hours of dancing, some good some that how do you say this nice?...some that could use a little more practice. Drinking diet coke until they run out then moving onto water since its the only thing left. I am so glad for the friends I have made through dance, people I might have otherwise never known. It is so nice to know that when you get there you will have a friend to laugh with, talk with and just be silly. Sometimes we even text the person sitting a few seats away just to say HI.

some of my friends, Molly, Julie and Tracie

Me and my little dancer

Kelsie made it up to the last 5 in drill downs, quite an accomplishment for her!

The team with all their 1st place trophies.

I have mixed feelings about her dance coming to an end. There are things I will miss and things I won't. The thing I will miss the most: Watching her dance...(If you haven't seen her come to spring show, April 4th she is so fun to watch!) The thing I will miss the least: Spending money everytime I turn around...hair nets, tights, shoes all the things that go with dance.

Happy 15th Kilee

2009-03-03T14:40:00.001-08:00

Feburary 25th Kilee turned 15. Wow how the time flies!! I need to take some pictures of her that I will post later (I was at Rascal Flatts and she was at dance festival practice) So I took her and her best friend Krista out of school for the afternoon. We went to Costa Vida and then to the movie. While I was thinking about her and the last 15 years I thought I would write some thoughts down. Kilee was born in Winnemucca, Nevada, not something to brag about but it is a very rare place to be born, and kind of fun to say. She came into this world in her own time and own way. The nurse actually caught her because when she decided to come no one was ready! She has been a joy in my life, very independent but very loving. I love when she comes up to me and just says "mom just hug me!" I think when she leaves for college I will miss that the most. Kilee loves playing soccer and I love watching her. It is so fun to see her go up against bigger, faster players and see the determination in her face, and her elbows being shoved into their sides (not legal and she usually gets caught!) I love tucking her in at night, giving her hugs and kisses and seeing her getting ready to read her scriptures before she goes to sleep. I just love watching her grow and mature.

Kilee's favorite things at 15 are...

1. Her Best Friend

2. Family

3. My Space

4. Boys

5. Getting her license

6. Soccer

7. Sims

8. American Idol on WII

9. Swim Suits

10. Texting

11. Reading Sarah Dessen Books

12. Making Dance Videos with Kayla, Kelsie and Laura

13. Ridiculous Reality shows

14. Juno and Hotrod (favorite movies)

15. Talking gangster

Those came right from Kilee's mouth...it will be fun to look back in 15 years and remember the things that were so important in her life at 15. Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!!

Hospital Visit

2009-03-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

Sunday after church Kelsie started complaining of a bad stomach ache. After being home for about 5 hours it was getting worse and she was curled up in a ball sobbing. Finally I decided to take her to urgent care. They gave her an IV, took some blood, gave her an ultrasound of her gall bladder and then after all the tests and three hours later they decided it must be the...FLU!

She is feeling better today, she is still having some pain but not as bad as yesterday. So glad she is OK!

She did get the softest cutest teddy bear to take home...it cost about $100!

Rascal Flatts

2009-03-02T14:50:00.000-08:00

Kayla and I went to see the best concert ever. Well at least Rascal Flatts was the best ever...

I could have lived without Jessica Simpson. We had so much fun and our seats were so great! (Thanks Ben!) We had an amazing time and they sang all of our favorite songs! We will definitely go next time they come and they promised they would come back!!

Waiting for the concert to start

view from our amazing seats

GOOD news, BAD news!

2009-02-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

For the last 2 years I have served in the Young Women organization with the beehives. I have loved every minute of it...from the sweet young women to the leaders I have worked with. I have love the Wednesday night activities, wearing pj's to our PPP parties, Wii games, making cookies, doing service, and just sitting around getting to know the girls better! I love all of the girls that I have had, all of them were and are my favorites! I'm not sure there has ever been a group of girls like these. They are so kind an thoughtful to each other and so respectful to their leaders, they love doing service and helping others. So here is the BAD news...Sunday I was released as the Beehive advisor. :( GOOD news is I was called to be the Miamaid advisor so not only do I get to be with Kilee my sweet daughter for one year but I will get to have all my sweet beehives again. I will miss being in beehives but I am so excited to have them for 2 more years as they move into Miamaids. So instead of good-bye...it's just see ya soon!!! Love you girls!

Daddy/daughter Costume Party

Playing Wii

Learning to make the best Chocolate Chip cookies EVER!!

Thanks Jesse!

ISI Dance Competition

2009-02-17T19:11:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday Kelsie competed with Sweet Liberty in the ISI competition. They did so good! 1st in Military, 1st in Kick, 1st in Large Dance, 1st in Small Dance and you guessed it 1st in Novelty. They also got the grand champion trophy. It is amazing how their hard work has paid off. I can't believe we only have 3 more competitions before she is done! I have mixed feelings, I love to watch her dance, I love to see her tongue sticking out, her winks, her fish faces and especially her elvis faces! She has great stage presence. It will be sad when it's over but what an amazing 3 years she has had!

Seniors: Lauren, Kelsie, Laura

Sweet Liberty

Novelty...Kelsie is the Elvis in the front row on the left

cutest Elvis I have seen!

Kelsie, McKenna, Lauren

Worst Blogger EVER!

2009-02-17T19:07:00.001-08:00

I am officially the worst blogger ever! My girls have been bugging me for a long time to blog and I just haven't done it. Sometimes I just don't think that my life is exciting enough for a blog. Maybe I need to do more exciting things, take more pictures, enjoy life more!

Christmas Fondue

2008-12-21T21:05:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had our Christmas tradition fondue/game night. OK so it's the first year we have actually done this. I got the fondue pots last year for Christmas and this was the first time I used them. We had so much fun that we decided to make it a yearly tradition. I forgot to get my camera out until we were almost done, BUT at least I did remember to take pictures.

Christmas Lights

2008-12-18T12:49:00.001-08:00

Ben did such a great job this year on our Christmas lights. I love the holiday season, I love Christmas music, I love shopping and buying gifts for those I love, I love that people are kinder at this time of year, I love spending time with my family, I love snow, I love helping those less fortunate, I love all of it! I wish it could be Christmas all year long!!!

Gratitude

2008-11-30T17:39:00.000-08:00

Before this weekend escapes, I need to write down the things I am grateful for!

1. I am so thankful to live in a free country where I can worship as I please.

2. I am thankful that Ben has a good job and we are out of debt. And for the hard worker he is.

3. I am thankful for the ugly kitchen floor that I have because I am still out of debt.

4. I am thankful for my children that still make me smile everyday!

5. I am thankful that I still have my parents and the time I am able to spend with them.

6. I'm thankful for chocolate and diet coke!

7. I'm thankful for the warm home that I am able to decorate for the holidays.

8. I am so thankful for the Gospel and for my calling in the Young Women.

9. I am thankful for my health and the health of my family.

10. I am thankful for my testimony.

Just 10 simple things there is much more I could write but these are the things that come to mind as I sit here thinking of how blessed I really am. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sweet Liberty Seniors

2008-11-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

Lauren, Kelsie, Laura

Kelsie is so lucky to have 2 of her best friends as team mates. They are the only seniors on the team this year and are all doing solos. They performed last week at the girls basketball game and they all did a great job! Next is their first competition in Utah, and boy those Utah girls can dance! Good Luck Girlies!

Wisdom Teeth

2008-11-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

Kilee with her swollen cheeks!

Kilee got her wisdom teeth out last week. Since we had a 4 day weekend we decided to get them out since they were bugging her. A lot of people have commented on how old she is (14) but I guess when I think about Kilee and teeth she has always been ahead. She got her teeth early, lost them early, got her 12 year old molars at 10 and braces soon after. So when the dentist told me they were ready to come out before her 17 year old sisters I wasn't that surprised. Kelsie's are ready to come out too, it's just getting her to stop everything and be down for a few days. I guess when they are bugging her they will come out! Luckily her face is almost back to normal after many ice packs, lots of pain pills, antibiotics and JELLO! Two down one to go! One funny story....the first night I slept on the couch while she slept in the recliner. At 1 a.m. she woke me us shouting.."MOM! Harry Potter is in here with 100 other people." First being screamed at while in a deep sleep is jolting but then trying to understand that she really thought that Harry Potter was standing in front of her was so confusing! Needless to say the pain pills didn't last long after hallucinating and then throwing up we decided that ibuprofen would have to do.

Catching up

2008-11-04T16:23:00.003-08:00

So this somehow got deleted so now the pictures are in the next post!

Wow, I can't believe how time flies! I'm not really sure if I've been having fun but I know it is flying by! A lot has happened since Kayla left in August! I have pictures for some events and no pictures for some. First to catch up then pictures to come...
September the girls went back to school, Kayla a Junior at BYU-I studying Health Education with a minor in Biology (not sure if she is really my daughter...I hated science, she loves it.) Kelsie is a Senior :( her last year of high school drama! Her last year of dance, last year of paying for dance! :) Not that college will be any cheaper! Kilee is in her first year of high school as a Freshman and the drama is just beginning. I can't believe they will all be gone in less than 4 years.
Kelsie went to Homecoming with a friend, Kevin. They had a lot of fun. She was also in the running for Homecoming Queen but the drama girl won again. Guess she had more friends?Even though she didn't win it was fun for her to walk out on the football field in her formal with her dad. She also played powder puff football where the Seniors beat the Juniors. Some of those girls play dirtier that the boys!
Kilee played Co-ed soccer with me as the assistant coach. It was a fun season, it was fun watching her go up against boys and taking them out. Yes she got called for a couple of fouls taking boys out...I mean actually pushing them to the ground. One of my favorites was when she kicked the ball so hard, hit the boy in the stomach it knocked him to the ground and the ball went out of bounds, and Kilee being the competitor she is didn't ask if the boy was alright, she grabbed the ball and threw it in while he was still laying on the ground. Jeff the coach who was next to the boy said "you just got taken out by a little girl!" The boy got up immediately and started playing. She had many shots on goal but they just never seemed to go in UNTIL...the last game she finally scored! YEAH!
October was beautiful, the best fall I can remember in a long time. The trees were beautiful, the weather was more than beautiful, (except for my birthday weekend when it snowed!) the grass stayed green and it was actually warm playing soccer! I spent my birthday weekend with Kayla in Rexburg for mothers weekend. (No pictures, by the time I figured out we hadn't taken any Kayla was getting ready for church with wet hair and wouldn't let me take one.) It was such a fun weekend. We went shopping, of course for groceries, went to a scary dance off, went to dinner and a movie and just talked and spent time together. I am so proud of her and the goals she has set and the things that she is achieving in her life. She is still waiting for her missionary. He has been out 81/2 months.
Ben took me shopping for my birthday, I got 2 pairs of jeans and 2 sweatshirts. He also game me a gift certificate to the movies. He also took me out to dinner before I left to go to Rexburg at Red Robin. Love the chicken teriyaki sandwich...and those fries...it was my birthday!
My mom and dad asked me to take some pictures of them for their Christmas card so we went to Kathryn Albertson Park and did a little photo shoot. No I'm not a professional but I think they turned out pretty good. I took some pictures of Kelsie and Kilee together and had mom take some of the three of us.
My oldest brother that lives in Texas was in a horrible motorcycle accident and was badly broken up. He broke his shoulder, arm above the elbow, shattered his wrist, broke his hip and has a compound fracture in his leg. BUT... he is alive and for that we are thankful.
To end the month, Kilee and I carved pumpkins together. The only patterns left at the store were kid ones so it didn't take us to long. We cleaned the seeds and toasted them, they were so yummy!
Now on to NOVEMBER!

Finally Catching Up

2008-11-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

So here are the pictures that go with my last post. Am I caught up? No but much further than I was two days ago. So hopefully I will be a better poster and a little more prompt.

Elder Heap with Courtney the girl he baptized. And some other cute missionaries. Elder Heap is the 2nd one in on the left side. And below the girl that is still waiting!

Kayla and 2 of her roommates dressed as gangsters for Halloween.

Me and Kilee carving pumpkins for Halloween

This is my oldest brother being put in an ambulance and his bike that smashed into a car that failed to yeild!

Cutie girls!

Sisters!

My cute little mom and dad!

Kilee elbowing a much larger boy! Good thing the ref was behind her!

Kilee getting fouled while breaking to the goal. No it didn't get called but then again she did her fair share of fouling with out getting called!

Kilee playing against much bigger players...look who has the ball!

Kels on the sidelines letting me take her cute picture.

That's Kelsie the closest to the bottom on the left. She played defense and was so happy when they won!

Laura Monroe, Lauren Matthews, and Kelsie getting ready to dance in the homecoming assembly. They are the only 3 seniors on Sweet Liberty this year.

Kelsie and her dad on the football field. Pretty in Pink! It was raining and quit for a few minutes while they were on the field, then started raining again right after.

Kelsie and Kevin her date.

Kayla's Back to College

2008-09-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

So I've known that this day would come for the last 8 months, but how did it come so fast? As I hugged her today in the parking lot and watched her drive away the strings on my heart were being tugged on! It has been so nice to have Kayla home for just over 8 months. She has been a great daughter, helper, driver, sister, and a wonderful friend and will be missed by all of us. Kayla has a talent of making me laugh, I don't know why but she can make me laugh more and harder than anyone else. I think her leaving this time is almost harder than the first, she has grown and matured and is such a great friend. When no one else wanted to go grocery shopping she would go. I spent more money with her but it was always fun! I am so grateful for cell phones and that she is willing to call often, if only for a few min. To my sweet daughter...You will be greatly missed! Have fun, enjoy the journey, dance like no one is watching, be yourself, follow your dreams! This isn't good-bye only see ya soon!

BSU Football....Finally

2008-09-01T18:16:00.001-07:00

So the first BSU Football game of the Season was last Saturday. We played ISU, won 49-7 and the season is underway. Ben has been counting down the days for about, oh, since the Hawaii Bowl last year. We love going to the games and cheering for BSU! Kayla and Krystin were able to go down on the sidelines with Damon and that is always a highlight for her. Hopefully we will have a winning season with a very young team. Some people think it's a little weird, me, being a huge football fan. BUT...I did grow up with 5 brothers 4 of them which played football, watched football, ate football, slept football...so me being the little sister went to soooo many football games from little league to high school. I also remember watching many football games over Thanksgiving always picking the team I wanted to win by the color that I liked best. Made sense to me, not so much my brothers but I had to find some joy in watching so much football. I guess all those games just wore off on me.

Me and Kayla waiting to get into the stadium.

Kayla's photos from the field. She thought she should get a picture of Kellen Moore, the freshman quarterback, and the new press/sky boxes.

GO BRONCOS!!

My Sweet Dad and Subway

2008-08-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had to take my dad to pick up his car from the mechanics. If any of you know my dad he is a man of few words. In October he will turn 74 and is showning signs of aging. One of my dad's favorite things is to go to Subway for lunch. He doesn't eat much, 1/3 of a footlong. He isn't picky about the kind of sandwich we order, but he does like his jalapeno chips and diet coke. So as I was dropping him off yesterday, he paused before getting out of the car, looked at me and said that he had something he had been meaning to tell me. He said, "It isn't Subway that I look forward to, I like and look forward to the time we spend together. I just wanted you to know that." WOW, hold the tears back....what a tender mercy! I'm not sure how long my dad will be around but until then it's Subway for lunch!

Soccer....AGAIN?

2008-08-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly sure what has happened to me. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I said "YES". I am pretty sure I was tricked into this whole thing! What you ask? I am back to coaching soccer after having 2 years off! I think that my mind had forgotten all the time and effort it took! I am the assistant coach of Kilee's co-ed team, which consists of 8 girls and 3 boys. The other teams have mostly boys with a few girls. This could get very interesting! I am so glad that Kilee is back to soccer if only for the fact that she is getting great exercise! Now for the next 2 months I will commit to having fun, even though the coach wants to win, I will commit to giving my all as much as they want anyway, and I will commit to being there and trying to make a difference in these kids lives while hopefully we have fun and want to continue to play! Wish me luck!

THE BIG 20!!

2008-08-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Kayla is officially 20 years old as of yesterday. She had such a great birthday week with one of her best friends Darcy. She came from Portand to spend 4 days with her. They swam, went to lunch, the drive-in, golfing, shooting and just relaxed and had so much fun together. Kilee made her birthday cake, it was wonderful! It is interesting what she wanted for her birthday this year...instead of electronics she choose dishes and sheets. She also got beautiful flowers from her sweet missionary! That made her happiest of all!

Kayla 5 years old

Krystin Bateman, Kayla, Darcy Pedersen

"The Flowers"

Twin Falls Temple

2008-08-12T15:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I took my parents and the girls to the open house of the Twin Falls Temple. Wow, what a beautiful temple. I loved how they used the Idaho State Flower (the Syringa) throughout the temple. In the beautiful windows, the carpets and especially the beautiful chandeliers! We loved the mural painted by Leon Parson of Shoshone Falls, what a talented artist! We loved the feeling we felt there and also the testimony of our wonderful guide, Brother Passey from Bear Lake area. We tried to take some pictures afterwards, we got a few good ones but the wind was blowing so hard it was hard to keep our hair out of the way.

What a wonderful day!

Kelsie's Senior Pic's

2008-08-12T14:35:00.001-07:00

Melissa Nui took Kelsie's senior pictures last week. I was so pleased with the results. Melissa did a fabulous job as always! These are just 4 out of my 100 or so favorites! When I think about her leaving next year it makes me sad but I am so excited for her to dance her last year, for her to experience life after high school and to just watch her become a beautiful woman.

This is my very favorite dance picture since she is almost laughing and dance makes her happy!

Melissa, thanks for making her feel like a model! You amaze me.

OUCH!!

2008-08-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

Ben and I were in an accident Monday night. We were on Fairview stopped when a Dodge Truck rear ended us and pushed us into the car in front of us. We were luckily not in the Mustang so Ben wasn't crying but we both got whiplash pretty bad. I was amazed at how damaged the truck was (we should have taken a pic of that!) Our little Saturn held up pretty good going against a truck 3 times it's size! We are just feeling blessed that we weren't hurt worse! Kelsie on the other hand is going to be missing her car for a while!

Fun Family Reunion!

2008-08-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a fun family reunion in Border, Wyoming. You ask where is Border, Wyoming? Well it's just where it says...on the border of Idaho and Wyoming. My Aunt and Uncle have a ranch just about a mile from the Idaho border. We had such a great time renewing our relationships with aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters. Here are some of the fun things we did.

Volley ball was a so fun!

Drank Diet Coke

(I actually was sneaking it from steve)

Archery was a BIG hit!

My cousin David was so amazing with

the little kids. He was so patient and kind

he taught all the kids how to shoot the bow

and arrows. Thanks for the fun David!

   Picking up all the arrows
   Hiking up the mountain...it was so hot!
       Sisters!

My mom and her sister

Me and my sister

Kayla wanted this picture to send to her missionary who lives not far from here. We actually went to visit his mother and brother in Afton and had dinner with them. It was so nice for Kayla to reunite with Jordon's family. Still waiting after 6 months! :)

The best girls camp ever!!!

2008-07-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

Girls camp was so amazing this year. How can you complain when you have 35 beautiful young women, with no make-up, dirty faces, dirty feet but with smiles from ear to ear. I was amazed with the girls and how well they bonded and got along with each other. They are such amazing examples of how we should all act. It was fun to just sit back and watch them and feel of their spirits. I remember when I went to camp and felt the spirit on testimony night but these girls were able to feel the spirit everyday in some way. Sagehen was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and the company was priceless. Can't wait for next year...

Tuesday before we left, look how clean we are!

Cutie, Kelsey U.

Kelise, Heather, Kilee and Paige, making bracelets.

Me & Kelsie...the highlight of my week was

being able to spend it with Kelsie and Kilee!

Kelsie's birthday present

2008-07-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Kelsie's new room. It isn't totally finished we still need to paint doors and the closet. The important thing is that she loves it! I will post more pictures later when we get the whole room finished.

Time with Kilee

2008-07-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

In June we dropped Kelsie off in Ogden for dance camp, then we went and played with Grandpa and Grandma. We took the motor home with 8 dancers and the 4 of us. It was a little squished but it was such a great week. We went to Park City and shopped and shopped then we went up to Utah Olympic Park. It was amazing to see all the ski jumps, bob sleds, and gold medals. We even got my mom and dad on a zip line. The last day we decide to go to Lagoon and we had so much fun. We put our suits on left grandpa in the motor home and went on Rattlesnake Rapids 5 times. We were soaked! Then we spent the very hot day at the water park. We played a lot of cards and laughed at my dad a lot! It was such a nice relaxing time!

Waiting for the zip line

Kelsie's Golden Birthday

2008-07-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

   Kilee made her cake and decorated it too!
   Kayla decorated her dinner plate for her!

Kelsie had her golden birthday this year, 17 on the 17th of June. I didn't even know about golden birthdays so I guess I missed mine. For her birthday she wanted her room redone. Her dad came and put shelves in her closet and we repainted and bought a new bedspread and pillows. When she picked the colors I was a little skeptical because they were so bright but when we got all done we both decided that it was definitely  KELSIE!

LAS VEGAS...

2008-07-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

Over Memorial Day, I took my mom and dad and the girls and we went to Las Vegas for my niece's sealing. Beth my niece (pictures on my mom's camera) and her husband decided to get sealed before she was deployed to Iraq this month. Both her and her husband Noah are in the Air Force stationed in Vegas. It was such a great weekend. I was able to be in the temple with my mom and dad and 3 of my 5 brothers. It was so nice to see my oldest brother and his family that live in Texas. I haven't seen them for over 5 years. It was fun to see my brother as a grandpa! We had such a fun time just playing, shopping and enjoying each others company!

Mom & Dad

Kayla, Kelsie & Kilee

I'm Back!

2008-07-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I have done anything on my blog. Kayla and Ben have told me that I am going to be kicked out of the blogging world. I guess between recovering from surgery and school being out I have just been slacking. But I am back and have lots to post!

Extreme Sports!!

2008-05-04T20:12:00.001-07:00

Sunday evening I was working on the pictures on my computer when I heard my girls outside laughing. I went out to see what was going on and to my surprise they were having a pogo competition. Yes...my girls are 19, 16 and 14 but it is so fun to watch them laugh and play together. So out came the camera. The pictures didn't turn out as good as I would have like but it was getting dark and they wanted action pictures. Kayla won the pogo contest by far, Kelsie fell while pogoing and Kayla decided to draw her nearly dead body in the middle of the street. I wonder what the garbage men will think in the morning.

Kilee decided hula hooping was easier than pogo-ing and Kelsie decided she would try extreme scooter jumping. She got hurt there too and scrapped her ankle. Just an accident waiting to happen.

Life is made out of all the little things that make you smile.

My 3 gansta girls

Thinking...

2008-04-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately as I have been going through many of my mom's pictures getting ready to make her a scrapbook for her 70th birthday. Thus the picture on the title of my blog. This is me and my 4 older brothers when I was 2 years old. I am surprised at how much I can't remember about my childhood. I have loved going through my mom's old pictures of when she was a teenager and the other things that she has kept. (a few break-up notes?) I loved reading her journal and letters from her mom and dad. It made me wish I had kept more from my childhood. The things that I thought would never matter to my children, have mattered to me. I feel like I have come to know my mom better as a person that went through teenage years just like I did. I have realized that the things that I think don't matter will someday. The cute little notes that I have kept from when my children were young, the cards with my mom and dad's notes, even if they just say "i love you". How much more that means to me now, not knowing how much longer I will have them here on earth. Maybe in a thousand years, that STUFF won't matter but for right now I will cherish the little things and keep saving so that one day when my children or grandchildren go through my treasures they will come to know a little piece of me.

My Cousin Kevin

2008-04-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

This week we recieved news that my cousin was missing. He works in Cokeville Wyoming for the State as a Land Hydrographer. Monday he didn't show up to work and by Tuesday morrning there was a search and rescue team out looking. It was a long couple of days with lots of prayers and fasting for his safe return. Wednesday the bad news came, Kevin had taken his own life. Many questions are running through our minds at this time. The biggest one is WHY? We loved him and he was loved by his family, friends and the community. Who knows what drives a person to take their own life with no explanation, no signs, no nothing? While the family has the Gospel and has been comforted the question still remain...WHY? I only hope that the pain he felt is now gone and that he feels love that somehow he didn't feel here. Good bye Kevin, Cousin, Friend, you will be missed.

New Shoes

2008-03-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

I remember being a little girl and getting new shoes and how I thought they would make me run faster. I would race my older brothers with the wind blowing through my hair and just like always get beat. I am much smarter now and know that new shoes won't make me run any faster or jump any farther. Now the most important thing is comfort. Ben spent over an hour with me in the shoe store last week just to pick out a new pair of shoes. I went from Nike to Addidas back to Nike's and I just couldn't find the right fit. I own a pair of Asics and have loved them but really didn't love the price but when I tried them on they just FIT! I told Ben they just felt good and without even looking at the price he said just get them. I did! Then when they rang them up he was a little surprised, but sometimes you just have to pay for comfort! I love my new shoes!

Victoria

2008-03-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I took my parents to see my neice dance for her last time at Alta High School. WOW can that girl dance! She just tried out for the BYU Cougarettes and MADE IT! I am so proud of her and how hard she has worked to get where she is. Now we will have to go to some BYU games to watch her dance! Congratulations girly!

Brother Mark, Victoria, Sister-in-law Lora

Giggle

2008-03-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

I had the girls pictures taken last week for Kilee's orthodontist. We did some of each of the girls and then some together...this one is my very favorite! I love that they are just laughing and being silly. I am so lucky that my girls love each other and get along so well.

Scrapbook page for dance

2008-03-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

I had to do a scrapbook page for Kelsie's dance team. I haven't made a scrapbook page since before Christmas. I almost forgot how fun it is. I think it turned out cute hope she likes it.

Centennial's Military Dance

2008-03-13T16:28:00.001-07:00

Here is the link to the Military Dance Kelsie did at Nationals. After you click on the link type in Centennial in the box. Kelsie starts out in the front row 2nd to the last on the right side. Hope that makes sense.
http://www.varsity.com/vwired/08usa_spirit_dancedrill.asp

Enjoy!

Airport Blues!! Nationals Trip

2008-03-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Nationals was interesting at the least! The night before we left, Kelsie came down with a very sore throat. At about 5:45 I looked in her mouth and her tonsils had white spots all over them! I called her dr. and since Kelsie never gets sick they wouldn't give her a script without seeing her. Well she was on her way to dance practice until 8pm then leaving at 5:30 the next morning to go to Anaheim. We finally called a Dr. friend that called her in a last min script and we started her on it right away. She was feeling better the next day and was ready to dance Friday with her team. (Thanks Doc!) Next while Kayla and I were flying on a different plane we arrived in San Francisco to find out our connecting flight had been canceled. Then while we were waiting for the next flight, Colleen one of the ladies that we were sharing a room with called from the hotel and said they didn't have a reservation for us. I had to call my mom and have her run to my house and look up the confirmation number and phone number to the travel agency I went through back in October! I gave my mom Colleens number so that they could correspond while I was on my flight. They put us on the next flight out not sitting by each other and we were on our way. Luckily one of the men sitting by Kayla knew they man sitting by me and so they switched us spots so we could sit by each other. Then off we went. We were happy to hear after getting off the plane that they hotel mess was all fixed and we did have a place to stay in a sold out hotel.

(After our first cancellation...still happy!)

Thursday was a fun day spent in Disneyland, California Adventures and eating with the team at ESPN Zone. They actually had an American Idol contest with the winner singing at a Ducks game. No I didn't enter the contest but one of the dancers little brother did (10 yrs. old) and he actually won 2nd place. He was amazing!

Then back to our hotel where Kayla started complaining that her throat hurt. The next morning she was in severe pain and when I looked at her tonsils...yep...covered with white spots, and she was burning up! We called her Dr. that she has been to recently and he called the Albertsons in Anaheim and we went and picked up some more pills. She was sick in bed for 2 days and was only able to see Kelsie dance one dance in the finals before she went back to her bed.

Sunday we got to the airport at noon for a 2:00 flight and after waiting in line to check our luggage we were told our flight was cancelled and that we had to go to another area in the airport to wait in another line to get our flight changed. Well long story short, after waiting for 6 hours and in 6 different lines and being randomly searched we arrived home safely at 10p.m. What a trip! I will say one thing....through it all we laughed and enjoyed each others company even while sitting on the floor for over an hour waiting to check our luggage in!

(After 2 cancelled flights and 10 hours in the airport!) (Hairdo compliments of Kayla :)

Dance Nationals 2008

2008-03-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Anaheim with Centennial's Sweet Liberty Dance Team. We had quite the trip that I will explain in another post. The girls did great, they got 2 third place trophies and one first place trophy. Third in large dance and kick and first in Military. They danced so well especially against those california girls. We were very happy with the results and especially with the costumes that our girls wore that covered their bodies!

(Juniors Laura, Lauren, Kelsie, & Alex) These 4 girls are the only Juniors on the team and they are the best of friends. They get along so well and are always coming up with creative ways to spend their time like seeing how many skittles they can fit in their mouths. (I think Kelsie won with 70!) They have so much fun together and are always laughing and of course posing for the camera! It's not very often that I just get a smile I don't know where they get all of those faces they make!

Braces...

2008-02-25T20:15:00.000-08:00

What a happy birthday for Kilee, after letting her sleep in for a little bit we headed to the orthodontist to finally get her braces off. I say finally because Dr. Gold (our favorite orthodontist) told her she would be getting them off before school started. When we went to that appointment, Kilee was very dissappointed when Dr. Gold told her that her teeth had shifted back during the month and He wasn't ready to take them off. Kilee had told all of her friends she was getting them off and then went to school with BRACES! How horrible for a 13 year old. Well the time came 2 weeks ago when she went to bands just at night and her jaw didn't move. So we scheduled the appointment which just happen to fall on her birthday. What a great way to remember your 14th birthday! I was amazed when I got her pictures of before and after. She looks like a little girl going in and an 18 yr. old coming out. :( After 2 years one month and a couple of weeks she is free of metal in her mouth....well almost except the retainer.

No more plastic expanders to keep the mouth open forever! No more wax, bands or pokey wires, no more broken brackets :( No more moldings taken while trying not to gag. No more bands that I find on everywhere, no more pink or green or purple on your teeth. No more tightening or sore teeth every month...Just one beautiful smile. Thank you Dr. Gold and staff we love you!

Dr. Gold and his staff are the best in town. We feel like they are part of our family. After being with them for the past two years it will be hard to say good-bye and not see them every month. Good thing Laura and Dr. Gold are seen at Centennial sporting events!

In with braces...out with one beautiful smile! Congratulations Kilee J., You are one beautiful young lady!

Happy Birthday Kilee J.

2008-02-24T20:23:00.000-08:00

Wow I can't believe that my baby is turning 14! Kilee has always been one of a kind. She definitely has a mind of her own. I have so many wonderful memories of things we have done together, funny things she has said over the years and just watching her grow into the amazing young woman she is.
This is Kilee with my Grandma. The last 7 years of my grandma's life was spent in dialysis 3 times a week. While my parents were in Germany on their mission, I took my mom's place and took Grandma on Wednesdays. Kilee hated going with me and would often say "it's o.k. mom I will be fine, just lock the door." She was 3 at the time! After taking her for 18 months Grandma was wrapped around Kilee's little finger. My Grandma was a widow at a young age and worked full time the whole time I was growing up. She never attended any of my activities or programs. When Kilee had her first Christmas program in Kindergarten she called Grandma and asked her to come. I was very surprised when Grandma couldn't resist the invitation. Grandma once told me "I have a very soft spot in my heart for that little girl." Grandma has since past away, this is one of my favorite pictures of her and Kilee.
This picture was taken at a primary activity. Kilee decided it would be fun to go apple bobbing...the only problem was that no one was watching her or the apples. By the time we realized what she was doing she had taken bites out of several of the apples and then dropped them back into the water.
On the 100th day of first grade the kids did lots of 100's activities. One of the activities that they did was to draw a picture of what they would look like in 100 years. Most of the children drew very old looking people with wrinkles, but not Kilee. Kilee drew a casket with rows and rows of chairs. When asked about it she replied "Mom, hello of course in 100 years I will be dead and you will be at my funeral."
This is Kilee and her best friend Jessie...I am so glad Kilee has a best friend to go through middle school with. They get along so well, Jessie is like one of the family. I remember Junior High and all the changes and emotions I went through. I'm not sure how I made it through. I'm sure it had a lot to do with my best friend!

Kilee, Happy 14th birthday!! May all your hopes and dreams come true! I love you!!

Sisters and Friends

2008-02-03T19:47:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking lately about how blessed I am that my girls are the best of friends! I was born the fifth of five children and the only girl. At the age of 11my mom got remarried and I was blessed with three step sisters. I love my sisters and wish I could of been closer to them growing up. I love that my girls walk by each other and ask for hugs, I love when they take thousands of pictures together just because, I love when they have sleep overs even though they all have their own rooms, I love that they miss each other when one is gone, I love that they are supportive of each other and stick up for each other. But mostly I love that they LOVE each other so much! My wish for them is that they will continue their friendship as they grow and leave home and they will lean on each other if only to make life easier.

Our Dear Prophet

2008-01-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

BE GREATFUL
BE SMART
BE CLEAN
BE TRUE
BE HUMBLE
BE PRAYFUL

Just one of my favorite things from President Hinckley. I am so happy for him and for the reunion of him and his sweet wife. What an impact he had on this world. I will always remember the example he was to me. I loved most when he said lets all be a little more kinder. What a better world this would be if everyone followed his words and example.

My Mom & Dad

2008-01-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

I don't think I will ever have enough pictures of my parents. I know they get sick of me taking them at every family function, BUT...I know they won't be here forever. It is so hard to watch them get older and it's hard watching my dad get lost and lose his memory. I just cherish the days and years I have left with them!

2008-01-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Kayla at 19, had her 12 year old molars taken out yesterday. We have been watching them for years go up and then back down again. Finally they started to decay and needed to be removed. OUCH! She wasn't very excited for me to take her picture but with my new blog spot i needed something to do while I am taking care of her!

Beautiful Girls

2008-01-25T11:13:00.001-08:00

2008-01-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast Kelsie is growing up! Just yesterday I got a newsletter from Centennial and it hit me like a brick that she will be graduating next year! WOW time goes by too quickly!