Starting Point Guard for AF Caveman 9th Grade B-ball Team . . .

Thanksgiving 2009

The past two years we have left town for Thanksgiving to be with family, but it just seemed like the right thing to do this year would be to stay home. We decided we would make some fun plans and really enjoy the time off together. We went bowling to celebrate Jo’s birthday, brought out the chocolate fountain, went out to lunch, made crepes for dinner, shopped and prepared food for Thanksgiving dinner, watched the kids play indoor soccer games, helped my brother move, and decorated our house for Christmas. To top is all off we celebrated a fabulous BYU win over the Utes! Go BYU!! It was a pretty great vacation.

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Piano Players

I am always telling the kids as they complain about practicing the piano, "You are piano players. I played the piano (not very well because I was not very persistent) your dad played the piano, your grandparents play the piano, you will play the piano!" We have the most beautiful piano in our home - it was given to me from my parents and it was originally my dads grandmothers piano. The kids actually do pretty well and do not complain too much. I think the payoff is so worth it!

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Fall Birthdays

We have three fall birthdays in our family! Jamie had a family party and got a Rip Stick, the little guy had his first friend party, complete with a Tiger Hunt (picture on the couch of the kids flying to Africa), cupcakes with blue frosting and a pinata and for Josie we went bowling.

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Reflections

Jenna had an entry in the Reflections contest this year at her school. The theme was Beautiful is. . .

I loved the entry because it was so her. She molded a ball out of clay, painted it to look like a soccer ball and then wrote the following:

Beauty is a soccer ball.
I love soccer.
I love to run and kick the ball.
When I play soccer I am strong.
Soccer is beautiful.

She won a nice little trophy for her efforts!

Unwanted Guests

We were having a major problem with fruit flies and it was getting really obnoxious. We found the rotten onion in the pantry that seems to be the cause of all the unwanted visitors, and even after we disposed of the onion they still were tons of them hanging around. We didn’t know what to do and then I thought, let’s consult google and see if they have any ideas. A little bit of apple cider vinegar in the bottom of a jar and a funnel made out of paper did the trick. Bye, bye baby, bye bye!!

Butts Up

We have had the best time following the BYU women's soccer team this season. They have a great team and have done very well so far. A lot of my family was in town for the weekend and so we all went to the game to see them play their rival the Utes. My neighbor's brother does the halftime show, and invited us to play "butts up." We've seen this done before and thought it was very funny. "Butts up" is a game where three teams made of two people each try and kick the soccer ball from about 15 feet away and hit the person standing in front of them in the butt. The first team went and the ball didn't even come close to the person she was shooting for. Then Jared kicked the ball and it hit me squarely in the butt. The third team then kicked and missed. We were the winners and won tickets to the next game. It was absolutely hilarious. I couldn't believe he actually hit me! And to make the night even better BYU beat Utah in overtime! Go Cougs!!

Priceless

This is what we have to go through at our house to get a picture of the kids in their soccer uniforms which all happened to be red this year. (Except for the boy who doesn’t play on an organized team yet. We borrowed that cool jersey from the neighbor who brought it back from her trip to Italy for her son).

Complaining, running on the cement patio in cleats, falling, scraping hands, running into the house crying, boy taking shoes off and throwing them somewhere, find shoes, put them back on boy, girl not happy about hair, kicking soccer ball into gully numerous times, retrieving soccer ball from gully numerous times, mom losing patience and yelling at kids, neighbor overhearing mom yelling at kids, mom mortified, annoyed teenager rolling eyes, teasing, fighting, dad having an allergy attack trying to be helpful, but basically worthless, moving soccer net, moving locations, 100 pictures.....

one priceless candid photo.

Stuff Your Stuff

My parents finally sold their house in Washington and are renting a house about 1 mile away from mine. They’re looking for something permanent in this area, so if you know of something let me know!

It’s been so fun to have them close! We’re absolutely lovin’ it! My sister has done so much to help them initially get packed and then after they moved, get unpack. She jokingly told my mom she could star in a new television show called, “Stuff Your Stuff.” The new series shows you how to unpack your belongings after a move and stuff them into little spaces randomly wherever you can find, so you have to then spend hours trying to find what you need because you’ve stuffed it somewhere you can’t remember. Good thing my mom’s such a good sport and doesn’t mind a little razzing!! We love you mom!!

Mt. Timpanogos

For years when we lived in our old neighborhood Jared would hike Mt. Timpanogos with the Young Men in the ward. As we look out our family room window and look onto the magnificent view of the mountain he has said a million times, “We need to hike Mt. Timpanogos.” Well, we finally did it. Jared, Jaylee, Jenna and I got up at 2:30 am and were hiking by 3:30 am. We hiked most of the way up in the dark and were almost to the top as the sun came up over the mountain in front of Timpanogos and we witnesses the beautiful sunrise. From the top we could look down on the valley and it was an incredible sight.

Jared can’t seem to understand why though I wouldn’t necessarily want to do it again. The last hour every step I took felt like the bones in my feet were all broken. My knees hurt, my hips hurt and it was a hard, long hike. I think it’s about 12 miles. It took us four hours to get up there and three hours to get down. It was something great to have accomplished, but still I think once in a lifetime is good for me!

GO CAVEMEN!!

Preschool

Our last kid is in preschool. It’s been so fun to see him wear his Power Ranger backpack and pack a lunch in the morning like the big girls - even though he still eats it at home.

First Day of School

Josie's Love Note

Soccer Season

Here we go again! Four girls, four schedules and my favorite past time - watching Shepherd kids play soccer!

Bear Lake

My family usually goes on a vacation together each summer. We have thoroughly enjoyed going to Bear Lake the last few years. My parents rent a fabulous cabin for us, we play on the beach, enjoy the pool, go on hikes to secluded lakes and swing off a rope into freezing cold water, eat great dinners and homemade raspberry shakes! Thanks mom and dad! We had a wonderful time!

South Carolina Wedding

Jonathan got married! My brother married the cutest, nicest girl in the South Carolina LDS Temple. My mom, dad, other three siblings and three babies were all able to fly to SC and be there for the wedding and reception. We had the best time ever! We enjoyed meeting and visiting with Jon's wife's family, loved the quiet serenity of a non-Utah temple (it was very small and intimate), put our feet in the Atlantic ocean (it was like bathwater), ate genuine real country cookin' at the Lizard's Thicket, toured Charleston, SC, endured torrential rainstorms and thoroughly enjoyed just being together! I love you family!