Field Trip to Zion

Spring time means fun field trips with my kids' classes to Zion. Most every grade in school ends up going to Zion, so that gives me 4 different trips. I love Zion. I really could spend time there every week if I had time. Anyway, last week I went with Ethan's class and they went to the lower Emerald Pools and then to the animal farm. We had a blast except when we went to leave and the bus broke down...oh well, we ended up getting home an hour late and it wasn't so bad. Here are a couple of pics.

Kite Festival Nightmare!!!

If any of you have ever been to the kite festival, with kids, you know that it is quite a challenge, when you have as many as I do, to keep them all with you at all times. Well, I thought I would be smart and use the buddy system, but Rhett ended up getting lost...Guess who was his buddy? (ME) Anyway, this is the story. I was there alone because Richard usually is working at the kite festival, but he was at a softball tournament in Delta. So I had to go anyway because the drill team was doing the kite war contest and I had to be there with the girls. While I was helping them get ready, my little guy climbed out of his stroller and escaped the gated area in which we were in. I immediately ran to Richard's boss (who was driving around a sporty little golf cart) and she radioed everyone and one of his coworkers finally found him after 20 minutes! Those were the longest 20 minutes of my life...I thought I was going to die after circling the whole festival about 3 times along with everyone else. I was so thankful he was found. Needless to say, I strapped him back in his stroller and had everyone keep a death's eye on him. You know that feeling of wanting to hug and strangle your child at the same time...yeah that about sums it up. I don't think I've ever hugged him quite as tight. Anyway, our drill team girls ended up taking 1st place and winning $1000 for our team so it was an awesome ending to a scary day! Here are a couple of pics.

Stole from Jaime...

I thought this was a funny little quiz, so I took it from Jaime's blog and posted it on my own! You can do it too! (Thanks Jaime)

What's in a name?


1.YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car): Zac Galant
2. YOUR GANGSTA STAR NAME (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Oreo Wedge
3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): Blue Horse
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Elaine Vegas
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (first three letters of your last name, first two letters of your first name): Hir Sa
6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Purple Lemonade
7. NASCAR NAME (the names of your grandfathers): Gayle Louis
8. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your 5th grade teacher's last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Staheli Salt Lake
9. SPY NAME (your favorite season/holiday, favorite flower): Summer Lily
10. CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you are wearing right now): Watermelon shorts
11. HIPPIE NAME (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Eggs Mulberry

So I decided to post some older pics because I thought these oldies were so cute. The first is my girls performing in the Nutcracker Ballet this past December. It was a fun recital and they did 2 shows in the one day, so it was VERY LONG...They looked so beautiful. Their next recital is a week from today. The other two are a couple of the Tigerettes goofing off before a competition. They are so much fun and great girls. They're a lot more humble than some of the bigger name schools so they are a bit easier to teach and train. I SOOO appreciate that!

We spent the day on Smith's Mesa today and I forgot to take any PICTURES! I brought my camera and I was all prepared and the day got away from me so now I am home thinking - why didn't I take any pics. Anyway, we had a great day. We went four-wheeling and the boys looked for sheds. It's always fun to play in the mountains. It was a gorgeous day and the mountains were breathtaking. We couldn't stay and camp because Tris had to be back for the Drake Bell concert and Richard was leaving for a ball tournament up North. So back to life it is...

Sorry Guys...I Forgot

I forgot to post the picture of Clay O'Brien Cooper. I didn't realize it until I was looking over stuff. Here he is!

More Pictures...

More Pictures, More Fun, The Rural Way!

Here are some more recent pics. David's horse had a new baby this past Friday and we took the kids to see it. They were so excited. We also went to the Clark County Rodeo to watch Cody ride and he did a great job. It was also fun because when we stopped at the gas station on our way out of town, Richard noticed Clay O'Brien Cooper from the movie John Wayne and the Cowboys. We took a picture with him and showed our little boy because that is his favorite movie ever. I think the guy was surprised Richard recognized him being so young and all...Anyway, here are some more spring pictures and misc. stuff. There are pictures of a family BBQ with Richard's family, our exchange student's date to the prom, us on the 5th grade hiking field trip, etc. Soccer season is coming to an end and softball season is beginning so more business. The girls' dance recital is in a couple of weeks and camping is beginning to happen. We are working on our yard a little at a time, but it may take us a few years to get everything done depending on how things go. I can't believe there are only about 6 or 7 weeks of school left. Time is flying! Well enjoy the pics and take care! Spring is here and summer is coming!!! I love hot weather!

Easter & Spring - Wonderful Things!

Here are a few pictures from Easter. You can tell the kids were amused at the Easter Egg Hunt - actually in their defense they were just ready to go. The wind got going pretty good and they were all cold. We took the kids over to IFA. They were having a spring sale/party and they had a mechanical bull, a climbing wall, roping, mutton busting, games, Easter egg hunts, and food. All of it was free, which makes it even better. I told the kids that whoever made it to the top of the climbing wall would win $5 and Alayna was so determined, she not only made it to the top, but she went up the toughest one (the adult one) and made it faster than any of the adults! She is our little monkey and boy is she competitive. The kids enjoyed the mechanical bull, Rhett looked so cute! The hardest part was getting them away from all the fun!

A Visit From Jon's Parents!

We had the wonderful opportunity to meet our exchange student's parents last week. They were only here for a day and a half so we jam packed it full of adventures. We put them on our pony, we took them for a drive up through Zion, we held a spontaneous partial-family dinner with a surprise gift presentation from them, they went on an exchange student field trip with Jon, I took them to the temple, I drove them up through Snow Canyon, they rode the 4-wheelers, and we took them down the strip and to the water show at the Bellagio before returning them to their hotel on Freemont street (where they watched the light show). It was a very fast and exhausting day and a half! We all had a blast and they are wonderful sweet people! It's easy to see why their son is so kind and nice. We really hated seeing them go so soon, but they invited us to come stay in their country with them many times and we look forward to doing that in the future. Here are some pictures from their visit. His mom and dad came along with his dad's cousin. His dad's cousin was a hoot and even rode the kid's 50 cc motorcycle. It was so fun!

Grandpa Hamel

For those of you who have been wondering...My Grandpa did not die, we had to move him to an assisted living facility. This was something we did not want to have to do, but it came that time when things were getting dangerous for everybody and it was the best thing for him. We moved him out to a little house in LaVerkin and we visit him every Sunday. He loves the food and there are a few people for him to visit with. They only have 5 residents at the most and right now there are only 4 including him. They really spoil him and he seems to be happy. That makes me happy too. We miss him, but things have been a lot safer and we haven't had to worry about leaving Grandpa alone during the day or on the weekend. We took some pictures when we went to visit him the other day so here they are! Things 'round here are about the same - crazy and fun and never a dull moment. Take Care!

Life on the Farm!

My cute little nephew in Murray likes to say that we live on a "farm." For any of you who have actually lived on a farm or been on a real farm, you will find this funny, but he is passionate about his visits here. Everytime our family is brought up in a conversation, he will tell my sister, "When can we go visit my cousins on the farm?" I love it! It is so cute. Anyway, here are some cute pictures I took of our horses, Coy & Kate, and our pig, Davey Jones. Davey is going to be butchered in a few weeks, but the other day, he got out of his pen and he was galloping around the yard. I never realized pigs could gallop, but it sure was fun to watch! Here is also a cute picture of Kayle and Ethan dressed up like "Captains of the Army" they told me. They like to create their own costumes with various items they own. They have been very creative lately. Maybe it's because we turned off our cable...I sure love them, though. Kids have crazy funny imaginations, it's great!

Tigerette Spectacular!

Here are a couple of pictures of the girls at their Tigerette Spectacular! They had a great year and I was thankful to be a part of it. Each year just gets better as the program grows. Here is a picture of all the girls on the team and then one of me and head coach, Anna. Here also are some pictures of Trista and Alayna performing at the spectacular. It was a great time!

Aren't Kids Funny?

Have you ever looked at your kids in certain positions and just wondered how it could ever be comfortable to be like that? Well, that is wondered a lot in this home. My kids are always falling asleep in weird positions and in weird places, and although I'm sure it's not comfortable, it sure is adorable. Rhett fell asleep the other day on the bar stools and I just had to take a picture. Kids sure are funny!

ROXY HIRSCHI

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our family, Roxy. She is a border collie/mountain kerr mix and the kids sure are excited to have her. Mom was not really keen on the whole idea, but I was assured that I would not have to take care of the dog at all - we'll see...We picked her up yesterday from a family in Nevada. They met us in Cedar. The kids have been ecstatic ever since. Rhett was upset last night because she was wimpering in the garage and we told him she could not come in the house and that she would be okay. He insisted she was so upset and he said, "But she's arfing for us, mom and dad." He is a cutie. Hopefully they stay entertained by her for a bit and the excitement doesn't wear off too quick. Plus, I was told this definitely would cheer Ethan up since he just had his tonsils out last week and was feeling a little down. I would've posted pictures of him in the hospital, but my camera has decided to delete pictures lately. Anyway, that's the news for now!

P.S. Ethan named the dog Roxy. It was totally his decision and I don't think he realized that was his Aunt's name. He got the name from his good friend, Renic, who also has a dog named Roxy.

Our Exchange Student, Jamshedjon

Since August, We have had the blessing of having an exchange student from Uzbekistan in our home. His name is Jamshedjon (just like it is spelt) and he is 17 years old and a junior. He has been such a blessing in our home. He is lots of fun and such a great help around the house. He has had some fun opportunities since he has been here including meeting Mit Romney and some other state representatives. He recently went up to the State Capitol during the legislative meetings and was able to tour the Capitol and meet some of the politicians. It was a great experience for him. He happened to be up there the day after President Hinkley had passed away so it was a special experience to be near the Salt Lake Temple during this time. You can see the flag at half staff at the Capitol Building. We call Jamshedjon Jon and we are grateful to have him a part of our family. Hopefully a lot of you get to meet him before he leaves to go back home in June. He will be a part of our family forever now as he has nestled right into our hearts!

Welcome to the Blog!

Hello Family and Friends! I thought I would keep an online journal of sorts by doing a family post - Plus all my friends and family seem to be doing it lately. I thought it would be a cool way of keeping in touch with those we don't see all the time. I have enjoyed so many of your blogs lately, I wanted to see if I could do it or not. We'll try it and if it doesn't work, oh well, we're not out anything, right? Anyway, we will try to post some pictures and such and keep you up to date every once in awhile to what is going on in this crazy place called Hirschi Land. Enjoy!