Pioneer Day Weekend...Zoom! It was Gone!

Pioneer Day is usually not that big of a holiday for us, though we do enjoy Richard's time off and spending time together doing SOMETHING...usually last minute planned. This year was a lot more fun. Thursday morning, we took the kids down to the parade and watched them ride the little hay trailer down the road and then participated in the races at the park. After that, Richard and I packed the kids, took them to our family's (Mike & Kristine's - who are wonderful by the way), and packed ourself for a fun weekend. We decided to go to California with some friends and they were going to show us around and take us to see Wicked in LA. They use to live there so they knew their way around very well.

Let me tell you how wonderful it is to visit somewhere when A) You don't have to drive B) You don't feel lost because you aren't driving C) You get to see all the cool things you probably wouldn't have seen if you were driving because you were too worried you were going to get lost!

Anyway, it was a blast. Thursday night, we shopped a little and drove through Beverly Hills and around town and then went and got some really awesome icecream smooshed between cookies at a fun little shop. The next day was jam packed full of fun stuff. We went to the Garment District in the morning and spent a few hours shopping and looking at all the cool stuff. Let me tell you...that place is AWESOME! I could've spent a few days there. If you've never been there, you should definitely go. Next, we (they) drove us out to Malibu to Zuma beach and we spent a few hours hanging out and knee boarding in the water. This was a blast. Trent and Richard went out to the bigger waves and were getting the crap beat out of them, but when Misty and I finally made it into the water, we decided to ride the smaller ones into shore. We had a lot of fun sliding all the way up the sand and I even accidentally wiped a little boy out once...not my finest moment. It was a lot of fun, though. We left there and headed back to the hotel so we could get showered up and dig all the sand out of all the places that sand gets to when you are playing in the ocean. It is crazy how much sand a swim suit can actually hold!

That night, we headed to the Pantages Theater and watched Wicked. It was fantastic and we got to sit on the 3rd row which was really cool! We loved the play and we will definitely have to come back and see another one there. That theater was beautiful! After that, we drove down Hollywood Blvd and went to the Chinese Theater so we could take a picture of John Wayne's boot prints to bring home for Kayle. We then went over to Universal City Walk and tried to find a place to eat that was actually open at midnight. We were starving! We finally decided to go to the Saddle Ranch which was kind of a club/restaurant thing and we ate some really bad food and watched all the drunk people trying to make their way around the place. It was quite entertaining I must say. We got back to the hotel REALLY late and had no problem falling asleep!

The next day we drove through Beverly Hills (this time in the daylight) and then down to Venice Beach to check out the sites. We walked...a really long way...down to the street vendors that perform and sell and do crazy things and then to Muscle Beach where they work out in the gym outside (which I think is crazy in the middle of the hot day). Let me tell you how crazy these people were. There were people preaching, performing, selling paint splattered peace sign rugs, dancing up on their decorated travel trailer with drums and incense burning, skating with signs taped to their head, flipping over peoples backs, giving tattoos right on the street, and any other weird thing you could imagine. I mean these people are nuts. There was even a guy holding a sign that said "I want to become a porn star - need audition" Is that cuckoo or what? These people are in their own little world. We saw the Muscle Beach gym and there was a Nickelodeon slime truck which was kind of cool. We then walked...a long way...back to the car and headed out of California. We stopped in Primm, Nevada, and did a little shopping. Misty and I found some fun gifts and then we headed the rest of the way home. We were tired when the weekend was over, but it was well worth it and we had a blast! Hopefully we'll get to do it again sometime!

Dance Camp...Ahhh the Memories!

The week before Pioneer Day was Basic Dance Training Camp for my Drill Girls. I did not recall the long tiring days that came to bite me in the behind as they did in my past! That was a tiring few days...and I didn't dance even half of what the girls did. They did have some fun coaches classes and Anna (the head coach) and myself would work out with the girls a few times in the morning class. It was a lot of fun. Our team ended up walking away with the Hardest Working Team trophy which was a great honor. They all did a great job and we all had a blast! I was a tired lady when Saturday rolled around!

4th of July Fun!!!

We had a great 4th of July! Trista and I got to go to the Stadium of Fire, while the rest of the crew hung out here. We spent the morning with them at the park enjoying the races and the games, but then we took off for Provo. Trista and I went shopping at the mall and then joined some friends up there and went to the show. Let me tell you...if you haven't met Trista, she is the biggest Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus fan there ever was. She has LOVED her for the past 2 years and it is even her nickname at school so she was pretty stoked to get to see her in person. It was a great show and I took some video with my camera. It didn't turn out super great because we were pretty far up in the stands, but Trista was excited to have record of her trip! The fireworks were great and then after we drove up to Murray to stay the night at my sister's house. The next morning, we stopped at IKEA and Cabellas and had fun browsing around in those big beautiful stores! Richard and the rest of the crew enjoyed staying in Hurricane and doing the home run derby and the annual softball game. We missed them and we'll be happy to stay home next year!

Saying Goodbye to Jon...

Well, we finally had to do it...we had to say goodbye to Jon. He left June 25th, and we have talked to him a couple of times since then, but we sure miss him. Here are some pictures of us in Vegas before he left. We took the kids to the MGM and had fun staying there and swimming in their awesome pools and lazy river. Early the next morning, he flew home.

This is how this story goes...Little man wanted SO badly to jump off the diving board. So I took him over there and Dad assured little man that he would catch him. Little man walked out on the diving board very slowly and with great caution, only to get very very nervous. Even after all of our persuasive talk, he decided he just wasn't into it anymore and walked off. The great thing...he did this two more times and still had the same outcome. So, Dad decided to jump off the board and do a cannonball...Yay!!!!

Back to Life!

Hi Everybody!
Sorry we have been gone for a bit, but it has been crazy! We got back from our family trip and we had quite a time on it. We were pulling two trailers behind our truck and one got a little fishtaily and almost flipped us which was crazy, so we drove VERY slowly the rest of the trip. While we were fishing, a guy got stuck in the mud with his car and we helped tow him out and we only caught 1 fish, but we had a fun time. We actually made our own fun by hitching the fishing boat up to a raft and a log and towing the kids around on the lake with it. That was a good time.

The day after we got home was Trista's 11th birthday! Can you believe I have a child that old. That is crazy! Anyway, she and a friend got to go to lunch and a movie and have a sleepover. We also all went swimming up to the city pool as a family. Trista was very excited when she opened up her presents and realized she had tickets to see Hannah Montana at the Stadium of Fire! That girl is Hannah Montana through and through. Anyway, I'm going to take her up and we will have some girl time so it will be fun. She's a great girl and so beautiful!

My Grandfather had to have emergency surgery on some skin cancer in his cheek and they did it over a couple of days, so four of my days were spent at doctor's offices and the hospital. He is doing well in recovery. The cancer had spread into some facial nerves and into his salivary gland so that was the need for the surgery.

Father's day was nice. I fixed a fun breakfast and dinner for Richard and we went and visited our Dad's. It was just a nice relaxing day.

All last week, there were parties almost every day for Jon because he was leaving. Monday night, we had a BBQ with a whole bunch of family, Tuesday the scouts through him a party, Thursday his work through him a BBQ out at the lake, and Saturday night he had a party with all his friends. He really is a loved kid.

Tuesday, we went down to Vegas and stayed at the MGM Grand with all the kids. We had a lot of fun swimming in the pools. They even have their own lazy river there! We took the kids to the M&M Store and down to the Bellagio to watch the water show. In the morning on Wednesday, we had to get up super early to take our exchange student to the airport - Yep, he had to go home. It was a sad day folks. We didn't expect to send him off in such a hurry, but when he got to security, they rushed him through and we didn't really get to see him very long. It was pretty sad. We will miss him so much.

Wednesday was also Rhett's birthday, so when we got home from Vegas, he got to have his buddy over and have a sleepover. We ate pancakes for dinner (at his request) and watched a movie. It was a good time. I can't believe my baby is 4. They grow up so fast. I sure love that little guy.

Well, today I am afraid to say that I am venturing on the loss of my 20s. Yes, I am officially 30 today and I am not really sure if I am okay with it or not yet. I guess we will see! I know that some of you are beyond this point, but for me it is new territory so bare with me folks!

I hope all of you are doing well. Life is crazy for all of us, but I sure enjoy reading your blogs and keeping in touch. Have a great day!

On a Leave of Absence...

Just lettin' ya'all know that we are leaving tomorrow morning for our family trip up through Bryce Canyon and up to Fish Lake and a few other spots. We will be gone for a few days, so I will post pics and updates when I get back. Hope this weekend finds you well and happy! Love you all!

Back to Life...Thankful as Ever

Sorry about the break. Last week was a hard week and now I am even more appreciative of the moments I have with my beautiful family. My younger sister's husband was killed in a car accident on the 17th so a few days were spent with her planning and helping with the funeral and burial. It was very hard to see my sister become a widow at the age of 27. I had never been through an actual funeral planning that intimately before, it was very humbling. Amy asked me to sing at the funeral which I was honored to do, but frightened to death because I knew how hard it would be to sing while my sister was in tears. The funeral ended up being beautiful. Amy even spoke and so did Toby's mother and it was a great celebration of his life. I know she's going to have a hard road ahead, but she is being stronger than I thought she would be. I pray for her continued strength and peace, especially for her boys. The evening after the funeral, my stepmom's father passed away so my parents left first thing the next morning to fly back East to bury him. To finalize the week, this past Saturday, my father-in-law borrowed our 4-wheeler to go out riding with some friends and ran over his leg, breaking his ankle in a couple of places and having to have surgery Sunday morning. Thankfully, he is doing okay, but it is very hard for that man to sit still so we will see how the "resting" part of the plan goes!

Needless to say, I am thankful for this new week - school's out, new beginnings, and happier endings I hope! I have just finished checking in on some of your blogs and it's so wonderful to see some happy pictures and beautiful spring/summer weather.
We have been spoiled with not having to run the AC too much yet because the weather has been hot/cool back and forth lately. I believe it will start warming up for good now...

It is wonderful school is out and activities are wrapped up for now. I have this week and next week left for T-ball/machine pitch/softball games and then we will be done for good. We are going to leave on our family trip up through Bryce Canyon and to go fishing next week so I am busy this week preparing our trailer for takeoff. I need to sew new curtains and cushion covers and put new shelf liner in all of the drawers as long as organize all of the storage situations in there. I love camping in our trailer. It makes life a whole lot easier when you have a crew of children to pack/unpack/and go to the bathroom at night! It should be a great time and I will post pics when we get home.

I'm posting some pics of Trista's field trip to Zion and our family trip to the Grand Canyon. We went out with Jon and the other exchange students and it was beautiful! The kids really loved it and it was nice to get away for a day.

I also wanted to mention that I was hired down at the gym to teach a couple of aerobics classes along with substituting when they need me. The great thing about the classes - they are Silver Sneakers classes, which are classes specifically designed for senior citizens. When I went today, there were over 20 in the class and we had a blast. You would be surprised how well some of those seniors can move. Anyway, it's been a great time and sometimes more fun than the younger groups! Maybe they'll let me take some pictures of them and I'll post them. We'll see! Well, that's about all for now. It's good to have a break from school, from dancing, and from grief! So seize the day, my friends, because you never know when it's your last! (Seriously) Love you all!

Some Spring Pics

Here are some of the latest doings...EJ's T-ball (I haven't taken many pics of the other kids in ball because the weather has been bad every game), Kayle's field trip to Zion, the girls' dance recital, and ej's kindergarten program (it was so cute). I have to tell you a cute story. I told EJ to try to get in front at the program so I could see him to film and take pictures so he told his teacher 3 times that he had to be front and center because his mom said so. I'm sure she thought I was a stage mom or something, but I must say he sang and danced his little heart out! Everything has been great. The picture of Tball has EJ and Rich together (Rich is he coach this year). EJ is so proud to have his Dad out there with him. Rich didn't volunteer, they kind of roped him in, but he loves being with him. School is winding down and summer is approaching fast. I'm not looking forward to our exchange student's departure, but I am looking forward to summertime and swimming with the kids' - I am a summer girl!

In Need of Your Help...

This is a call to all my friends, fam, and such....I am bored with my current recipes/food situation and I know that there are a lot of you out there that are fabulous cooks! I would love to have some new recipes to try and enjoy and use, BUT here is the catch - they have to be fast, kid and husband friendly, and able to cook for LARGE FAMILIES because that is what I do here, folks. So, if you have anything cool like that, please share with me because I would love to have some new ideas! Thanks a bunch!!!

I will post some new pics soon. I went on another Zion Field trip with my other son, Kayle, yesterday and took some pics so I will put those up soon. We have just been doing the day to day around here and I haven't had much to say!

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Sorry I haven't posted for a bit. Life gets a little crazy sometimes. I didn't have any pictures to post, but I wanted to catch up a bit. School has been winding up and winding down as the end approaches. I have been busy with room mom and library volunteer stuff and I have been doing fundraiser stuff with the drill team. We had a yard sale last weekend (in the wonderful Hurricane wind), but it went pretty well. We were able to raise quite a bit regardless of the weather. I swear, it has blown here every single day in April and now it is May...I wonder what that will bring! The kids are full into the baseball/softball/T-ball/machine pitch groove now along with Richard playing softball. We are at 5 games per week and a few practices so we have been staying busy. I will post pictures when I get some good ones. It has been so windy that I have been watching games from the car just to stay somewhat sane. I don't know how they play in that stuff! The wind was blowing so hard the other day and Richard was pitching. He only walked 2 guys in 2 games and I don't know how he was able to do that in the crazy wind!

Otherwise, things have been pretty normal. We are trying to plan for our family vacation which will be around the 2nd week of June. We are going to take the kids up to Lagoon and then up to Idaho to visit some family and friends and then to Yellowstone so it should be fun. We wanted to do something fun with our exchange student before he leaves the end of June. We sure are going to miss him. He has been such a blessing. I wish we could adopt him, although he is almost 18! Well, I'll post again when there is actually more exciting news to post!

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!