The Koru Weekly

Issue 193

2012-01-29T22:01:00.002-07:00

Breaking News!

2012-01-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

We always wanted six kids, and now we have six for the next 4 months! We "adopted" our darling niece Analese from Idaho so she can finish up her high schooling with Whitney at her charter school. I now have twin seniors and Whitney has a roomate for the first time. I rented both of them cap and gowns this week!

Whitney also started interning this week at The State Capital for the Legislative session two days a week. She is having an amazing experience! It means lots of extra driving for mom and dad, but it's worth it.

Swim Meet

2012-01-29T21:55:00.001-07:00

Janey warming up between races. She race 4 events in her second meet. Her favorite is the 50 meter back stroke and she took 1st place in her heat! Way to go Janey!

The Leo

2012-01-29T21:52:00.001-07:00

Some Friday's Daniel and I get to take field trips. This Friday we rode trax downtown, straight to the doorstep of The Leonardo Museum. This Tech meets Art museum was just up his ally. He especially enjoyed the exhibit where he got to try on prosthetic legs and walk around. We also explored the Salt Lake City Library next door. After a lunch out, we rode trax home, just in time to greet the girls coming home from school.

Brian Regan

2012-01-29T21:45:00.001-07:00

Steve and I were so excited to give the older kids in our family Brian Regan tickets for Christmas. We gave some to ourselves too, of course. The day of the concert finally came, and it was as funny as we'd hoped it would be! We've all been working so hard lately and it was really fun to sit back at laugh non-stop. Walking over to Abravenel Hall for the performace we encountered a smashed ice sculture in a hotel drive way. We kicked chunks of it all the way to the concert and then all the way back when it was done. Just the kind of random thing our family would do to make an evening more memorable.

Issue 192

2012-01-22T21:35:00.003-07:00

UMNH

2012-01-22T21:35:00.001-07:00

Uncle Tai and Aunt Kersten gave us tickets to the new Utah Museum of Natural History for Christmas. MLK day turned out to be the perfect day to go use them. Its a beautiful museum where you can learn about everything from earthquakes to Indians, dinosaurs to gem stones. The outside of the building was as amazing as the inside and it made for a fun family outing. Thanks for the gift!

Issue 191

2012-01-15T22:30:00.002-07:00

What a Week!

2012-01-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

A week in which few pictures were taken, because who has the time? Between Relief Society meetings, non-profit meetings, book group meetings, Young Men's meetings, work meetings, we were also dealing with a raging case of the Chicken Pox! Poor Steve L. was exposed at a holiday party, and two weeks later he came home from school and came down with a fever. So much for vaccinations! It was finals week at school and Whitney was doing some pretty intense projects to maintain her great grades. Steve will have some make-up work to do, but after a week of Pringles, Benadryl, Dr. Who, and Hydrocordazone cream, he should be able to finish up fine. Whitney helped me run the 5th Annual Freedom Bowl Competition for our Youth Leadership organization on Saturday and I even pulled off a talk in Sacrament Meeting. Is anyone else glad it's a holiday tomorrow?

Here is a photo treat - Whitney's Student Body Presidency year book photo. Looks right of the cover of a Law and Order DVD.

Issue 190

2012-01-08T18:56:00.001-07:00

Ellie's Easel

2012-01-08T18:48:00.001-07:00

Ellie's favorite Christmas present is her easel. She spends hours creating at it. She especially likes the chalk board. This is a drawing of a New Zealand cat's claw that she is very proud of.

Lego Robotics Competition

2012-01-08T18:43:00.001-07:00

Saturday Daniel's Lego Robotics team competed in the all day regional competition. They competed in four different areas, the final being the robot challenge. They did a good job for their first year. Daniel says, "It was awesome!"

Issue 189

2012-01-03T19:54:00.001-07:00

The Nutcracker

2012-01-03T19:51:00.001-07:00

For Christmas the girls received tickets to Ballet West's Nutcracker. What an amazing production!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T19:39:00.003-07:00

We had a wonderful New Year with family in Idaho! Our oldest nephew is heading to Italy on his mission, so we trekked up to our relatives to hear his farewell. We brought in the New Year dancing with the Wii, reading Dave Barry, and watching movies. Whitney went with her cousin to the local stake dance and had a blast! Happy New Year everyone!

Issue 188

2011-12-27T23:06:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-27T23:05:00.001-07:00

Christmas 2011, we've been having so much fun, we almost forgot to blog about it! We started off Christmas Eve with a matinee of the new movie "Tin Tin." The kids were really into the Tin Tin comics when we lived in New Zealand, so we loved the movie.

Then it was off to Grandma and Grandpa's with our Subarus loaded down with gifts. Grandma had gingerbread houses for all the kids to decorate. Grandpa grilled steak on the BBQ, which reminded me Christmas in New Zealand, where every one grills and goes to the beach to celebrate the holiday.

We spent the night and opened our Santa gifts in the morning before church. Its was wonderful to attend services in the ward I grew up in. The rest of the day was spent exchanging gifts with waves of family as they arrived at different times throughout the day. We had so much fun, we didn't want to go home, so we didn't. We spent the night again, and repacked our Subaru's for the ride home.

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too!

Issue 187

2011-12-18T22:43:00.001-07:00

Food Bank

2011-12-18T22:39:00.002-07:00

Whitney had the chance to serve at the Food Bank for a Young Women's activity recently. It was a wonderful service opportunity that she enjoyed. But she says, "Don't donate pineapple!" They have enough.

'Tis the Season

2011-12-18T22:28:00.001-07:00

Whitney's school choir had six performances downtown on Tuesday, and a full concert on Wednesday at the school. They performed Christmas music and Temple Square, The Joseph Smith Memorial Building and the State Capital. Steve got back in town in time to see her sing at the State Capital and then run over and see Janey's first swimming race, and then home to run Scouts. 'Tis the Season!

First Swim Meet

2011-12-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

Janey competed in her first Swim Meet this week! She swam the 100 meter freestyle, the 50 meter back stroke and the 50 meter freestyle. She did such a great job! The times she swam this meet will be her times to beat next time. It's so different having a child who loves to swim, since my first three children would rather eat worms than put their faces in the water. Janey is my little fish!

Issue 186

2011-12-11T21:57:00.001-07:00

The Week of the Nutcracker

2011-12-11T21:47:00.001-07:00

Janey and Ellie's dance company put on the full Nutcracker concert every year in conjunction with a near by city. Last year we went to see some friends in the production and the girls loved it so much they wanted to be in it this year. They do the full Nutcracker production (over 3 hours long!) with about 250 dancers. With 2 dress rehearsals and 2 performances, it was a week full of Nutcracker. Janey danced beautifully in the Japanese themed number and Ellie did a great job in both the Chinese and Scottish numbers. What a wonderful production to be a part of!

Bronze Medalist

2011-12-11T21:40:00.001-07:00

Daniel competed in a Novice Fencing Tournament this weekend and came away with a 4th place in Y12 Foil and a 3rd Place Bronze in Y14 Epee! Not bad for 3 months of training! Way to go Daniel.

Issue 185

2011-12-04T23:02:00.001-07:00

A New York State of Mind

2011-12-04T22:38:00.001-07:00

Growing up we had a children's Christmas book that showed people ice skating beneath the glow of a giant Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center in New York. I've always wanted to go skating there at Christmas time and so for an early anniversary present Steve took me to New York to fulfill my childhood wish. It was as romantic and thrilling as I'd ever hoped it to be. We stayed with Steve's business partner and his family in gorgeous Summit, New Jersey, which is a very convenient train ride away from Manhattan.

Christmas shopping on Times Square and 5th avenue was so much fun! The Christmas window displays & bright lights were magical. My favorite stops were the giant Toys R Us, the Lego store, the M&M store, of course the American Girls' Place!

Another wish granted, I got to see Wicked on Broadway! Incredible, even if we had to cash in the kid's inheritance to afford the tickets.

We saw downtown, midtown and uptown by double decker tour bus, and learned a lot of history along the way. Our second site seeing day we took in the amazing Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the largest cathedral in the world. The stained glass and sculptures were stunning.

The traffic was so thick on a Saturday that it took us almost 2 hours to get from the museum area of town back down to Times Square. We had tickets for a harbor cruise at 4:00, and thought 2 hours would be plenty of time to travel the few blocks. We ended up running the four blocks from Times Square to the harbor and arrived just in time to see the boat disappear! So, the Lego Lady Liberty is the only one we got to see this trip. Good thing our friends invited us to stay with them again in the fall.

Saturday evening we attended a wonderful Christmas concert, held at the church located in the Manhattan Temple building, and went to church on Sunday with our friends in New Jersey. Can't wait to return!

Issue 184

2011-11-27T22:02:00.001-07:00

An "UP" Kind of Weekend!

2011-11-27T21:55:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Hope you did too! We started the weekend off right with family pictures on a gorgeous afternoon. Seriously, you couldn't have asked for better November weather. (Can't wait to show them to you when we get them!)

Steve's parents put on a lovely feast, with all but one of the 27 Grandchildren attending, including the 2 brand new babies. We filled out the weekend with going out to dinner and the movies, more cousin time, a hike up Butterfield Canyon, a visit to the "UP" house and more going out to dinner and the movies.

Can't wait for Christmas break to do it all over again!

Issue 183

2011-11-20T22:37:00.001-07:00

First Ski of the Season

2011-11-20T22:30:00.001-07:00

The first snow of the season, mean breaking out the cross-country skis around here. Ellie and Janey traded off for at least 4 hours Saturday afternoon, first in the back yard and then at the park. Should be a great ski season.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

2011-11-20T21:40:00.001-07:00

For the last two weeks I have been in the sitting choir for my school's Joseph play. Because I'm in the sitting chorus we don't have to worry about makeup or costumes, but we are basically the soundtrack for the entire play and rarely stop singing. It's been a good exsperience but I'm glad tommorow is the last performance. Then I can get back to having a life and picking up the slack I've left behind. :) We have a great director, Mr. Harsh, he's orchestrated the best high school play I've ever seen, much less been a part of. Mr. Jensen the choir and orchestra director has also been great and has kept us non-actors prepped and going. It's the first production I've been a part of and I'm glad I did it.

Issue 182

2011-11-13T21:35:00.001-07:00

Snow Princesses

2011-11-13T21:29:00.001-07:00

For my Birthday Date this year we had a wonderful dinner at Market Street and then Steve and I went to the H&M store opening in Utah. After waiting in line for twenty minutes to even enter the store, we found a beautiful jacket for me and these darling sweaters for the girls.

Steve told them they looked like Snow Princesses which delighted Ellie to no end.

Issue 181

2011-11-06T20:15:00.003-07:00

Happy Halloween

2011-11-06T20:15:00.001-07:00

The kids came up with their own Halloween costumes this year, as usual. A gangster, devil and a witch, definatly the opposites of their true personalities. Hope you had a happy Halloween!

First Fencing Tournament

2011-11-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Daniel competed in his first fencing tournament this weekend. He did quite well for his first tournament, even though he lost most of his matches, it was usually only by one point. His coach thought that was quite impressive, since most first time fencers don't score many points. Most the kids he fenced had been competing for a year or two. We're excited to see his progress in the next few tournaments.

Issue 180

2011-10-30T22:37:00.002-06:00

The Montage

2011-10-30T22:37:00.000-06:00

As part of a signing bonus for Steve's awesome new job, we received a weekend stay at a very nice resort. After the long hours and much travel of the last several weeks, it was nice to take the weekend off and relax together. It was most definitely the nicest place we've ever stayed with incredible service and breath taking views. We felt a little out of place, but had no trouble enjoying ourselves.

Principal's Pride

2011-10-30T22:33:00.000-06:00

Ellie received the coveted, "Principal's Pride" award this week for her outstanding fall artwork. I love the attention to detail and her understanding of perspective. That's her, peaking from behind the tree! Ellie is my little artist.

Issue 179

2011-10-23T21:56:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Ellie!

2011-10-23T21:54:00.001-06:00

Ellie wanted a pumpkin flavored, pumpkin cake for her birthday this year. This gluten-free labor of love took four separate trips to the store (it's a long story!)

We had a Halloween friend party on her birthday and a family party the next day when Dad was back from New York. To complete the pumpkin theme, we went to the pumkin patch to pick our own. Ellie wanted a pet for her birthday and settled on a hermit crab named Stripes, who she loves dearly.

Happy 7th Birthday Ellie!

Trax Trip

2011-10-23T21:44:00.000-06:00

The kids had a day off school so we rode the trax line all the way downtown. It dropped us off right on the Planetarium doorstep. We had a fun field trip and then rode the train back home. It's exciting to have access to downtown right at our doorstep.

Swim Team for Janey

2011-10-23T21:40:00.003-06:00

Janey LOVES to swim! She took swimming lessons this summer and did very well. Since school started, she has asked almost daily to go to the pool. When I realized this wasn't a passing fad, I got permission for her to try out for the premier swim team in our area. She made the team and trains three and a half hours a week, which she says is "A dream come true!" Her best friend is also on the team, so she is truly in heaven. Looking forward to her first meet.

Karate Competition

2011-10-23T21:33:00.001-06:00

Daniel competed in his first Karate Sparring Competition at the South Towne Expo Center this weekend. He won round after round and ended up taking 2nd Place! Way to go Daniel!

Issue 178

2011-10-16T22:46:00.004-06:00

Good Hard Work

2011-10-16T22:46:00.002-06:00

This week was full of good hard work for the whole family. We have settled into our new fall routine, and everyone is doing a great job working on their projects and goals. Dad pulled 12 to 18 hour days at his new job, and I had a chance to attend a 2 day dyslexia training for math. I'm very excited to implement what I learned with Daniel.

Steve is off to Phili tomorrow and then back to New York! Here's to another great week of good hard work.

Issue 177

2011-10-09T22:06:00.004-06:00

Scout Camp

2011-10-09T22:06:00.002-06:00

Yes, it's hard to believe, but that is snow! It snowed the whole time at scout camp for Daniel and Dad this weekend, but that never stops the fun!

The Leonardo Gala

2011-10-09T21:21:00.000-06:00

Above, an amazing art sculpture that hangs from the ceiling of the Leo.

Below, my brother Tai and I at the formal Gala. Steve was flying home from Florida, and was sadly unable to attend.

I had the opportunity to a Formal Gala for the ribbon cutting opening ceremony at Utah's newest Museum, The Leonardo. My sister-in-law has worked long and hard for years to help it open. After hearing from the Mayor, the Governor and a Nobel Laurette, the museum was opened for us for a preview. The Leo is a science and art museum, that I can't wait to bring my kids to experience.

Issue 176

2011-10-02T23:48:00.005-06:00

New Zealand Family

2011-10-02T23:48:00.001-06:00

This weekend we were able to visit with our dear friends, family really, from New Zealand. Auntie Hoki and Uncle Owen have been family friends with my side of the family for over 60 years. They became our adoptive Grandparents in New Zealand and we owe much of our wonderful experience there, to them. We hadn't seen them for two years, (since the last time they came for General Conference) and the children had been asking weekly for those two years when we would see them again! Auntie Hoki brought lollie's for the children and we had a wonderful time catching up and remembering wonderful times. We will miss them dearly until we see them again.

Issue 175

2011-09-25T23:03:00.001-06:00

First Week on the Job

2011-09-25T23:02:00.000-06:00

Steve started his first week at his new company in New York meeting with a couple big clients with one of his business partners. He promised Janey this picture of the 9/11 memorial. He came back from New York and went straight to Summit County to work with his other business partner. I love this picture of him working at his business partner's office on a plastic chair and TV table. It's the epitome of a start up company to me! Steve loves his new job and had a very intense and rewarding first week.

Happy Birthday Steve

2011-09-25T22:49:00.000-06:00

I can't believe Steve L. is 15! We went to the theaters to see Captain America to celebrate. Happy Birthday Steve!

Sweet Ellie

2011-09-25T22:43:00.001-06:00

Ellie and cousins playing in the calk at Grandma's

Ellie on her Daddy-Daughter date this week

A Big Week for Daniel

2011-09-25T22:36:00.000-06:00

Daniel began fencing this school year and loves it. He takes from a Russian Coach who is amazing and works them very hard. Daniel has a talent for fencing and won all his matches this week. It will be exciting to see him start to compete.

Daniel also received his First Class Scout rank advancement and 6 merit badges. It took many months of work, especially the swimming part. Steve also earned his Boy Scout Gold Palm.

Daniel was also crowned a King in his Shakespeare class. To be crowned he finished listening and watching 17 Shakespeare plays in the last two weeks. The idea is to be immersed in the Shakespearean language, like learning a foreign language. At first he didn't understand the plays but by the end he was really enjoying them because he knew what they were saying.

Issue 174

2011-09-18T23:45:00.002-06:00

A New Adventure

2011-09-18T23:45:00.000-06:00

Steve starts his new job in the morning! He's already in New York and will be waking in 4 short hours to prepare to meet with a major client. After two months of crazy roller coaster ups and downs while securing the job, it's finally official. He has joined his two former bosses as a partner in their new company that they formed at the beginning of the year. Steve is the Senior Vice President of Training and Consulting. We are so proud of him! He will travel some, but be working from home when he's not. This will be an exciting new adventure!

Issue 173 Sheep Dog Championship by Whitney

2011-09-11T22:00:00.000-06:00

Every year Soldier Hollow host a sheepdog trial competition. Specially invited world-class sheep dog herders from across the globe attend as they compete against each other to win medals and advance to the National Border Collie Association's World Championship. This year we attended and watched several pairs go at it. Racing against a twenty-four minute timer the handlers remain stationary as he or she directs their canine counterpart with whistles, directing them across the hillside. They must first retrieve two separate herds of sheep, directing them between two posts. Then the full herd is maneuvered across the hill and through two separate gates to finish in a marked circle. Then the handler, using a shepherds crook without actually coming in contact with the sheep, works with the collie to separate out five of the sheep that are wearing red collars. This is much harder than it sounds due to the herding behavior that keep the sheep almost inseparable. Assuming the timer hasn't already expired, the pair then direct the five collared sheep into a small pen on the other side of the hill, while preventing them from rejoining the remaining herd of thirteen standing by. Without the gate touching any of the sheep, the door is closed by the lucky shepard and the crowd cheers. The judges tally their scores while the exhausted and overheated collie plunges into the provided tub of water.
Along with the omnipresent bagpipers, camera crews filming a documentary entitled "Away to me" added to the atmosphere as the giraffe necked camera swiveled around to keep up with the contestants. Other exhibitors including the Salt Lake counties' K9 unit also presented classes and demonstrations. It was a fun-filled day of enjoyment that I would recommend to everyone.

The Silver Beaver

2011-09-11T21:34:00.002-06:00

Saturday we had the chance to see Steve's Dad receive the prestigious Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver award. It is a high honor in scouting that recognized a life full of outstanding service in scouting. Andy came straight from a scout camp where he was training other leaders, which just goes to show his dedication. We are proud of you Grandpa!

Knight's Summit

2011-09-11T21:00:00.003-06:00

Knights of Freedom is a club, like scouts, where there are a ton of groups and each group meets together every other week to learn about famous men in history like Christopher Columbus, Davy Crockett and a ton of other people. In Knights of Freedom we also learn about the knightly virtues and once every year all of the groups come together for two days and we get swords and shields. We learn 5 knightly virtues. Things like learning to work as a team, earn a weapon, prove yourself in battle, go on a quest and other stuff. At the end we fought a lot of bad guys. My favorite thing about the summit was the big battle at the end.

Issue 172

2011-09-04T21:23:00.001-06:00

2011 First Day of School

2011-09-04T20:55:00.002-06:00

Daniel and I have the opportunity to spend the whole year this year, one-on-one. 12 years old is a critical development time for those with dyslexia, and we felt the best choice was to spend a year focusing on his education. We had a wonderful week of long walks, goal setting, biking to the library, reading "Where the Red Fern Grows", going out to lunch. The harder stuff will start this week, but the focus our first week relationship. Here's to a great year!

Janey started 4th grade this week! She finally gets to fulfill her life long wish of riding the bus everyday. It was strange to see her off for the day, after having her home for so long, but she is bright and loves her new teacher.

Ellie also started first grade this week. Above is just before her first day. Below is just after returning from her first day. Ellie has a wonderful new teacher and is doing great with her reading.

100 Meter Swim by Daniel

2011-09-04T20:50:00.002-06:00

For scouts, to earn my 1st Class Rank I had to swim 100 meters and I trained for two months. I finally got it passed off and I felt tired after I had done it. It felt awesome to get it done after so much time practicing my swimming.

Issue 171

2011-08-28T15:28:00.002-06:00

Happy 17th!

2011-08-28T15:24:00.004-06:00

Hard to believe Whitney is 17 and a senior this year! We realized that next year she'll have to come home from college to celebrate her birthday! She ordered steak and sweet potato bake for her dinner meal. I had to hurry up and research how to cook both but they turned out delicious. We followed up our party watching a movie of her choice, and then celebrated again at Grandma's house. Happy Birthday Whitney!

Temple Baptisms

2011-08-28T15:22:00.002-06:00

Daniel and Dad did an early morning session of Temple Baptisms this week. Daniel really enjoyed his first time to the temple to do service.

First Day of High School

2011-08-28T15:08:00.006-06:00

Wow, 2 High Schoolers this year! (And ouch on the school fees!)

Whitney is starting her senior year and is Student Body Secretary. This fall will be full of college and scholarship applications.

Steve L. is starting his freshman year. Many of his homeschool friends attend the same high school so he has a built in social crowd already. He's also excited to be starting seminary. Here's to a great year!

Shakespeare Festival

2011-08-28T15:07:00.001-06:00

Well, a little while ago me and the Shakespeare group went down to Cedar City for the Cedar City Shakespeare Festival! It was awesome! We saw two of their productions over the period of two days. The first (after a nice dinner at sizzler) was Richard III. Bloody and gory. Decapitated heads and deception. Death and destruction. Need I say more? The second, a matinee performance of A Midsummer Nights Dream. It was just about the polar opposite of Richard III. It was absolutely hilarious! To really get it though, you would have to go see them preform. I also got some pretty cool swords from the gift shop.

Issue 170

2011-08-21T21:19:00.001-06:00

Twin Lakes by Daniel

2011-08-21T20:53:00.004-06:00

I went on the Twin Lakes hike with the scouts. We had to pack differently because we needed our packs to be as light as possible because it was a very difficult trail. At Twin Lakes we caught 6 fish and cooked and ate them. After dinner we played Ghost in the Graveyard. For lunch we had tuna and crackers and beef jerky. For dinner we had two packs of Ramen and rolls. And for breakfast we had pop tarts. And after the hike we went to a good restaurant and bought hamburgers and fries and delicious shakes. When we got back we hopped in the shower and took a nap and then we finally unpacked our packs.

Education Week by Whitney

2011-08-21T20:52:00.004-06:00

This week I went to BYU education week with a bunch of my cousins. We stayed at my Aunt's house over night and then spent the day on campus. As my school of choice it was great to be at the school all day and figure out how to navigate the campus. My grandpa was one of the presenters and he did a great job, it was fun to attend his class and learn from him. Some of the other presenters that I enjoyed included John Bytheway and Hank Smith who both have a gift for presenting to younger people. I hope I am able to go again next year.

Issue 169

2011-08-14T23:14:00.001-06:00

20 Years!

2011-08-14T23:04:00.003-06:00

So sad Alesha was gone for this photo! Jennifer, can I get the one from the night before with Alesha in it?

This weekend was my 20 year High School reunion! It was delightful to catch up with so many old friends and acquaintances, and see how people had "turned out". The highlight however, was a sleepover at Alesha's cabin with my 6 closest friends. We have stayed close throughout the years, but it had been a long time since we had all been together. We visited nonstop through the night, finally turning in about 4 am. We could have kept going, and did the following morning. The best part was going through Denise's shoebox of high school photos. What were we thinking with that hair and those sweaters?! I am so blessed to have such amazing, talented, beautiful, virtuous, loving friends in my life.

Issue 168

2011-08-07T20:47:00.001-06:00

Uintah High Adventure Base

2011-08-07T20:40:00.004-06:00

Well, all I can say is, I'm all camped out. After joining my brother on a week-long camp two weeks before, and then going on my own recently, I feel like I'm going to drop dead. Don't get me wrong, it was a ton of fun, but that much camping can run someone into the ground. Anywho, we went camping up at the Uintah High Adventure Base, up the East-Fork-of-the-Bear canyon. Hot, wooded and full of bugs like you wouldn't believe. (Nothing a boatload of bug-repellent couldn't fix...) With a wide variety of activities to choose from and a lot of down-time, you couldn't help but have fun. Among the activities were action archery, mountain boarding, (got a nasty scar from that one) team building, (really fun) medieval engineering, (our trebuchet was the best) and shotgun shooting. Plus a dozen others. The food was great, the weather was fantastic, (Except for the first night. Hoo boy.) and the compitetion in the card games was brutal. All around it was the best camp ever!!

Bear Lake Fun

2011-08-07T20:16:00.002-06:00

This week was our 2nd annual Bear Lake family reunion. Two beach days, paddle boating, ski doing, smores and glow sticks, jiffy pop popcorn over the fire, mini golf, swimming, go cart racing, playing wacky sixes, yummy food, great company and 28 inch monster pizza. Can't wait till next year!

Issue 167

2011-07-31T22:23:00.001-06:00

Road Trip

2011-07-31T22:15:00.002-06:00

Friday morning I got up at five-thirty, and then drove with my dad for six hours all the way to Kanab. My seventeenth birthday is in a couple weeks and it has become imperative that I procure my license before the beginning of my senior year of high school. Unfortunately I still had about fifteen hours left before Saturday so my dad and I went on a road trip to the Best Friends animal shelter for a visit. Best Friends is a humane society situated on a 32,000-acre (that’s not a typo) piece of land in the beautiful Angel Canyon of Kanab Utah. Any given day they house 1500-2000 animals in their up-to date and spacious facilities. Being well staffed with several full time veterinarians, countless interns and over 500 others on payroll (not to mention the thousands of volunteers that flood in year-long) most of the many animal that live there have unique and difficult physical or psychological difficulties. They are helped through them and then found forever homes. It is the largest no-kill shelter in the country and people from all over the world come to their workshops and seminars to learn how to improve their own shelters and animal care units. Having gotten our own kitty from a shelter is was great to tour the place on Saturday and see the best of the best.

After getting back to our motel we both crashed for a couple hours and then went to dinner at one of the many cowboys-&-Indians-themed restaurants in the small town. This morning we got back in the car and I drove the six hours to be back home in time for sacrament meeting to see Daniel pass the sacrament for the first time. It was tiring but I only have a couple hours of driving left now and I am comfortable passing semi trucks going 85 mph on the high way. Something my mom still hasn’t gotten used to. :)

Issue 166

2011-07-24T21:19:00.002-06:00

Baby Brother

2011-07-24T21:18:00.004-06:00

My baby brother Quinn got married this week to his sweetheart Mandi. They make the cutest couple with their great smiles and curly hair. Ellie was beside herself with excitement to be a flower girl. Mandi was sweet and let Ellie hold her train for pictures.

They were married in the Salt Lake Temple and then had the most gorgeous and fun outdoor reception I've ever been too. Quinn was only 5 when Steve and I were married, so it was pretty crazy to see my baby brother get hitched. We love you Quinn and Mandi!

Go SL REAL

2011-07-24T21:16:00.002-06:00

Some friends gave us tickets to a SL Real Soccer game this weekend. But these were not just any tickets! Box seats with a gourmet buffet and a waiter for our box! We had a great view on the field and our team won 4 to 0 after the other team had a player ejected with a red card. After watching the game with royal treatment there was a Pioneer Day fireworks show at the stadium. It was the best fireworks show I have seen in years!

The Big 12!

2011-07-24T21:14:00.007-06:00

I can't believe Daniel is 12! He had a fun birthday party with a couple close friends going to the movies and then everyone sang to him at Uncle Quinn's Wedding Dinner that night.

Today Daniel's dad ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, with his Grandfathers participating. He was so excited to be getting the Priesthood and I now he will be a wonderful Deacon! We are so proud of you Daniel!

Issue 165

2011-07-24T21:14:00.006-06:00

Week Long Scout Camp by Daniel

2011-07-24T21:08:00.004-06:00

Scout camp was fun and great! I earned the Rifle shooting merit badge, the Archery merit badge, Leather Work, Orienteering, and Environmental Science merit badges. We had great food. For dinner we had game hens, steak, and other great stuff. And we played cube in between merit badges. It was fun! Although the first few days it poured, and poured and poured rain. But then the rest of the days it was sunny and great. Although the one down side to the camp, was there were literally thousands of mosquitoes everywhere. You had to coat yourself 5 times a day with bug repellent. Even then you got tons of bites. All the bug bites I got were on the back of my head. It made it painful to sleep because the bug bites were pressing against my pillow. My brother Steve came to the camp to help me out and I really appreciated it. :):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Issue 163 & 164

2011-07-17T23:07:00.002-06:00

Williamsburg/Yorktown/Jamestown

2011-07-17T23:02:00.006-06:00

When I was 19 I traveled Back East with my family and had a wonderful experience. Steve and I have dreamed of taking our 5 children on a similar vacation. We cashed in 5 years of frequent flyer miles and finally took every one Back East for the 4th of July.

Our first stop was the Colonial Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown Triangle. The kids and I had spent time studying early American history this year and so this was a great way to start our vacation!

Mount Vernon

2011-07-17T22:56:00.006-06:00

George Washington's Mt. Vernon home was a special highlight of the trip.

Fun in DC

2011-07-17T22:53:00.002-06:00

The monuments, the Smithsonian, and the Whitehouse were amazing highlights too.

Arlington

2011-07-17T22:50:00.005-06:00

Arlington and The Tomb of the Unknown were especially thought provoking.

4th of July in DC

2011-07-17T22:46:00.003-06:00

One of the things we wanted to do most was spend the 4th of July in DC. We spent the day at the Smithsonian and saw the original Star Spangled Banner Flag. We saw the National 4th of July Parade and the real Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We rode the metro in and and stayed for the Fireworks at the Washington Monument. Very memorable!

Gettysburg

2011-07-17T22:43:00.005-06:00

Gettysburg is one place that Steve has always wanted to visit. He loves to read about this time period in history, and Joshua Chamberlain is one of his heros. We spend the full day touring the battlefield in chronological order with a car audio tour. Very awesome!

Vally Forge

2011-07-17T22:18:00.006-06:00

Spent a half-day at Valley Forge where the American revolutionary army spent the winter of 1776 training to become a more organized and disceplined army under the direction and training of German General Von Steuben. Saw Washington's headquarters, very cramped, and the log cabins the men stayed in during the winter, also very cramped.Janey and Ellie also found crayfish in a cabin that had pools of water

A Day in Philly

2011-07-17T21:44:00.004-06:00

We topped off our trip with a day in Philadelphia at the US Mint, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and eating Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches. We are so grateful we were able to take this amazing trip together as a family!

Issue 162

2011-06-26T23:02:00.000-06:00

Liberty Girls Retreat

2011-06-26T22:26:00.003-06:00

Last week the girls had the chance to attend the Liberty Girls Retreat. This year they read the Josephina Series and studied the South West in the 1800's. Girls from all over Utah came together for the day to learn dances, games, crafts, skills and cooking from that time period and region. They learned to card and spin wool, weave, do the Mexican Hat Dance and make tortillas and salsa.

Ellie loved putting on her big skirt and learning to dance. Afterwards she said, "This is so much fun! Didn't we look beautiful?" Yes Ellie, you did!

Karate on Parade

2011-06-26T22:25:00.003-06:00

Daniel and I had the opportunity to walk in a parade with his karate group two weekends ago. It was fun to walk with many of the students from the dojo and his instructor. It was most fun to spend some time together and talk as we waited in the staging area. It was also fun to get to know the other groups of people in the area, each with their own cause they we trying to promote. We marched for about a mile and a half and then returned to our cars. Anyway, fun time out and good time spent wit Daniel. -Dad

Burraston's Pond

2011-06-26T22:24:00.003-06:00

Friday night I took he girls of the family, except Mom, camping. Janey and Ellie have been wanting to go camping with me since they frequently see me going out the door with the scouts on numerous camping adventures. I also looked forward to this as a chance to slow things down and sound some time with my daughters.

Anyway, we scheduled it and talked about it for a number of days previous to the event and spirits were high as we set off Friday night. We asked Grandpa G if he wanted to join us on the camp and he accepted our invitation to Burrastons Ponds in Mona, Utah.

The evening started off with a dinner of chili and chips and s'mores for dessert. Of course we had to have s'mores. After we set up camp and a had our dinner we did a little fishing. It turned out that we would only have one fish on the line the entire trip, and it broke our line. Anyway, we decided to go crayfish fishing at night and had fun catching a few and eating them for a bedtime snack. They look exactly like small lobster and taste like sweet shrimp. The portions are very small, but tasty.

A good time was had by all and we look forward to doing it again.

Chalk Art Festival and Fireworks!

2011-06-26T21:24:00.007-06:00

Last weekend we attended a chalk art festival as a family at the Gateway. This charity event brings out professional and amateur artists alike for a good cause. These are just a few of our favorites.

Saturday night the kids tried some chalk art of their own at Grandma's house. We gathered for their city's fireworks display and some yummy food. While we waited for it to get dark the kids got creative. I especially love Ellie's Rapunzel with hair flowing all the way down the sidewalk!

Issue 161

2011-06-19T23:28:00.001-06:00