Tail Lights

I live in a magical place. B-Town, as I like to refer, hugs the base of the Wasatch Mountains just north of Salt Lake City. It starts down near the wetlands of a huge salt water lake and runs east up on to the benches and into the foothills and even wanders up into some of the canyons that extend out of the rugged mountains. It's got a legit main street that really is fun to stroll down and inevitable see someone you know. Hiking, mountain biking, even camping are just minutes away and you can find peace and solitude quickly and you can also be to an international airport and downtown SLC within minutes. I could do on and on but one thing that one can not miss when extolling the virtues of the "City of Beautiful Homes and Gardens" is the mind-blowing, larger than life, colossal sunsets.

This first paragraph and the title were written 27 August 2019. I'm not sure where I was headed with it all (I sure wish I knew...the title Tail Lights is intriguing) but I'm gonna post it anyway today 11 Jan 2021. I just sent out a text on our family text requesting their best Bountiful sunset pics and I'll throw them up with the post. A post finished is better than a perfect post will need to be my new motto moving forward so I'm not left in suspense as to where I was headed with something! 

And I thought I posted...let's try again. Three weeks later. 

2nd Grade Davey

Found this in a pile of papers. Thought it would be fun to share.

Davey Father's Day 2016

Davey made this for Rob for Father's Day 2016

Annie Father's Day 2015

Annie filled out this questionnaire about Rob on Father's Day 2015

Found On Floor Of Mud Room

Poem Author unknown but one of my children

I'm from a town I love
It's a small place to live.
It's covered with home and parks
and has a sweet spirit.
Maplewood Drive and a redbrick home
is where my favorite memories
are made.
From water fights and sleepovers
it is where the bests time are created
Bountiful Utah
What a great place to be.
Boy do I love my home.
Bountiful is for me.


Disclaimer from the mother...Never a fan of sleepovers, we don't do those too much. I like my kiddos home and snuggled up in their own little beds. Yet they made the poem?!?

Young Women Night of Excellence January 2016

The YW leaders in our ward asked us to record a quick description of what makes our daughters a star, This is what I said about Abby:

"Wise and level-headed, Abby's friendly disposition allows her light to shine widely and brightly wherever she goes. Always doing something for others, she stays organized all on her own but knows when she should stray from her to-do list to provide a listening ear or a hug to someone that needs a little extra love. Her commitment to the Savior is based on personal experience in relying on Him through the good and the bad and her testimony and her spirit blesses our family immensely." January 2016

Summer 2016 Ten Notables (no particular order)

10. All five kids lived under the same roof for the entire summer. Woot woot! Well, almost, if you count Abby who spent a busy summer coming and going. But techinically, she still lived here. In fact, let me tell you about Abby. She has this amazing skill at leading and serving and she is the Administrative President for the Utah State Studentbody Officer Association. She spent time in Portland, Park City, and USU honing her craft and networking with other officers around the state and the country and has some great ideas for training and mentoring other officers around the state and at BHS this year.
9.  Spent 8 days in Lake Powell with the extended Howe family. The Scott Howes and the Adams family generously offered their houseboat and we loved every minute of the trip! Boating, hiking, eating yummy food, wave running, swimming, obstacle courses, skiing, surfing, tubing, wake boarding, kayaking, soaking up the rays, the list goes on and on!
8. Visits from Hansen cousins were spread throughout the summer which meant there was always something fun to look forward to! Fourth of July had to top the list with a fun BBQ at Nana and Papa's and then a great concert at the Holladay City Park featuring Peter Brienholt! We all let loose, loved the spectacular fireworks and a new tradition was born! Taking cousins to Kangaroo Zoo after a long hiatus was another fun time and of course just playing and catching up.
7. Elder Naegle's long awaited return was a great way to get the summer going! The airport was crazy and we just couldn't believe he was finally home. Same old Andrew that we knew and loved but even more grown up and kind-hearted, polite and wise. Andrew's mission report on his mission in Ecuador was one of the very best I've ever heard and we were so proud of his heartfelt humility and testimony. His sister Natali was married a few days after his return so June was an exciting time and we enjoyed being part of the festivities!
6. Trips to Bear Lake. What is summer without a trip or two to Bear Lake? This summer we spent some time at the Naegle cabin and then wrapped up summer with a weekend at the Howe cabin over Labor Day weekend. We do tend to jinx the weather a bit the last DECADE or so. But we still enjoyed our time and we were grateful that Lizzie's drill practice and Emily's homework load both allowed all of us to make it up over Labor Day.
5.My church calling with the stake is Young Women's Sport Specialist. They planned a color run for the YW and YM in the stake to kick off summer. Lizzie ended up having a drill parent meeting so after we got things set up, I cruised and missed the actual event. But apparently, it was a huge success and I've got it on repeat for next summer!
4. Speaking of drill, Lizzie survived her first summer as a Mandonelle, Bountiful High School's drill team. She has worked hard at dance and made the team as a freshman. The drill team is more intense than any other team at the high school. They practiced everyday but saturday and sunday in June and August. 7 am -10am complete with major conditioning. The Utah High School Athletic rules state that teams must take two two week breaks a year. Mandonelle's take theirs consecutively in July so Lizzie packed youth conference, Lake Powell, EFY and a summit hike on Mt Timp with Emily and Andrew into her July break. You go girl!
3. And speaking of hard work, Annie swam her guts out this summer at the rec center. She doesn't always love it but she just kept doing laps all summer long. I was so proud of her and her willingness to be teachable and work hard. Her favorite place to swim is the Naegle pool but she headed to swimming lessons like a champ and improved so much. She also played tennis with Patti for much of the summer over at North Canyon Tennis Club. We need to head up to the courts at Rocket Park before winter sets in. I'm gonna start calling her Power Annie.
2. Emi lived with us from April until August and we loved having her around! worked at OrangeTheory, a boutique exercise studio, and loved her job. She did sales and customer service and got to do their amazing workouts just about everyday. She'd sleep in her work clothes on the mornings she had to open the studio at 4 AM. "Never take a job that requires your shift to start at 4AM unless you are allowed to wear leggings to work". She also read and wrote a lot in preparation for her Huntsman Scholar Semester. And spent time with Andrew. Lots of time with Andrew and with all of us.
1. Davey played some fun baseball with Rocky Mountain, and Mueller Park but started Little League football this year. So August meant football practice and lots of it! We also hit Park City with the Peterson Family in June and Alpine Slides on the 24 of July. Davey says we've got to go back before it snows. He was more tentative that he wished he had been on his ride down and says he needs to do it again full-throttle. Melissa had her baby, Carolina Grace in July, and we finally got to meet her in August! Rob and I had a great date night at the Old Dominion concert in Ogden. We've got to do that kinda of thing more often!

Super-Sonic Hearing

Found this draft in my notes from 2010. Now it is 2016. Judging from the title, it was about Anna and her amazing hearing ability. I've always called her eagle ears until recently when Rob kindly pointed out to me that eagles are known for their keen eyesight, not hearing...yeah, I think he is right. So maybe I need to starting saying bat ears. Just doesn't have the same ring. But regardless, just know that Annie can and will hear just about anything that is said from extremely long distances. Like back basement to front yard...well, that might be pushing it but you get the idea. 

Top Ten of First Half of 2013-2014 School Year (standard disclaimer...in no particular order)

10.  Went from four shifts of heading out the door for school to only three shifts! Wahoo! Davey joined the ranks of the elementary school crowd...no more preschool at this house! Although we do have high school, junior high and elementary covered...next year we will add college to the list!

9.  After watching Emi's reach her personal goal with tennis each year...oh wait, we need a quick recap of goals: 1. Freshman goal: hmmmmm....I want to play tennis in high school even though I haven't really played ever except for a few summer rec classes in elementary school...Goal #1 attained when she spent nearly every morning in June and July hitting balls at the tennis court at good ole Cheese Park or Rocket Park and felt comfortable enough to at least tryout (imagine my panic when I realized tryouts were a month sooner than we anticipated and in the middle of a major rappelling girls camp in Zions that we had been training for all year...we made both work)! 2.Sophomore goal: just make the team...Goal #2 attained when she literally squeaked by and snatched the very last spot on the roster (being a lefty, teachable and cheerful has it perks)! 3. Junior goal: after a fun sophomore season, watching the better girls competing at Regions left her wanting more, so she said "You will see me at Regions next year!"...Goal #3 attained by not only playing second singles on the JV team but winning 1st place at Regions last year on a team that took the state title (check out her ring...it is pretty cute)! Which leads us to the final goal...4. Senior goal: make the varsity team....whoa, that is a tough on a very deep team but the girl has heart and said she was going for it and Rob and I crossed our fingers...the season started with a lot of ups and downs...a few opportunities were sent her way and she stepped up and took complete advantage of the opportunities before we knew it she was playing Varsity 1st Doubles with her darling friend SJ!! They had a fantastic season...won some heart-pounding, I thought I was going to throw up matches, loss some heart-breaking, played their guts out/ matches, took the Region titled and marched their way through the State Title bracket, finally playing the favorites, a team that was not only undefeated but had never lost a set to anyone (and if you know tennis you know that was a biggie), a team that eventually took the State Title and a team that Ems and SJ took to a tie-breaker! Even though they lost in the final minutes of the very long match, it was awesome!! Goal #4 attained!!!

8. And on to volleyball! How is it that my two oldest both play sports that in the school run the same season?!? Luckily, their matches run on different days so we get to watch it all! Abby decided the summer before she started junior high to leave her dancing days behind and give volleyball a try! She worked hard in the summer of 2011 and ways excited to tryout for the junior high team. Go Eagles! She gave it her all and made it through the intial cuts but was one of the last girls to get cut her seventh grade year...instead of feeling sorry for herself, she approached the coach and asked if there was anyway she could work as a manager, and if the coach ever needed someone to help run drills with the team Abby was up to the task. The team already had managers but the coach decided to give her a shot and Abby worked her guts out doing everything and anything she could think of to make herself valuable to the coach. She learned and grew and when she signed up for a club team, after the school season was over, she was a much improved player! She kept at it and when junior high tryouts rolled around in eighth grade Abby had made the cut!! The first game of the 2012 season was an away game. JV always plays after the varsity match so Abby told me that being a new eighth grader she'd just be playing JV and I did not need to get there until later. I showed up just as the game was winding down and who was right there in the middle of things playing varsity but my cutie Abby! She started that game and has started every game since! We had a great time watching the BJH eagles play all through 8th and 9th grade! It was amazing to watch her through herself on the ground to save a point or get her team psyched up with her positive attitude and enthusiam for the game. It wasn't a surprise to me when she was chosen as a captain in 9th grade...but little did I know the biggest surprise was on its way! At the end of season volleyball dinner the coaches give awards. Every team member gets one and when Abby received one acknowledging her willingness to sacrifice her body for the team I thought that sounded like the perfect award. After those awards the coach announced that they were giving two more very special awards. The first was the Sportmanship Award. I have to admit I suddenly thought, Abby has that in the bag. Watching the way she conducts herself with her team and the way she always supports her team mates has been a pleasure. Parents had commented often to me that...AND NOW IT IS 9/12/2016 AND I AM PUBLISHING THIS UNFINISHED POST ANYWAYS. I AM SORRY TO LIZZIE AND ANNIE AND DAVEY WHO I HADN'T GOTTEN TO THEIR PORTION OF THE 2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR.

Back in the Saddle...Again

Never got caught up like I planned...have a bazillion, well maybe like 15 or 20 unfinished posts from 2011 and haven't written since beginning of 2012...but I am feeling a need to get back in the saddle and keep my blog current. Kids are growing up too fast and my memory is fading too quickly...I know the time I spend keeping  this little journal about my family will be well-worth it down the  road. Of course, my "if you are going to do it, do it completely or don't do it at all" personality will have to grapple with the holes I've created from my inattention and perhaps I will do some back tracking to fill in a few gaps but I must make staying current my first priority! This is a daring adventure for me to embark upon as the holiday season descends...I have never been a good blogger during those months...don't know why but it is true! Wish me luck and may the creative gods send some good writing energy my way!!

Roots and Wings: Cruise 2012

Our trip with the Hansens to the Western Carribean was a trip of a lifetime.  I know I need to devote a whole post to our experiences, replete with pictures and memories...but, alas, I am a little short on time currently so I thought I'd share some words from some emails that were exchanged following the cruise...
My brother Matt wrote,
 "All,  
They say all good things must come to an end.  I am not sure I entirely buy into that. I'd jump at the chance to keep cruisin' the Caribbean with you all.  Even if the rough seas, cheesy greetings from the cruise director, and gaining 3 pounds a day grew old--hanging with you all never would.  We created so many wonderful memories.  The whole drive home, and now here at home, I just keep thinking about all that we crammed into our week on the high seas.  I don't know whether to laugh or cry.  If I had a wish, I'd wish that we could turn back time a week.  A week ago we were cruising though the Gulf, and just getting ready to sit down to our first dinner in the dining room--full of anticipation, and soon to be very full of warm chocolate melting cake!!  I am sure all week long, as I sit in my office I will be thinking about what we were doing exactly a week prior.  My mind seems to work that way, and it will be a great way to re-live all of the memories.  


It was so great to see you all.  I don't feel like I was able to spend the one-on-one time with each of you that I would have liked, but I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with each of you.  I love and admire you all so much.  I wish that circumstances allowed for us to spend more time together.  But I am grateful for the time we are able to spend.


A special thanks to Mom and Dad for making this all possible.  You both are the greatest.  We are all lucky to have you.  Thank you for your generosity, and your commitment to creating experiences like this.  Also, thank you to Rob, Rach, Dan, and all others that were involved in planning such great excursions.  Melissa, for the shirts.  And, we mustn't forgot Helaman's little buddy that smuggled us  back to the big boat--otherwise we might be languishing somewhere on the Yucatan peninsula . . . on second thought, that might beat the alternative . . . going to work tomorrow.


Root 'n Wings Est. 1972.


Love and miss you all,  Matt"


And as a follow up he wrote, "'I'm standing on the street corner, and just got a big whiff of second-hand smoke.  It made me miss the cruise.;)"


Nana wrote, "Matt and All,

No one can say it better than Matt.  I am sitting here on the couch at Justin's with ice packs on my knees and grabbed Dad's laptop for a quick peak at my emails.  The week together was wonderful and last night I kept thinking that the times I have all my children together are too few and too seldom but I will treasure the memories forever.  I second Matt's thanks and appreciation to Rachel and Rob for all their time and effort in getting us organized and lining up such great excursions.  I have to admit our trip to Tulum and the ferry situation caused me some stress but once we got to Tulum I felt calm and decided that the Lord would provide........thanks to Helaman and his connections!  Love you all more than words can tell...........Miles and Siena and Cyrus are on their way to the other side of the world.  We definitely have to get together and make it happen without too much time passing.  The shirts..........Roots and Wings Est. 1972 truly reflects what Dad and I did our best (however imperfect) to accomplish through the years.  Thanks to Melissa for coming up with our family theme.......Couldn't be more proud or grateful for all of you!!

Dad kept telling me how happy he was to see you all together.  The interaction between the cousins was a highlight for him and for both of us.  We have a wonderful family!!  

Good night for now and lots of love to all!

Mom"

And from sister Natalie, " Dear Family,

I too agree with Matt, Mom and Rach. What a wonderful adventure we all experienced. Someone in our ward asked me yesterday if I had any "magical" moments. I thought back and really the magical moments for me were the times we were all together enjoying each others company whether playing games in the conference center, catching and getting  stingray massages, scrambling up a waterfall with 5,453 other people, eating, smuggling on boats, boarding the "Sea Fire" with Captain Gleeson and Carl (whom I called Kerry) while speculating why Captain Crosby was in court, eating, snorkeling*, doing the conga line while wearing mardi gras beads and masks, more eating, the list goes on...eating... But, for me the truly magical, magical moment was all of us together at Tulum. I felt a peace there and I am so glad we had that chance to be there and experience that together as a family. So, the person that asked me about that...said, "when you get stressed or overwhelmed close your eyes and go back to Tulum....what did you feel, see, smell, hear...I have put it to the test and you know what... I can't help but smile. So, think of your magical moment or maybe even food...:) and go there when you get stressed or bogged down. Thank you to each of you. Thank you deeply to Mom and Dad for giving us the opportunity to create these memories.  

Love you all and miss you already....Bren- I haven't stopped missing you...I'm glad Jorgen was there-he reminds me of you in many ways (doll) !

Natalie

* I did a little research on my coral reef scratch. It is called "reef rash" and it itches like crazy!!! Apparently it can take up to weeks (I hope that means 2) to heal completely. I hope the rest of you are peeling evenly. ;) For those of you who used waterproof sunscreen this doesn't apply..."

And finally, one more from Nana,"This will be short because my modem died so I can't access internet except via phone. I loved reading Natalie's magical moments. I regret I let the anxiety of being left behind in Mexico impact my experience. However, it is true that once we arrived in Tulum I felt a peace and that I should trust all would be well as it turned out to be. Even though I had been to Tulum before I was amazed by the beauty of the setting and Helaman's insights impressed me even though I don't remember them word for word.

I agree the best part was just being together. Dinner every night  and seeing our dancers is what I like to close my eyes and see again. The picture taken of us all when we boarded is on my night stand and both Dad and I looked at it last night just before we turned out the light. Now I wish I had splurged and bought you all a copy. It is a great picture!  At the eye doctor. Love you all so much!

We need to make a commitment to all get together. Dad kept saying how seeing the cousins together made it all worthwhile. I agreed. Plus for me anytime i am with all our children I feel complete. Missed Bren!! One day I was walking behind Jorgen who was skipping along and I thought "there goes Bren"

Love you all,

Mom"

It really was such a great trip!!!! Hopefully some pictures will be coming!

February 2012 Top Ten...in no particular order...sorry it is short on pictures!

10.  Can we say cruise?!?

Boarding the Carnival Magic, Galveston TX Feb 19, 2012

9.  Davey takes his very own vacation, enjoying time with the Naegles, Jeppesens and Yospes!

Storytime with Jeppesens

Snowmobiling with Andrew

Sledding at Naegle's cabin in Fish Haven

Lots of fun with Henry and Mae!

Way Above: Playing with Mae! And Right Above: Playing with Margaret!

8. Abby's very first real volleyball tournament...And finally gets a few serves over the net!

9. Found out that Aunt Siena is having a baby!

8. Rob attends seven high school basketball state playoff games (and only three of those were Bountiful's) in five days! Wish Bountiful would have won in the semi-finals and it would have been eight games in six days!

7. Lizzie starts her orthodontic treatment plan...code for 1. she thinks she is pretty cool until it starts to hurt and 2. mom and dad's budget suddenly shrinks

6. Emily plays the best tennis of her life, even though she loses! She had a match against a really, really strong server and it really brought out some great tennis!

5. Rachel surprises Rob with a surprise overnighter downtown for Valentine's Day and the kids hold down the fort at home all by themselves! Figured he hadn't had a free Tuesday in a long time and since Valentine's fell on a Tuesday we might as well live it up!

4. Anna learns about some of the early presidents of the US and doesn't stop talking about them and sharing little known facts all month long!

3. Superbowl XLVI means two fun parties with the Howe's and the Hansens's, and lots of yummy food...partly thanks to cute friend Kristin who surprised Rachel with a new cookbook and ingredients for three of the recipes...and a suprisingly close football game (at least for the Superbowl), even though we wished the 49ers would have been playing!

2. Rachel goes against sage advice and medical research and lets the older girls go tanning a few times before the cruise! I know, irresponsible parenting...but maybe a rite of passage too?!?

1. Our humble abode seemed more "cluttery" than ever and is screaming for a good cleaning! January deep clean never happened! Maybe I should get of the computer and get scrubbing! Haha!

Still A Long Way Away...

Me: Davey, you look sad, are you okay?
Davey (nods): Yes, I am sad. (slumping shoulders turns and walks down the hall to get dressed).
Me: (starts to follow)
Davey: (Very loud wailing and crying suddenly comes from his bedroom)
Me: (Enters his room) What's wrong, little guy?
Davey: (Hugging me, then looks up with a very tear-stained face...and completely naked I must add...just finished his bath) I don't want to go away to college! (More wailing and crying ensues)!
Me: Why?
Davey: (still crying) It's boring!
Me and Anna: (trying to keep in our smiles and laughter...) It's okay! It is still a long way away!!!! And by the time it gets here you will be all grown up and will want to go!
Davey: Ok...
P.S. Later at lunch Anna asked Davey if he wanted to go to "Utah" or "BIU"?  He shook his head, said "None...I want to go to New York. Do you want to go with me?"

Overheard On the Playground...

It was a sunny February afternoon with blue sky and no inversion. Davey and I couldn't resist a quick trip to the park while Anna was dancing her heart out at her creative dance class. We grabbed cousins Josh and Charlie and Aunt Natalie and cruised up to a family favorite: Rocket Park. Davey and Josh were playing a game they called "Firefighters". Suddenly I heard David tell Josh to wait a minute. Josh didn't hear him. Davey looks at him and says, "Hey, Joshua, pause the game!" Josh says, "Okay" and stops! Pause the game! Seriously, must be children of the electronic generation!

Ping-Pong Can Be Dangerous...Ask Anna!

Anna learned the hard way why it is important to listen to your sister when she tells you to stay out of the way when a heated ping pong match is going on! Emily swung and hit the ball and then anna's eye! This is what your eye will look like the next day if you don't heed your sisters warning! The best is that she, in a pain-induced rant, blamed Emily's friend Andrew for her injury because he "was the one who taught Emily to swing so hard!" She did apologize when she had calmed down and is doing better about staying out of the way when the ping-pong table is in use!

January 2012 Top Ten...in no particular order!

10. Celebrated both my grandma's birthday days!  Grandma Elyse is in town staying with Aunt Julie so we hosted a birthday dinner for her at Nana's and had a great time! Grandma Hansen is down south in St. George but I had a fun visit with her on the phone on her birthday! Both such inspiring women! I love my grandmas!!!!! So many fun memories past and present!

9.  Rob and I actually made it to a movie together, sans kiddos.  We don't make it out to the movie theater to often so when we do, it is reason to celebrate...although we had to go to the 5 o'clock show (Rob went straight from work and I met him there), make arrangements for Emily to get picked up from dance by a friend, and rush to get home so the teenagers could make it to a couple of Junior Jazz basketball games (as spectators not players)!  By the way, we saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and really enjoyed it (Rob likes Sherlock Holmes, Rachel really, really likes Sherlock Holmes) and Centerville has a new Megaplex theater complex which simplifies seeing movies for us!

8.  End of the 1st semester of school for the 2011-2012 school year!  Which means we are now more than half-way through the school year and report cards arrived!  Kudos to my kiddos, who all did fantastic for the most part!!!! And the grades that weren't "A"s were grades that had improved from the previous report card. Hard work pays-off, right guys?!? Speaking of school, we got to attend SEP conferences with Lizzie and Anna.  Glowing reports from both their teachers.  They both have fantastic teachers this year and they are both learning so much! Ms. Cox and Mrs. Howell rock! Anna was just telling us yesterday a story about the third president of the United States. She mentioned that he had red hair as part of the story and I told her she must be mistaken because Thomas Jefferson didn't have red hair!  She emphatically replied, "If he was the guy who lived at "Mont-i-Cello" he had red hair!" I came home and googled it and guess what, Thomas Jefferson did have red hair! And along the school days lines: Three out of the four weeks this month were 4 day-school weeks!  We love those! Wish I could say we did something significant but to be honest I can't remember. I do know on Martin Luther King Day some of us headed to dinner with the extended Howe clan to our favorite Cowboy Grub while the rest of us headed to an emergency dental appointment that ended up being pain from a six-year-old molar that was trying to come in in Davey's mouth! Life with kids...you never know!

7.   January means Book Group Book Choosing night for me and my book-group gals! It is always a fun night and we really have the system perfected. We started with about 36 titles and narrowed it down to 11!  If anyone needs some help figuring out a great and efficient way of whittling down their groups book picks, give me a ring and I will fill you in! We had a great list to choose from again this year and I had a hard time deciding where to throw my support but we ended up with a great list!  Surprisingly, two of the books I didn't vote for were two that I have read since we picked and loved them both! Crazy! Hope the ones I did vote for are as good!  Haha! I don't host until November.  Since we finished our house but still have not much landscaping, I always try and snag early spring or later fall to host so I don't have to worry about the bare yard!  Haha! Not that any of them would care...but you know how it goes! Anyways, here is this year picks in case you are looking for some good reads:

Persuasion by Jane Austen and/or The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (high school English anybody?)

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Bonds That Make Us Free by Terry Warner

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

Destiny of a Republic by Candice Millard

A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

6. Abby participated in her first volleyball tournament.  It was actually just an inter-squad tourney but it still was a lot of fun.  Her last game of the day was against a U13 Power (competitive) team.  Abby plays for the U14 Club (since she is an August birthday she plays with the U14 by 4 days...when she decided to switch from dance to volleyball we went with the Club team...next year I think we will move to a Power team...). Abby's team was a year older but they are all beginners for the most part.  They went the first two games neck and neck, each winning one.  The third game is played to 15 but you have to win by two.  Abby's team ended up losing 20-18, which if you are familiar with volleyball means it was a very exciting final game!! The crazy thing was that Abby's coach actually is the coach for both teams!  Made it even more exciting!

5. The YM/YW in our ward headed to Z-Park (our stake's property) for their annual Mutual Theme kick-off with the Bishopric.  It was an overnighter and I think it was fun for everyone!  The theme this year is ARISE AND SHINE FORTH. It is a tradition that Rob and his counselors started and that the kids in our ward love! The girls are lucky because they get to sleep in the lodge with the heat (remember we are talking January in the Wasatch Mountains) but the boys have to sleep in the cabins with no heat! Rob actually sleep in the Suburban with a space heater that he ran with a long extension cord to the lodge! Said he was toasty warm! It was a bittersweet time because the bishopric kinda knew that it might be their last over-night outing with all the youth! While they were gone, Natalie and her kids came over for dinner and a movie night.  The kids ate pizza and Natalie and I got some yummy grown-up pizza and salad and then they watched movies in the basement while we watched Persuasion upstairs.  Half-way through some of Emily's friends showed up (even though she was out-of-town) and visited with us for a while!  That was fun.  She has really great friends!

4.  And they were right! January 29th rolled around and Rob was released as Bishop of our ward. He has served faithfully as a committed and humble man, continually striving to do what the Lord would have him do. I think that he might even deserve his very own post!  Watch for it, it will be coming soon!

3. Davey finally moved on from working on his "G"s at Talking Time to focusing on his "K" sound! He has worked hard and diligently since school started on his G's. Every Wednesday, we head down the street to a Headstart location for Davis School District where he spends and an hour at Talking Time.  There are about five other kids and their adult (parent or grandparent).  We rotate around to different learning centers where we play fun games that help him with his speech.  At two the stations he actually works with speech therapists who he really adores. If you haven't noticed, when you make a G sound you have to pull your tongue down and back. If you don't and it stays forward your G becomes a T.  I knew he was making progress one day a few months ago when he brought me a toy dinosaur with sharp teeth and a tongue right behind its teeth. "Mom", Davey said, "The dinosaur is making T sounds instead of G sounds! His tongue isn't back enough!" Smart boy!!! He still doesn't get the G all the time in his regular conversations but he is getting better and when he thinks about it he always gets it! And considering where he has come from as a two-year old that only made deep, throaty growling sounds I am pretty amazed!

2. Emily played her very first competitive singles match! For the high school in the fall she only played doubles but she is playing in a winter league on Saturday nights and has discovered that she loves singles. She was so nervous to start but once she got going she loved it!  They play for 55 minutes and whoever wins the most games (no add) in the time frame is the winner.  While she lost 9-7, she played better than I had ever seen her and really had a blast! (She and her doubles partner won that night as well). It was a fun evening and even more fun because she played at the tennis club near Nana and Papa's home so they came to watch too.  After words, she left with her friend Andrew to hang out with some friends and Rob and I discovered that Kneaders has all their treats 1/2 off on Saturday night!  We splurged and the kids had a yummy Sunday morning breakfast! The raspberry bread pudding is out of this world!!!

1. Lizzie and her dear friend, Meg, who moved last autumn got to have a couple of weekend late-overs this month!  We miss the Murri's so much and long to hop the fence to visit like the good old days (prior to their move)! Luckily, they didn't move to far so we still get to hang-out but it does take a little more planning that it used to take! While they beg for sleepovers, lateovers will have to suffice until they are older! We love having Meg around with her brown eyes, beautiful skin, and very kind heart!

Last Day of School 2010-2011

Back to School 2011-2012

Coming Out Of The Closet...

So, I have been giving my blog some thought....hmmmmmmm...and well, I have decided that the reason I blog is to record my family's history for me and for them.  I mean I do enjoy catching up with loved ones, close and far, through their blogs and I do enjoy the occasional comment on my blog but when it comes right down to it, this blog is a way that I can preserve the happenings in my family's life...especially since I am not a scrapbooker or even a very good journaler!  I still haven't put together one of those "blog books" but I am going to...hint, hint, mother's day maybe? So in thinking about turning my blog into a hard copy to remember forever, I wonder if my "nicknames" will cause confusion years down the road.  I felt, initially, they were necessary to protect my kids from stranger danger but in watching the traffic my blog gets...I don't think it is an issue!  Plus, I posted my Christmas Card and if you look close, it has all our names on it! Get out! Right there in print! So, therefore, the nicknames are gone and we are coming out of the closet with our real names!  Drumroll, please.....

CHOCHO:  Rachel...yep it is usually me that you have to listen to rambling on and on and on...

SENIOR: Rob...my handsome and hardworking better half...

BERNINA: Emily or Emi, currently enjoying high school...Go BRAVES!

GIADA: Abigail or Abby, currently enjoying junior high...Go EAGLES!

SLICK: Elizabeth or Lizzie, currently embracing her curls...FINALLY!

QUEEN BUBS: Anna May or Annie, currently talking and talking...and TALKING!

JUNIOR: David or for as long as it will last DAVEY, currently playing the role of the typical little brother...slyly PUSHING BUTTONS!

Phew, I did it! And it feels good!  Now for getting us all caught up (yes, I am going to attempt to get 2011 covered) and ready to start a new year of blogging...only a month and 3 days late!  Enjoy!

"LIFE IS GOOD" Family Gala 2011

Coming soon

Join The Rebelution 2012

Stay Tuned!

Backseat Drivers...Yep, We Start 'Em Young

Stay Tuned!

Family Photo Shoot with Natali!

Christmas Card 2011!

Photo and Card by Natali Naegle

December 2011 Top Ten

Stay Tuned!

November 2011 Top Ten

Stay Tuned!

October 2011 Top Ten

Stay Tuned!

Summer 2011 Top Twelve...in no particular order!

CAA 2011-2012 Topaz Team

Go Abby!

Emi and Lexi EFY 2012

12. EFY, Volleyball Camps, and Dancing lessons, plus a little soccer too! Everyone had something fun to do!

I have hundreds of pictures the kids have taking doing "photo shoots!" Impossible to decide which to post!

11. Sprinklers, Popsicles and Photo Shoots (the kiddos doing their own)...what summer would be complete without those!

August 2011 Bear Lake with The Naegles

June 2011 Howe Family Cabin

10.  Bear Lake TWICE...Yep, the whole family headed up north in June for our annual retreat at the Howe Family Cabin and had a blast with our Howe cousins!  Then the kids were thrilled to be invited to the Naegle Cabin in August to celebrate the last weekend of summer!  Rob and I spent our own little weekend get-away at home sans kiddos! Talk about win-win!

St. George June 2011

9.  Oh how we love St. George! Especially when we get to celebrate Grandpa Hansen's 90th birthday party with lots of Hansen's cousins!  I think one of the highlights of the trip was Rob and I sharing the bunk room with Matt, Justin, and Brenley! Haha!

Summer Fun 2011!

8. Visits and outings with our out-of-town cousins and friends! We made it to Kennecott Copper Mine, The Children's Museum, swam, did crazy make-overs, dyed our hair with Kool-aid and even recorded our own version of cupcake wars!

Mode of Transport to tennis courts: Scooter
Dedicated tennis partner: Andrew

7.   Tennis, tennis and tennis...Emily worked hard all through July and got the last spot on the Bountiful Braves Tennis Team!  Way to go!

We will be there every year!

6.  Discovered the West Bountiful Fourth of July parade...short and sweet! It was perfect.  Even better was that Abby was in it representing her junior high as a 7th grade officer!

Meeting Trapper!

5.  Meeting Trapper, Uncle Sam's new horse, added some excitement to our July!  The kids even got to feed him!

Maplewood Summer Camps 2011

4.  Maplewood Summer Camps run by Emily and Abby will definitely become an annual event at our home.  They made a little cash and the kids had a lot of fun!

Davey loves Andrew's wheels!

3.  The scooter was replaced by Colonel Mustard!  The truck and Davey became fast friends...we miss Colonel Mustard! And occasionally, the motorcycle would make a short appearance...and Rob even let Emily go on a few rides!

We even got to see the Adams Family there too! 

2.  Oakley Rodeo was lots of fun.  It had been way to long since we headed that way! Enjoyed by all...even with a little rain and even though we lost TWO umbrellas!

No more tears! It used to be tough for a 13 year old to compete with a 1 year old on her birthday! Poor Missa...I am sorry we weren't more sensitive! But now just happy birthday girls!

3. Celebrated Abby and Aunt Missa's August birthdays just as school was getting ready to start.  Are you impressed with our treats?

Holbrook Canyon, just five minutes from our house! Sadly, the only picture of me in this post is on an early-morning hike! Scary! We had to say a prayer half-way up because Lizzie's fear of mountain lions was literally paralyzing her! We made it back safely! 

2. Very successful Girls Camp and Family Gala and even a few early AM hikes!

You don't get much cuter than this!

1.  Cyrus came to stay all by himself while his parents visited South America! We sure loved having that little guy around! Too bad he really lives in Armenia!

September 2011 Top Ten

10. BHS Tennis season is in full-swing! Lots of fun in the sun watching Emily play! They even get to travel to St. George for a tourney!

9. Abby works hard at manager for the BJH Volleyball team and learns some great skills along the way!

8. Anna decides to take a creative dance class at CAA just down the street and around the corner!

7. Lizzie works hard at her new dance studio CAA in the Topaz Company!

6. Rob actually lets Emily go on a few motorcycle rides with Andrew! She says they take away the school stress!

5. Emily and Abby learn the ropes at junior and senior high! It is kinda of an emotional month for the higher schooler trying to figure it all out but she does enjoy it too!

4. Rachel bottles a few tomatoes from our garden.  Wishes it was more!

3. Emily heads up to the Naegle cabin at Bear Lake again! Lucky girl!

2. High school football begins! Go Braves!

1. We finally get family pictures taken! We haven't done that since Emily was one!!!!!

Love of Learning and Love of Us!

Stay tuned!