Summer Lovin'

As I sit down to write this blog posting, summer ended officially for us about a month ago. Although, the summer season is still going strong with temperatures near 107; my friends and family who live up north are still actually enjoying the month of August! I don't mean to sound as if I am complaining, because I am not. When the Arizona heat hits 107 no one really goes outside; if you live in Arizona you know what I mean. We exercise before the sun rises, we park in the shade, even if that means you have to walk clear across the parking lot in the heat to get to the air conditioned store. With temperatures reaching that high, and kids hiding indoors, you might as well have them learning something; thus year round school!

But before the school bell rings, you have to enjoy what little time you have for summer. This summer we spent a few days at Lake Powell, the southwest's secret to a bit of heaven! (if you have been to Lake Powell, you know what I mean)

These are the Falls, they are located up Navajo Canyon. This is the first time in 10 years that we have been able to get to them, because the lake water has been so low. We drove the boat up as far as we could, and then we hiked the 4 miles into them. It was so fun to walk and splash in the water as we hiked.

Here I am at the falls.

Mike, Maddie, and Brookie (Maddie's friend swam up under the falls)

sitting in the falls

We found this giant hole and we climbed up into it.


The girls had fun making drip castles with the wet, red sand. They named it the Gorilla's Kingdom. If you note the small black gorilla in the bottom middle, you will know why. (:

Burying each other in the sand is always a fun time.

friends

Mike fishing. His favorite way to unwind at the lake.

me playing in the water

Maddie loves to cliff jump. (thanks to her dad and older sisters) Thank goodness her friend is brave and will climb the cliffs to reach a good spot to jump.

This is me driving the boat! We are thinking of upgrading the boat next season and selling this one. I didn't hit the dock once and drove the boat on perfectly to the trailer this trip.

Good-bye summer!!

These are the Days of Our of Lives...

Time just seems to pass through the hour glass more and more quickly, and I can't account for all of the daily trivial things that happen in our lives, but I thought I would up date you on some of the more larger things that have happened in our lives in the last few weeks.

Tiffany turned 18 in April. I cannot believe that she is 18 and off to college next month. It truly just seems like yesterday that she was 2 years old and being tossed up in the air by her dad.

I remember when her kindergarten teacher stopped by our house to do a home visit and meet T. Mrs. Hall was so nice, and at the time we were new to Silver City, NM. Tiffany started kindergarten a few days later. I walked her down to her bus stop, and I remember her waving out the window, with her curly, long blonde hair and her nose pressed to the glass. I teared up a little as the bus pulled away from the curb. As Calla and I walked home, I remember thinking that it will be years before she is all grown up and graduating. I was excited for the school years her learning to read and write, school projects, science fairs, school carnivals, band, dance team, driving a car, friends, sleep overs, and proms.


Now I have a high school graduate!! The time indeed, has quickly gone through the hour glass. It was weird, but I really don't think that her graduating set into my brain until we were in route to the ceremony. The graduation ceremony this year was held at the Wells Fargo Stadium at ASU. It was a very nice ceremony, and I really was impressed with the 3 valedictorians speeches and the superintendent's remarks. Our superintendent, joined our school district as the graduating class was entering kindergarten, and he too mentioned that he was graduating, because he is now retiring, and going into the world just like the seniors! He felt in sense that he too was a part of the class of 2011.

Tiffany and her friend

walking across the stage to receive her diploma and below looking back...

As her time at home is quickly shortening, Tiffany has been busy this summer trying to save for college but still have fun with her friends. She broke up with her boy friend after graduation and since then, we see a lot more of her (: She found a new job as the beginning of May and is currently scooping ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

Calla ended her school year with cheer competitions and trying out for Varsity Cheer. She made the squad, so her dad and I will be attending lots of football games this fall! This summer she has been busy with girls camp, cheer camp, and she spent a week and a half with her friend in California. In addition, she has been taking an on-line history class for school. The time is passing quickly and in less than 3 weeks, she will once again be back in school.

l ( I love this picture it shows Calla being tossed in the air )

Maddie has spent her time this summer playing with friends, splashing in the pool, and taking her friend Brookie to Lake Powell for 5 days. (picts to come later). Maddie made honor roll 3 quarters in row this year, and was rewarded for good grades with a turkey hunting trip with her dad in early May. Maddie also just had her ballet recital.As for Mike and I we are the proud owners of a new Ranger! We took it out one weekend for a drive in the hills, before the temperature in the Valley of the Sun hit the high 100's. It will get more use in the fall, as in time,
when the temperature drops into the nice bearable temps of the high 70's.

It is amazing how time flies! I wish I could be better at capturing the daily moments of our family, but like the rest of you, we stay busy with work and play. Some days are just a jumble!
But like spilled milk, you just can't cry over it! It's like that saying, enjoy life, or it will pass you by. That is what we seem to do best!

It's Official....

Well...Spring break is officially over in just a few hours, but we had a productive spring break. (Thank goodness for year round school, here in the valley of the sun, because we get a nice 2 week spring break).

The week started off with T becoming an official Aggie.
T and I took a tour of the campus and it made me feel really old! It just doesn't seem that long ago that I was a Utah State Aggie. Where have all the years gone?? After the tour we decided to look for off campus housing. T decided that she wanted to live off campus and in the long run it will be much cheaper. She chose to live in Old Farm Town House houses. The apartment will have 6 girls in it. It was fun apartment shopping with T and before I know it, I will be back up in Cache Valley moving her in. I hope that she has the best room-mates and best experience ever!
While in Utah we visited my grandpa who just turned 91 last week. I always make it a point to stop and visit him whenever I am in Utah. My grandma has been gone for 4 years now and grandpa is really missing her; he talks about being with her soon. He still seems so young at heart! I hope that I am around when I am 91. If I live to be 100... I am going swimming with the dolphins in Cozumel!
While in Utah I always stop at Pai Tan Trading! It is the best store ever for home decor ideas and holiday decorations. I wish Arizona would get a Pai Tan Trading. This is C trying on a very flowery wreath that we found in the clearance aisle.

Utah also is home to modest dresses!! Shopping for a prom dress in Utah is way less stressful than shopping for one in Arizona. (MENTAL NOTE: for future prom dresses and wedding dresses, since I have 2 more daughters attending proms in the next few years.) Since prom time in Arizona comes when the weather is absolutely divine, prom dresses here tend to be strapless. T unfortunately doesn't feel comfortable in strapless dresses, and having to modify them is a pain, so finding dresses that are modest is a special treat!! Here T is trying on the dress that we eventually bought. She bought hot pink high heels at Charlotte Russe and the dress shop sold her a hot pink polka dot sash. Her boyfriend is going to wear a hot pink tie and vest.


Okay... and this is how I spent the last 5 days of spring break and my birthday!!
I had sinus surgery the day after we got back from Utah. My father-in-law tells me it will be the best present that I have ever given myself. Hmmm... will this top a massage...doubt it! But maybe I will be able to breathe, smell, and have less sinus infections.

I did it!!! I actually did it!!

I have been a runner for a couple of years now. I started by running with my friend Jill early in the mornings before school. We would run three miles or so through our sub-divisions and neighborhoods. Last year Mike joined the gym, and I started going with him to run on the tread mill. In the back of my mind, I always wanted to run in a race, but didn't know if I had the stamina or courage to do it. My goal was originally to run a 10k. Some girls from my ward encouraged me to start running with them on the weekends, they were training for London's Run 1/2 marathon. (London's Run for those of you who aren't from QC...is an annual race held in memory for London Solomon, a little girl who died from cancer. The profits from the race help other children with cancer in the QC area). I signed up for the half marathon, with Mindi, Jennie, and Lindsay. I still had doubts but was excited for the race!!

This is me at the starting line. It was a cold morning in Queen Creek, although the sun was shining. I had my i-pod ready!

Here I am with Mindi and Lindsay the first few minutes of the race. Jennie broke through the crowd and set her pace. Jennie wanted to finish the marathon in less than 2 hours. I never could catch up to her. A few minutes later, I plugged my i-pod into my ears, and took off at bit faster pace. Mindi's had knee problems and I was so proud of her. She ran the whole race in pain! I loved running through the country on the country farm field roads. It was so awesome to see bystanders, people that I didn't even know cheering me on! Along the path, every so often was a poster of a child or someone in our area with cancer. One of the posters said "Running is way easier than cancer!" It showed a little girl with no hair sitting up in a hospital bed. It made me think of the people in my own life that have been affected by cancer...my grandma, my sister, a friend, and a mom of one of my first graders, who died in October. I can't imagine being a mom and having to say good-bye to my children. I will never forget how she would bring her children to school, with a face mask on and a cute bandanna wrapped around her hairless head. I felt pretty good all through the race, until mile 11! At mile 11 I thought I was done!! I could see the finish line in the distance, and knew that it wasn't much further, but wondered if I really was going to cross the finish line. THEN THIS SONG started blaring into my earphones......

I knew I could do it!! This was my motivation!!

A few minutes later....Mike catches me running down victory lane with Katy Perry in my ears and a smile on my face.

Here I am!!! I did it!! I actually did it!! I finished the race in 2 hours 14 minutes. It felt so awesome to finally reach a goal that had been in the back of mind for a while.

This is my sister in law, Noelle, who ran the 10k with her friend Rhonda, as they run down victory lane.

Here we all are! We finished.

Christmas Cards 2010

Joy And Magic Christmas Card

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View the entire collection of cards.

Cruisin.....The way life really should be!!

I have to be honest with everyone. I am just not that good at blogging anymore, it has taken me 45 minutes to download the pictures from my cruise. Either my Java needs updating, or I need the memory on the computer increased. I find it so frustrating!! To me it is so much easier to facebook, I can add a quick comment, add pictures and be off in just a few minutes, and I haven't even farmed on my farmtown farm for weeks. But the whole purpose of my blog was to journal the life happenings, for family and friends far away, and for my posterity. SO... here is a quick post.

Just recently, Mike and I celebrated our anniversary/my graduation on a cruise in the Western Caribbean. It was the best week of my life! We have decided that we are going away every year some where together.

This is Jamaica!! My most favorite stop.

The homes you see up on the hill, belong to Mick Jagger and Barbara Streisand.

Mike and I on a charter boat cruising the Island of Jamaica.

We climbed Dunn's River Falls. To climb it, you have to make a human train, and you walk up the falls. (see below)

This is us in the falls!!

This is Mike playing with the turtles in Grand Cayman.

Below is a picture of Mike and I in Hell in Grand Cayman. Behind us is a field of black coral.

This is our cruise ship, just before the storm hit Grand Cayman Island. The storm is the aftermath of Hurricane Jean, that hit Cancun Mexico and brushed Cuba, while we were on our cruise.

This is me in Grand Cayman.

While in Cozumel, Mexico, we visited the Mayan ruins. It is amazing to think that these things are still standing. This Mayan temple was built around 1200 A.D. You still could see the stucco and streets that they used. It was truly amazing.

There were lizards every where!! This guy was the hugest! I can't imagine eating him, but the Mayans ate them. I heard they tasted like chicken. (Don't they say that about everything though)

This is our ship. We cruised on the Carnival Liberty! Here we are in port at Cozumel. We had a balcony room. It was so awesome eating breakfast on the balcony, watching the dolphins play off the ship, watching the clouds move in, and the stars' and moon's reflection fall onto the ocean waters. The Caribbean waters are so blue!!
Mike and I had such a fantastic time on our cruise. He always thought that he would be restless on the ship, but there were so many things going on all times of the day. Most nights we ate in the dining room, but one night we ate at the Sushi Bar. There were two formal nights on ship, where we got to get dressed up in cocktail dress and suit. It was fun to see everyone all dressed up.
The three days we were at sea, we spent time lounging in the sun on the top deck and each of us read. One day we had a couples massage, afterwards Mike went and sat in the men's sauna, and I went and sat in the steam room. It was raining at the time, and it was fun to be inside watching the rain pelt the windows, as I sat soaking in the steam.
On Tuesday night it was Mardi Gras Night, and we went and did the Conga, and the cruise assistants were throwing beads.
My favorite thing to do at nights after dinner was go sit in the Flowers Lobby, and Mike and I would dance and listen to this girl and guy sing. She had the most amazing voice!!
We saw comedy shows, a movie on deck, which happened to be playing at midnight, played bingo, and went to see the dance productions. It was fun to be around and meet so many people from so many different places. We met the nicest couple from Barbados, who sat by us each night in the assigned dining room, Dawn and Harry. We became friends, and met up at Mardi Gras and the comedy show.

Now that we have been home for a couple of weeks, I find myself wishing that time could go backwards, and I could be climbing the waterfall again, or having dinner in the Golden dining room with Harry and Dawn, or reading my Jodi Polcoult book on the deck. I hope I am cruising again soon. It was awesome to just reconnect with my husband, not worry about kids, school or anything else. When people ask me my favorite thing about our trip, it is hard to name one thing.

To see more pictures, check out my facebook page. I posted over 45 of them. :)