Radical Rocket

This is Lance's bottle rocket that he built for science class which happened to earn him a 100%. woo hoo. He was pretty proud of it.....and rightfully so. He did a great job. Nice finishing touches too....with the man on top. He took my little camera to school to get a movie clip of the blast off. Unfortunately, he left it on after the blast and I don't know how to edit it. But, look carefully cause it's GONE before you know it. Don't blink:). It was a great launch. Way to go Lance! (He wouldn't get in the picture with the rocket though....so maybe he wasn't that proud of it. ???)

#1 Reason to Shop at Basha's

The Basha's Cubhouse....a play to drop off you little ones while you shop. Wes came home all excited about his spider hat that he made there.

Party Time!

This is the year that my kids get to have friend bday parties and so Sierra really wanted to have a sleepover. What fun. Eleven girls. That's a MAJOR sleepover. What does one get with eleven girls?

Eleven Beautiful Faces.

Lots of Hair Curling.

Lots of Nail Painting.

Tricks on each other. Yes, the bday girl was not left out from getting cake icing on her nose. During the night, girls in sleeping bags were t.p.ed (toilet papered) and faces were drawn on. Some girls slept outside on the trampoline. Some girls insist they stayed up to 5 in the morning!!! Sorry to the moms if they have cranky girls today.

Andthen there was lots and lots of music - singing and dancing and giggling. It was so fun to watch. The girls took turns performing for each other. They didn't know what song they would get. We would see how well they could sing and dance with it.

It makes me wanna have more of them....well, until my lack of sleep kicks in. Then, I'll change my mind when I get all cranky. What a great bunch of friends for Sierra. It'll be a party to remember.

All of the girls dancing. Well, Sierra was getting a drink by the fridge and when I scanned over to her, she went shy on me.

Kynlee & Megan got the song Hakana Matata from Lion King. They had some fun up "on stage".

The Perfect Way to Celebrate a Horse Lover's Bday

First, we went out to dinner as a family. Sierra got her present from us....just what she asked for. An ipod. Yes, a non-horse related item. Yes, I was shocked too. Could she be growing up?

While we ate dinner, Weston shared with us another one of his many talents. Coloring....two handed. Amazing and cute. It gets it done twice as fast.

After going out to dinner, Sierra and I left in a separate car. I surprised her by taking her to see Cavalia. What a spectacular show with beautiful horses and amazing acrobatics and tricks. We loved the show.

Movin' Up!

My little girl turned twelve on Tuesday. She is no longer in primary now. She is in young women's. YOUNG WOMEN'S!!! Wow. I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday....no, not really. Shoot. Thank goodness for pictures cause I don't remember much. But, I do remember how much I loved my baby girl. She was my fastest delivery....I arrived at the hospital at 8:00am to be induced. The Dr. said I was already having contractions(even though I wasn't feeling anything yet) and so he broke my water at 8:15am. Sierra was born at 8:46am. ....Talk about a nice, fast delivery. And, she has been nice to me ever since.

When Sierra's hair was this length, she had the cutest curls. Unfortunately, as the hair grew longer, the curls disappeared. But, she was still beautiful with that thick, blond hair and those big, blue eyes.

I don't know if it was because she had a big brother or because her mother is this way also, but Sierra was a born tomboy. Lovin' bugs and all from the beginning. It's probably a good thing too since she ended up with two more brothers behind her. She's gotta be tough.

Luckily, she could still have a princess side to even out the tomboy side. Sierra loved all the Disney princesses when she was growing up. It was so fun to see her prance around in her princess dresses. She was Cinderella this year for Halloween.

Sierra became a big sister at four to Zane. And, she has been helpful ever since. She is always willing to help and she's such a hard worker. What a wonderful daughter.

Oh, and I can't post about her first 12 years without including the infamous self haircut. Boy, did she butch it. She wanted no bangs. So, instead of growing them out, she thought she should just cut them off! Lovely, huh?! Oh, well. You gotta learn to laugh at yourself, right?!

By Kindergarten, her hair had grown out enough to pull those growing bangs up. And, so this was her hairdo for the year. Still adorable. This was her first day of school at Franklin South.

Sierra has been an animal lover from day one....much like her mother. She loves her cats, the bunny she had for a while, our dogs....

...and the horses. Here is her obsession just starting out. Here is Sierra starting horseback riding lessons on Dandy when she was eight years old.

And the obsessive fire was fueled with our purchase of Pepper. He was/is a stubborn pony, but luckily Sierra was more stubborn. (probably one of the few times her stubbornness is a plus:). But, boy, is she the best rider around now.

Happy 12th Birthday Sierra Dawn! I would have liked to have had another daughter, but Sierra more than makes up for only having one. She is a wonderful girl. Really. Such a hard worker. Such a good helper. I can't believe she's in Young Women's now. I love that we both enjoy horseback riding together. I love spending time with my girl. She's beautiful inside and out!

Lunch at the Farm

A couple weeks ago, I was reading one my ol' high school friend's blog. She had a post on this cute restaurant that looked so fun. Her kids were running around playing outside at the restaurant. I thought to myself, "That is the kind of restaurant that I need for my kids."
Well, this weekend Lance was gone snowboarding with the deacons and teachers from church. On Sat., Todd and I were out running errands with the three younger ones. I remembered her post and that the restaurant was out where we were going. And, so my easy-going, spontaneous husband said, "Let's go there for lunch today." As we drove up to it, I realized that I had noticed it once before a long time ago, but I don't usually drive down Ray. It's the cutest restaurant made out of an old farm house....with cute picnic tables outside. And, to make it even better, we loved the food. Well, not Sierra. She had a hot dog. Apparently, they use "natural casing" hot dogs that she thought had a too chewy of a outside. (Todd tells me later it's cause it's the intestine? hit my gagger)

Anyways. We had a great time. Todd had some pesto burger and I had the same thing but in chicken. Yum! The kids loved being outside. There was this HUGE, old tree that we had to get a photo by. Isn't it neat the way it splits off into 3? But, they do have signs up saying no climbing...talking about torturing a kid:)

Zane is having fun taking pictures lately and so he took this one of the rest of us by a citrus tree.

Oh, and how can I forget?!!! My son's got talent, so I need to share! Here at the restaurant, he doesn't have a straw for some reason, so he proceeds to show me how he can make his very own homemade straw...with his own tongue! Way to go Zane! Always entertaining!

Thanks Jennifer for the great tip to eat at Joe's Farm Grill:)

The Coolest Straws EVER!!!

I think that Todd is a lover of gadgets & gizmos, and so he passes that fun on along to his sons. He came home with a couple of straws...or rather, pieces of straws where one gets to assemble the tubes and connectors however he wishes to create his own unique straw. And, so the fun began. They were originally getting out drinks...some yummy SunnyD. But, when they realized they were having Top Ramen Soup for dinner (cause Mom and Dad were going out), the straws quickly went to use for sucking up the liquid in the soup. Gotta love it!

Quite the masterpiece....even includes a convenient handle. The looks of it remind me of that MouseTrap game for some reason.

But, when the liquid was gone, the fun continued. I guess their Mom never told them not to play with their food!

YUMMY. I bet you're craving some Top Ramen now:). It's one of our children's favorites. They like it even better "dry" with egg cooked in it....one of Todd's mission specialities. But, I don't think that would come up through the straws very well.

25 Random Things About Me

**tag from Facebook**

How it is supposed to work: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you and I suspect that you'll make a really good list.

***Guilt admitted here: I am soooo not creative or original.... so I used Crystal's ideas to go off of.

1. I love to ride roller coasters and crazy rides.
2. I don't like the beach cause sand seems to get everywhere and I hate that sticky feeling.
3. I love animals - hence, the 4 horses, 2 dogs, and 1 cat.
4. I love to see the joy on my children's faces when they play with the animals.
5. I have no clue how to text, but I know how to set up a blog and I'm learning how to "facebook."
6. I love salads with yummy vinegarette dressings ....esp. when I'm being "good."
7. I love ice cream when I'm not being good. ....never got over it after the Baskin Robbin days.
8. I "probably" spend too much time on the computer (yea...still a little denial there).
9. I love my husband.
10. I love the way my husband looks at me and still flirts with me.
11. I love my four children.
12. I think peanut butter M&Ms are the best. (Thanks, or no thanks to Sonya for introducing those to me:)
13. I love that almost all of my family still live here in the valley with me...
14. and I love that my only sister that doesn't live here...will soon live here:):):)
15. I like to sit outside and nice and enjoy the peace and quiet.
16. When I fill up my gas tank, I like the dollar amount owed to end on an even dollar.
17. I like to sing, but I can't...and I can't even remember the words anyways, thanks to my short term memory.
18. I like to follow my husband riding on quads so I can check out his cute tush when he stands up over bumps.
19. I still prefer wearing simple ol' flip flops like I did in high school....my heels look horrible most of the time.
20. I spend way tooo much time cleaning up poo...whether it be my 3 yr old's, the dogs' or the horses'.
21. I always have a huge, messy paper pile in my laundry room.
22. I am having fun seeing everyone on facebook even if it adds to my computer time.
23. For my goals - I am going to lose 10lbs and go to the Temple once a month this year.
24. I work with the young women (16-18 yr olds) in my church and I love it! The girls are so much fun!
25. I lose my patience and yell too much at my children. sorry. Maybe another goal will be to yell less.

Senior Year Tag from Facebook

IN YOUR SENIOR YEAR DID YOU...
1. Did you date someone from your school? Yes
2. Did you marry someone from your high school? Yes, luckily:)
3. Did you car pool to school? I was "fortunate" ?? enough to live close by so I had to walk!
4. What kind of car did you have? Some red honda? car ar first, then some blue car, but my sister and I had to share. Since she was going to MCC, she really got to use it the most.
5. What kind of car do you have now? a surburban. woohoo!
6. Its Friday night...where are you now? date night with my hubby or going out with the kids.
7. It is Friday night...where were you then? football games, out with friends, or out with Todd.
8. What kind of job did you have in high school? Baskin Robbin....love that ice cream still.
9. What kind of job do you do now? the most important one, right....at least, that's what I keep telling myself:)....stay at home mom.
10. Were you a party animal? No, I always liked to be with friends, but I don't think I could be described as an "animal".
11. Were you considered a flirt? I don't think so....unless you asked Todd.
12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Orchestra.
13. Were you a nerd? I don't think I was a nerd, hope not at least.
14. Did you get suspended or expelled? gasp. never. only BAD kids get suspended. The few times I ditched, I thought it was fun but I thought for sure I was going to get caught and go to heck.
15. Can you sing the fight song? No, I couldn't even start it.....my memory is shot.
16. Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)? I can picture them, but I can't remember their names. oh, Mr Palmer was a great math teacher. Ummmm...the chemistry teacher. ???
17. Where did you sit during lunch? it varied....cafeteria, seminary, a fast food restaurant....etc
18. What was your school's full name? Westwood High School
19. When did you graduate? 1989
20. What was your school mascot? Warriors
21. If you could go back and do it again, would you? I loved high school so I wouldn't mind doing it again. But, I am not really "wanting" to....it's kind of a "been there, done that" and now I like where I am in life.
22. Did you have fun at Prom? Of course, I was with Todd.
23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? Everyday. Still love to hold his hand and flirt with him.
24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? Of course. A lot of people I don't get to see at all, but I would like to catch up with them.
25. Do you still talk to people from school? Some, not enough.
26. School Colors? Orange and Blue
27. What celebrities came from your high school? Ummm, not that into my fellow high schoolers, I guess. Who knows what they are all doing.??? I guess I haven't heard any of their names on the news.

How Well Do You Know Your Husband?

**This is a tag from Facebook, I thought I'd add to my blog so I have it when I print it off.


Wed 8:11am
Here's a chance to see how well you really know your husband. Cut, paste and fill in the answers, then forward . . . shoot, you know what to do. The real challenge is to send it to your husband to see how right you really are.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Discovery Channel
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Ranch and Italian off to the side
3. What's one food he doesn't like? French Toast, or embryo covered soggy bread as he calls it
4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order? Water or Diet Coke
5. Where did he go to high school? Westwood High School
6. What size shoe does he wear? 11
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Cycles or quads?
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? roast beef, steak, or tuna
9. What would this person eat every day if he could? Steak
10. What is his favorite cereal? Shredded Mini Wheats
11. What would he never wear? A bra. :)
12. What is his favorite sports team? Home team
13. Who did he vote for? Same as me
14. Who is his best friend? Me...better be
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? turn the lights off as I walk out of the room....even if he is still in it.
16. What is his heritage? He is a mutt! English, German, ...
17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? ....not a big cake eater, but he'd love the chocolate one from Black Angus with Ice Cream and hot fudge
18. Did he play sports in high school? track and was starting football, but blew out his knee
19. What could he spend hours doing? riding his quad or cycle, reading a good book, or watching tv, staying active....doing something!
20. What is one unique talent he has? He's a hard worker!

Renaissance Festival

For the 6th grade field trip, the kids were going to the Renaissance Festival. Sierra was so excited and wanted me to join her. Since I don't usually go on the field trips (I always have a little one at home), I told her I would come. Thanks to Kelly and Michelle for taking Wes.


Here are (l to r) Raquel, Sierra, Rachel, and Sammie having fun with the Painted Lady.

Sierra and I posing in front of the Tree Man. Was he from Lord of the Rings?, I wonder.

We were able to see quite a few shows. Here's the daredevil, juggler act.

And, here's the Jousting Show. We also saw a Sword Swallowing show and a Whip Cracking Artist (he was on Time Warp....as he told us about ten times:).

Our group of girls.

A Music Fairy? All I know is she handed shiny rocks that the girls liked.

We had a lot of fun. I'm glad that Sierra wanted me to go with her.

Valentine's Day

So, this is Todd and I bonding on Valentine's Day:)...yes, with toothpicks and lifesavers. I told you Todd wasn't really romantic. hee hee. Seriously, I can only blame myself for my non-romantic night since I made our plans.

With several other couples, we went out for a yummy dinner and came back to our house for some fun and games. We had a blast. We've got some great, fun friends that were soooo entertaining. We all agreed to do it again next year!

Sam and Lani - seeing how well they work together.

Brett and Nicki won this game - opening the pkg with no hands AND eating the treat inside the fastest...still without hands. Brett should have also been given a prize that night for the best one-liners. We all thought he was "on something" that night:).

Kevin and Julie getting up after a game meanwhile sharing some good laughs.

Of course, some games just brought out too much competitiveness in the men. Megan is quickly escaping her man, Jason:)

Cindy and Bobby getting ready.

Jason and Kelly trying to win....but they didn't. Although they still gave us some pretty good entertainment. My house was so full of laughter that night. It was a blast.

Shala and B.C. won on this one. They were oh so good together. ...and who wouldda thought.....they have been married the least amount of time:).

We also played the not-so-newleywed game where the "longest" married couples jumped ahead. And then we ended with a white elephant gift exchange. It was a lot of fun. We've got some great friends! Looking forward to 2010!