"Wicked"

Chey got the tickets, memorized the music, and rather impatiently waited 'til the actual event! It was such an occasion for her that she thought she should stay home from school that day to celebrate. Ummm...no, didn't happen. However, it still turned out to be tons of fun and impossible not to catch her enthusiasm! (Obviously equally impossible to catch is how stunningly beautiful we REALLY looked!) Here we are outside the Capital Theater. We handed a guy the camera. He had US for models and ended up with...this? Yea, I know, it must have been the angle. But, no matter, we are there!!!

I snapped a picture in the mirror just before we went in. (angle again)

Here's Chey heading up the stairs to find our seat!!! Yikes!

This is the stage before it began. The costumes were magnificent, the actors adorable, and the music--out of this world! We felt like we were "defying gravity"! We loved it!!

Grandma Sleepover

Even though the new has worn off, I just had to post some pictures of my first du-du-du-dun...Grandma Sleepover! As scary as those words sound (from every angle) it actually turned out fun! We only had 2 rules. Everyone only got 3 cry's. After three, Grandma called your Mom and you had to go home. The second rule was to have fun! Cheyna and her friend Shelbee hid a treasure and the kids followed the map to find, to their joy... bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and play doh!

Kenna's armed and ready to start the action. Grandpa is in the background, also armed with a few "extra" bubbles---just in case.

Here's my little bubble blowers Adam, Kennady, and Lexy. Jaxson was working on his first "cry" but will join in the fun a little later. :)

"Is she serious? Only 3 cry's!"

"Bubbles? I don't see no stinking bubbles!"

And then there's Aunt Cheyna (sigh) the master bubble blower of them all.

We ended our outside fun with sidewalk chalk. All pictures turned out simply beautiful! Lexy is displaying her first, of many pictures. Ahhhh...a masterpiece!

We played with the play doh, got on everyone's jammies and watched "Bedtime Stories" until everyone went to sleep. (The last one dropping off at about midnight!) We only ended up with 2 extra's in our bed and made a (half) promise to do it again next spring!

Spring Catch-up

I just unloaded (uploaded?) some (319) pictures from my camera. Oops! Having a camera again reminds me that we actually DO do something. It also reminded me that it has been 3 months since I shared any pictures on the blog. Soooo, I'm catching up a bit. There has been some expected fun times and also some fun that was, let's say unexpected.

Here is a shot of my second chick night. We were supposed to be pretending to be scared here since the movie selection was "Twilight" but as you can tell no one was very convincing. Here's Aly and Chey, Becky holding Hallee, Brinley, Stephanie, me (who thought we were supposed to look scare-y) Becky Boo, and Lexy. We had fun and food but mostly I just love getting together with the girls. Aren't they cute?
Next shot is of Cheyna with some of her friends. They got "oh my gosh" tickets to see David Archuletta when he came to Salt Lake. The girls got together and made shirts with different pictures of David (sigh) and wore matching scarves in their hair. Here's a shot of some of them after making the shirts. The picture tells all.And this? Well this is an actual picture of David Archuletta (scream!!!) in real life, zoomed up, and personal. Yes and he sang right to them too. Just ask 'em.

The sun was nearly setting on a crisp Sunday evening when someone suggested a four-man pushup. It was so funny watching the logistics of the whole thing I ran and got the camera. They're not very clear but you can kind of make out the participants. Jake, Chey, Briant, Stephanie,and the cute little head is Adam.
Ta Daaaa! Here's one successful 4-man push-up!
Another circus performance from the great Briant! Here he is holding, and spinning not just one but 2! The 2 brave spinning females are Stephanie on the shoulders and Chey...attached on front. Ahhhh...spring is here.

News from Brazil!!!

Out of the MTC and into the field! We were so excited to get pictures from Cameron's mission president-- which is an American from Bountiful! Aren't they cute?

These are the two other missionaries that came with Cameron. They are both from Brazil.They left the Mission President's home and went to a transfer meeting and were met with all the Elders singing "Called to Serve"! His mission President commented that, "They are an awesome army of the Lord!" Good luck Elder Field!!

"Chick" Night

Every Sunday night after dinner the male members of our family cower in fear. No, not just because they're afraid they might have to help with the dishes, but because they're afraid they might have to...da-da-da-dum watch a "chick-flick". Cowards! So I decided to plan a "chick night". It's my female version of "fight night" (a night when all the men, and a few females, get together and watch a couple of overgrown adolescents try to kill each other--for money.)

Becky (Kyle) was home sick but here's the brave crew that attended. Stephanie, Becky, Me, Cheyna, Brinley (Cam's girlfriend) and down at the bottom there's Lexy.

Jayda bug was there and it looks like she's trying to decide if we made the right movie choice, "A Walk in the Clouds".

Before we started we filled up our plates with goodies and admired Stephanie's new haircut (something they DON'T do at fight nights).

Here's what's left over of our spread. And what's that? A hand? A male hand, sneaking into the treats!

Ahhh...now we know the reason for the fear. Unlike fight night, after watching a good chick flick, we know what a REAL man is. So take THAT Rampage Jackson and...Terrible Tidbit (or whatever their names are).

Circus Circus

Ernie got free "kid" tickets to go to the circus in the Kaysville arena. They traded the usual horse poo for Elephant dung and in spite of the smell we all had a ball! Well, almost all. Here's what Jaxson thought of the whole thing. Not a fan of lions and tigers or bears, oh my. He kept saying, "I think I'll go to the car."

Jake brought "circus peanuts" (the candy kind, of course) and we bought cotton candy. Hmm..which was more fun the tricks or the treats?

Cheese!

Here's a cute shot of Becky and little Jayda Bug. Jayda liked the trapeze girls the most. (Well, she didn't get any circus peanuts!)
Kenna on Grandpa's lap enjoying the dog tricks. That was her favorite. We were sad that Cheyna was home sick-- but glad we went. When it was all said and done it really wasn't hard to tell who enjoyed the circus the most. They say you can take the man out of the circus (haha) but you can't take the circus out of the man. (Or something like that.) Yes Ernie was the biggest fan and you can bet he'll be first in line the next time the circus comes to town.

Mission... Joys?

The clock was ticking away. January 6--coming way too fast. And goodbye's? The tough part of the mission. Brinley and Cameron enjoying some of the last minutes together.

Early morning January 6th. We were thinking the MTC in Provo was a rough ride! Here we are minutes away from watching Cameron go through the gate...alone. It was then we wondered where were all the missionaries and parents lining a room of excited 19-year-olds? So they go out one door, and we go out the other. WAY easier than sending them to who knows where...did I say ALONE? ALONE!!

We lined Cameron up like Ronald McDonald and everyone got a chance to get their picture taken with him. Here's Kyle, Becky, Kennady, Jaxson, and Hallee by, of course, Elder Field.

Cassie holding Mailee, Addison, and Livie just enjoying the moment.

Jake and Becky with Adam, Lexy, and Jayda...and... it's a bird, it's a plane, no it's Addison!

(sniff, sniff) Briant and Stephanie at the bottom of the escalator saying goodbye. We all rode up, hugged him one last time and watched him walk away. Oh yeah... painful. But, he'll be a great missionary and we'll be here in 2 years to line him up again and take the same pictures--our smiles will just be a little brighter then.