SPRING BREAK!!!

With this last week being Spring Break and having to cancel our trip to Vegas due to having to replace our fridge we stayed home. Kevan had taken the week off from work and we were all disappointed but we managed to find some fun at home in Arizona. The weather just could not have been more perfect for the outdoors!

Monday we took the kids to see the movie, "We Bought A Zoo". I had wanted to see this at Christmas time but with the holidays being as busy as they were we never got around to it. It was such a FANTASTIC movie! I just wish I would of known ahead of time that it was quite a tear jerker at least it was for me. My son kept looking at me during the movie and asking, "Mom, what is wrong, why are you crying?" Anyways, the entire family enjoyed the movie outing. Later we went out to dinner.

Tuesday we went to Tempe Town Lake and went Paddle Boating. I must say that if you have never done this it is a must. We had so much fun and what a leg workout! After we went to lunch at the new DURGER DOG. YUMMY!











Wednesday we went to Golfland to go Go-Karting and while standing in line waiting for our turn I noticed that something was swarming in the air. After a few minutes of watching this the attendant came over the load speaker to bring the cars out on the track in. They ended up having to shut the track down because a beehive was found in a bush and the noise of the go-karts going by were upsetting the bees and they were swarming. They were going to have to call a bee professional to come out and remove it. We were all bummed especially Keaton because this was going to be his first time to drive a go-kart by himself. However, we
were glad they found the bee problem before driving into the swarming bees on the track.



Thursday I had to go into work for a few hours so we just had a stay-at-home day. Kevan worked on school assignments while the kids jumped on the trampoline for a while and enjoyed more of our wonderful warm weather. Later Bailey Rose got real brave and went swimming. Keaton though she was crazy and did not want to have anything to do with the pool this early in the season. I thought she was crazy too but she braved the freezing cold water and had a good time. After about thirty minutes she said that she was numb from the water and she couldn't tell it was cold and that it wasn't so that bad. That is when I told her it was time to get out! CRAZY GIRL! That is my Bailey Rose though she is a trooper and always up for anything even getting hypothermia!






Friday I had to go into work in the morning and afterwards I did laundry and took Bailey Rose to the bookstore so she could purchase some new books she had wanted. Kevan took Keaton and Bailey Rose later that afternoon to the APPLE Store so Keaton could look at the new iPAD3 . He has his heart set on getting one of these and has done all types of research on them and probably knows more about them then we do. I think he is just tired of making his movies on the little iPod we have. After the APPLE store Kevan went and met up with his brother who was in town from Montana. They met at a BBQ place in Chandler and visited while watching a game.

It was a good Spring Break spending time together as a family. Kevan has another week of vacation coming this summer so hopefully we will get to have our get-a-way vacation then. I am thinking Long Beach !

FAMILY DINNER

There is nothing like a nice, quiet FAMILY dinner, right!? Well, that is unless each family member is occupied with their own INDIVIDUAL activity! This is what I contended with last night while out for a Family dinner. What is wrong with these pictures?

Next time, the "technology" stays at home!

EMAILING

GAMING

TEXTING

FIFTEEN!

Today marks 15 years together!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABE!
LOVE YOU!

ADDITIONS!

Kevan's work decided several months that they are going to do away with the company cars due to the cost. This meant that we had to go out and buy another car. Not happy about having to have another car payment we put it off until just a few weeks before the company cars have to be turned in. However, we are pleased with our new addition and feel like we made a good choice. Kevan loves the smoothness of his new wheels.He is used to driving a Chevy HHR and they are sort of rough to ride in. We bought a 2010 Hyundai Elantra! We now have a cherry red car and a maroon car. I cannot believe that we ended up with two red cars! LOL

CATCHING UP

WOW! I can't believe it has been about 4 months since I last updated this blog. I guess we have been busy! I will try to just do this in photos and in chronological order but my memory may fail some so it might not be a accurate as I would like.

SEPTEMBER:

Kevan's 50th Birthday! I whisked him away on a surprise weekend not to far from home where we stayed a nice little resort hotel and had dinner at The White Chocolate Grill which had the best food we had ever tasted. After dinner we went and saw the movie "Moneyball". It was a lovely weekend and he was SO surprised because I had him convinced that the 50th birthday was no more of a bigger deal then any birthday and it didn't warrant any special planning. He was very happy with the end result!






Keaton also had his first Jr. High School Band Concert. It was an amazing performance and sounds so much better in a real auditorium then in a school cafeteria. He still loves band and plays so well. His Christmas Concert was just BEAUTIFUL and we really have enjoyed all of his performances!




OCTOBER:

Over fall break we enjoyed a trip to Utah where we were able to go to to Temple Square and also the Conference Center. We all enjoyed those two tours and then we spent a day at BYU and my kids loved it so much that is all they talked about for the days that followed. They are definitely BYU fans and can't wait to go to college now. While at BYU we enjoyed lunch with Kevan's niece who is a cheerleader at BYU. It was fun to catch up with her. I would have to say the best part of the trip was playing with the cousins! The " Missouri Smith's" have relocated to Springville, Utah and that was the reason for our trip. We had tons of fun playing and visiting with the them. It will be so nice not to be so far away and are looking forward to our next visit. One night we took our families to the BYU bowling center and had fun bowling and playing in the arcade.

















Halloween was also a fun event! We actually got together with my sister Shanna and her family on Halloween night. Once again the cousins had fun with each other going trick or treating. This year both of my kids wanted to be vampires. Keaton and Bailey Rose look just as adorable as vampires as they do dressed up as angels, rock stars, and someone from Mario Bros. It was nice to just go out and buy a costume this year instead of spending weeks sewing and putting costumes together. On the request of my kids I left the red eye in the picture to make it more authentic!



NOVEMBER:

Well, our November was a little stressful but, we managed to enjoy a family gathering early on to celebrate my mom's 70th Birthday. We threw a surprise breakfast. We celebrated a week early since my dad went in for surgery for prostate cancer the weekend of her real birthday! Mom was very surprised and enjoyed her celebration as we all did. Dad had his surgery and is recovering very nicely and is almost at 100% with excellent post tests we are happy to say he is cancer free. What a blessing!
We all spent Thanksgiving Dinner at our own houses since dad was recovering and I took Thanksgiving dinner to them this year. It was a nice holiday with lots to be thankful for.




DECEMBER:

Before school was out for the holidays we enjoyed Bailey's very first and last strings concert. She played the viola but due to another ear surgery around the corner she will not continue playing. She is not too upset about this as she did not enjoy it as much as she thought she would. I am glad she tried it though and she did do a wonderful job and it was enjoyable to go to a concert for her.



Kevan's daughter's were able to visit with Christmas for this year and his parents were even able to come for a visit. Unfortunately, I took no pictures and have no document of this last Christmas. I will just say that it was very enjoyable and we all had a wonderful time spending time together. We are looking forward to this New Year and hope for best wishes for all of our family and friends!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MISS FRISBY

Well, this post is just for Bailey Rose! She had begged me and begged me to blog about her little friend and pet Miss Frisby. She got Miss Frisby this last May. She is a Dwarf hamster and Bailey Rose is just in love with this little fur ball. She actually spent some of her birthday money on a little plastic pool so that Miss Frisby would be able to exercise in a large place without being able to escape. Her idea worked out beautifully and Bailey Rose could sit for hours and watch her run around the little pool. She got lots of hamster toys for her birthday and so Bailey Rose sets up little exercise courses for her to play with while spending time in the pool. She has been a great pet for Bailey Rose and she does a terrific job cleaning her cage and making sure she has food and fresh water. However, because she is a Dwarf hamster she is very small and very fast and so Bailey Rose does not get to hold her like she wants too. Next time we will not get a Dwarf so that Bailey Rose will be able to pet and hold it.

TRENDY?

Bailey Rose begged to have the newest craze (hair feathers)! Some of her friends at school had them so she wanted one. I first said no because, I didn't thought it was too trendy but, then I realized it was no different from clothing styles like skinny jeans that are trendy at first. I know this fad will die out soon enough so, I caved and let her get one. She was so excited and after spending at least twenty minutes picking the color she wanted she now sports a small cute blue feather!

CATCHING UP!

Well, I guess it is time to play catch up again!

In July we celebrated Bailey Rose's 10th Birthday! With favorite cake and all the cousins it made it perfect for her. I still can't believe my baby is 10 years old! Seems just like yesterday I was holding her in my arms and meeting her for the first time.






The first day of school came quicker then I thought it would. Keaton has entered the 7th grade and is now enjoying Jr. High. The first day was not a good one but he has now made the adjustment and is enjoying it as much as any 12 year old enjoys school. He loves having Band everyday and really likes his band teacher. He is not thrilled with a PE class everyday but, I am sure once the weather has cooled off he won't mind it as much. He is growing up so fast and becoming such an awesome young man.

KEATON - 1ST DAY OF 7TH GRADE JR. HIGH


Bailey started 5th grade this year. Two more years and she will be in Jr. High too! Where does the time go? She had a "perfect" first day and was all smiles when she came home. She loves her teacher which is the same teacher she had in 4th grade. I love it when great teachers loop. She is also taking the viola this year and is too excited about learning to play an instrument. She is my bursting bubble of happiness!
I am glad she is enjoying the 5th grade!

BAILEY ROSE- 5TH GRADE


It is weird having the kids at different schools this year and makes picking up and dropping off a bit more rushed but since Kevan has been on medical leave from work it has worked out good with his help. However, in a few weeks when he returns to work I will be juggling the driving a little more.

Last week Keaton finally was able to buy his 3DS which he has been saving for. He got lucky and they went on sale and was marked down $80 which I think is just an awesome deal. He has enjoyed it LOTS since he got it and tells us all the time, "It is the best purchase of my life!" I think he appreciates it more since he saved and saved until he could buy it. He is now saving for new games. He is one HAPPY CAMPER!



All in all I thought this summer was a good one. We did nothing exciting and went on no vacations but it was enjoyable still the same. Things are getting back into a routine and it looks like this school year is going to be a good one!