Bhamfam

Little Miss Suzy Q

2011-06-09T21:35:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I've been really busy lately- for about the last year I guess. I haven't blogged for FOREVER. I have been just doing the mom/wife thing. It's my favorite thing to do though so it's good. I need to update with a few pictures. I will do that soon, but in the meantime, check out my other blog. Here I've been taking pictures of stuff I've made like cards, gifts and handouts for Young Women. I have been sharing them with my sister. I never had a link to it on anything before, but now I do. (ha ha).

I only have three followers...sad. If you love me at all sign up as a follower so I don't look like such a geek! I would love some comments as well. Thanks, hope to see you over there. :)

A"Little Bear" Moment in The Burningham Home

2010-05-31T10:02:00.009-06:00

One day last week everyone was up in our bedroom talking before bed. We had been talking earlier that day about how Ted had taken Hapkido lessons years ago and how he would come home and try all of his latest maneuvers on us twisting our arms behind our backs etc. We all remember it well. While we were all in our bedroom, Ted opened his bottom drawer and took out his Hapkido gee and put the top on and began looking up Hapkido moves on the computer we have in our room. The drawer was now open and the magic began. The boys discovered the puzzles that Ted had in there. Those metal puzzles made out of rings and different shapes and you have to try to take them apart. Someone also had Ted's boomerang out. This went on for about an hour. I was sitting back on the bed watching Ted sitting at the computer looking up Hapkido moves wearing his little outfit and everyone grabbing treasures from the bottom drawer and trying them out with such fascination and wonder and it totally cracked me up. I could picture "Little Bear" and his little friends in a storybook depicting this very scene. Remember the story where he puts a box on his head and thinks he landed on the moon? It would definitely work. I should write it!

My Mom's Funeral

2010-03-28T10:58:00.009-06:00

Well, I have been putting it off, but I have decided I want to document my mom's funeral. My Mom passed away on Feb 5, 2010. She had been sick for a long time so I thought I was prepared, but it's been hard. Anyone who has lost their mom can understand I'm sure. She was a sweet, gentle person and I love her. I will post more about my mom's life later, but here are some pictures and thoughts from her funeral.

The above pictures are from the last day I spent with my mom. In fact, it was her last day on earth. It was a Thursday and I was at home painting Dallin's bedroom worrying about all the things I had to get done that I didn't have time to get around to. Ted was in Colorado taking the ATLS course and test so I thought I would dig in an finish painting Dalin's room so I could check that huge task of my list. Hayley didn't have school that day so she offered to help and Morgan who NEVER misses a class decided to stay and help too. I wasn't complaining about being overwhelmed or anything it was just one of those awesome "coincidences" that the Lord blesses us with. We got to work quickly, but were barely started when I got a phone call from my sister Shannon telling me that Mom was worsening. She had been doing poorly for several weeks and we would rush to her side and say our goodbyes, but then she would improve a little and so I wasn't sure how seriously to take each call. I was planning on bringing the kids to see her that weekend so I told Shannon of my plans and went back to painting. Shannon called again a little later telling me that Heather, the hospise worker was telling her that Mom 's time was very short. Heather asked my Mom if there was someone she wanted to see before she went and she told her she wanted to see me. Of course she wanted to see everyone, but I live an hour away and everyone else lives in town. (My brother Mike lives with his family in Denver and had flown out about a week earlier to say his goodbyes, but had to return to work.) I knew I had to get down there asap. Kade would be home in any minute from kindergarten so Morgan, Hayley and I got our shoes on and prepared to leave. (No time for hair and make up although the girls look adorable anyway.) When the bus dropped Kade and our neighbor Jared off there was no one here to pick Jared up. After couple of phone calls I finally called my friend Sharla and she not only took Jared, but also took Kade which turned out to be a great thing because the girls and I were able to spend all day and evening at my Mom's. She kept telling me she had a couple of things she wanted to tell me, but all she could get out was "I love you." That was enough. We stayed till about 8:00 tht night. We all thought my Mom would pass away that day with all of us around her, but I don't think she wanted to miss out on having us all there. She passed away just before 5:30 am the next morning. I knew she was going, but it really hurt. Even though she is still my mom and that she very much exsists, I feel kind of lonely. Kind of like an orphan. weird I know.

My Mom asked Shannon to do her hair and make up and Shannon wanted me there with her so we spent the tuesday together doing just that. At first i was really difficult to see my mom's body and to touch her, but it ended up being nice to be able to do this one last thing for her. The funeral was on Wednesday the 10th of February. I was actually looking forward to it as weird as that sounds. It was nice to see the people that loved her come to say their goodbyes. It was really comforting to see the people that came for her and also those they came to show their love for us. Ted's family was awesome. All that could be there came and I felt so much love and appreciation for them. even my sweet friends from the neighborhood made the hour trip. Many people sent cards, flowers, gifts and food. I was so touched!

Dallin and Tanner we pallbearers with their cousins. All of the grandsons were able to take part except for Kade and Benjamin who are still too young.

This picture (above) makes me cry. It's just makes it all too real.

This is me with my Dad and all of my siblings. L to R Mike, Shannon, Kirk, Dad, Me, and Brad. (Okay, this is off subject, but look at me. Why the heck am I so much shorter than the rest of my family? It's not fair!)

Some of the grandkids. Look how adorable these people are!

50 years!!!

2010-01-20T09:34:00.008-07:00

Ted's parents have been married for 50 years. We had a small family gathering to celebrate at Maddox. (well, small to our family is probably big to some). Awesome family!

Getting Out Of Dodge (our Christmas break trip to Henderson)

2010-01-01T03:49:00.034-07:00

We always go somewhere after Christmas. Preferably somewhere warm. We usually end up driving south to the Las Vegas area in Nevada. Warm? Well, let's just say "warmer than home". The average high temperature was around 50 degrees so it got pretty chilly at night. Hearing that there was a major snow storm happening at home made us feel a lot warmer though. And it makes you just feel warmer somehow when you see palm trees and live flowers!

Our trip started the Sunday after Christmas. We went to church Sunday. After Sacrament Meeting we came home and got our stuff ready to go while Ted took care of a couple of things at the church. (Bishop duty) When he got home he took one of his famous 2 minute clean up sessions. (this includes a shower, the man is amazing.) and we all piled in the car, said a prayer and then we were on our way.

The ride down south is always so exciting. We are all energized and talkative as we anticipate the days full of fun ahead of us. The drive went really fast this time. We didn't stop for lunch. Instead, as we drove we ate turkey sandwiches made on bread that Janie Nebeker gave us for Christmas. We stopped only twice for bathroom breaks. One of those stops was the traditional stop at the Holiday Inn Saint George. We showed Morgan the picture of the Shiv wit Indians getting baptized and told her the story about Grandpa. (a very funny inside story). We were laughing pretty hard about that. (no, it's not racist. Just classic Grandpa)

The longest part of the drive is always the distance between Saint George and Henderson. We We arrived after dark, checked into the hotel and then headed over to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Yum That place never disappoints. We almost always eat at a Cheesecake factory the first dinner of any vacation. We decided to forgo the desserts. We are always way too full for cheesecake. We were all tired from traveling and so we went straight back to the hotel and called it a night.

Day 2 We slept in. Our kids were especially happy about this. We got lunch at Panera and then decided to shop some Christmas sales to get some clothes. Later, Hayley and Morgan went for a swim while Ted and I went to the gym. We ate pizza that night from a pizza place by our hotel. They only serve personal sized pizzas so we got 5 of them. They were really good.

Tuesday we went to the arcade it was a big arcade and the boys were in heaven. Dallin won a stuffed animal from the crane game. It was so ugly! He gave it to Kade, but Kade is no dummy. He immediately gave it to me. He acted like he was giving me this great gift, but I could tell he hated it. Ha ha. I saw a cute little red-headed girl who was about 8 years old and took the animal over to her and asked her if she wanted it. Of course she politely declined. So funny! I finally placed it on the crane game where it came from and as I was standing there talking to Morgan by the machine with my back turned toward the creature someone must have decided they wanted it because it was gone when I turned around. It was only a matter of minutes. I was glad (and surprised) someone wanted it, but regretted the fact that I missed seeing who took it.

Wednesday we went to a different arcade. It wasn't quite as good as the first one we went to, but it was still fun. No scary animals won this time. We went Bowling at Southtown. They have a Christmas tree in the lobby that is made up of a bunch of Poinsettia plants. It is so pretty. We went up to Lake Las Vegas to get Pizza from our favorite pizza place, but it was closed down. So sad. It's pretty up there, but always deserted. No wonder our pizza place went under. We visited the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and everyone chose a peice of chocolate to eat after dinner. We ended up eating at the Elephant Bar.

We also went to a Disney movie called The Princess and the Frog. Oh, and we went shopping at the outlet mall. Since it's not very warm here most of us bought jackets.

Today we all slept in again. That may be the best part of our vacation. We went to a movie and ate dinner at Claim Jumper. We bought some dessert and brought to the hotel to eat at midnight as we celebrated the New Year. We all set off those little confetti things you get at the grocery store that look like little bottles. We stayed in these great rooms at courtyard Marriott that had balconys that look over the Las Vegas Strip. We went out to count down to the New Year and set off our "party poppers". When we set them off we scared a guy that was on his cell phone standing on the sidewalk beneath our balcony. Oops. The fireworks on the "Strip" were great. They were shot off of the roofs of many of the buildings. Tomorrow we head back home. School starts Monday for everyone and vacation comes to a screeching halt! Including all the fattening food we have been eating! Back to the trenches. Sigh.

JOY TO THE WORLD! Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T11:09:00.014-07:00

What a wonderful Christmas this has been. I am so thankful for my family, friends and especially for my Savior. He has blessed us so much this past year. Madison traveling to Osorno, Chile to share the "Good News" of the gospel, Morgan returning from Malaga, Spain from her mission, Hayley graduating from High school and starting college, good health, much love, opportunities for growth which though not always easy to endure, are necessary and ultimately appreciated, a warm house and plenty of food. (Too much food at times). My heart is so full!!
It's so fun to spend the Christmas season with Kade. He gets so excited about Santa!

Joseph! So cute!

Our traditional Christmas Eve Pajama Photo on the stairs!
Another Burningham tradition - All the kids sleep together in an upstairs bedroom. They are so cute. I love these people!

The calm before the storm.

Here they come!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL - posted by ted

2009-10-17T21:29:00.011-06:00

Well, last night we were all just sitting around and watching some TV on friday night. Anyway, the doorbell rings and Hayley went to answer it and you will never guess in a million years who was at the door and what they were doing there. It was the ENTIRE stake presidency and their wives and they were toilet papering our house!!! Even Brother McNeely, the stake clerk was there! They had been out for the night going to dinner and on their way back to president Peterson's house, they just decided to stop and "pay us a little visit". Well, we went out and talked and laughed with them for about 10 minutes and it was, an absolute blast! I stepped out and gave them all a hug and then looked at their "work" and then turned and started walking toward the house and said, "I'm calling the cops!" They all laughed. We stood out on the front yard talking about how funny it was that the stake presidency was there and what they were doing. I said, "We can't even tell anyone what just happened. Can you imagine me saying, when someone at church says to me, 'Oh, I saw that you were toilet papered last night', then I respond with, 'Yes I know, it was the stake presidency', and then they would say, 'Oh right bishop! Shut up!' "We all laughed because we knew it was absolutely true!

First Day Of School 2009

2009-08-24T10:31:00.011-06:00

Well, The kids have all survived the first day of school. They were all nervous AND excited. Big surprise there right? Dallin went first. He is pretty psyched to leave Jr. high behind and start something new. He said school went by way faster than Jr. high did. Tanner went next. He is psyched to have a locker. Kade was next. What a sweet teacher he has. I already LOVE her! She was so full of energy and kindness. On the drive to school kade said to me, "If I miss you while I'm at school I'm not gonna cry cause I can't cry at school and it's short today." He was only there for an hour today. When I left him and turned to look at him coloring his picture my heart just broke. I thought I was ready for this, but it's hard to see him grow up so fast. He starts regular school next week. He loved it. Hayley called me as she was driving to school. She said the traffic was at a crawl. She talked with me as she drove and then as she walked to class. I heard her say "Hello" to several people that she knew as she made her way up the hill to her anatomy class. The first thing her proffessor did was to ask the class how many were new freshman. After the freshman raised their hands the proffessor said, "Get out now!" He preceded to tell the class how difficult this course was going to be and that since they weren't used to studying they probably wouldn't do very well.--Nice :(

Goodbye Summer, Hello Morgan and a lot of other big changes

2009-08-18T16:29:00.020-06:00

I received many of these "beautiful flowers" from Kade until Hayley, (who took care of the yard this summer to earn money for college) got rid of them. The yard looks much nicer, but I miss my little bouquets.
Ted and I. Sea Port Village, San Diego
War memorial in San Diego
Kade at Disneyland. Proof that it's "The Happiest Place On Earth".
Disneyland
At Mom and Dad's 50th
The grandkids! (Except for the little guy in the blue shirt. He just wandered in.
Mom, Dad and my siblings and I

The cake
Natalie, Lexi and Hayley. They are so adorable!
(Back) Mike and Cheri, (Front) Sarah and Elder James Bullough
Daniel, Darrin, Shannon and Benjamin
Morgan's roomHayley's room

Tanner gets the priesthood
Kade's birthdayTanner's birthday

As always summer was full of fun times, some lazy days, vacations and many, many evenings in the backyard. No homework and few deadlines are just a couple of the things I am going to miss. It seems like summer just flew by. We celebrated 5 birthdays, went on 2 vacations, Partied with my parents at their 50th wedding anniversary celebration, said our farewells to James before he serves a mission in Brazil, witnessed the sealing of Daniel to Shannon and Darrin got to spend time with my cousin Margy, Tanner received the priesthood and so many other wonderful things. It is hard to say goodbye to the fun summer brought, but it's always exciting to forward as autumn approaches. This is a very monumental year for our little family. Madison began her mission in Chile, Hayley graduated High School and is starting college in less than a week, Dallin starts High School, Tanner starts Jr. High, Kade starts Kindergarten and MORGAN RETURNS HOME FROM HER MISSION IN SPAIN. Hayley and I started painting Morgan's room last week to prepare it for her to come home. While we were doing Morgan's room Hayley caught the bug and we redid her room too. School starts for everyone on Monday. This time of year feels like a brand new beginning. The kids get new clothes, pencils and back packs, but even better than that; they are getting a fresh start. new teachers and classes and this year, even a new school. I feel like I also get a fresh new start. I feel to make new goals and improve in several areas in my life. I LOVE it. I feel this in the fall much more than I do in January at the start of a new calendar year. Maybe I'll get brave and post some of my goals.

PS: One thing that happened this summer that was not good at all was when our very dear friends, Lynn and Rosanne got in a terrible car accident. They were hurt seriously. They are both lucky to be alive and Rosanne is literally a living miracle. They are both doing better now though and we are thrilled about that. Rosanne has struggled the entire summer. So happy the Lord has given us more time with them!

Track Pictures

2009-06-25T02:45:00.005-06:00

Hayley did well in track. she ran the 800 and the 400. She ran in the 4 X 4 as the anchor at State. Go Hayley!

Truman G. Madsen

2009-05-29T01:05:00.010-06:00

Yesterday the world lost a wonderful person. Truman G. Madsen was a great Mormon scholar and philosopher, but more importantly he was an amazing man. He taught us so much about the lives of Joseph Smith and the Savior, however the greatest lessons he taught were those about the character of Jesus Christ. As I observed Brother Madsen I knew I had gained insight into the character of the Savior because Brother Madsen lived his life with total devotion to the Lord. He was loving and gentle and incredibly smart.

Ted and I were lucky enough to meet Brother Madsen briefly in the Bountiful temple. In the few seconds that we greeted each other he was warm, friendly and charitable. I am sad to say goodbye to him and I will miss him.

Easter 2009

2009-04-24T19:40:00.003-06:00

Hayley's Prom 2009

2009-04-24T19:20:00.007-06:00

Spring Break 2009

2009-04-13T10:09:00.005-06:00

Over Spring break Ted and I and the boys went to Draper and stayed in a hotel and pretended we are on vacation. We had a blast. I thought I'd share these sketches we had done by the renowned artist Charles E. Cheese.

Christmas Day

2008-12-27T13:31:00.007-07:00

Christmas Eve

2008-12-26T12:13:00.009-07:00

Christmas Eve (my favorite day of the year) was wonderful. We read the Christmas story from Luke. The kids each buy for one other sibling. This year they bought for the person two ages older. It's fun to see them thinking about that person and trying to decide what they would like. They opened those gifts and LOVED them! Then we had a surprise phone call and then visit from Santa Claus. Of course Kade came up with a completely new item for Santa to bring him, but santa helped us and Kade decided he wanted a kids laptop computer. Phew! Santa also gave Kade some excellent advice when he told Kade to get right to sleep so he (Santa) could come. The highlight of the evening had to be when we called Morgan at 10:00 that night. We got to talk with her for over an hour. We all crowded around the speaker phone in mine and Ted's room. She sounded GREAT! We love her and miss her so much!

Christmas Caroling Party with the Youth

2008-12-26T11:56:00.004-07:00

So Much Fun!!!

Cotillion

2008-12-09T11:49:00.005-07:00

Hayley went to Cotillion with Mike Mcgeary. One of her best friends. She had a blast. I love this kid. He is such a gentleman and I know Hayley was excited to go with him. Don't they look cute?!

Buffet Blues

2008-10-28T09:54:00.016-06:00

This past weekend was UEA weekend. Which, for most Utahans means VACATION! Not wanting to miss out on the chance to vacate we all piled in the van and headed to our old familiar vacation spot! Henderson, Nevada! (we don't call it Vegas now that Dad's the Bishop).

We started our trip with much excitement and anticipation. We were all so excited to go play in the sun! We drove along the freeway talking, singing to our favorite songs and just enjoying each other. When we got to Draper we hit a HUGE traffic jam! It took us about 1/2 hour to travel a mile. FRUSTRATING! At one point we were at a complete stop for a few minutes UGH! We were not looking forward to crawling along the freeway at a snail's pace for who knows how long and so we got off the freeway the next chance we had. We found ourselves at the South Town Mall. We rented a couple of rooms at the Courtyard Marriott in Sandy. That's right! Sandy! We went on our UEA Vacation to Sandy!

We swam, went to a couple of movies, went shopping, ate at Cheesecake Factory, and all the other things we always do when we are on vacation in Henderson. Except we swam indoors instead of outdoors. The weather was beautiful even though it wasn't as warm as it would have been if we had kept driving south. It really did feel like vacation. We all kept forgetting that we were so close to home. Something would remind us how close to home we were and we would hear someone say, "oh yeah, we're really not that far from home." It was fun.

We paid a higher price for our rooms so they included breakfast. The first morning we were there, we took everyone down to the little restaurant. The manager said that only two of us could eat. I told him that we had paid a higher price for our rooms because the breakfast was included. I asked how much it would cost for the each other person in our group. He said, "If you have sausage and pancake...about 21.00 dollar." Wow. It really didn' t look THAT good. Ha ha. He said he would ask the front desk and when he called them they told him we had indeed paid for breakfast and to let us eat! We began our trip around the little buffet, but he kept watching us like an eagle. I was thinking, "Mmm, those pancakes look good", but then I saw him watching me and I suddenly became intimidated. "Well, maybe I'll just have some cereal". He went in the kitchen and stood behind a door with a little window in it. I'm not kidding, He looked out that window at us at least every 2 minutes. It was creeping us out! We weren't freeloading. WE PAID! I sat facing that window watching that nervous little head pop up every couple of minutes. I couldn't stand it anymore. I felt guilty the whole time we were eating. I didn't want to upset the "Buffet Monitor". I was so glad when everyone finished so we could leave. We ended up sleeping in too late the next morning to make it down to breakfast, but I was secretly relieved. I just couldn't face Mr. Manager again. I should have snapped his picture when he popped up in that window. It would have been fun to post.

--(These pictures are pretty sad, but they are cell phone pictures. Oh well.)

Kade "Ruffles" My Feathers

2008-10-28T09:08:00.009-06:00

Yesterday was the Fall concert for the Choirs at the High School. We were there to watch Hayley sing, dance and play drums. We sat in the back area of the theater. It's almost like a balcony. I was enjoying the entertainment when I noticed Kade's empty seat. Where in the heck was he? I started asking the kids where Kade was. We all looked around the theater, but couldn't see him. Then Madi spotted him and said, "He's sitting back there eating his chips." I turned and looked way in back of us. Sure enough, there he was, sitting quietly enjoying the show with his bag of Ruffles Chips. Only problem is...We didn't bring any chips with us. I was horrified when I realized that he had just picked up a bag of chips he had found in the theater and started chowing down on them. He was having the time of his life. Completely contented. Oh my! He wasn't thrilled when I took the chips away and he doesn't seem to have contracted any infectious diseases....yet?! I think he (and I) might have actually survived this. This kid--he is one of a kind for sure!

Homecoming 2008

2008-10-06T07:25:00.008-06:00

Here are Hayley's pictures from Homecoming. She looked so pretty. Her date was Jordan. He lives in our neighborhood. A lot of the kids in our neighborborhood went to the dance together that night. The guys are so sweet. They always make sure all of the girls in the ward have a date before they ask anyone! Awesome!

Hayley Running Cross Country

2008-09-16T09:17:00.008-06:00

Hayley is running Cross Country this year. She LOVES it!

Morgan's Birthday 2008

2008-09-16T09:10:00.005-06:00

We celebrated Morgan's birthday this year with pizza, cake, ice cream! We miss her, but we know she loves what she's doing and we are glad she will be back for her next birthday!

First Day of School 2008

2008-09-16T08:59:00.005-06:00

This year summer flew by and the first day of school came way too fast!! None of the kids (or mom) were excited to start the new school year. Oh well.

Fashion Show 2008

2008-09-16T08:45:00.003-06:00

We have a tradition in our family. Sometime after school clothes are bought and before school starts the kids model their new outfits for us!!! These are some pictures from this year

Girl's Camp 2008

2008-09-16T06:22:00.006-06:00

Girls camp was so much fun. We have the most adorable, sweet girls in our ward! We went to Heber. This is my idea of camping; Hot showers, flushing toilets, gas stoves cabins and refrigerators!! Our theme was the Olympics which was very appropriate since camp took place during the Olympics.

"I Always Have A Happy Feeling When I Go To Church"

2008-09-02T09:48:00.007-06:00

Okay...Time for a story. Yesterday after church Ted stayed in the Young Women room to set apart the new class presidency. I wanted to be in there too. Especially since Hayley was being set apart as the Secretary. I found Dallin in the hallway and let him know what we were doing. Well, he decided he wanted to be there too and headed straight to the Bishop's office where he figured we'd be. As he passed the chapel he glanced in at the ward that was having their Sacrament Meeting. Something caught his eye and he did a double take. Low and behold--there was Kade, all by himself, sitting quietly in the back of the chapel!!! Ha ha! What a kid!

Kade's Obsession

2008-08-22T05:22:00.012-06:00

Kade has been obsessed all summer with going to the zoo! Ted and I took Kade and Tanner on a zoo trip in the early spring, but we neglected to ride the train and Kade just couldn't let that go. I told him I would take him back and this time he could ride the train and he immediately started to prepare. When we went to the Parade on the 4th of July, he saved all the taffy he collected "for da zoo". Whenever he got a treat from church or anywhere else he saved it "for da zoo". If I gave him fruit snacks or something else he thought was special, you guessed it... it went in his zoo stash! Finally we went to the zoo. Funny thing is, he didn't seem to LOVE it that much. Nevertheless, guess what he talks about constantly...Da zoo! He wants to go back to the zoo! The kid is obsessed!

Birthdays, Bowling, Boys and Burning Bateman's

2008-08-22T04:55:00.016-06:00

For his birthday this year, Tanner went bowling with some of his friends. We came home afterwards for ice cream and cake. Tanner opened his presents in the backyard while I was inside dishing up the cake and ice cream. I heard some loud booms and crackles so I peeked outside. The boys had lit some fireworks Tanner had been given as a gift and threw a Roman Candle in our neighbor's (the Bateman's) back yard. I about died as I watched it soar over the fence into our neighbor's yard. Thank goodness the thing went out before it hit the ground and thank goodness the neighbors weren't home!

Chin up

2008-05-31T01:26:00.005-06:00

Is this a sad little boy or what? Kade was using a toy to stand on so he could grab something out of his reach...not a good idea. The toy fell, Kade fell and he cut his chin open on the toy. We went to Ted's clinic and Ted fixed him up. Poor little guy. That picture of him holding the sucker with that sad little face is about the cutest thing I have ever seen.

Our Kittens

2008-05-31T01:07:00.007-06:00

They have all found new homes, but we loved them while we had them. Tyrone, Tiger Lily and Daisy. Can you guess which one is Kade's favorite?

Church Talent Show

2008-05-31T01:01:00.003-06:00

Dallin and the Deacons stole the show with their rendition of Theme From Pokemon during the Ward talent show. Ted and I were completely shocked as we watched Dallin perform. He was hilarious!!

Milo

2008-05-31T00:19:00.011-06:00

One rainy night in 2004, Morgan ran up to our room in a sort of panic mixed with excitement. She insisted that we follow her to her room to witness the "thing" that had caused this ruckus. When we got down to her room she led us to her window where she pointed out a HUGE lizard that had washed up out of it's rocky home in her window well due to the heavy rain we were experiencing that night. Well, Sammy the Salamander made a rare appearance a time or two over the next couple of years and was all but forgotten until a couple of days ago when Kade discovered him caught in a bucket of water down in the window well. Kade was psyched! He yelled to Madi who was working in the yard, He yelled, " Madi, I found a "letter" a "lllletter a lllizard". Kade renamed him "Milo and enjoyed him for a few hours before Milo was returned to his home in the window well. And so summer begins!

Tanner's Field Trip to Botanical Gardens and Aerospace Museum

2008-05-31T00:10:00.006-06:00

A Walk In The Park

2008-04-23T16:17:00.008-06:00

Kade had a blast at the park. I could hardly keep up with him. We fed the ducks and the seagulls and walked by the pond and the creek. Kade loved the playground. He climbed and slid and swung and crawled. Did this wear him out? No! It wore ME out! We walked back to the creek and dropped popcorn into it watching it make it's way downstream. Kade loved it!. We met some Geese back at the pond and Kade actually got one to eat out of his hand. I'm surprised Kade allowed the goose to get anywhere near him! He's usually so scared of everything! You gotta love Spring!

Hayley's Jr. Prom

2008-04-19T23:22:00.006-06:00

Here are some pictures from Hayley's Jr. Prom. Her date is Derek Peterson.

Tanner Really Blew It This Time

2008-04-19T23:10:00.003-06:00

Tanner- Nice kid, good student, aspiring athlete...and Rain gutter Regatta Champion. Way to go Tanner!!! Nice Job.

Cold Feet, Warm Heart!

2008-03-10T09:53:00.010-06:00

Well, the forcast said 60 degrees and sunny and Madison and Lance made plans to hike Adam's Canyon. Then suprise, surprise...it snowed. It snowed and snowed and snowed. Madi and Lance decided it would be fun to hike anyway so they put on their boots and "snow gear" and hiked the mountain. Even though it was cold they enjoyed each others company and the snowy mountain was beautiful!

Madi was glad to get her boots off because they had been rubbing the back of her ankles causing them to blister. The next morning the blisters seemed to getting worse. She showed them to Ted who explained to her that she had second degree FROSTBITE! Poor little Mad. Her ankles have been killing her, but she has been a sweetheart through it all!

NO MORE SNOW!!!

2008-02-06T17:55:00.001-07:00

Wow. This has been quite a winter. We have so much snow it's just sick. Morgan and Kade decided to make the best of it yesterday. They dug a huge hole and kade played and played in it. I thought he's last about 10 minutes, but they were out there for about an hour and a half.

A tribute to President Hinckley

2008-01-28T13:25:00.001-07:00

Many teens wore their "Sunday Best" or white or yellow or a white ribbon to school today as a tribute to President Hinckley. Dallin, Hayley and Madi participated in this too.

President Gordon B. Hinckley 23 June 1910 - January 27 2008

2008-01-09T20:35:00.001-07:00

Last night we received word that President Hinckley had passed away at age 97. The news brought mixed feelings. We are going to miss our wise, optimistic and funny prophet, but I'm sure he's thrilled to finally be with his adorable wife Marjorie (a personal favorite of mine). He missed her so much. Also, it's got to be a huge relief for him to be free from the responsibility of leading the church. We love this man and we are grateful to the Lord for having had him to lead us and teach us for all these years. We all feel like we've lost a good friend. The world has definately lost a good man. Click here to see a tribute on youtube.

MAXFRESH

2007-12-21T22:30:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you mix a 3-year-old boy, a tube of toothpaste and a cat? .....

Is it just a coincidence that the toothpaste says "MaxFresh" and the cat's name is Max? Or is Kade in actuality, a very consciencecious boy just trying to follow directions?

"Mall people, they come and go. Small people, they just don't know."

2007-12-10T21:59:00.001-07:00

Every Christmas our kids exchange gifts with each other on Christmas Eve. Each kid gives to one sibling. This year each person gives to the sibling who is "3 kids" younger than himself. Does that make sense? We headed to the Mall, grabbed something to eat at the food court and then everyone paired off to do their shopping.

Kade has Hayley's name this year so Ted and I took him around to look for a gift for her. We found something that was perfect and I said, "Kade, Do you want to give this to Hayley for a Christmas present?" He looked at me like I was clueless and said, "No, I'm not Santa Claus!" I said, "Well she is going to give you a present too." He said, "I don't want Hayley to give me a present. Santa Claus is giving me a present!"

It was such a fun night, but what made it even better was running into our friends and former neighbors the Olsen Family!! What a blast it was to see them. That's cute Danica with Madi and Hayley.

Glow Worm's Gotta Go!

2007-11-29T21:47:00.002-07:00

It's so painfully obvious that Kade is the baby of the family because he's the only one of our kids who has been allowed to sleep with the light on. Not a night light. We're talking a full 60 watt bulb. He's about 3 1/2 now and it's finally time to get used to sleeping in the dark.

As Ted and I were putting him to bed last night we were praising him for the previous night he slept without his light and encouraging him to do it again. I had a brilliant idea. (No pun intended) I took glow worm down from the shelf (nick-named Kenny because he bears a striking resemblance to Kenny Chesney) and pushed the tummy to make it light up and play a lullaby. "Look Kade", I said. "If you get scared, you can light Kenny up and you won't be scared anymore." With a totally sober face kade said, "Mom, will you please take Kenny out of my room? He's scary." (Kenny never scared him when the room was light.) Ted was still talking to Kade so I just put Kenny back on the shelf.

Tonight I was putting Kade to bed by myself. He wasn't excited about sleeping in the dark again. I was telling him how brave I thought he was. As I was talking his face suddenly dropped and he got very serious. He had spotted Kenny on the shelf. "Mom", he said. "Why didn't you take Kenny out of here?" I asked him why he wanted Kenny out of his room. "He's scary." I asked Kade why Kenny was scary. "Because he will fight me," he said. Well, that did it. Poor little kid. Kenny is outta there. So sad, but how cute!

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-22T19:00:00.002-07:00

As we sit down for Thanksgiving dinner each year it has been our tradition to take turns sharing something we are thankful for. Here are some of the things that were shared this year.

Kade-The letter "I".

Tanner-Thankful that he could eat Thanksgiving Dinner with his family.

Dallin-Dallin is thankful that we as a family are happy to be together rather than wanting to be somewhere else. He is also grateful to live in America and all the blessing that we have because of that.

Hayley-Went out in the garage last night to get the cat and was hit by the cold air. As she stood there freezing she thought about how she was about to go hop in her warm bed. It made her think about her blessings of a warm house and a loving family. It also reminded her of people who are cold and hungry.

Madison-Madi is thankful that we have a family that is so close and she's glad that we like to be together and would rather be together than with anyone else. She said she was glad we love each other and can talk to each other.

Mogan-We are here on the earth at this time, we have the gospel, we are trying to live good lives. We are in America and that we are doing well and don't seem to be struggling.

Sue-The Gospel, it gives us peace even though things in the world can be unsettling and sometimes scary. She is especially thankful for family. They are everything to her. .

Ted-The men who are protecting our country and the sacrifices they are making. Good kids he doesn't have to worry about and who help out. Mom-all that she does.

I Don't Want To Talc About It.

2007-11-10T07:42:00.001-07:00

Okay, What drives a three year old boy to take a container of baby powder and distribute it throughout the recently dusted and polished living room? Was it dumped out in one huge pile? Thus making for an undesired, yet basically easy clean up with a vacuum? No. It was carefully dispersed a little here and a little there. A sprinkle on the couch, a bit in every vase, bowl, box and decorative item in sight and finally a small mountain on the top of the piano cascading down to each level of the thing, ending in a white dusting of half the piano keys. ...Sigh

Fall 2007

2007-11-06T09:54:00.002-07:00

Who doesn't love Fall? The air turns crisp, the kids start a brand new school year heading out the door with in their new clothes, back packs and school supplies. For me, this time of year is a time for new goals and new beginnings. I feel more gumption to make "resolutions" and changes this time of year than I do January 1st! The beginning of a new school year brings the promise of the fall holidays just around the corner. I love seeing the leaves changing, pumpkins appearing on porches, costume clad kids, turkeys and pilgrims. This is a great time of year. The only bad thing about it is when it's over we arrive at the dreaded Season of WINTER!!!

More Pictures Here

Goodbye to Summer

2007-11-06T09:38:00.001-07:00

Even with the excitement that fall brings it is always sad to say goodbye to Summer. After all summer is slower, less structured, the kids are home all day and the weather is hot! We have Hayley's, Dallin's, Ted's, Tanner's and Kade's birthdays all in the summer. We spend tons of time in the backyard throwing the football , barbecuing, roasting marshmallows, celebrating birthdays and just sitting around in our lawn chairs. Ahhh. But all good things must come to an end, so it is with summer. On the other hand I am usually ready to see the summer end. After all summer is slower, less structured, the kids are home all day and the weather is hot!

More Pictures Here

San Francisco August 2007

2007-09-28T09:21:00.002-06:00

One of our favorite places to visit is San Francisco. There is so much to do and see. Madi came on this trip with Ted and I. It was fun to spend time with just her. Highlights of the trip included the Oakland Temple, Cheesecake Factory at Union Square, Pier 39 (Everyone says it's too touristy, but WE LOVE TOURISTY!!) The Sea Lions, Trish's Doughnuts, Ghirardelli Square, Postcard Row (Painted Ladies), The Farmer's Market at the Embarcadaro, The drive through Wine Country to Capri Ristarante Pizzaria, walking around the steets...so much to see, etc.

Honoring Captain Benton

2007-09-28T07:25:00.002-06:00

We have a soldier in our neighborhood who was just sent to Iraq. Todd and Sharla planned and hosted a "send off" celebration to give the neighborhood an opportunity to honor him and thank him for the incredible service he is giving our country. The Bentons are a great family and we really appreciated this chance to say thanks.

The next morning the cub scouts honored the family with a flag ceremony.

Independence Day 2007

2007-09-28T07:16:00.001-06:00

Who doesn't like the Forth of July? Ours is usually spent going to the local parade. Going home for a bath and a nap after sitting in the scorching sun for a couple of hours, Barbecuing in the backyard, setting off fireworks and watching all the fireworks shows from our city and the neighboring communities.

Here are some pictures of the parade on July 4Th.

More pictures

Cruise to Baja

2007-09-26T15:03:00.002-06:00

How's this for a fun start to the Summer?...Drive to Vegas. Eat at Cheesecake Factory, shop at outlet mall, swim in the hotel pool. Off to San Diego the next morning stay in beach house (100 yards from beach) that has a really cool view from the roof. Spend next morning enjoying Seaport Village which includes pizza, ice cream, shopping. Then go catch a Cruise Ship to Baja. We had so much fun!
The cruise lasted 5 days. We swam, sang karaoke, slept in, tried unsuccessfully to dodge the drill, shopped in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, watched shows, played miniature golf, worked out and ate way too much!
Kade still talks about going on the "Big Ship" to the Ocean and riding the "little boat" to Mexico.

Spring Break 2007

2007-09-25T18:39:00.003-06:00

Mom, Dad and the boys drove the motor home to Henderson, Nevada over Spring Break and while we we in Henderson we got the crazy idea to surprise Hayley who was performing in San Diego. So we got in our motor home and headed West. While driving through San Bernardino, our engine over heated in our motor home. While we waited for the tow truck we took the kids to a nearby school so they could run a round and get some fresh air. We ended up in the middle of the school's walk-a-thon. We didn't attend the one at home that year, but here we were in San Bernardino at a block walk. Does that count? We left the motor home in San Bernardino and continued to San Diego. We had a blast and we were able to surprise Hayley after all. Her group was performing at Seaport Village. We ordered a pizza there and ate it as we looked out over the ocean. While we eating a very bold seagull suddenly swoooped down and swiped the toppings from a piece of our pizza. It happened in a split second. We had a good laugh over it. We actually had a fun trip including an afternoon at Coronado Beach.