Flagstaff Part 1

I am finally posting! We have been gone forever it seems. We had a great week on vacation. We left Friday (8th) and drove to Flagstaff. It took us about 8 hours and we arrived around 10:30 p.m. (9:30 AZ time) Ken and Louise (Ray’s parents) were there along with Brad (Ray’s brother) and Jenny, David, Andrew, Ryan and Mykel (Ray’s sister). The kids were excited about their beds being up in the loft and we ended up going to bed quite late that night.
On Saturday we went to the Museum of Northern Arizona. There were exhibits about the geography and people of the Colorado Plateau. The kids liked the dinosaur bones , but started being really loud! So we didn’t spend to much time inside. There was a lookout point outside and you could see a trail at the bottom, so Ray took the boys on a hike and I stayed in the van and fed Kara. Then they called me from the bottom and wanted grandma to come take some pictures. I didn't get to take any because Ray had the camera with him.

Randy, Keri, Sydney and Jenna (Ray’s brother) arrived that afternoon and we drove out to Humphreys Peak, the tallest mountain in Arizona. We road the ski lift up to the top, the elevation was 12,643', except we were not quite at the top, We took this nice picture of all of us. It was a little windy, but nice and an awesome view.

On Sunday we just went to church and hung out at the condo. It was a nice and relaxing day.

Monday we got up early and drove to Williams AZ. We watched a "western shootout" show and then boarded the train. The train arrived 2 hours later at the Grand Canyon. We had a really good tour guide lady on the train and she told us all kind of interesting facts. We ate lunch on a little grassy area and then hiked along the rim. Kara fell asleep so we hiked back to the "village" and I sat with her while Ray and the boys went to the back country office to get info. on the hike to the river that Ray wanted to do on Tuesday. We were back on the train by 3 p.m. That night we went to dinner at Bucky’s Grill (steak house) It was quite lively. The waiters/waitress’ are NAU music students, so along with taking care of us and our food, they also sang and entertained us. It was a fun night.

Well that concludes part one of the vacation in Flagstaff. Stay tuned for part 2 and possibly part 3.

A week of graduation

We had another wonderfully busy week. Trent had his preschool graduation program on Thursday. They sang some of the songs that they learned and each had a part that they memorized. Trent did well and I can tell that he learned more compared to last year. Last year he really didn’t know the songs, but this year he did.

Friday we left around noon and headed to Enoch. Mike road with us. We arrived in Enoch and then headed in to "town" for John’s graduation from Canyon View that started at 4 p.m. Cedar High’s was at 7 p.m. (go Redmen) so they encouraged everyone to come early and take pictures before so they could vacate the Centrum ASAP as soon as it was over. John was awarded the "Boy of the Year" given to just one boy of the graduating class and my parents wrote a nice little tribute about him. One thing my dad put was something like "Some parents have to pay their kids to be good, but not John, he is good for nothing!" That drew some laughs. John was also one of three Valedictorians, so he spoke at the end and just had some "closing thoughts" he also got to be the one that told them to turn their tassels. Tennille, Brett and Jack were able to come along with grandma Grimshaw. After the graduation we went back to my parents and had a steak dinner – yum!

On Saturday we got up kind of early and mom, Tennille and I dug up flower starts to put in each of our yards. I am excited to plant them tomorrow. I got mostly periwinkle and irises’ along with some other's that I don't know the names of.

Ray, Mike and my dad went "shooting" in the hills with my dad’s guns. Then Tennille headed home and we went up to grandma’s property. I wish I would have taken my camera it is really pretty up there! Lacey (my cousin) and Aaron were up there with some of their friends camping. We just ate lunch and walked up to see the cabin that my grandma is having built, and just visited with each other. John didn't come with us because he went to San Francisco with a friend and his family. How fun!

We came home Sunday morning early(9 a.m.) to beat the Memorial day traffic and so Mike could get back for his church. We were home by noon so we went to sacrament too. Tomorrow we are going to work in the yard and hopefully I can get all the flowers planted. I had a new idea of just copying each of these "posts" into a word document and using them for my journal. So you might notice that I have included some details that maybe you would really not care to know, but I am writing like I write in my journal, so sorry!

Family Fun

We have had another busy week. It was Ray’s birthday, so I made a YUMMY dinner, salmon, potatoes, steamed veggies and cake. It was good! We went and did a sealing assignment at the temple that day at 3 p.m. It was so nice to go. Then after dinner Ray took the boys to the fathers and sons outing over at the church park. I cleaned up and then took Kara scrapbooking (well I made cards) at a ward enrichment activity. It was fun and the boys had fun too. They went back early Saturday for breakfast. Then we spent the day working in the yard. We still have so much to do, but we are making some progress.
Ray bought a pass to an indoor climbing wall, so he has been taking the boys there frequently. I need to send the camera with him so I can have some pictures of them climbing. Ray and Trent climb but Ray usually just lifts Tyler up in the air with the rope and his harness. They love spending time with their dad.
Ray’s parents came up and we had a get together at Randy and Keri’s house Saturday. It is always fun to get together and talk and eat – we had brownies and ice cream.
On Sunday Randy blessed their new baby Jenna. Their church was at 8 a.m. so it made for an early morning, but it was good. After their sacrament meeting we came back to our ward for Sunday school and Relief Society/ Priesthood. Then we had a BBQ at our house that evening with all of Ray's family. Lots of food and more fun with family.

Trent and Tyler love to play with their cousins. We all wish that they lived closer.

Kara and Dad.

Where has this week gone?

Another week has gone by and I can't believe it! We have just been up to our usual. Couponing, yard work , and cleaning for me, preschool 3 times a week for Trent, playing all day for Tyler and Trent , and being best baby ever for Kara.

I did take the kids to get their pictures taken at Target on Monday, it was crazy! Trent kept telling me that his eyes hurt and I think that he inherited allergies from Ray, so he looks miserable in the one that turned out the best of Tyler and Kara. Kara is close to sitting up on her own, so the photographer had her sit in between the boys who were sitting back to back. She kept putting her hands and her dress in her mouth, and pulling Trent's hair but we got a couple of cute ones. This one where she has her mouth open and is tipping over made me laugh. Towards the end Trent was holding her and she did not want him to, so she was arching her back and Trent was holding on for dear life, both of the boys thought it was hilarious.

We went to the park today for "play group", it was so hot though. The moms mostly just stood in a very small area of shade and the kids ran around. The park is nice, but because it is fairly new the trees are small and do not provide ANY shade.

I have been working on my mother's day gifts most of the week for my mom and Ray's. I am making them scrapbook pages for their books. I guess if they read this they will know what they are getting but won't know what they look like so that is o.k.

Last night Ray took the boys to the Jazz game. It was game two of this series. Ray said it was awesome! I listened to the last five minutes and it was a close game then it went into overtime and the Jazz pulled through for the win. They go to Golden State (San Francisco) for two games then are back here on Tuesday. So Ray will be going to that game as well.

This picture of Tyler makes me laugh. He is wearing some of those billy bob teeth and he wanted me to take a picture.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Man, I can't believe how busy I have been lately, it is nuts! It also seems like I am not posting every week, it has turned into 2 weeks. Sorry to all the avid fans who check daily to see what awesome things we are up to . Just Kidding. Monday we had a fun JCG get together, well that is what I call it. We just had Mike and Ashlee (my brother) Randy and Keri (Ray's brother) Jenny and David (Ray's sister) and all the nieces and nephews over for a BBQ. We are trying to get together once a month as family and we have been the ones that were going to do it since February and finally planned it for the last day in April. Ray has been busy with work and the JAZZ. We watched one of the playoff games on Monday. The Jazz lost and everyone was disappointed. Ray also has been going rock climbing a lot with the Young Men (Teachers Quorum) they are going to do some climbing on their summer camp. Last Friday Tennille and Whit came up and so I hung out with Tennille all day Saturday. Ray took the boys to Goblin Valley to go hiking with the scouts. I couldn't tell you the last time I just shopped all day. It was fun and I found a couple of things that I needed. The boys had a blast. I still have never been there so maybe sometime we will go as a family. This is a random picture of Ray, he got it taken for a work website, but I thought it was a nice picture and He didn't take any of himself when they were at Goblin valley so I decided to add it.

The weather has been very HOT. We went to the park yesterday and the boys played in the fountains. They had a blast, I of course forgot to take the camera.

I'm getting old . . .

So, I celebrated my 31st birthday this week. 31 seems so old, even though I really don't feel that old. Ray took the boys to Lowes and they picked out a gas grill for outside. I have wanted one for so long - I can't wait. We decided to have a gas line ran from the laundry room outside for the grill and they came to put it in today. So we will get to try it out hopefully tonight. Ray also got me some patio chairs (the plastic ones) and he and the boys wrapped up the grill cover and natural gas converter. You would of thought it was Christmas at our house. On the morning of my birthday the boys got up early and came out on the couch and waited for Ray and then I opened my presents, they really were just about as excited as on Christmas. After I opened them they wanted to eat cake, I said not for breakfast! It was like 7:30 a.m. I told them we would have it at dinner time. So when lunch time came they kept asking where Ray was so they could have cake, silly kids, I had to explain like 10 times that it goes Breakfast, Lunch then Dinner. Finally Ray came home and they got to sing to me and eat some cake before Ray and I left. I about set off the fire alarm, the candles were a giant flame! We got a babysitter for the boys and we went up to the Gateway and had dinner at Applebees and then went to the Jazz Game. Kara got to come with us, she did pretty good. It was a good birthday.

Trent didn't have Preschool Wednesday or Friday so we have just been hanging out here. The weather has been pretty cold. I was able to plant a couple more bushes in the back, I still have a lot more to do. We are also going to put sprinklers in the front and back yard, so yesterday a guy came and trenched what he could in the front yard, he had a bobcat and a big trenching tool, our yard is kind of small and so he could do most of it, but some spots he just couldn't get to. There was no way to get in the backyard, so Ray will dig the trenches by hand. So that is what we are doing tomorrow. I am excited to get the sprinklers in so we can lay sod in the back and help keep the front watered. Our front lawn is so sad looking, it is just under watered I guess, it has had problems since we moved here. Here is what it looks like. There is no turning back now.

Easter Time

We went to a Easter egg hunt on Saturday. I think the boys had fun, there were a lot of kids and a lot of parents helping their kids so it was kind of crazy in the mad dash to get eggs and the stuffed animals that were all over the ground. The kids didn't end up with to many eggs full of candy which is just fine with me. They kept asking Ray if they could have another piece of candy and Ray told them to eat all they wanted but not to get a belly ache, I think that they ate it all gone (all 5 pieces) before we got home. This may sound like I don't give my kids candy, oh they get plenty, but when they get large quantities I usually confiscate it and put it up high and will give them one or two a day - I don't know how much longer the kids will go for that.
All in all we had a good Saturday and just worked in the yard. Things are coming along nicely. This is the back yard with shirtless Tyler. Like the small patch of grass? My brother had some left over in the fall so he gave it to us and it looks wonderful. Now we just need to sod the rest of the yard and put in sprinklers. I have been working on weeding my flower beds in the front yard. Lately I have been able to spend about a hour each day out there while Kara sleeps. I also bought 3 bushes and got them planted. I have to do things in small quantities because if I get big ideas and buy lots of something it seems to never get done. So I am going to just buy a couple of bushes at a time and plant them then get some more. On Saturday Ray returned a shower surround thing to Lowes and I was quite happy that we were able to return it because we purchased it like 2 years ago and never used it (and then ended up tiling the bathroom) and because we didn't have the receipt they gave us in store credit - so I have $200 to spend on bushes and flowers or other items. It is like free money- I am so excited! - I love LOWES! I thought we were just going to be out the money.

On Sunday we had Stake conference so church started 1 hour later and was only 2 hours long so that was nice. We didn't really do anything spectacular for Easter Sunday, as far as getting together with family or friends. I didn't even cook, we just had left over Pizza Hut Pizza - pathetic! I need to plan ahead a little better. I thought about making salmon, but I didn't make it to the store yesterday, oh well. Here are some of the pictures we took.






These are the boys Easter shirts. (in the green) I wanted to take a picture of all three of them, but we were running behind to church and Kara fell asleep right at the end of church. So I took some of the boys when we got home then made them change so they didn't get lunch on their clothes. When Kara woke up Trent held her and I took this picture. Hope you all had a happy Easter.

Conference Weekend

We had a fun weekend. Ray's parents came up on Thursday and we had a family dinner at Jenny & David's on Friday. The kids decorated easter cookies and I forgot my cammera so I will have to get pictures from grandma to post on here. They had fun as usual playing with the cousins and running around. On Saturday, Randy , Ken and Ray framed two walls in our basement. I have been working on getting rid of stuff.

I still have a lot of stuff to go through but we are making progress. Jenny and her kids came over and so the kids got to play some more.

On Sunday we drove down to Tennille and Whit's and met my parents ,Mitch, John and Mike & Ashlee there. We had lunch and grandma set up an easter egg hunt outside for the kids.

It was a little windy, but other than that it was a nice day. Then we watched conference and the kids played outside. We also sang to Tennille, because it is her birthday this week - Happy Birthday Tennille! We had a fun weekend filled with family and enjoyed listening to conference.