Braces Off

Mikayla got her first set of braces off today.  And she could not be happier.  Now she just needs to get the hang of taking her retainer off and on!  I am sure she will get the hang of it after a few days.  In a couple more years she will have phase 2 (braces on both the top and bottom).  Right now they needed to get the top teeth straightened up so the new teeth could come in properly.  Next step will be working on the bottom, and then putting on a full set, to get both the top and bottom sets of teeth straight.

Carmel/Monterey

Mikayla has an assignment (project) to do on the Carmel Mission.  Today, the weather was nice, and we were both off of work so we decided to go visit the mission and collect the information she needs to put her project together.  The weather was the nicest it has ever been at the beach. 70 degrees, clear, sunny and no wind.  When we finished touring the mission, we decided to take a drive along the 17 mile drive and stopped along the way to take in all the sites.  We ended our day in Monterey at El Torito Mexican Resturant, eating dinner while looking out over the ocean.

 

 

Along 17 Mile Drive

 

The view from our table as we ate dinner

 Our drive home was a long one.  Traffic looked like this.  It took an hour longer than usual to get home because of this.  But we had lots of Salt Water Taffy to eat to keep us a wake!

 

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving at Teresa and Danny's home in Cathey's Valley.  Everything was wonderful. The kids made their own centerpieces for their table.  A hand print turkey and a turkey out of a box of raisins, very cute.

 The Turkey Roll Game.  They rolled dice.  Each number corresponded to a color of feathers or a body party. The end product was an edible turkey.

 The edible turkey.

Carlee at the kids table.  With their cute homemade place settings.

The adult table.  Beautifully decorated.

Every year there is a friendly, family, competition with prizes.  This year's competition was Minute to Win It.  Each family (Sam's, Denver's and Our's) had to compete in four different one minute competitions.  Making a cup tower with one hand behind your back.  Thorwing marshmallows through a picture frame hung from trees and into a bucket.  A donut eating contest, the donuts were hung from tree branches and you could not use your hands. And getting a cookie from your spouses forehead, without dropping it and eating it.

 

The girls (Heidi, Bree, Teresa and I) made a holiday banner. Here is how mine turned out.  I love it. It says BELIEVE.  Thanks Teresa.

 

 

 

Mikayla's 4th Grade Harvest Party

 

Today Mikayla's class had their harvest party.  I am the room mom for her class this year so her teacher and I planned the party and other parent's donated items and their time to help with the party.  We had five centers with activities for the kids to do.  The centers were Scarecrow Crunch (a trail mix that the kids measured and made).  It was very good.  I found the recipe on Pinterest.  Fall Bingo, pumpkin roll, pumpkin bean bag toss, and a fall leaf craft.  For lunch they had soup, sandwiches, salad, hot apple cider and pie.  The party went well.  The kids enjoyed it.  I was only able to get pictures of the food part of the party, because I was at the bingo center during the activities.

Mikayla, Jett, Allison, Noah

The student's went through the line and got to choose what they wanted on their sandwiches.

Dad/Grandpa Blain

 

 

 

Lewis Blain Anderson February 25,1933-November 13,2012

Blain, age 79 our loving father, and grandfather passed away on November 13,2012 at his home in Oak City, Utah from complications of cancer.  He was born on February 25,1933 in Mt. Pleasant, Utah to Ida Leota and Lewis Mads Anderson.

On November 16, 2012 we gathered as family and friends for a memorial service for Dad/Grandpa Blain.  It was a sweet service filled with memories of Blain and the life he lived.

All 7 of Blain's living children (Don Ray passed away 3 years ago to the day of Blain's Memorial Service) John, Pam, Martel, Maurice, Kristeen, Teresa and Lewis.

All of Blain's living brothers and sisters were able to attend.

John, Pam, Martel, Maurice, Kristeen, Teresa, Lewis
(In order from youngest to oldest right to left)



Dace recently entered the military in February and was able to come home for the service.

Blain chose to donate his body to the science.  His body was donated to the University of Utah.  Therefore, there was not a graveside service following the memorial service.  In 2 months to 3 years Blain's remains will be returned to the family and at that time, the family will have a graveside service.  After the services, the family gathered at the graveside site of Neva and Don and placed flowers on the headstone.

Ashlee, Parker, Linda, Lewis, Kristeen, Teresa, Martel, John, Mikayla, Maurice, Tara

John gave a talk at the memorial service.  Very sweet, very touching.  Here are some excerpts from his talk.

Dad,
Here is my dad.  Someone that seemed to know how to do everything.  Dad knew how to do just about everything.  I don't recall ever seeing him, not know how to do something.  If it could be made he made it. 

Complaining was not in his vocabulary.  I never heard him complain about anything.

Work, he did this everyday.  I had the chance to grow up right along his side.  I would have liked to have been called his right hand.  Once I was able to walk, I was right along his side.  I'm not sure if there was a day that I was not along his side.

Loving, he loved everyone that he met.

Caring. he cared about everyone.

"And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles, and from all care and sorrow."  I love this scripture.  This scripture gives me great peace.  Dad was always in some type of pain, as long as I can remeber.  I love knowing, that he is now without physical pain. He is now feeling physical joy!

End of Soccer Season

Soccer season ended today.  Tonight Mikayla had her soccer pizza party and awards ceremony.  She received a trophy.

Summed Up

Life has been hectic and crazy the last couple of months.  So here is a post summing up our life the last 4-6 weeks.  There were only 2 days in October that we didn't have anything going on.  That's how crazy the month was!  And through all the craziness both girls managed to do great in school.  Mikayla had all A's and one high B. Ashlee had straight A's and scored a perfect score on a district benchmark exam (the teacher said the exam was harder than the state test)!

Summed up:  Life has consisted of work, school, homework, school projects, running a business (in addition to both of us working full time), soccer for Mikayla, Volleyball for Ashlee, Church, Parent Booster Club, and volunteering in Mikayla's classroom, not to mention all the daily things that must be done to maintain a home and a keep a family going!

Mikayla has been playing soccer since the end of August.  They started practicing the last week of August and have had weekly games since the first week of September.  Her assistant coach told them he would take them to Cold Stone Ice Cream when they won their first game.  They have yet to win a game, but they have played their hearts out and gave it their all.  A couple weeks ago they played the toughest team in their age group, and did their best, so the assistant coach took them all to Cold Stone after the game.

 

 Having Ice Cream at Cold Stone

 

Ashlee has been playing on the school volleyball team since school started in August.  She has had volleyball practice or volleyball games anywhere from 3-5 days a week for the last 2 and a half months.  Her team ended up placing 2nd in the league after a nail biting championship game.  Ashlee did well for her first year.  Our principal wouldn't let the coach cut anyone from the team so there were lots of players.  Therefore, not everyone got to play as much as they would have liked.  But Ashlee never complained.  She tried her best and always supported her team.  She learned alot and became a better player each week.  She scored as many as 5 points in a game. 

Ashlee serving in a game

The 6th-7th Volleyball team.  2nd Place League Champs.

On the one Friday we had open in the month of October we decided to go to Del Oso Family Farms in Lathrop.  We have wanted to go to this place for years and never seem to make it.  This year we were able to make it there.  The place was huge with lots to do, but everything costs money.  The only thing free was parking and getting in.  In order to do anything you had to pay money and it wasn't cheap.  So we didn't do a whole lot.  Here are some pictures from our family night out at Del Oso Family Farms:

 

The pumpkin Blasters:

The Free Hay Ride.  Wasn't much of ride, but it was free!





On October 26th our school had their Trunk or Treat/Mini-Carnival.  We decided to have cheap, thrown together costumes this year.  Both girls decided to be Rock Stars.

Friday night the Middle School was having a dance for 6-8th graders at our school.  Since Ashlee is not 14, she along with some of her friends were not allowed to go to the dance.  We decided to take them to bowling and Cold Stone Ice Cream, since they could not go to the dance.  This way they could still do something fun together.

Alyssa, Ashlee, Lauren and Sarah

The last 4-8 weeks summed up!  It's been CRAZY!  I think the only way I survived was taking it one day at a time.  Most days we left the house at 7:25am and didn't get home until 7-7:30pm.  It has definately been insane.  Volleyball is now over.  This week will be the last week of soccer and this week will also be my last week working at the pig farm.  After this week I will just be working 1 job instead of 2, so hopefully some of the stress and craziness will be gone. 

 On top of everything that has been going on, Ashlee has been having issues at school with a teacher.  To sum that situation up, this is a teacher that should not be teaching.  She is not doing her job and her student's are the one paying the price.  Let's just say the situation is not going well.  This week I met with the principal and the teacher and things did not go well.  The teacher denied everything and basically said Ashlee is lying about everything.  The principal has basically violated trust and confidentiality and shared information that should not have been shared.   Not only has truat and confidentialy been violated, but she let the teacher basically attack me and Ashlee.  She even allowed the teacher to share confidential information about other student's without stopping the teacher from doing or saying anything.   The teacher even had the nerve to tell me that I should "be the type of mother that I want my daughters to be!"  This coming from a lady who has lied, stole, etc.,!  And during the entire meeting the principal was trying to find "something wrong" with Ashlee to make it look like Ashlee is/was the one with the problem instead the teacher.  Needless to say I am FED UP!  I am not sure what to do.  I have put the girls on the wait list for another charter school in the area and may be putting them on another one as well.  I am really starting to think this school may not be the best place for my children.