3.12.2012

Update

So, I realize that I have been horrible at blogging lately, and there is probably not anyone who even looks at this blog anymore. However, I thought I would take a minute and give an update on what has been going on in our house lately.

The kids have been super busy with tons of activities. To start of 2012, Brenden turned 12 years old and received the Aaronic Priesthood and was ordained a Deacon. That has been such a great thing for him. He has really enjoyed passing the sacrament each week and doing fast offerings. He has also liked going to scouts with the young men and has already done some really fun activities. He is doing a drama class for his 4H club and really enjoying it. He really likes acting and doing things like that so this is right up his alley.

In February, Josie turned 10. Wow! That is crazy. She wanted an Kindle Fire for her birthday so that is all she got. I told her she couldn't have a friend birthday party and a kindle fire so she decided on the kindle fire. She has loved every minute of it and has been very responsible. She is growing up so fast and Steve and I cannot believe how she is maturing and how responsible she is getting. She is still dancing and getting ready for her first competition at the end of this month. She just taught herself how to do an arial and has been doing them ever since. I really need to get this girl into gymnastics. She has taught herself how to do lots of tricks so I can only imagine what she could do if she took gymnastics.

Taylor finished up the Diamond Back Junior High basketball season. They had a great team this year and did really well. It kept him very busy, but he loves to play basketball so it worked out great for him. The team went 17-4 for the season. It was a great year. Two weeks after basketball ended, SFHS freshman tryouts were held. He also really loves baseball so we were all really excited when he made the freshman baseball team. He has worked really hard and has already been practicing every day. Their first game will be on March 21st. Steve and I are way excited for baseball to start. We love watching him play. He is also getting close to being done with his 9th grade year and will be a sophomore next year. Now that is really crazy!

Kate is busy being Kate. She is dancing and really enjoying that alot. She loves to make cards and draw pictures for everyone. You can always find her making or drawing something. Her 7th birthday is coming up soon and she is counting down the days. She loves first grade and is a great reader.

I am just finishing up my last semester of school. I interviewed with Nebo School District to get an intern position next fall and I was selected to teach at Park Elementary in the fall. They said I will be teaching 5th or 6th grade. I am SO excited about that. I cannot wait to be done with school and begin teaching. It has gone by so fast and I can't believe it is almost here. I am excited to have the entire summer to prepare for teaching next fall and am very happy to be at Park Elementary. It is not very far from our house and I've heard wonderful things about the people there.

Steve is busy keeping up with the rest of us and supporting us all in our activities. He is working hard and helping us so much as we are all going so many different directions.

We are all excited that spring is finally here and cannot wait for summer. It cannot come soon enough.

8.21.2011

Lava Hot Springs

In August, we went with Steve's family to Lava Hot Springs for a vacation. We stayed in a cool cabin in Soda Springs, Idaho and spent 2 full days in Lava Hot Springs. It was so much fun. We all had a great time and really enjoyed our trip.

The first night we were there we went and saw a geyser go off right in the town of Soda Springs. It was fun to see the water shoot up so high.




I think this is the whole group, except for me, who was taking the picture.


The first day we went to the Lava Hot Springs pool and the kids loved it. It was perfect weather and the pool was so much fun. It has lots of fun slides and diving boards. Kate absolutely LOVES swimming with her dad.


She was having a blast doing tricks off of the side, jumping into the pool. It was so funny to watch.


Her favorite was this belly flop. Her life jacket made it so it didn't hurt her belly.

Josie loved hanging out and playing with Sydnee. It was fun to spend so much time with her. Sydnee loved being around everyone. It was really great.


Brenden is jumping of the diving board. This picture is cool because it looks like he is standing on the water. I was a little bit off on the timing, but oh well.


McKenna was so good to play with the little girls.




Josie and I took a walk with Grandma and Grandpa in some gardens. I thought this was a cute place to take picture.


The second day we rented tubes and went down the river. It was so much fun. The first time down we had several mishaps. Jared and Sydnee flipped over, so did Sharla, Grandpa and Noah and Bethannie and Josie. We probably should have tested it out better before we sent all of the kids down. Those of us that didn't flip had a great time and really enjoyed it. We took back all of the single tubes and stuck with the 4 man tubes because they did ever flip. The kids really had a fun time doing this. It was a great way to spend the day.



Here are Kate and Steve:

I think this is me and Jared with a few of the kids:


Josie had some battle wounds from flipping over in her tube. Her arm looked terrible. At first she said she didn't want to go down again, but she finally did and had fun. There were a few people that ended up with some battle wounds. It was too bad, because the rest of the day was so fun.

We were waiting for the people to come back from the ride and Sydnee was entertaining us. I thought I would take a quick picture.


This is me, Steve and Jessi with some kids. So much fun!!


Grandpa was a trooper. He went down almost every time. The kids LOVED going with him. He is so much fun.


Here is Grandpa and Grandma in front of the cabin we stayed in with all of the grandkids. It was a great place for us to stay. What a great vacation!


Here is the whole group. Don't ask me what Taylor is doing, maybe popping his ears? I'm not sure.


Here we all are again just as we were about to leave. It was a great trip. Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma for another great vacation.



8.20.2011

Fiesta Days Parade

Brenden, Josie and Kate were able to be in the Fiesta Days parade. Brenden and Kate were in with our ward and Josie danced with her dance studio. They were all excited to be in the big parade and couldn't wait to get started. I took this picture before we left for the parade.

Kate walked and danced the entire parade route. She decided that she didn't want to ride this time and wanted to walk. She loved seeing people that she knows and waving to them. It was so cute.


Josie had a great time dancing her way down the parade route. She is the dancer in the middle. I wasn't able to get a good picture of her as I was chasing them down the street. I'm sure it was entertaining to the people watching me try to get a picture. Haha!!



Fiesta Days Rodeo

Every year my mom buys us all tickets to the Fiesta Days Rodeo. The kids look forward to it and had a lot of fun.








Children's Parade

The kids got to be in the children's parade with our ward primary again this year. This is Brenden's last year in primary so this will be the last parade that he will be in. Our ward had the kids dress up like cowboys and cowgirls and they taught them the "Boot Scoot Boogie". They all did the dance dance the entire parade route. The kids look forward to this every year and had lots of fun. Usually I walk with the kids, but this year I decided to sit and watch the parade. It was really fun and relaxing for me.

Josie wanted to ride her bike.



Kate decided to be smart and ride on the float.


Brenden walked the parade and you can tell he had a blast.





I made them pose for a picture at the end at the park. Brenden wasn't really thrilled to be in the picture. Oh well!!


Our ward float actually took first place so they got to be in the big Fiesta Days Parade. I will post pictures of that in another post.

4th of July

Every year we go to the Provo Parade on the Fourth of July. We get to see a lot of Grandma Anderson's family and it is fun to get together.
Taylor and Brenden look so thrilled to be there.

Kate and Lilly are so cute.

Noah and Josie are such good friends. They love playing together.

I guess Taylor and Brenden decided they were having fun after all.

After the parade we went to the North Park to have a picnic. The kids really enjoyed playing in the fountains.

The kids were plotting on how to get Kayleigh's hair wet. They wouldn't give up until they accomplished their goal. Kayleigh was NOT very happy.

Kate had a blast!

So did Josie:

The boys were bored and decided to braid McKenna's hair. They were pretty proud of themselves.


Lindon Pool

My kids love the Lindon Pool! The Flow Rider is so much fun. We went there with most of Steve's family and the kids had a ball. Kate loved playing in the water with her daddy.Brenden was really good at the flow rider.




Josie absolutely loved it. She was really good at riding it on her belly. It couldn't even knock her off. She rode and rode for a long time.


Taylor wanted to ride it standing up, but didn't have very good luck with that. He decided it was more fun to ride it this way.


We had a great time. The Lindon Pool is so much fun and we love going there at least once a summer. Too bad we didn't get there more often. It is also nice and convenient because it is so close to Steve's work.

Park City

In July, we went to Park City and the Alpine Slide with my sisters and their kids. All of the kids had a blast on the slide and the other activities there.

Josie loved doing backflips on the trampoline thing. She was actually pretty good at it once she figured it out.


The big boys went miniature golfing. They had a good time.


These girls love to pose for pictures.



Kate T-Ball

Kate played Tball this year for the first time. She absolutely loved it and had so much fun. She had lots of her friends on her team and they had a blast. She was an awesome hitter. She asks her daddy to go and hit all of the time. It is so funny.