Amy Which Way It Goes

It was such a fun 2018 for this Dalton family! We are so grateful for friends that give us opportunities for fun and adventure, and for family that show us what love is and gives us so much support. There are too many of you to name, but you are dear to us and we love you!

Family Highlights:

Universal Studios Hollywood; Huntington Beach; whale watching; camping at Stewart Family Reunion in Scofield, UT; Snowflake, Arizona trip for mom’s 20th High School Reunion; and two overnight trips to Sweetwater Lodge, one with just the boys in our family and one with just girls in our family.

Josh’s Highlights: assistant executive secretary in our church; graveyard shift at Verizon Wireless; side hustle with GrubHub; planned a vacation for his extended family and knocked it out of the park at Top Golf for his birthday.

Amy’s Highlights: Trip to Southern California with a bff; Young Women’s president at church, including summer girls camp and played role of “mom” in youth conference play; traveling for Timeless band gigs and performing for corporate parties in various cities including Vail, CO where Josh and her also celebrated their anniversary; worked part time in customer service and sales at Mt Olympus Clock Shop; babysat her niece LeiRay a couple times a week; and Lady Gaga and Bon Jovi concerts

Danielle’s Highlights: 18 & Graduated from Copper Hills High School with distinction; graduated from church seminary class; teaches Sunbeams (3&4- year old class at church); attends church youth single activities; taking 16 credits at Salt Lake Community College; awards and recognitions for her art and photography; braces happened; senior friend trip to Park City; last year of church youth conference and girls camp; and ended her job as sweeper for the school district, but stays busy babysitting, doing homework, and spending time with her friends.

Tyler’s Highlights: 16-years old and a sophomore at Copper Hills High School; anxious to get a job and working towards learning to drive; ordained a priest in church, braces happened for him too; joined a Dungeons and Dragons group; plethora of facts, jokes and laughs; roasts people like nobody’s business; glad to have a bike again this year; games with his siblings; and manages multiple reptile and amphibians as pets.

Cassidy’s Highlights: almost 14-years old and in 8th grade; lead role in school play- Diary of Anne Frank; attends church young women's group; avid reader, singer and dancer; attended OakCrest girls camp; switched to the same school as her younger brothers; made new school’s volleyball team; and she is strong-willed and knows who she is- making friends with everyone she can along her way.

Benjamin’s Highlights: 12-years old and in 6th grade; league and school team soccer; Jr Jazz and school team basketball; city league baseball team; never wants to miss 11- year old scouts and went on several camping trips with them; adopted a hamster; spends innumerable hours making and flying paper airplanes, doing puzzles, and shooting hoops in the front yard; and he stays busy and will even ask what he can do to help when he is bored.

Sam’s highlights: 10-years old and in 4th grade; Jazz game with his parents and brother; played Jr. Jazz earlier this year and looking forward to it starting again soon; likes going to cub scouts; first place in the pinewood derby; creative with his art; Made some fun YouTube videos with his mom; and he does his best and will worry and keep trying until that best is achieved.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We Wish You Nuttin' But A Very, Merry Christmas!

New Roof=No More Leaks

Great News! In 2014 we got a new roof over our head! However, the walls, foundation and amount of people inside are the same since we only got a new roof because it was leaking…While the amount of people inside hasn’t changed, the people themselves are not the same. That’s a great news too! It would be disheartening for a year like this one to go by and to not have grown (much to a mother’s dismay) and changed for the better.

The Daltons in Shrek with Window Display by Mom

The Daltons in Tarzan

Much family growth and bonding took place when most of the family got involved in two theatre productions this year: Shrek the Musical through Empress Theatre and West Jordan Youth Theatre’s production of Disney’s Tarzan. We also got to spend time with my extended families having fun playing games and camping at the Stewart Reunion in Delta, UT and the McCleve Reunion in Lehi, UT. Then for Thanksgiving Amy drove the kids down to Snowflake, Arizona.

Welcome to Arizona!

Bowling with our Pass of All Passes

At the Zoo!

We tried the local Pass Of All Passes pass for each of us this year which resulted in extra bowling and the kid’s total water park visits from just this summer exceeding the total water park visits in their whole life. We also loved the zoo membership that was gifted to us. It was a good summer. We spent a lot of time this year laughing at the sketch comedy program, Studio C. #afamilyfavorite The amount of time spent with family was increased with monthly dinners on both Josh and Amy’s side as well as the time the kid’s spent on competing and building on Minecraft the game.

Mine "Crafts" HA!

With Two of His Cousins!

Samuel (6) was in his first musical this year- Shrek! He never acted nervous to go on stage and was completely fascinated with watching the show much to the detriment of his choreography. He did eventually learn to focus on his role and was the cutest villager, flame and dwarf ever! He hung around the Tarzan set with his mom and friends a lot and when it was over he asked every day if he would get to see his friends.

Preschool Graduation!

With Another of His Cousins!

“Friend” is a very precious word to this boy and if he counts you as one, you are one in a few and he will probably ask you to play CandyLand with him. If you're really nice he may even show you the secret handshake he and his brother, Tyler, made up. He loves being around people and fears being alone. #babyofthefamily This fear has led to him often volunteering to help load the washing machine, dryer, dishwasher and sorting socks. This fall he started school in what he called “first”garten. Samuel loves laughing, loves talking and we love listening to him. His mom’s favorite thing about Samuel is that lately he has started making his own lunch and proudly brings his mom her very own piece of microwaved cheese bread!

Famous Quote: “What are YOU doing here?”

Always a Swinging Good Time with Benjamin Around!

At the Top of the Rope!

First Lost Tooth!

Benjamin (8) was also in his first musical this year (Shrek) as a villager, flame and dwarf and then got to follow it up with another as an ape in Tarzan! We were so impressed with his professionalism and attitude of doing his best in every show. At his dad’s work party this month he asked his mom to sing karaoke with him but then at the last minute told her she was out and he was going to explore a solo career. He nailed “Jingle Bell Rock” from the Frozen wall to the free soup and hot cocoa line! After all the work his mom had done working with him on hearing the right pitch his momma was proud! Benjamin is our paper airplane expert and can whip one up in seconds and then explain and show you exactly how to throw it to get a perfect landing or make a loop. #thankyougrandmastewart #inthegenes He got us back into Pokémon this year and even taught his mom how to play. He progressed from his Little Dragon class in mixed martial arts all the way to green belt this year and can now climb to the top of the rope! He lost his first tooth and is an EXCELLENT student. He is so excited to be a boy scout and launches into everything new in his life with vigor and zeal! He always does his best! When Benjamin is not talking about robots and inventions, he is bouncing basketballs on the stairs. His mom’s favorite thing about Benjamin is the way he takes his little brother, Sam, around the shoulders everyday and walks him to his kindergarten class.

Famous Quote: “When can we build my invention?”

Benjamin and Cassidy at the Park

Winner of Empress Idol

Brave patient with her braces!

Cassidy (9) has spent the year awing audiences with her singing talent as Young Fiona in Shrek; the jungle bird soloist in Tarzan; and a beautiful, spiritual number in her church meetings. She also won first place in her age group for a local singing contest called Empress Idol! Her voice lessons have really helped hone this talent. She is constantly making up new lyrics and songs and singing everywhere she goes. This sensitive and smart young lady already knows a lot about the scriptures and gospel of Jesus Christ. She uses her good memory to answer questions correctly and memorize her theatre lines and music lyrics. She is also an excellent student making sure her homework is done without prompting from her parents. She has a group of friends at school that play make-believe horse land at recess and her mom loves hearing about those playground adventures. At the beginning of summer, her mouth grew a bit shinier when she had to have braces put on her top teeth. They should be off in the next month or so. She occasionally sneaks the laptop into her room in to watch her favorite Netflix shows, but loves reading in her bed at night even more. #turnoffthelightandgotobedalready

As winner of Empress Idol Cassidy was asked to
sing at their Annual Masquerade Gala. She was fabulous!

Interview as Young Fiona with Buddha for Fox 13 News

Her mom’s favorite thing about Cassidy is her obedience and her speed at getting ready for school and church. #alwaysfirstoneready

Famous Quote: “I can’t wait to see what happens in Dork Diaries next! La LA LA La LA LA”

The Three Oldest

Karate Kids

Tyler loved his swim teacher and
taking lessons with his cousins

Priesthood Pals. Special Day.

Tyler (12) returned to the stage this year as an ape in Tarzan. We love watching Tyler perform and his physical and intellectual comedy on and off the stage are a treat to be around. He got lots of compliments when his long tresses were cut and a handsome young man appeared. This does not help the worry his mom has in regards to his mounting attraction of young females. Tyler set a goal to reach high blue belt in mixed martial arts and he did it! His favorite thing to do at our MMA studio is climb to the top of the rope. He will climb over and over until his feet are too beat up to continue. We signed Tyler up for semi-private swimming lessons with his cousins. He wanted to improve his swimming (thank you, scouts) and that is exactly what he did. He increased his love of swimming and has chosen to pursue that instead of MMA at this point in his life. Tyler has a lot of integrity and believes in being honest with himself. He is a good communicator and isn’t shy about voicing his opinions. His teachers appreciate his participation in class and his thoughtful questions. He really enjoys history class. We’ve noticed this year he really tries to apply what he learns. We are so proud of his choice to become a deacon and get the Priesthood. He has really grown into a nice, young man who enjoys serving and it shows. We rearranged our home earlier this year to grant Tyer his wish of having his own room and he has increased his responsibilities by helping to babysit his siblings when older sister, Danielle, is off doing teenager things. He surprised us by getting first place in his age and 16^th place overall in the 5-mile Steeple 2 Steeple race this year. (Oquirrh Mountain LDS Temple to Jordan River LDS Temple) He said his whole body was burning, but he didn’t want to stop and so he pushed himself to keep going. All the adults he was keeping pace with were encouraging him and telling him they weren’t stopping because of his example. #highpaintolerance #perserverance Another example from this year of his determination and talents: Tyler insisted that his mom hold his feet while he did 238 situps in a row. He was trying to prove to himself he could beat the record he set at scouts. Speaking of scouts, he is now a first class rank. He went on several overnight scout camps this year and always came back smiling with awards for contests he had won. His mom’s favorite thing is the random, insightful compliments he gives to those around him.

Tyler saw this 'T' on the road in Snowflake, AZ and
said, " Finally I get some respect!"

Famous Quote: “How much money do I get for babysitting?”

Steeple to Steeple Chase- 5 mile race

Danielle (14) is our resident teen. She is the main instigator in most of the activities we do around here #thatisagoodthing like the Shrek and Tarzan Musicals in which she played a Duloc dancer, a guard, and a leopard.

She takes dance through her school and between that and the musicals she danced in this year her skills have grown leaps and bounds! We love watching the big smile (when appropriate) on her face as she dances. She was called on a mission to Cambodia for Youth Conference, grew spiritually at Time Out For Girl’s and Girl’s Camp this year despite being attacked by a ginormous beetle. #survivor She started attending the regional church dances and loves keeping in touch with her friends when her schedule allows. Her favorite though is when she actually gets to hang out with friends and/or have sleepovers at her cousin’s house. One of her strengths is her empathy for people.

Birthday at Boondocks with Cousins

She works really hard to get straight ‘A’s every semester and is remiss when an ‘A-‘ shows up. #wemakeeyeroll She hates being late for school because she has seminary the first hour of the day. #example She loves volleyball and wishes she could play more.

After Dance Performance with Friends

Running is not her favorite thing, but she still ran and completed the Steeple to Steeple race on Labor Day. We love hearing her practice her piano. When her dad gets home from work she can often be found right by his side, talking to him. She really cares about her siblings and tries her best to be a good babysitter when dad and mom aren’t around.

Danielle invited her mom on a date to La Caille,
a fancy french restaurant, for a school field trip. #adventuresinescargot

As a result, she is in high demand as a babysitter in the neighborhood. Danielle is a good mom to her bunny, Izzy. We are constantly impressed with her art and skills in sketching. Her mom’s favorite thing is when she shares her love of laughing, giggling, and comedy.

Went to Cambodia for Youth Conference. Luckily "Cambodia" was
just a couple of dorm rooms at the Uof U... #local

Famous Quote: “My phone is almost dead!”

Balloon Master Elsa at Dad's Winter Wonderland Work Party.

Theme for Life and Surprise Birthday Parties

Dad got to take Cassidy to the Masquerade Gala.
Mom had a gig.

Dad Loves Father's Day

Dad Loves His Kids

Dad, Josh, turned the big four oh this year and we celebrated with a big ol’ surprise party. He said he never wanted a surprise party, but he forgave us. Thanks to everyone who came and supported this amazing husband and father. His favorite sport, basketball, played a role this year when he took his son’s to a Jazz game and he got to play church basketball some this year. He won the ping pong tournament at our family reunion. He loves his warehouse/driving job at FedEx and tolerates his tech job at Verizon Wireless #payingthebills He is such a supportive man and lets us do pretty much whatever we want #spoiled as long as he has time to grow his clan and send them to war. #ClashOfClans He taught elder’s quorum lessons at church most of the year and also helped as a ward missionary. With this calling he had a special experience baptizing a neighbor in to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You’ll have to ask him about it. ;) His commuting experience has increased in enjoyment and coolness with the purchase of a new car, a black Hyundai Elantra. His wife keeps trying to take it over though. #seatwarmers His wife’s favorite thing is his willingness to serve others, especially with anything tech or cellphone related even after dealing with rotten customers all day.

Famous Quote: “What is this charge on our bank account?”

Mom as Fairy Godmother with Princess Fiona

Mom as Patsy Cline

Mom, Amy, turned the less-big-six-years-younger-than-the-big-four-oh this year. She wants to skip writing this part because there is so much and it’s overwhelming her which is ridiculous since she survived this year (so far) and if she survived this year, she can survive this update. #deepbreath She was involved in three shows this year and joined the West Jordan Youth Theatre committee. She got to be on stage with her kids as the Fairy Godmother in Shrek and then behind the scenes as Producer for Tarzan. She learned a lot including basic tap dancing, how to paper mache a giant tree in your front yard, and that she really enjoys the creative aspect (like designing the show logo) of a production. Last of all she reappeared on stage with the West Jordan Instant Musical Players (Imps) and the Empress’ Jesters Royale a few times. For Amy, few things are as challenging and rewarding as improv and theatre and she wishes she could do them more, but her “To Do” list as a mom of five #loveit ; Relief Society president #loveit ; and part-time rock star #loveit put those wants on the back burner and that’s okay...for now. J Some other highlights of this year for Amy were: Performing as Patsy Cline for a good number of Utah County Shows. She learned 12 of Patsy’s most popular songs and impersonated her singing style and look - wig, eyebrows and all. She played volleyball again weekly and was on the women’s regional championship team!

Color Me Rad Race.
Mom's the one in pink spandex shorts, if you couldn't tell...

She participated in the Color Me Rad race for the second time and the Steeple to Steeple race.

Going Strong and Better Than Ever with Channel Z!

She performed as a vocalist with the band Channel Z for the third year in a row; helped watch two of her cute nieces, Zoe and Tysen; watched plenty of Netflix series, created and built half a dozen window displays for the Empress Theatre; almost perfected the art of the “To-Do” list and scheduling; various craft projects; and some home improvement/organizing were accomplished. #theseareabigdealtohersotheyarelisted #nextyearmaybeiwillcookmore Through all this she decided to call it quits on the Candy Crush game after she reached level 700 and realized the game has no end because ‘they’ keep adding new worlds to conquer. Our house is slightly cleaner and the laundry more done because of this development in Amy’s life. #coldturkey #replacedwithscriptureandfacebooktime

Famous Quote: “Get your shoes on and get out to the car!”

We have been truly blessed this year by an increase amount of time with friends and family and with opportunities to serve. We have learned that service to others brings peace, joy and brings us closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, whom we rejoice in this season and all year long. The Daltons wish you and yours a very, Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with hope and love.

All Our Love,

The Daltons