General Women's Broadcast

Since the other 2 kids had Homecoming it was just me and Kamryn. The General Women's Broadcast was tonight and we were invited to watch it with Aunt Janet and Granny Slade and family at Aunt Janet's house. My back was still hurting so I was not all in but it was a nice conference.

Kamryn ended up being the beautician for the evening and did almost everyone's hair there.

Homecoming 2014

It's that time of year! I got a text from a girl asking if Derrik was home. I told them he was in the garage. They had a surprise for him. He was ready for bed and they still hadn't come so he just sat upstairs and waited for them to come. It was so funny because one of the girls just walked in and didn't know he was on the couch because they thought he was still in the garage. She got embarrassed and walked out so he didn't know what to do.

Finally they rang the bell after they didn't know what to do and he got his ask to Homecoming.

He replied with some candy but he didn't elaborate or show me what he did but it was good I guess.

Sadie wasn't planning on getting asked. All her friends mostly graduated last year and she hadn't gotten asked a week before it started. The Friday before I was doing the sound for the Varsity football game when a mom came up to me and asked me if Sadie told me about going to the dance. I had not heard a thing and was kinda upset she didn't tell me so I texted her and she had no idea what I was talking about. So the mom said to have her get a dress because her nephew was flying in from Utah and was planning on asking her on a blind date. She went shopping with Granny Slade Saturday and got a dress on faith. Finally on Monday there was a knock at the door and this cute girl also named Sadie had a ask for her.

She replied with a cheese grater and said something like This is also cheesy but I am grateful to go with you.

Derrik got a coursage at the store and I saw it with the price tag of $40! I told him he would be taking it back and we would find a cheaper one. He was not spending his money on that. I called my friend in the ward and she whipped one together for $10 and he said it was the prettiest one there and it was fake so she could keep it.

Being on the boy end I didn't get to see Derrik's date or get any pictures.

Sadie found this cute dress for $20. She had her sister do her hair and she looked so beautiful.

Kamryn and I were headed to watch Women's Conference but we got to meet Sadie's date. He was taller than Sadie even with her heals on and that made her happy.  The minute they got into the car the heavens opened up and rain came pouring down like nothing I have ever seen! I was so nervous having Derrik drive in it and Sadie be out in it. Derrik and Sadie were in the same group so at least they were together. They were not able to do the traditional pictures so I didn't get any group pictures.

They stayed at the school all night and they said they had a lot of fun.

Always a First Time For Everything

This week was a long week again for me at work. I had a big choir concert that required me to sit in the sound booth for 2 very long days doing rehearsals then a late night doing the show. I ran it by myself and I realized I am getting better at it now that I have been forced to learn it on my own and run it alone since my partner has been busy doing construction. Then I had Sadie's cross country meet that I had to walk to Timbuktu to get too Wednesday and got home kinda late and an orchestra concert Thursday night. A bonfire to run sound for after the orchestra concert (Kamryn sounded amazing by the way as first chair) and then after that was at the school setting up for the assembly we had Friday morning till midnight. My back just about decided it had enough and after the assembly Friday morning (3 hours since we have multiple sessions) I stood up to help clean up and it was hurting pretty good so I laid down on the gym floor and let everyone else do the clean up. After it was time to leave the pain was so bad I was gritting my teeth and I couldn't move. PE had started and I had an audience. Tony, my boss, is a football coach and has worked alot on injured people so he came over and had to stretch and pull me. Luckily his wife was there so it made it little less weird. I could not have gotten up if he had not been there. I can truly say I have never had a boss asked me how much I weigh or have stretched me out. That was a first. Always fun having a gym full of kids watching too. I was grateful he was there and could help. I took the rest of the day off and went into my amazing chiropractor and he taped me up and I was able to go to the game Friday evening. All I could do was sound and it didn't sound well. I was not able to setup so I am not sure why it wasn't working well. I hate it when things don't work well especially on a special night as Homecoming football game where we had so many people there to watch. Hopefully my back will be all better by the time my cruise comes next week!

Cross Country Accomplishment

 Sadie ran another XC race and she did so great. Since she has changed her diet she is on fire! It was at a park in Tempe and it was at 5:30pm which means it was 105 DEGREES! So hot. There were  a whole bunch of kids there too. She came in 71st. That fact that she can now finish is just amazing.

The first time she ran her race she passed out as she crossed the finish line and then started puking and was very sick for the ride home with diarrhea and for a few days. She also was not able to go to all the practices but now she is running 6 days a week!

She did get wheezy when she came across and her wonderful friend Jennifer Gutierrez was there waiting for her and ready to catch her. We got some Gatorade in her and a cool rag and she was then OK.

She was so proud of her accomplishment.

Sister was there to cheer her on. 

I love how our kids voluntarily choose to have a prayer after each sporting event. No prompt needed from an adult. Sadie then chose to ride the bus home so she could get the whole team experience with out the puking and diarrhea.

Oh Say Can You Sing?

Sadie was asked to sing the Star Spangled Banner for our opening home football game. It was my first time running sound and I was very nervous so I set up 4 hours early.  I had it sounding so so good and was proud of myself for doing it. I had Sadie and her friend come down and practice and it really sounded great. Granny and Grandad Slade came to listen to her sing. Time came to start and the announcer brought the mic down to the girls. There had been a beautiful horse with a girl dressed as a Patriot riding it to carry in the flag. As they started to sing the mic started fading in and out! I did everything I could think of to make it stop! Every other word or so was heard. I could hear the crown saying OHHH poor girls and would look up at me. Nothing I could do. In good old fashioned ALA style the crowd started to softly sing the song with the girls. It was moving. I felt terrible and when he came back up we didn't have any more trouble the rest of the night. Just when my daughter was singing. I thought it may have been the batteries but a week later when we had trouble again I realized it was a power problem and the generator wasn't big enough to have the equipment running so much. Live and learn. For all it's worth the announcer said as he stood by them that it was the most beautiful rendition he had ever heard.

This is the huddle they always have after the game when the kids say their prayer.

Our Newest Adult

So my baby girl has grown into an ADULT!!! Crazy 18.  Sadie has gone through more than most people do at the age of 30 and she is going through it gracefully. She is at a good place right now and we are so proud of her.

Doug came home from work and was super tired but he wanted to do something nice for Sadie's birthday so he made her a homemade omelet for breakfast. We have been short on eggs since the rain had covered the grass but he made her one. He also took the time to chop up vegetables! That is an act of service in itself.

Sadie didn't know what she wanted to do for her birthday so I took her and her friend Ammon and Kamryn out to dinner to Oliver Garden. They had some Gluten Free stuff for her even. Then I gave her money to take her friends out to see a movie.

Sunday we celebrated. Doug bought her a gluten free cake so we made it half with icing as she is also doing sugar free and half without. It actually tasted pretty good.

Here is to a new chapter of live for all of us.

Rain Came Down and The Floods Came Up

We had quite the flooding at our house! We had no idea we could get so much rain so fast. I never wake up in the night for a storm but Sunday night I woke up trying to figure out what the weird noise was. The lightening was so loud and continuous it didn't sound like lightening along with the heavy heavy rain. Doug woke me up again at 5 because he just couldn't believe the amount of water that was outside.  I proceeded to get ready for work. Texts and Facebook posts started flooding in with people saying they had flooding at their houses and they wouldn't be able to get out of their neighborhoods and wanted to know if school was canceled. It reminded me of the snow days we had when I was a kid with the confusion. We were in territory because we never cancel school here in the valley unless the AC goes out and it is hot outside.

People were even killed from the storm. Houses were washed away. It was unbelievable. We were lucky as we did not have any damage and the kids loved having the day off. I still however had to work. We had leaks in the schools onto electronics that needed to be saved. A few days later another storm was coming and the school was more prepared but it went around us and we only got sprinkles.

Answer to Prayer

This is Sadie's Glamour Shot Picture she chose.

Sadie was just not feeling well again and wanted to feel good so she fasted on Fast Sunday that she would be able to figure a way to feel better. That very Sunday her marvelous leader Sister Klein felt like she needed to invite Sadie to learn how to eat as she also has Epstein Bar which is a form of Mono. What an answer to prayer she has been. The next day is when it rained and flooded so bad they had to cancel school. Sister Klein picked Sadie up and took her to the store and taught her how to shop for healthy food and then went even further and took Sadie to her house and taught her how to cook it. She is now gluten and sugar free and eats less dairy. Surprisingly there is more food than you would think she can eat.

Primary Chorister

Today was my first  Primary Chorister day. I really wasn't prepared. I thought I knew the songs but I soon realized that singing with a CD is not the same as having a piano and singing with kids who kinda know the songs. I sure hope we can get them ready before the program in 8 weeks. I am going to have to step it up! I hope the Lord knew what he was doing calling me into to Primary. I haven't been in primary for a really really long time!

The Teenage Hunter

It is so strange to me to have a kid old enough to go hunting after school with friends. I remember vividly when Doug or other friends would go hunting after school or on weekends. We seemed so much older. Derrik has been quail and deer hunting with his friend Jayce. He sure enjoys it. He then comes home and cleans his gun after he eats what he catches.

My 14 Year Old Baby

Kamryn turned 14. We started off her birthday week by eating at IHOP.

 Then some bandits "Sadie and Jordan" kidnapped her at 5am on her birthday and took her to the desert. Haha. Then they took her to IHOP. Kamryn was so scared! Not really but it was fun.

 For Kamryn's birthday present I got a Groupon to do Glamour Shots in the mall. She was so excited to get all dressed up and have a photo shoot. She invited her friend Faith to come along.

They took all of us and airbrushed makeup on and did our hair all fancy. It was fun. I didn't care for the half naked people that had photos on the wall though.

Then a photographer started the shoot. It took 2 hours for all of us. There were some really nice pictures.

My face looks like it was plastered on with poofy hair and my girls looked way to old for their ages.

The hairstylist told Sadie she should be model.

 When we were done they bring you back for the purchase part. Lets just say you need to be wealthy to buy those pictures! $1400 was a package. I settled for 3 pictures and I still spent way to much money. It was fun though and I think Kamryn and the girls had fun.

We then went and ate at Dennys and got Kamryn her free Bahama Bucks.They also gave her a buy one get one free as a gift. Lots of kids were there and were lookin at my pretty girls.

Not sure if I like that!

Kamryn's favorite part of her birthday is she will now be old enough to go to dances. Sister Walker picked her up for ice cream and then took her to get her interview for a dance card. Should be one in a few weeks.

 Sunday it was still going! Kamryn made herself some birthday cupcakes, they were so yummy, and then she came and got us all so we could sing to her! Her dad thought that was pretty funny.

I sure do love this sweet girl of mine. I can't believe how old and fast things are going.

Art

Sadie is taking a drawing class at school. This was her first assignment. She has painted but not pencil sketched before. I think it is so beautiful. It helps having a beautiful sister to draw. I can't wait to see what she draws next!