Christmas Dance Recital

Kynlee and Kenzie had their Christmas Dance Recital. They looked so cute and festive in their skirts that their teacher, Sis. Jones, made. These girls love to dance and it showed in their performance. I remember being so shy during a dance performance when I was Kenzie's age...I think I actually stood on the stage with my finger up my nose!:) But Kenzie impresses me by not having any stage fright at all...she really gets into it and is so fun to watch!

My cute dancers striking a pose!
Kynlee's group danced too: "Get Away" by Ashley Tisdale and "Rockin' On Top Of The World" from Polar Express.

Kynlee swinging Kenzie around in between programs.

Kenzie loved wearing this bear hat for one of her dances...she's so cute!

Kenzie's group danced too: "Swinging On A Star", "Teddy Bear Picnic", and a cute Christmasy song I didn't recognize.

Clear Creek Adventure

Kynlee has been looking forward to this 5th grade Clear Creek Adventure since Matthew went on his 2 years ago. I feel so privileged that I was able to go. I had the time of my life with Kynlee on this little overnighter! The boys headed up the day before and loaded the buses when we got there...so it was just girls, except for Kynlee's teacher. The teachers had so much planned for these girls to do: different rotations, skits, songs, movie, hike, food, and it all ran smoothly. I have a whole new appreciation for teachers, especially Kynlee's, after seeing their enthusiasm on this trip. I had just as much fun as Kynlee did and I am so grateful for the memories we made!

This place was gorgeous! These were the nice, clean, and heated cabins. Kynlee's class stayed in the one called PINETREE.

Kynlee chose a top bunk and I was able to have the top bunk right on the other side of the opening. We held hands through the opening when we went to bed...so cute!
She's got her bed ready and now it's time to be SILLY!:)

Kynlee hardly left my side...I love this sweet daughter!

This was the rotation I was over - the Web - which was the only one outside and it was FREEZING. The girls had to work together to get each girl through a different part of the web without touching the rope. It was tricky, but they had a lot of fun working as a team!

Some of the girls doing their "Dias Power" class chant.

Kynlee brought up a deck of cards and taught some of the girls how to play "Kings In The Corner" before going to bed.

Say cheese!:)

Kynlee with her friends, Nicole and Kaitlyn.

The girls on their hike. It was so beautiful!

My beautiful snow bunny!:)

Kynlee with the best 5th grade teacher, Mr. Dias. She thinks the world of him and she has every reason to...he is INCREDIBLE!

Gratitude Lists

I love this Thanksgiving time of year. At our last Family Home Evening, we talked about the many things we have and are grateful for. We are truly blessed. Below are the kids Gratitude Lists they made. I think they are so cute!

KENZIE'S: Mommy (Best) - Brother and Dada (Nice) - Sisters - Friends - Jesus - Cousins - House - Animals - Primary - Grandmas and Grandpas

KARLEY'S: Cousins - Food - Mom and Dad - My Family - My Teacher - My Home - The Holy Ghost - Book Of Mormon

KYNLEE'S: Sweet Sisters - Awesome Brother - Mom and Dad - House - Bed - Family - Grandparents - Awesome Primary - Cousins - Scriptures - Gospel - Holy Ghost - Jesus Christ - Heavenly Father - Book Of Mormon - Teachers

MATTHEW'S: My Family / Cousins - My House - My Belongings - Jesus - Heavenly Father - Games / Toys / Bikes & Scooters - The Awesome T.V.'s - Loving Grandparents - My Own Room - For Loving Parents - For The Work That My Dad Does

The Big Move

Well, I am so excited to announce that after 2 1/2 years of living in the basement of my sweet in laws home, we are on our own again! We are loving all the space...it just feels so good! We are so grateful to everyone that showed kindness and helped with the move. It has been overwhelming to unpack and try to get settled. I asked Matt why it has been different with this move and we decided that us moving into a new home is all that has changed. With previous moves it was to a new area and during the summer when the kids were out of school. We moved just a few streets away, so we are in the same Ward (which is an answer to prayers), with the same busy callings, and the kids are in school, so I've had to keep up with homework. I know with time and each box that has been emptied and organized, I'll be able to relax more. I will never be able to tell Tim and Donna thank you enough for putting up with us. I love them so much and will always have gratitude in my heart for them.

Happy Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday to the SWEETEST 11 year old girl on the earth!:) I am so grateful that Kynlee is my oldest daughter. She is more help to me than I could ever ask for. She was mostly excited for this birthday because she is one year closer to turning 12 and being in Young Women's with me...gotta love her! I'm excited for that too, yet I think she's growing up too fast! It doesn't seem long ago that I held her as a cute, chubby, bald baby in my arms. She's too long for that now!:) I love you Kynlee and I am so thankful that you chose me to be your Mom!

Kynlee loved her breakfast in bed: scrambled eggs w/ the #11 written in ketchup, bacon, biscuits, grapes, and orange juice.

We had Grandpa and Grandma Slider, Ryann, and Corbin over for the party. Kynlee had a blast and got some great things!

Well, sadly I tried to make a double layered cake and it was a complete failure. The more I tried to fix it the worse it became. I was crying from frustration, but Kynlee assured me that it was alright...what a sweety!

Kynlee requested Wendy's for her Birthday lunch. She got her favorite: 2 bacon cheeseburgers and a Frosty...yummy!

Happy Halloween

Is it really already the end of October!?! Halloween is such a fun time and I love the Fall Season! We carved pumpkins the night before, which is my least favorite thing to do. The kids love it though and were pretty proud that they did most of the carving this year. They came up with some great faces...good job!

The kids hard at work creating their masterpieces.

The pumpkin carver experts showing off their hard work.

They look great all aglow!

These kids had so much fun getting into their costumes. They loved them and I think they look great! Both Matthew and Kynlee went Trick-Or-Treating with friends this year (they don't know how sad it makes me). After making it to every house (with lights on) in our Ward boundaries, we were all exhausted when we got home. What a night!

Kenzie: Pink Cheerleader

Karley: Skeleton

Kynlee: Hermione

Matthew: Rapper/Gangster

Nice BLING!

Karley and Kenzie counted their pieces of candy and are pretty happy with their stash! Matthew took a pillowcase this year. He came home with double the amount the girls got!

Halloween Sneak Peak

The kids are so excited about what they are for Halloween! Kynlee and Karley loved getting their costumes on this morning to wear to school. They had a parade in the gym for all the parents. It was so fun and the kids looked like they had a blast! Kenzie got to wear her costume at school today too. She's darling! I headed back to the Elementary in the afternoon for Kynlee's class party. I found the cutest idea online for "Pumpkin Bowling" and thought the 5th graders would love it! A pumpkin is used as the ball and I made 2-liter bottles look like ghosts for the pins. The kids soon found out that it was not as easy as it looked, since the pumpkins aren't perfectly round. It was so fun to watch!

Kynlee makes a perfect Hermione from Harry Potter!
Karley couldn't wear her mask to school, so I painted her face and colored her hair...she loved how it turned out!

Kenzie is pink from head to toe! She makes the cutest cheerleader!

Kynlee, along with many other kids, had no luck in knocking any ghosts down...bummer! Her teacher gave it a try, and as seen in the picture on the right, he knows a little about bowling. His pumpkin flew down the hall knocking all the ghosts down!

Monster Creation

Karley had to create a Monster for a class project. The pieces she used to build it were items she collected from the recycle bin. She did such a good job and had a blast making it come to life! It is so cool with its 14 eyes, vampire teeth, and colorful, fuzz ball hair. Of course it had to be BLUE! Because of its color, along with a gold hat and scales, she named it "Thunder", after our High School. Karley also made a map of Thunder's neighborhood and a shopping list of the yucky things it eats. When the time came to transport it to school, Karley decided to take Thunder on the bus with her. Sure enough, I got a phone call soon after that it didn't survive the trip and Karley was pretty upset about it. I hurried down to her class to comfort her and saved the day by gluing it back together. Karley worked super hard...way to go!

Karley proudly displaying "Thunder".

I was able to go with Karley on her class Field Trip last week. We went to the Living Planet Aquarium. Karley had been a couple of years ago, but it was new for me. There were some pretty impressive fish, frogs, and ocean life. The kids', including Karley's, favorite part was touching the stingrays! Karley had a constant smile on her face and I enjoyed watching how excited she got each time she touched one. I had fun and love going on Field Trips with my kids!

Heart Update

Just a quick update for those who were wondering. I got my blood test results back and everything was normal. A few days later, the nurse from my doctor's office called with my heart monitor results. She said it showed I had "Premature Atrial Contractions". DUH...I already new that! She told me to make an appointment with a Cardiologist to be examined. I can't be seen until November 12th, because I'm a new patient, but I hope to find out more details and answers then. So I'll wait! I have been doing better, meaning that the palpitations are not as frequent, so I feel more normal compared to the first week and a half. I still do what I got to do!

Restraunt Style

Well, I had a fun surprise when I woke up from my little nap this afternoon. As I walked up the stairs, I was greeted by 6 little chefs wearing aprons! It was so cute! They had each helped prepare dinner. The table was set with a fall theme displaying leaves that were gathered from the yard. There was even soft music playing in the background. Best of all, I sat down and Matthew took my order. The rest of the chefs each prepared an item on my plate and I was served my YUMMY dinner. Matthew continued to take orders and every plate got made in the same manner. The kids had a blast! It was such a great surprise!Thanks to the best little chefs...I would definitely recommend The Slider Restaurant!:)

Temple Square Trip

We have been reading as a family in the Doctrine & Covenants. A couple of nights ago we read about the death of Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum. It's really hard to not get choked up about the horrible way they died. The older kids reminded me of the movie about Joseph Smith they saw a few years ago, and showed interest in seeing it again. Well, it worked out perfect that they had Fall Break the next couple of days. Everyone was so excited to make a trip to Temple Square! We jumped on Trax and headed downtown, which meant I didn't have to worry about parking. Once at Temple Square we went to the Visitors' Center, the Tabernacle to watch an organ performance, the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to watch the IMAX movie, Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration, and we squeezed in a tour of The Beehive House. The movie was every one's favorite by far, but I have to say that the organ show was definitely next! We had a great time and I am so thankful for kids that show an interest in "churchy" stuff from time to time!

These guys think it is so cool to ride on Trax downtown!
The Salt Lake temple is absolutely gorgeous! I found the coolest spot to take a perfect picture! What do you think, Dad?

The kids didn't think the size of Angel Moroni, in the previous picture, looked as big as how they saw him, so I had to take a close-up...now he's big!

The girls standing with the statue of Christ at the Visitors' Center. Matthew was to embarrassed to be in the picture because of other people in the room. Kenzie was very quiet as she saw the nail prints in his hands and feet. It was a very tender moment!

The organ performance was awesome! The organist was Clay Christiansen, who I recognized as the older guy that accompanies the Tabernacle Choir during General Conference. He started off by demonstrating how well the acoustics are in the Tabernacle by tearing a sheet of paper and dropping pins. The sounds produced were crystal clear...amazing! As he played the lighting changed colors. The songs were powerful and we all watched with mouths wide opened! It is a must see!

I can't help but to think of walking the halls in this historic temple with my beautiful kids someday.

Two beautiful girls amidst a beautiful garden!

When we came out of the amazing, powerful, and tear-jerking movie (Kynlee and I had red, swollen eyes), this was a statue we saw - Joseph and Hyrum Smith. I love these men! My kids have a new-found love and appreciation for the life of Joseph Smith. I know that Joseph Smith tested his faith and saw the Father and His Son. Because of these exemplary men, who restored the true church, I am able to enjoy the blessings of the gospel. I am forever grateful for their devotion and sacrifice.

This is a view of the temple from the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building...what a site! It was such a great trip! I'm so glad my kids wanted to go!

My Own Little Get Away

I am so grateful to my husband for encouraging me to take a trip, on my own, to see my family this last weekend! He must have known I needed a little break, since it is rare when I get one. I flew out on Friday, which is a treat in itself, and my sister, Kristy, picked me up from the airport. The laughter started instantly! We picked up Karissa and baby Harlow, who I was so excited to see, and headed up to Show Low. My cousin was getting married the next day. My baby sister, Natalie, joined us a little later. It was so wonderful to hang out and have a slumber party with my sisters...the laughing never ended! We had a great time at the wedding and it was nice to see my extended family too. I spent the last couple of days at my Mom's. I loved this time, but it went by too fast! I flew back late Monday night. I'm forever grateful for the time spent and the laughter shared with my family! It was just what I needed. Thanks again Matt!

My Dad surrounded by his beautiful daughters!:) We might not look anything alike, but the bond I have with my sisters is unbreakable! You are my best friends...I love you girls!

Kristy is so unbelievably talented...I am jealous in a big way! She made the gorgeous wedding cake! It was perfect!

Beautiful Karissa and precious Harlow. She was such a good baby the entire trip. I loved holding her, changing her diapers, and feeding her every chance I got. I am such a proud Aunt!

My wonderful Dad! I feel like the time I spent with you was short, but I loved every minute of it! You mean the world to me!Grandma Nikolaus with my cousin, Lanny, the groom. What a great wedding and reception!

Picture with Grandma Nikolaus. Thanks for letting us crazy girls stay with you! And a big thanks for the work you did on my heart! I love my sweet, tiny Grandma!

On our drive home from Show Low, we were amazed at this beautiful sunset! We called it "Fire In The Sky"! Arizona has the best sunsets!

Pictures with my brother and Deacon. I was so glad I got to spend some time with their family on Sunday! Baron went down for his nap before I got the camera out...sorry. Nathan is already pumped to go snowboarding this season! You guys better make a trip up here! I love you guys!

Nathan is busting some sweet moves in some of his snowboarding gear! He is such a crazy guy and so funny! My kids love the puppy, Sophie, so I had to get a few pictures of her. Awww! Pictures with the Hopkins kiddos! Thanks for going to Matta's with me...yummy! Love you guys tons and will be missing you until Christmas! Natalie and I went with Karissa, for support, to get Harlow's ears pierced. I was the lucky one who got to hold her. She was sleeping peacefully and then... ...she was rudely awakened! Karissa had to turn away. It was so sad to hear her howl.:( After the piercing, Karissa cleaned Harlow's ears. What a mad little face!All better! They look so pretty! I love this picture! Her sweet face is saying, "Oh wait! That really made me sad Mom!"My beautiful Mom! I enjoyed our walk and the time I got to spend with you without kids interfering. You are the greatest...I love you so much!