A Queen, a Fashion Designer & the Cutest Paparazzi Ever! ...along with a cool dip!

Me and a wonderful friend of mine, Lisa James, have the opportunity to plan and purchase the entire menu for the Youth Trek in June. We have decided to do dutch oven meals. So in an effort to provide yummy food for the 300 youth and leaders of our stake, we get together and make different meals. This was one of those evenings. We prepared a chicken enchilada casserole, corn bread and cobbler. Our girls are inseparable and as I said in a previous post, they get together whenever they can. They had been together for two days straight planning and preparing a play for us all to watch. So when we got together to do the dinner, it was the perfect time to watch the wonderful production they had worked so hard on. They got all the chairs ready for the adults to sit and watch. I don't even know how to describe what the play was about. It was the most hilarious, confusing, chaotic productions that we had ever seen. I wish that I had the video...I will have to get that from Lisa. But we all just kept looking at each other and laughing because we were so confused! The play consisted of a Queen (Kassadi), a Princess (Kate), a Narrator (Ellie), a Thief (Sara), a Fashion Designer (Halle) and the Paparazzi (Olivia) Ryan was in it too, but wasn't sure what he was! They wanted to start over...but unfortunately we didn't have the time. What we did capture on video was really funny. Olivia wasn't in the play but she kept jumping up and down with a camera like a little paparazzi. They were all adorable and I can't wait to show them the video when they are older. They will get a good laugh out of it.

They made these fun masks for the play, but decided not to use them. I thought they were so cute!

The kids were desperate to get their first dip of the year. The James turned up the heat in the hot tub and although it was still cold, the kids had to get in.

Olivia just kicked around on the edge. She wasn't as crazy as the other kids.

Kassadi daring Ellie to jump in...even though she didn't jump in herself. The water in the pool was a cool 75*.

Halle and Kate jumping in. It was really funny because they were in and out so fast!

Hanging out in the hot tub. It was a bit warmer than the pool. Hey look...It's Kyle! He joined us for a family activity. It was great having him around.

Thanks James family for being such fantastic friends. We love love love you all!



Basketball & Bubbles

Olivia asks to blow bubbles all the time. I forget (conveniently) to pick some up at the store. She found some in the closet and just had to go out and do them. She tried sooo hard to blow a few bubbles. But she loves every minute of it.

 Kyle has become quite the basketball player. He loves playing any chance he gets. He never wants his pictures taken so I thought I would make it fun for him. I told him to run and dunk a few balls. I think that these are great shots. The faces that he makes are hilarious.

Spring Time = Park Time

It was a nice warm spring day. We decided to go to the park to have some fun. I had Halle, Kate James, Gabe, Trey Crompton and Olivia. Kass and Ellie James joined us later...who knows where Kyle was! We had a lot of fun. I love love love the spring weather here.

Kate James and Halle doing the spider.



Classic Olivia smile. She cracks me up every time.



First time...not sure how it works, but they tried and tried and tried to get the train right. Getting 5 kids down a really short slide together...not so easy!



They could never quite make it down all together. But thay had a lot of fun trying!

Kass was being a turkey about getting her picture taken. She should love it! She is a beautiful girl.

Ellie James

Halle and Kate are inseparable. They hang out together every chance that they get. They never fight or argue. I love it! I hope it stays that way.



Happy 14th Birthday Kyle!

I cannot believe that I have a child that is 14 years old! Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday we were living in Farmington in my parents basement. Kyle was lucky enough to live with his grandparents for the first 4 years of his life. My parents loved having him around. He was such a fun little boy. He still is ;)

Kyle is really into basketball right now. He plays on his Middle School team (the Ridgeview Panthers). He has gotten quite good. We love going to his games...even though they blow the whistle every three seconds for some sort of foul or something! Anyway, Steve wanted to do something really special for him. So he thought it would be really fun to go to a NBA game. Kyle has never been to one. So a friend of ours hooked him up with a pair of awesome tickets to see a game on his birthday. It just so happens that the Jazz traded Deron Williams (Kyle's favorite player) to the New Jersey Nets the day before. The Spurs were playing the Nets! It was pretty cool.

We celebrated the night before his birthday so that Steve could take off for San Antonio right after school. He received his tickets to the game in a Basketball for Dummies book. Kyle was super surprised and really excited to go and see a "real" game. The kids gave him a new basketball and some gum and candy too. Kassadi picked out a cookie cake and we put some basketball players on it.

I told Steve to take some pictures...these are what came off of his camera ;) Of course, he had to get the dancers!

Kyle was ordained to the office of Teacher. Before we know it, he will be blessing the Sacrament!Happy Birthday to one amazing son and brother. We love you Kyle!