Fun Day at Water World!

Starting off with the baby stuff!Already loving it!

Friday Ben watched Sophia so I could take the older kids to Water World. Erin's Dad had some extra tickets, so we got to go again this year. Thanks Erin! Last year Ethan couldn't go because he had stitches (Boston was close, just got his out Tuesday:) and he was so excited to go! Ethan couldn't get enough of the place!

Look, no hands!

Rash Guard required!:) He was a little apprehensive of the bigger slides at first, especially as we were getting to the top. He kept asking me if we could go get lunch because he was hungry (a believable diversion for him). We finally got to the top and he didn't show any fear as we started to push off. When we got to the bottom, he said, "That was awesome! Let's go again". I had to pull him away from there to go get lunch. They all had a great time. Boston spent most of his time with Karolyn's son. They were following each other everywhere after lunch. Aubrie hung out with McKenzie(Moore) &Eliza. I was Ethan's buddy!

Around 2:00 we left, thinking Ben might need me to relieve him from watching Sophia. When we got to the car, and I called him, he said she slept till 1:15 (went down at 10:00) and to go back to the park and enjoy ourselves. I was about to turn around when Aubrie realized she didn't have her wristband. We were all little bummed, but we made the best of things. We went home and swam some more, and invited Eliza and Libby to swim. They had a great time!For date night we looked at cars, grabbed dinner at Red Robin, and saw "Get Smart". It had some funny parts, but I would suggest renting it!Today was a LAZY day! I haven't left the house all day. Ben took Aubrie to her Dance tryouts while I watched the kids, and Ben took the kids out shopping while I took an afternoon nap. I'm a little stir crazy now. I wish the malls were open till 10:00!;)

The Life of a Cat!

The life of a cat! That's how I felt this week! They start off lazy as can be and then sprint around like crazy until they end up passing out from exhaustion! The cycle then continues!

Monday was perhaps one of the laziest days of all. I was LOVING it, which isn't easy for me! I'm not a crazed fill every minute with some insane task type of girl. However, I do get antsy just sitting around, so this was a GREAT break through for me! After Ethan's 9:00 swim lesson, we came home, swam some more and than sat around for about 3 hours watching Little House on the Prairie episodes. Finally, the kids got to their chores and I started to pick up a little before Ben got home (I should have left it all so he could see what I normally do in a day! LOL) After dinner (Hawaiian Haystacks) I helped the kids print jokes for their puppet show. We finally got around to FHE around 8:00, which was on music and dancing. Then we watched Raiders of the Lost Ark. I tried to read some more of The Holy Secret, but could only get in a chapter. It a good book, just a lot to take in!

Tuesday we made up for things. By noon I had reorganized my pantry, and rearranged the boys bedroom. They were excited for the change, and I was just happy that I didn't break their computer, or their desk that is already falling apart! Aubrie was happy to help, too! She was a good helper the whole day. She made lunch for herself and the boys and she also made dinner-mini meatloaves a salad, peaches (from a can;), jello and bread- for her Faith in God award. After dinner, I took Boston's stitches out! That was fun! I also started the color system, again, for the kids. It sees to be working good. Their punishment for yellow is that I won't sing them the goodnight song or scratch their back at bedtime, and red get's them in bed early. They quickly did their chores without complaints!

Wednesday was busy! First I'm wondering if anyone else's kids sleep in when you have to get up early, and then wake up early every other day? Because that's how my morning started. I needed to be at Paradise Bakery, at 7:30, for a surprise birthday breakfast for Debbie. Of course, I don't set an alarm because I already have one, called Sophia. So I go to bed knowing she is going to wake me up in plenty of time for me to get ready before I go. The next thing I know, Ben is waking me up from my slumber saying, "Rach, it's 7:15!" So much for my alarm clock. Did she sleep in the next day? No! Anyway, I basically throw my clothes on from the day before, mouth washed, wiped the black smears from under my eyes (I never take my make up off before bed), and ran to get there on time. After breakfast, which was way fun, I run home to pull the kids out of bed (the life!) so we can make it to a 9:00 swim lesson. After the swim lesson, I finally squeeze in my shower, after I made sugar cookie dough for YW! I get ready just in time to pick up the sitter so I could join Erin, Leslie and Terri for a much needed, girls only, lunch! Lunch was fun and a much needed break. Thank heavens for good friends! I then rushed home to bake the cookies...which were driving me CRAZY! Sugar cookie STARS aren't the easiest! The little points on those suckers kept breaking off! At one point I was about to dump them in the trash! Then I had to take a break, so I could run the kids to piano and I got an hour of Walmart shopping in during. I was literally running through the store, because the Deli took F-O-R-E-V-E-R, again, so I wouldn't be late getting the kids. I then rushed home to finish the cookies and then it was off to YW! YW was fun, but it was so different. The new girls seem really cool, but it's weird having different leadership. The new leadership is great, but I'm not good with change! After YW, we had a meeting, and then I came home and watched 2 episodes of Raymond and called it a night!
Today
-swim lessons ( sorry no pictures! I was too busy talking to the Mom's! Honestly, even if I wasn't, Ethan swimming is like Ethan breathing, so I didn't even think about it!)
-finished cooking all the cookie batter (went much smoother this morning; I'll ice another day!)
-Kayleen cut Aubrie's hair (3 inches)
-Sophia walked across the family room (yeah I know she is 14 months)
-swimming with the kids and playing the "make me laugh" game (They laugh at my song; they get dunked. Today I sung Slippery Fish really silly!)
-dinner at Streets (the usual; pene Alfredo for the kids and I and the Philly for Ben)
-Walmart stop (lot's of "this and that" that added up quick; look forward to trying the green apple syrup for our snow cone machine. Our favorite summer treat! Thanks Nicole!)
-end of story! (time to pass out from exhaustion!)
Oh ya, today was great! Sophia took a 3 hour morning nap and a 2 hour afternoon. So much better than the 1 hours naps she has been pulling the past week! Ugh! God knew I needed the break from yesterday's craziness!
PS Hope you had a great recital Shea! WE love you!

It's Hot!

First of all, you now you are true Phoenician when you comment that it's feeling a "little" hot, and then you look at your car thermostat and realize its 116! There is something seriously wrong with that!! I don't remember it being this hot in June. I guess that's payback for a great May!
Tuesday I had to toughen up and run my errands, that would soon be backing up, if I didn't suck it up and walk around on my ankle. I finally made it to the book store to return The Holy Secret, for a new one. The first one I bought had several blank pages half way through the book, and I have been dying to finish it. The first half was better! OK...I still have the last quarter to go. Our next stop was Chick-filet. The kids all had a great time, including Sophia. Our next stop was Target for a quick return and some more pillows for the fire pit bench, and the final stop was Micheal's. I finally bought baskets to hold all of Aubrie's toys that were creeping out from under her bed. It looks much better now! Tuesday night Ben's sisters came over for some cards (they flew in Monday afternoon) and visiting. They left early, around 10:00. My ankle was hurting me pretty bad by the end of the day, and I was happy to get in bed and let it rest.

Spaghetti night!! Aubrie got the Special Plate to celebrate her recital (a few day's late).
HMMM!!!

Wednesday I didn't have mutual, which was a little weird. What to do with the free time? Hmmmm......I much needed some alone time and a pedicure, so Ben came home a little early, and I headed off to the nail salon. Aubrie begged to go, but Ben insisted I go alone! When I walked in, there was Ben's sisters and his Mom. What were the chances? So much for my alone time..LOL! It was fun visiting with the girls a bit, even though I didn't get to enjoy the massage (my favorite part), but since I didn't end up paying I can't complain. After telling the lady about the 4th of July theme I wanted on my toes, most of us ended up walking out of there with patriotic toes. I then rushed off to Sams for a few essentials, and then I swung by the house to take Boston to get a birthday present for his friend. It took Boston 30 LONG minutes in the Walmart toy aisle to figure out what to get Brigham. After he made his crucial decision (LOL) we swung by the game area of Walmart and I made a date out of it! LOL

Thursday Boston had fun at his friend's Pump it Up party, and we were excited about our new neighbors who were moving in across the street. Nothing like moving in 115 degree weather! They have a 5 year old and 7 year old, and are very friendly !! In the evening, we headed over to Ben's parent's for dinner and swimming. On the way the kids were complaining that their new pool was boring, and I couldn't help but laugh. They sure got spoiled with their old place. I knew they would end up having fun, and they did. Even Boston made lemons into lemonade, since he couldn't swim. He came out and just threw around squishy balls and played some basketball. After swimming and gifts, he danced for everyone. He was cracking them up with his moves! He has the greatest rhythm for a 6 year old boy! Sophia did very well, and went down at their house for a few hours, and then transferred wonderfully. Thanks, Sophia!!!:)

Friday we had the Frandsen kids over, minus Analiese (sure I just slaughtered the spelling). The kids have a great time playing with them. They are like family. Usually Ethan and Andrew play, and Boston fits right in with the girls. They spent an hour playing Wii and the rest of the time swimming. Poor Boston had to sit out, and I think he finally hit his breaking point. It was the first I heard him complain about not swimming. Friday night we had our first Ward Social. It was a mixer, and provided opportunities to meet a lot of new people. After the party, Ben and I got ice cream with a newer couple in the ward and hung out at their house for a bit.

Saturday stayed busy. It started with me rounding up all the kids for the Primary Pool Party. They had it at Sunrise Mountain pool. The kids love that place because of the big slide. Sophia was a big fan, so Ben came by and took her home early. The kids had a great time, especially Boston, since he could finally swim. The party was combined with Pleasant Valley, so I got to catch up with people from the old ward. I'll take any chance I can get.

Goodbye Chlorine! Splishin' & a Splashin' Waterlogged?Hard Run down the slide?

The party was over around Noon, and then I ran to Walmart to get a few things for dinner and my lesson. Aubrie and Boston came, and brought their wallets ready to buy something. After spending way too much time in the clothing department, Aubrie finally decided to save her money. The evening included; making dinner for a friend who just had her baby, getting to hold that baby:), preparing my lesson, more swimming, and another visit from Ben's sisters.

7:00 came early this morning! We rushed around to get ready for church and made it there in plenty of time for a soft seat! The kids headed my "warnings" I gave at FHE about their behavior during Sacrament meeting. They were sure to behave themselves, so they wouldn't have to sit on the couch, for an hour, at home!;) My lesson went well! The Mia Maids didn't have a lesson prepared, so they combined both of the classes. I was actually fine with it, because a lesson is a lesson. I didn't have enough of the cute little candles for everyone though..bummer! On my way out to the car, one of the teachers in Junior Primary got me aside and told me Boston was cracking them up today. He said that that the kids were all acting up during sharing time and Boston said really LOUD, "Hey, everyone stop talking and be reverent so we can get this over with!" Ha!! That boy is always cracking people up.

The box always ends up being the winner!

Ask and You Shall Recieve!

So this week I am believer! Ok...I guess I have always been a believer. But when you pray for something and you see those prayers answered, almost immediately, it's a nice feeling to know that you have a loving Heavenly Father watching out for you and wanting to help you with even your smallest desires.
As I have already posted, our great ward was split a few weeks ago, and we became a part of the newly formed West Wing Ward! So my calling in YW was no longer, and I was waiting in the trenches for my new calling. I must admit that I prayed several time that I could get the same calling (is that wrong?), and to be honest, nothing else really seemed right when I thought about it. Of course, that could do something with the fact that I LOVE Young Women's, but really it felt a little more than that. So on Tuesday, when one of the Bishopric came over to my house to extend me a calling, other than Young Women's, I was a little shocked and disappointed. The other calling worked with the Youth, but it wasn't in the same program. I accepted it, thinking that Heavenly Father wanted me to stretch my wings in other areas, and even started preparing a little. Really, it was a calling that I thought I would really enjoy. However, all night long ( I was very tired the next day) I just tossed and turned over the call. Just a quick side note. I have had other callings I wasn't necessarily thrilled about, buy I always felt calm and ready to serve in it. So anyway, the next morning I called that same counselor and after explaining some of my trepidations, he told me that the Bishopric prayed about it some more and they thought I should be a Laurel Advisor, the same calling I had before! One answered prayer!
As I was preparing my lesson for Young Women's, they didn't waste anytime, I wanted to find some great information to better help the girls understand a specific topic. I said a little prayer and within minutes I stumbled on a P-E-R-F-E-C-T Ensign article. Then I really wanted to find the perfect handouts (I'm a sucker for handouts) and I stumbled on the best deal of the century on little candles (see Matthew 5 for further understanding) and was so elated! Then the night before my lesson I said one last prayer that I would be able to impart anything he would want me to say, and instantly I thought of something I NEVER thought of before relating to the topic! More prayers answered.
Also, last night, I prayed that Sophia (and the other kids) would be good in Sacrament and the rest of church so we could listen to the speakers. I don't' know why I hadn't thought of that before. Of course, I've often found myself saying a silent prayer in the middle of the meeting that my kids would behave before I wrang their little necks (I really do LoVe them!;) but that never seemed to work. Anyway, wouldn't you know, the kids were ANGELS, Sophia made it all the way through Sacrament meeting (not completely quite, but just being able to keep her in there was HUGE progress) and to top things off, she fell asleep on Ben during Elders Quorum. If you know anything about Sophia, you would know that is a miracle within itself. That child will not fall asleep on you to save her life, and I think the last time that happened was when she was 7 months old! More Answers!!!
Ok...So these aren't the only prayers I have had answered in my life. He has answered so many countless prayers. I'm sure just as many in a week if not more than this one. But the difference is that this week I instantly took notice, and gave thanks! That's what's really important. When we, as parents, give our children things they ask for (or don't ask for), don't we want them to "take notice" and give us thanks! May we all take time to recognize his tender mercies. I know that I am committed to making a bigger effort!

Happy Fathers Day!

Yesterday I tried to do my best at making Father's day special. Unfortunately, I pulled a tendon in my foot, at Havasupai, so I couldn't stand on it very long:( It actually started hurting after church, so I'm sure my church heels just agitated it further). It was hard to get up and going for church. Even waking up at 6:45, things were rushed and left undone. Sophia had a hard time in sacrament, hitting her head on the pew 3 times. The third time I was literally laughing, because I couldn't believe it. I was beginning to think her head and the pew were magnetic!

Second hour I had Sophia duty, since Ben is the new Gospel Essentials teacher. I tried sitting in the class with Sophia, but she had no intentions on sitting in one place for long. So I ended up following her around the halls all of second hour. Ben took over during RS, and I ran into the chapel to grab my scriptures and talked to friends from Pleasant Valley ward. They were asking if I put my house up for sale yet, etc.... They weren't making it any easier for me! LOL

After church, the kids prepared something special for Ben . They put a crown on his head (a princess crown:), and had him drink from Aubrie's tea set, while they were saying, "Hail Dad"! They then had him open gifts and cards. He got Fierce cologne from me, a beach towel from the kids and a shirt from my MOM. After lunch, I started Ben's favorite dinner (Italian chicken), and made his favorite cake (lemon with orange frosting), while he took the kids over to his parents to drop off his Dad's father's day gift!

When he got home we laid down for a bit, while he rubbed out my sore ankle till I fell asleep. I know it should have gone the other way, being it was his day and all, but I must admit it made my day! While we were upstairs relaxing, the kids were coloring downstairs making more "cards' for Ben. Before dinner, Ben swam with the kids a bit! He said he had a great Father's Day! I sure hope so. He deserved one!

Today I tried to nurse my foot, but didn't do a very good job! I pulled all of the cat stuff out of Aubrie's room, now that the kittens are old enough to use the main litter box! It was a relief to have her room back to normal. No more worrying whether her bedroom door is open and Sophia is getting in all that stuff! Since I had the vacuum out for her room, I figured I would vacuum the rest of the house. Probably not the best thing for my foot! The kids were good to get all their responsibilities done by noon. Boston was on a roll today, reading the three books I required of him before he could read Harry Potter. The kids are in this race to be the first to read Harry Potter so they can get these dumb Harry Potter cards that came with the movie. I honestly can't believe that is a motivator. What are they going to do with the cards anyway? Oh well, whatever works! Boston is anxious to be the first!

After lunch, we all went swimming (minus Boston, poor kid). It was a scorcher, and the water felt great! Sophia actually hung out in her covered floatie for an hour without complaining once. Aubrie and Ethan had fun getting pennies off the bottom of the pool. (Why didn't I think of that game earlier?). Tonight we had our FHE lesson on knowing good media from the bad, and having the courage to walk away from the bad. After FHE, we swam some more. Now that temperatures have bumped up into the teens that will be a frequent activity here!

Havasupai--a little Heaven on Earth!

Aubrie got a hold of the camera! What a cute face she captured! LOL It's now our screen saver!

She finally let me do pigtails! Isn't it adorable?! Too bad they didn't stay in all day!

This week was full and eventful!

Sunday was a little different, being in the new ward and all! I'm going to miss the old one! I'm tempted to buy some land over there, just so we can be "annexed" in! I haven't received a call in the new ward, yet, but if it's not in YW I don't want one! Ha! The YW in my old ward told me to come visit on Mutual nights. I told them I would probably get pulled aside by the Stake leaders and be told to make some friends my own age. Ha! I'm just anxiously waiting my new call. I actually thought I would be OK if they put me in Nursery, again....if they don't want me in YW! What am I saying? I might as well be in there anyway, since Sophia is like a T-Rex by the second hour of church!

Monday, Ben took my car in for the millionth time! I have a love/hate relationship for that thing! I LOVE the way the Navigator looks and drives and all the "luxury" items, but it's an American car (something I swore I would never buy and for a good reason). I can't get away from the constant break downs! Ok, I have been spoiled, owning only Honda's until this point (which are the best made cars EVER), and I am now seriously considering going back to the Honda Pilot (now that it finally has entered the 21st century and has added third row temperature control and a few other perks!). Alright, I have gotten way off track. So the whole point of the story is that when he took it in, the loaner they gave us, though fun, sporty and way fun to drive, only sat 5! So that meant I was stuck home (since none of my kids can sit in the front seat), Ugh! I had a lot to do with our trip to Havasupai coming up, and I couldn't get any of it done. Ben came home early so I could take Aubrie to dance, and make my Walmart run! I had so much to get done, I barely made it back to the studio in time to see her practice her Jazz song one last time and get one of the last T-shirts left for Matt on "So You Think You Can Dance". He taught at Aubries dance studio and we are all "promoting" him through T-shirts, banners etc! Family Home Evening was on Modesty. The kids looked through Magazines and cut out pictures and glued them on poster boards that were labeled, "Modest & Immodest". They were baffled at how hard it was to find modest clothing. Here are the posters hanging on our "FHE wall". I always have the kids take turns reading paragraphs from the particular section of the Strength of Youth pamphlet (the focus of our lessons) and Boston was reading much better than Aubrie. She was getting a little upset and I was trying to convince her she was doing a great job. It's hard when kids have different strengths like that, and they take it personally. I have a feeling it's only going to get harder!

Tuesday, Lorraine took the boys to Kung Fu Panda, and then took them back to her house to swim and to paint t-shirts. They were gone from 10:00 to 4:00. It was weird having the gone. Aubrie and I went out together and hit Justice (she made it out of there with two shirts) and then she begged me to go to PetsMart. There was the CUTEST kitten in the window and I was soooooo tempted to buy it (despite the fact we already have 3 cats). Luckily I practiced self control and walked out of there, with Aubrie begging and "bargaining":) Tuesday night Ben took Aubrie on a date. They grabbed dinner and saw Kung Fu Panda. I spent the evening swimming with the boys and Sophia, and then my Mom joined us when she got home from work. It was such a nice evening, and after I put Sophia down, my Mom and I laid out on the lounge chairs (on my new comfy cushions) and enjoyed the nice evening. I could have fallen asleep out there, (if only the nights could be like that all summer!) but I had to drag myself inside to get my packing done!

Wednesday couldn't be more busy. I spent the morning finishing up laundry and last minute packing. The kids had piano, we had to pick up our car, and then we had dinner at Chili's. After Chili's Aubrie convinced Ben to stop at Petsmart to look at the kitty. It was gone! I told you it was adorable; the cutest I've ever seen! When we got home, and while I was finishing up some last minute things, Boston let out a huge cry from the family room. I heard Aubrie saying that he was hurt, and I didn't think it was anything big. Aubrie started screaming that he was bleeding and when I looked over I saw blood dripping down his leg. I ran over and immediately knew it wasn't good. Ben said it was fine and we could superglue it (his cure all for every cut the kids get) and I told him that I was taking him to Urgent Care with out without him. I wasn't about to leave him with my Mom for 3 days without him being checked out. Ben came along, and we walked out of Urgent Care 3 stitches and 45 minutes later! (Luckily there wasn't a single soul their!) Boston was panicked the whole time, fearing the shots he would need in order to get the stitches. We had to hold him down while they gave him the shots, and he screamed in my ear the whole time! Ouch! One of the stitches were in a place where he had no anesthesia. He did fantastic and was so tough, making me believe he basically just psyche's himself out! After we left Urgent Care, we took him to Walmart to buy him a "condolence" gift. He picked out out Indian Jones action figures. While we were in line he started looking at the magazines and pointed out all the immodest clothing! LOL

All the last minute drama left me running 2 hours behind. (I'm just glad it happened on our watch). I ended up arriving at Erin's house at 9:30 for the "sleep over" and Ben didn't end up getting any rest before we headed out for our Midnight drive to Havasupai. The drive was long and I wasn't able to get much sleep. When we got to the top of the canyon it was FREEZING! Last time we went it wasn't the least bit cold, so most of us came without sweatshirts, not wanting to pack or carry anything that wasn't necessary! I was so cold, I decided to run down the switchbacks to get my blood pumping. I also ran other parts of the hike. If anyone knows me, they would know that I HATE to run! But, for some reason the early morning air (we started our hike at 5:00) and certain songs on my shuffle, put me in the mood to run! I didn't stop to think that, 1. I don't ever run and 2. I didn't stretch before I started the hike! By the end of the day, and even now, my thighs feel like Jello! I wasn't the least bit sore last time I went, so I'm convinced it was the running!

Ben and I arrived at the Indian Village at 7:30, along with a few others. So that was 9 miles in 2 1/2 hours! I should have walked the whole thing in 3 and saved me from the soreness!! Our packs were all flown into the village, and we had to wait around until 11:00 for our packs. There isn't much to do around the village, except sit there and wait. The 3 1/2 hours actually went faster than I thought it would. Maybe it was because I wasn't looking forward to strapping on my huge pack and walking for 2 more miles.

Just waiting!

The last leg down was much easier than last time. My pack made all the difference! I'm not saying I was running down the hill, but I didn't need to stop and rest. Erin and I made several stops last time, but this time we did much better! When we got down to the campgrounds I was a little worried. It was so crowded and we couldn't find a campsite. It really seemed hopeless. I then decided to stop and say a prayer that we could find a fantastic spot, so we could have a great memorable time! Within minutes someone came down the path saying Brian and Erin found a spot. It was close to the bathrooms and the water station, but there wasn't a table. Within the hour we had a couple of tables, Yeah! After everyone got situated and rested a little, we all headed down to Havasu falls! Here is a picture! Isn't it beautiful. That's why this is one of my top picks of the most beautiful places I have ever been! It's like a little Heaven on Earth! It's actually one of the most photographed waterfalls in the world! Anyway, we spent about an hour and 1/2 swimming in the freezing water. I think my body went numb in self defense. We then went back to camp and had dinner and played some games. By 7:00 I was ready for bed. It had been 36 hours since I had any rest worth mentioning, and I had no energy to do much of anything. We were lucky to round up the girls by 9:30 and go to bed. It was going against my very nature to choose rest over a night of fun, but my body was winning the battle!

Kayleen was my personal hair stylist. Here is Erin and I with "Kayleen" hairdo's!

Friday I woke up around 7:00. I actually slept much better than I thought I would, considering I was sleeping on a small pool floatie. It was a little chilly that night; my biggest complaint. Luckily, I packed an extra blanket from the car, when I saw how cold it was at the top of the canyon! After breakfast, and moving our camp around (the group right by us left early that morning so we took their spot that was set further back from the trail) and hanging out for a bit, we headed out to Mooney Falls around 10:00. Mooney Falls

The hike down there involves climbing through caves and climbing on and down the side of a rocky canyon that has chains and ladders to assist you from not falling to your death! Sounds fun, huh? It actually is! To me anyway. The hike is worth it because this is what you see down there! We had fun doing a rope swing, and following the river down to another little waterfall. We headed back to camp, and I hung back taking some more pictures. I finished the hike back to camp on my own, loving the alone time enjoying nature and taking pictures at my leisure! I LOVE taking landscape pics!! Second best thing next to taking pictures of my kids!

Me on the rope swing!

After lunch and relaxing, we headed to Navajo falls! The hike was back up towards the village, so it required us going up a steep sandy hill. My sore legs and that hike did not get along! When we got to the falls, I spent most of my time sitting around and watching the girls swim. Last time I jumped off this huge rock! With how sore my legs were, I wasn't sure I could do it. I was a little sad, because it was such a rush last time! After I called Ben a chicken and he saw about 6 Young Women jump off of it, he finally did it! The little dot is him! We then did a little exploring around the falls, not quite as much as last time, due to my soreness, and then headed back to camp. Evening at the camp included a great mini "fireside" where we all related one of our experiences at Havasuapi to something Gospel related. It was great to see the YW come up with the analogies and see their testimonies in action! After that, we had a GREAT time talking, goofing around, and playing games. Hanging around at camp!

We ended up going to bed around 12:00, soon after someone from another camp came and complained that we were keeping them up. Hee! Hee! After we all went to bed, Kayleen and Alex played a prank on one of the priesthood leaders, putting cheese wiz all over his face. He retaliated in the meanest way, pouring water in their tent and then collapsing it. They had nothing to sleep in and spent the night laying on a tarp and shivering under towels. When their Mom got up and relinquished her sleeping bag, they finally fell asleep. They were then tortured with crackers and kool aide dumped in their hair, and luckily the Bishop didn't relinquish his syrup, that Brother Nelson wanted to pour on them. Glad I wasn't a part of any of that! I really felt sorry for them. There is nothing worse then being tired and FREEZING!! We all packed up and headed out about 8:30. The Helicopter was there around 9:30 to get us. They flew us and our packs right out of the Indian Village to the top of the canyon. Ben got to ride in the front! I did that last time. It's an amazing ride! It's I feel so lucky to have been able to be part of such an amazing trip. The sites are amazing and the company is so much fun! I love the people in our Ward. The whole time it just felt like we were one big family; all working towards the same goal, and just loving one another, enjoying each others company and having a great time! That is the image I see when I think of Spirit Paradise! I'm so loved my "miniature" paradise I got this weekend! I'm really going to miss it:(

We left the Canyon around 9:45 and stopped for lunch at this cool burger joint off route 66! It's an official route 66 site. They did all these kooky things like give you a piece of straw when you asked for a straw for your drink, and their surrounding looked like this. They had these cars in their lot, and they claim they had these cars before the movie "CARS" came out. They said that is where they got the idea for the movie. We took these pictures and told Ethan we saw Mader and Doc (from the Movie). He thought that was sooooo cool, and asked us to take him there. He said, "Mom, did they talk?"! LOL He then asked why I didn't get a picture of Sally and Lightening McQueen! (That was Disney Pixar's addition I guess).

We made good time and got home around 3:00! The kids were happy to see us, and we were exhausted. We ordered pizza for dinner, and we swam a little and now Ben watched the movie "Jumper" with the kids, while I worked on this! LOL When the movie was over, Boston said, "I wish I were like the Jumper, so I could could "jump" right to my bed, and not have to walk there"! Guess he was tired!

While we were gone the kids got to play at the Frandsens, and they some of the time at their community pool. Boston had to sit out, since he couldn't swim with his stitches. Poor kid! Trina said he was a good sport about it! They didn't leave the Frandsens until 8:00pm, so they had a great time! They also spent a day with the Walters (minus Aubrie), and Sophia stayed with my Mom the whole time, of course. Friday night was Aubrie's dance recital, which apparently went well. Lorraine gave her a rose, which Aubrie was thrilled about! She told my Mom that she hoped someone would buy her a rose. My Mom told her she thought she would probably get one, I'm sure assuming Lorraine would buy the ones they sell at the recital. It now sits in a small vase on our kitchen counter. My Mom had a great time alone with Sophia, for those two days the kids were at friends. She said she was a sweetheart. She also said that their were only two incidences where the kids had huge problems. One being Ethan and Boston fighting at bedtime, and the other being Aubrie throwing one of her "I'm being so wronged" tantrums, that she got over in about 10 minutes or so. I'm so glad all went well, even though my Mom would probably not tell me any different! LOL

Oh, this past week I have decided, since it was summer, I should spend some time experimenting with Aubrie's hair. Here are some of her hair-do's for the week! She loved feeling girly, and I was surprised she cooperated. She usually isn't into getting all "done up". I think her little crush might be changing all that! LOL

8:30 am!

8:30 am is the new time for our new Ward! Ugh! So I'm going to try to make this short, so I can finish up a Primary lesson and get to bed. I have already ironed (we'll Ben did that, because I don't iron) the boy's clothes and they are sitting out along with mine and Aubrie's. The diaper bag is packed along with the kids scripture bags! I'm trying to prepare myself for a smooth morning. We'll see how that goes! Only 6 months of this new time!

So....where did I leave off? hmmm. Oh ya, I think it was Tuesday. So Wednesday was pretty laid back. The kids had piano and I had my last Mutual in Pleasant Valley. They made it a joint social (both boys and girls) swim/ BBQ party. The youth had fun, especially when they were bribed into throwing me into the pool! Brrrr! One of the Dentists in our ward bribed them with bleaching trays. He even tried to get another leader in on it. Thanks for not taking the bribe (Kari:). I went kicking and screaming as they were carrying me to the pool. It was extremely windy that night, and I had no intentions on getting wet. I realized how wimpy I really was, when two YW where able to single handidly pick me up, carry me across the yard, and throw me into the pool. It actually wasn't as cold as I thought it would be. All the male leaders just sat there an laughed. I retaliated with a huge bucket of water. Soon there were little feuds between several others, including; cake in the face, ice down backs, onions in cars, etc. I stuck around until it got dark and everyone started to leave. It was really hard to leave all those kids. Such GREAT kids!!!

Thursday Ben called around lunch time and said he wanted to take the kids to Chuck E Cheese. The kids had a great time, including Sophia. We got a table back in the "baby" section and she had fun going up and down the little slide, and playing in all the small car rides (whatever they're called?). I thought they would scare her, but she had fun turning the wheel, and laughed and smiled through the whole thing. Sadly enough, I can't remember what we did with the rest of our day. I guess we didn't do much. Maybe some reading, chores??

Friday was a fun filled day for the kids. The kids cousin, Shea, had her 5th birthday party. I was hurrying the kids through their chores, and rushing to get things ready for her 11:30 birthday party, and then something told me to check the invitation, again. It was at 12:30! I was happy to get that extra hour, but realized how bad I'm losing it! The party was a Super Silly birthday that included; musical chairs, a sing along machine, and trying to stuff marshmallows in your mouth and talk. The kids had fun, and after everyone left we stuck around for another couple of hours until Sophia woke up from her long nap. I guess she likes Carson's crib!:)

I left around 4:30, less Aubrie. She stuck around for her first sleep over, along with two other cousins of Shea's. They had a fun time, playing hide and go seek, (good hiding spot, huh? She gets it from her Mom:) going to the water park, and a lot of other girlie things. Nicole was nice enough to fix Aubrie's hair for her dance rehearsal that was the next day. She used long strips of fabric to make really cute, small ringlets! It turned out really cute. So cute, Aubrie didn't swim today so a boy at church "could see how beautiful it looked". Am I raising a teenager?

My Mom watched the rest of the kids, while Ben and I went to Cabella's to get our back packs for Havasupai. I LOVE my new pack! I only wish I had that one on the last trip, when Ben wasn't carrying all the heavy stuff! LOL We also made a stop at Walmart and Sports Chalet to get some other camping stuff. I think we are all set for next week. I can't wait!

Today her Rehearsal went great! We did have a little drama before we got there. Aubrie had an ingrown toenail. What 8 year old gets that? She is definatley a Pribyl, with the funky feet problems! LOL He toe starting hurting on Monday, and it was all swollen this morning. She couldn't wear her dance shoes until the very last minute. The reason for the waiste up shots! Luckily she was able to tough it out for the Rehearsal, and she did GREAT! Her ballet dance is my favorite. Just look at this costume. How cute is that? Her dance is to the Waltz of the Flowers, from the Nutcracker. Her Jazz dance is to Hannah Montanna's, "See You Again", so of course she loves that dance!

This really doesn't give a great view of her costume, but shows off those cute curls!

After the Rehearsal, we came back and did some swimming and laying out by the pool. Around 5:00 Kayleen came buy with her boyfriend, who I have been wanting to meet forever. They stuck around for an hour, checking out the cats, and playing Wii Mario Cart. AFter they left, we made an easy dinner; Omelets and toast. Tonight was very calm and relaxing. Aubrie read, while I read over my lesson, and Ben played Candy Land with the kids. We put the boys down early, before Ben had gone to fight night. We'll it's 10:05 and I better start getting ready for bed, which means I won't be in bed until 11:00! Ha! I am excited to see the new calls tomorrow.... a motivator to get up early! Ha!
(pictures at Shea's; courtesy of Nicole:)

Where did my little Aubrie go?

Apirl 2002

May 2008

Why am I still up?

Monday was busy...it seems they always are. I don't understand how that happens, especially now that school is out! It probably wouldn't had been so busy, if it didn't take the kids forever to get going. It didn't help that the boys slept until 10:45, and Aubrie ended up waking them up. Who knows how long they would have slept. Boston still stayed in his bed another 15 minutesafter Aubrie went in there to get them up, and when he finally came out he said, "Mom, did I sleep past the 12?" I was wondering if that was just curiosity, or a goal of his. All I know is that I don't know where my early bird Boston went. When school was in, he was up at 6 and now I feel like I have a teenager. Now don't get too jealous of my late sleepers, because Sophia is still waking up between 6 and 7, and here I am blogging at 1:05 in the morning! Ugh! When my mind races there is no use at trying to sleep!
Anyway, after the boys got up Aubrie was extra helpful, acting as a short order cook. She made Ethan a bowl of oatmeal, and Boston scrambled eggs and toast! She is hired!:) She loves making scrambled eggs (I think it's because it makes her feel grown up), and made sure to remind me to buy more eggs when we were at Walmart, later that day! After breakfast, chores, piano practice, etc., we headed out to buy Aubrie's shoes and tights for her recital. I was dreading this trip; 4 kids in a small dance store isn't my idea of fun! Luckily there was no one there, and so we were in and out in 10 minutes! I couldn't be more happy about that little miracle.
After the dance store, we headed to Walmart. By then Sophia was getting a little cranky, and the kids were spending all their time and money (they brought their wallets and were so excited to buy "stuff") on the little machines at the front of the store. Boston walked away with two necklaces (one that looks a little "girly", but I don't' have the heart to tell him), Aubrie with a necklace and miniature plastic dog, and Ethan with a key chain and miniature plastic dog! They were all excited about their loot and were ready to spend more of their money inside! After my shopping (which took For-e-ver because I swear it takes less time to grow a turkey and cure some cheese, than it does to slice meat and cheese at the deli), the kids finally made it to their "toy aisle". Boston picked out some Indian Jones figures, Aubrie tried to talk him into buying her a doll, and Ethan just observed planning his attack. After the kids picked out gifts for Shea, Ethan running up to me with everything Montana and Aubrie picking out the stuff she would get herself, Ethan suckered Boston into getting him a cheap toy camera he has been eyeing every time we go there. Smart kid! On the way out, Boston insisted on trying out one of those "claw" machines ( I hate those!) and he lost both times. I had a talk with him about using his money wisely, and today he showed that he really listened (more details later). Oh! I forgot to mention that Boston kept saying, while we were in Walmart, "Mom, your the best Mom ever. You are so great! I love you! Your are just so wonderful." I didn't ever figure out what brought all that on. Didn't he realize he bought his own toy? LOL
After we got home, I started dinner and planned Family Home Evening. Then I ran Aubrie to dance and was able to read some of "The Holy Secret", my newest book! There were a few phone conversations, and instructions from the studio about the recital in between, but the parts I read were great! Can't wait to finish it. After dance, it was dinner and FHE. The lesson was out of that great book, again, and was on choosing good friends. It also took the spin on being a good friend. It included some fun games, one being where you grab one anothers hand and try to untangle yourselves. They had fun doing that. After dinner was Strawberry Shortcake and a movie (Narnia).
Today was little more relaxing, even though Ben left this morning for Tuscon. The kids were up by 9:00 and had all their chores done by 10:30. Aubrie spent the day with Shea and Lorraine. They made some t-shirts and went to the Resort pool. I took the kids to Old Navy to get a baby gift, and ended up leaving there with much more than I had anticipated. Boston wanted me to buy him all this Hawaiian stuff. He wanted a Hawaiian shirt, swim shorts, etc. What is the deal with this Hawaiian obsession? Oh, I forgot to mention that the boys knew we were going out and were sitting around the house all ready with their wallets, and waiting for Sophia to wake up. When I pulled up to Old Navy they were disappointed because they thought we were going somewhere where they could buy something. I reminded them that Old Navy had balls. I told them if they were good, they could look at them. They were good, and they quickly ran to find the ball they wanted to buy. They both picked a soccer ball, and it took all of Boston's money to buy his. Boston was conflicted by that, and when we got to the car he said, "Mom, I just wasted all my money on that ball. I shouldn't have gotten it." (See he was listening to me from the day before). I asked him if he wanted to take it back. So we had to turn right around and get in line, again, and return it. I was tempted to just buy it off of him and give it to him later, but I realized it was a good teaching moment. He was happy to get his money back, but sad when he saw Ethan having fun with his ball. I explained to him that deciding how to spend your money is hard, and that Mom and Dad have to make those decisions everyday. He was a little surprised to hear me say that. I really think he believes we have endless amounts of money!
After Old Navy, we came home and had lunch in the backyard. The boys had fun playing together, without sister getting in the way. They played outside, and then made a fort in the family room, and did a lot of other "boy" things! It was great for them to have time alone together. After Sophia woke up from her nap and Aubrie got home, we had dinner and the kids went out back. When I went to check on them, I found them burying Boston in the sand. It looked messy, but they were having a blast. So I left for a baby shower and told my Mom they could swim when they were done.
The baby shower was fun. It lasted a few hours, and then I came home and all of us got in my bed and told stories. Boston had some interesting, dramatic stories to tell, and Ethan fell asleep in my arms....love that! He is such a sweetie. I was thinking today about how attached he is to his primary teacher and how this ward split will be the hardest on him. He is going to be so confused as to why all his friends are gone and why Sister Rigby isn't there to teach him:( I can see his crocodile tears already! Ok...that was a total worried Mom side note! Now everyone is asleep and I'm still wide awake at 1:30 am! Why does my body do this to me? Ugh! If I only had enough energy to work out this late at night....I would actually be in shape!

Split decisions

Well we decided to go to California, after all! Ben called me at noon, on Thursday, with these words, "Rach, I don't know what to do". I had no idea what he was talking about, since we had already decided the night before not to go. I then asked him what he was talking about, and he said that he spoke with my brother, Danny, and it sounded like he could use the company. So here I am, not showered, and barely starting our day and he wants to leave in two hours! So I scrambled to get things packed and jumped in the shower, and we ended up leaving a little after two. My brother said he would have a nice dinner waiting, so we drove straight there, only stopping for a gas in Quartzite!

Sophia had her crying moments, and only slept for 30 minutes, right before our Quartzite stop! She is a stubborn child! We finally rolled in around 8:15 (our quickest time ever) and had a nice steak dinner, with Strawberry Shortcake for dessert! The kids and my brother had fun on the piano, and looking at things at u-tube! I ended up getting to bed around 12:00, and just as I was falling asleep (in my nieces room) I heard this weird rattling sound. My brother had mentioned, during our previous visit, that he had rat problems. That started to freak me out. I quickly turned on the light dimmer, as low as it would go (Sophia was sleeping in that room) trying to figure out what the noise was. I finally stumbled on a weird shaped container on my Niece's dresser. It turned out it was a plastic gerbil cage, and the noise was the gerbil running on the wheel! It went on for about 10 minutes, and I couldn't take it any longer! I went over and shook the cage and that darn thing just got right back on and kept running. Finally, after another 15 minutes, it stopped. Then Sophia started to cough, and it seemed to go on all night long! Poor thing! You would think that would have made her tired, it sure made me tired, but she was up bright and early at 6:00am! She went to bed at 9:00pm! Why would she wake up so darn early? Ben finally saved me at 7:00 and let me sleep a little!

My brother has the talent of putting fun before safety, and this rope swing in his backyard is a prime example. It swings right over one of his jagged rock waterfalls. The kids begged and begged us to let them do it. Ben and I couldnt' decide what we should do and finally we let Aubrie and Boston try it once, while I held my breath and took a picture!

Friday the kids played soccer in the backyard (their favorite past time during this trip), while Sophia took her nap. We went to the Ventura Harbor around noon, and ate at our favorite fish place. We then went over to the beach.

Sophia had fun in the sand, and eating the sand! Ethan had fun finding sticks, as usual, and playing in the sand. Aubrie and Boston had fun playing in the rocks, and running from the waves. We didn't go in swim suits because I knew the water was so cold. The kids ended up getting wet anyway, (Aubrie and and Boston ended up falling in a few times) and they were soaked! We were going to get ice cream at the Harbor, afterward, but they were too soaked to go anywhere but straight home! While we were at the beach, Boston started to cry saying Aubire dragged him down in the water. She denied it, but here is the proof. The camera speaks louder than words!!!:)

When we got home Sophia took a nap while the kids swam! Well, she finally took a nap after I found her going through my Niece's drawer, (her portable crib was too close to her dresser. Ugh!) and put everything away and moved her crib. Guess she had grown from the last time we visited. After her nap, we took a drive to get her out of the house. My brother's house is the farthest thing from baby proofed, and so we took her to a park! The weather was great, and she had a fun time being able to crawl around and climb. She went down the slide for the first time by herself! That night we had pizza and went hot tubing! The kids watched Spy Kids 3 and Aubrie and I played a game of Electronic Battleship! Ben ran to Cold Stone to get us ice cream, and we called it a night at 11:00!

Saturday Sophia woke up at 7:30 and played in her crib for an hour. That was much better! We got an earlier start at the beach, getting there at 11:00, but it was a little too windy and cold for Sophia. She was done after about 45 minutes! It was nicer the day before. I could have laid on the beach all day Friday! The kids went in their swimsuits this time, but never got in the water. Go figure! They spent their time walking the shoreline and collecting shells, and playing in the rocks! As we were packing things up to go back to the car, the kids called me over to the rocks to see a sea otter. I figured it was a dead one, because that isn't such an uncommon thing on that beach! As I approached, I realized it was alive. The kids were so excited, and wanted to pet it. One of the kids reached for it and it kind of lurched out at them. That kept them at a safe distance. I was so sad because Ben had gone ahead to the car, to get Sophia out of the wind, and he had the bag with the camera:( Oh well! Everyone knows what a sea otter looks like anyway, right!? Since we didn't make it to the ice cream shop the day before, we made a stop on the way out! Not something I would normally had done, since it was time for lunch, but we were on vacation! So what the heck! I got one of my favorite, malted chocolate crunch, and after Ethan had a bite and gave me his puppy dog eyes, I ended up eating his chocolate chip, while he was enjoying my malted chocolate crunch! Sacrifice I tell you!

We went back to the house to put Sophia down for a nap, and I was planning on taking Boston and Aubrie to the outlet stores. When I went out in the backyard to rinse the sand and tar from our feet, I realized how nice it was at the house, and decided to bag the outlet mall and layout by the pool! It was so nice and relaxing! Ben didn't have as a relaxing afternoon as I did. He jumped in the pool to cool off, and forgot that he had his cell phone in his swimsuit pocket, until it started vibrating like crazy! That left him using my cell phone the rest of the day! Glad we don't share on a regular basis! I kept hearing all day, "Do you have your phone?", "Is your phone on?", " Can you hear your phone?"!

After Sophia woke up, we headed out to Moorpark to watch my niece, Megan, soccer game! Pam, her new husband, and Pam's Mom where there. It was good to see them since we hadn't seen them yet! Danny also had his girlfriend, Blair, there! I love how everything was so cool ; no weird feelings at all! Pam's husband was talking to Danny's girlfriend, and as we were leaving Pam and Danny's girlfriend were walking arm and arm talking! Such an example of maturity and Christlike love! The game was a good game, but Megan got robbed of a sweet goal! Sophia got a little antsy 3/4 through, but I was surprised she lasted that long. The other kids were enjoying the game, probably due to their newest pastime of the weekend! I think we are going to have to enroll them in soccer next season! After the game, we got some dinner with Danny, Blair, and Tyler. Then we went home and made S'mores over the fire pit. After we stuffed our bellies, the kids swam while the adults sat in the hot tub. Everyone was there, and Cassie even brought a friend! Ethan had a blast going down the huge slide, and having races with the Tyler, Boston and Aubrie! Cassie thought Ethan was the cutest thing, and Aubrie followed Cassie and her friend everywhere, already wanting to be all grown up! After swimming, I went with Danny, Cassie and her friend up to Pink Berry in Westlake. He took his BMW, and there were a few times I was closing my eyes around corners, he was taking them so fast! I was glad to get back to the house in one piece! The kids were asleep when I got back, so Ben and I finished the ice cream and went to bed.

This morning we packed things up and woke Sophia up a little early, from her morning nap, so we could get an early start on our trip! As we were heading out Aubrie asked if we could put in a movie. Ben said it was Sunday and that we didn't bring any church movies. (kidding, of course) She then said, (I love this), "Jesus knows we are on a Vacation! LOL Well after being on the road for about 30 minutes, at 11:20, I got a text from Erin that we needed to be back at 6:00 for the announcement of the Ward split! I just could not believe it happened so fast! Ironically, Ben and I were just discussing, on the way out to Cali, how we would never move just for the fact that our Ward was so awesome and how great all the people were! Then to get this news...! I instantly texted Trina, because I thought she might still be in California and hadn't heard the news. Come to find out, she was on her way home...only 20 minutes ahead of us...and hadn't heard! She was sad, too, but we knew it was inevitable that someday we would no longer be in one another's Ward! Aubrie heard me talking to Trina, and when she found out what was going on, was so I sad to have Kate and Sarah ripped from her, just after she finally got them back in the Ward. I had to explain to her that it was a good thing because it meant the church was growing. I didn't realize then, I would have to take my own council. Erin texted me telling me that she was afraid that I wasn't going to be in her Ward anymore. The thought never crossed my mind that she would be in the other ward, and then the panic started to set in!(Me having to heed my own council!;) I still didn't think it was going to happen, but there was that fear.

We made good time home, and despite the fact that Sophia only slept for 30 minutes, she was pretty good. Here is proof that she actually slept somewhere besides a crib! We rolled into town just in time to unload the car, for me to throw on some church clothes, and head to the Stake Center. Ben stayed back to feed the kids and put Sophia to bed. They created a new Ward, West Wing Ward, which basically left 3/4 of the old ward behind, and they combined us with some of Sunrise Mountain. I'm excited to meet new people, and that other people will have opportunities to serve in big callings, but I'm so sad to loose my good friends! Thank Heaven's for emails, texting, and girl get together's! There is always our Christmas Party!