Elk Hunting

It is that time of year again: Huntin' Time. Mike spent about five days away last week hunting for Spike Elk on Boulder Mountain. He went with Joe and Spencer Holland and our neighbor Todd Harris. He had a good time, but didn't see anything he was able to shoot at. I was glad when he made it home safe and sound!



He loves being out in nature and enjoys the beautiful surroundings of the mountains.



Corban was happy to help dad with the clean up afterwards. Elise enjoyed having dad home as well!

Surprise for Grampa

My dad was passing through Utah on his way to Arizona and stayed with us on Sunday night. I decided it would be fun to celebrate his birthday while he was here, and so after eating a nice dinner, we presented him a homemade carrotcake with a few candles on it for him to blow out. He was surprised, but thoroughly enjoyed being the center of attention.




He was laughing so hard that he couldn't blow out the candles. The kids and I each made him a card and we shared a few gifts with him. Cari brought out her birthday hat and put it on his head. It was fun for grampa and for us too.

The Big FOUR O

I made it into the 40's club this past week....and am TRYING to be happy about it! I had a great day. Thank you to all who wished me a happy birthday.
It was rainy and cloudy, but I managed to run 4 miles. I wanted to run at leat "4" since I was now 40. It felt good. I set a goal for myself a couple of months back. It was to weigh a certain amount by my birthday. When I weighed myself, I was a pound under. That made my day! It was my first gift, and a pleasant surprise at that!

I was able to go to lunch with two of my good friends (Malinda & Connie). They keep me motivated to rise early and exercise during the week.

Mike took care of dinner. He bought pizza, and went to Wendy's as well so that I would have one of my favorite salads. It was very thoughtful of him.

My family gave me a "surprise" party after going to a band and choir concert. When I walked into the house, the kids jumped out amongst a bunch of balloons and streamers. It was so fun! Instead of a cake, I blew my candles out on top of a fruit bowl. Knowing that I prefer to eat healthy, they treated me to fruit with ice cream.



I really enjoyed the gifts they shared with me. I was given some stainless steel water bottles, music from the Tabernacle choir, and an iPod nano. TOTALLY UNEXPECTED! The older kids put their money together and bought it for me. They even got me an arm band accessory so that I can run with it if I want. I was so surprised and delighted. Mike took some pictures, but I lost some of them when I transfered them to the computer. I'm glad that these remain.





I look forward to this coming year. I am going to work to have an attitude of gratitude, among other things. It was especially nice to view General Conference just before this birthday. It helped me reflect on my blessings and encouraged me to move forward and work to improve myself in the areas I need to! I'm greatful for the gift of the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. Next to my family, it brings me the greatest joy.

Birthday Surprise!

Sadie turned fourteen this past week! The best part of her birthday was "the whole thing."

Her friends at school gave her some nice birthday wishes.

Her friend Emily W. came over just before school let out and decorated her room. Then she hid in Sadie's closet, until she was found. It was fun for them both. Sadie was reminded of how wonderful it is to have good friends.










When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted, she said "anything but chocolate." So, I made her a french vanilla cake with vanilla frosting and served it with strawberry ice cream.





For dinner she requested that we have tostadas. After dinner and cake she opened her presents. I made her a really big roll pillow with her name on it. She also got some treats and make up. Since her birthday, she has begun wearing mascara. Trevon looked at her and told her she looked really good. Hearing that from her older brother has encouraged her to continue wearing it.



She was very thankful for the phone calls, cards and gifts she received. Sadie is a very special part of our lives and we love her very much!

Sunday Sweets

Why is it that EVERY Sunday it seems that a "treat" has to be made. I think in our house, it has somehow become a tradition. It is just what we do. Really, I never do it. Usually the girls take it upon themselves to make something. Sometimes, Dad encourages it. Cookies, brownies, sometimes cobbler too. My goodness! Last week Corban was even in on the action.




He looked cute, and I had to take some pictures. He was truly the sweetest thing in the kitchen! Well, Cari is really pretty sweet too!

Get Away

A little over a week ago, Mike and I went on a get away for a couple of days. It was our time to spend some quality time together, just the two of us. We got a mini suite hotel room to stay in (2 days) while we were on our little retreat. Though not far from home, it was nice to have uninterrupted time together. We went to the temple, out to eat, swimming, shopping and watched movies together. It was a great couple of days. I wouldn't mind doing it more often. These pictures were taken back at home, after our long date was over.





Iron man was waiting for us when we arrived home. Trevon put his creativity to work and Cameron had fun wearing his new costume. In case you're wondering, he's planning on being Robin Hood for Halloween.

Experiment!

It is that time of the year; Science Fair time! This year Kristi is working on an experiment with the help of our chickens. Mike has really been wanting to hatch some of our own chicks (for fun), so we decided to make it part of her science project. Kristi decided to question how much an egg weighs after being laid in comparison to what it weighs as it is hatching. She predicts that the egg will weigh more with the little chick in it. I think it will be the same. What do you think?



To do this experiment (and hatch some chickies in the process), we weighed each egg after it was laid, and labeled it with a number.





After recording the weight (the average egg weighing about 1.6 ozs), she placed the egg in a circulated air incubator that we borrowed from a neighbor. It keeps the eggs at 99 1/2 degrees Fahrenheit. Now we are just watching and waiting for the most part. I'm tempted to weigh the eggs now to see if there has been a change, though I don't see how that could be. The chicks take 21 days to hatch, which means that in one more week, we should have the results!