Family Home Evening at the Lake

We have done this a few time each year!  3 boats, 16 kids, 1 lake, 1000 snacks, and lots of fun for 22 people!  We like to go to Lake Pleasant on Monday evenings, it is quiet and not to crowded.  The kids love to boat hop and take a turn riding with their friends and eating their snacks.  Because usually the "other" boat has better snacks!

The Matthews family in their boat with the brand new tower!

The Smith Family with 4 of their kids, and 3 friends!

EASTER

Being outside yesterday on EASTER was incredibly beautiful! 

I am truly grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ, and for the sacrifice he made for each of us.  I am grateful that we were given such a beautiful day to remember and celebrate Him. 

After church we were able to have both sets of grandparents, one great grandma, and our good friends the Matthews over for dinner and the BIGEST egg hunt we have ever had!  All 9 kids got to find 41 eggs each!  Grandma Linda put's money in her eggs. The big kids would shake the eggs they found, and if they didn't make the money sound they would show one of the little kids where to find that egg!  CHEATERS!   It was all in fun though, and we all had a good time!

Beauty is PAIN!

Yesterday Addy got her braces on.  She was so excited that 2 weeks ago she made a paper chain to count down days until she got them.  She was not at all expecting them to hurt, and until last night she just thought that "the sisters" (as Tanner calls them) were wimps!  She wants her teeth to be straight, so she now more fully understands the saying "beauty is pain"!

Picture taken right before we went to get the braces on

Picture taken right after dinner, when she realized that they hurt to bad to eat!

And They're OFF..............

March 31, 2009 was THE big day for Alyssa!  The braces are off and her teeth are beautiful! A BIG thank you goes out to Dr. Matthews for that!  

She told me this morning that all of her Christmas wishes had now come true!  Her first day to go to school looking the way she has wanted to look!  Long hair, contacts, and no braces!  I hope today is as good as she has imagined it to be!  

Wow! I'm a little scared!

Yesterday at church I was released from my calling as the 9 year old primary teacher.  I have to say that I loved, loved, loved that calling!  Last year, and now this year I have had the most amazing kids in my class.  Don't get me wrong, I didn't say they were easy, most of them actually, let's say, beat to their own kind of drum!  I think I would have had a hard time dealing when I was younger, but it has been the perfect calling for me the last 8 months!  I have a special place in my heart for every single one of them!  I am really going to miss being their teacher.

Sooooo, the new calling I received is the 1st counselor in the Relief Society Presidency.  WOW!  Did I say WOW?  I was really surprised!  I think I am excited for a new challenge, and a lot more of my time?  I have not even been to Relief Society for at least 7 years!  I have a LOT to learn!

I can't wait until I'm 8, for then I'll be baptized you see!

Today Tanner and his good friend Jacob were baptized.  Thank you to all of our friends and family for all of your support.  Between the Bennett's and us we squeezed 80 people into the baptistery!  It was really nice, and a special day for the boys.

Pinewood Derby, He wasn't supposed win!

So, Tanner turned 8 last Sunday, and at church they told me that the next Cub Scout (which he could now go to since he was 8) event was going to be the Pinewood Derby.  But, they didn't have any car kits left to give him one.  I wasn't going to be able to make it across town in the next few days to buy a car kit, so I told Tanner that we would just have to wait until next year.  He was so sad.  So, I thought, we have lots of friends that have boys, I am sure we can just borrow a car for him to use, so he won't be left out.  That is what we did.  I was hoping to just fly low, but the car we borrowed had a mind of it's own.  It wanted to win, every race!  And so it is, Tanner won the Pinewood Derby in his age group last night!

They're coming OFF!

Everyday Alyssa let's us all know how many days left until she get her braces off, which is now only 6 days away!  YEAH!

This is the most recent picture I have showing the "This is Getting Old" braces!  She is no longer excited to have braces!

She was so excited to get her braces on when she was 11.  I think she thought that she would look all grown up, or something!

Sweet Spring Break!

Everything about spring break is sweet!  The smell of orange blossoms in the backyard, the taste of ice cream and snow cones, the warm, but not too warm sun, yellow and red flowers blooming in the desert, long days of playing outside with your friends and cousins, and sleeping in!  It is all so sweet!  Why does it have to end?!!?  Have I mentioned that I LOVE Spring time in Arizona?

Hiking the Water Fall Trail at the White Tanks.

Rock climbing at the White Tanks.

"It takes a village"  to have this much fun!

Bike riding with friends!

Soaking up the sun!

Homemade tents!

Ice Cream cones and a sleep over!

Happy Birthday to my "Little Boyfriend"!

Tanner  will be 8 on Sunday!  We are so lucky to have such a great kid!  He is a hard worker,he  tries to always do what is right, he loves to go to church and wear his suit, he is a good brother, and he is sooooo sweet to me!  He is going to get baptized on Saturday March 28th, I can't believe my baby is already 8!  Life comes at you fast!

The most recent picture of my cool little dude!

Tanner at his orange belt karate graduation - he is now a yellow belt

Tanner at his favorite place in the world - Lake Powell

Tanner calls these binoculars is "chick scopes"!

Tanner with his "best friend" Lane Matthews

Tanner and his favorite cousin Sam

I think he is sooo cute!

My 2 favorite boys!

Tanner with the "favorite" blanket, sleeping  on his "couch" .  This chair was in his room and he called it "my couch".

The messes started early!

Addy with Tanner, I love this picture.

Amanda with Tanner

Alyssa with Tanner the day he was born

KING of the hill!

Yesterday Tanner's class went on a hiking field trip to the White Tank's, west of Phoenix.  It was the perfect kind of field trip, no one was bored (you can't tell me that kids actually like to go to the art museum!) they could run, climb, jump, slide down the rocks (I am sure a few pair of pants are now worn out!).  The weather was perfect, and scenery was beautiful!

Amanda has new skills!

Amanda made a tutu for herself and a friend this last weekend.  They plan to wear them to school! Really?!!? I try not to say anything because I am sure I wore some crazy things growing up  in the 80's!  

She tied a piece of elastic around the back of a chair, then looped the tulle through it

She folded the tulle in half and then cut 2 inch strips

Is that really only 2 families!

Saturday was a beautiful 84 degrees, so we decided to go on a bike ride with our good friend the Matthews.  There were 13 of us riding our bikes, single file, along the canal!  We only had to cross one street to get to the canal, after we crossed Marley yells out "YEAH no one died!" She is so funny!  We then we rode for 10 miles, round trip.  It was a really fun afternoon!

May I have this dance?

Friday night we went to David and Sarah's wedding (David is my nephew, my sister Robyn's son).  Addy asked Tanner to dance with her.  And of course he was very willing.

Tanner loves to wear his suit.  I told him that he didn't have to get that dressed up, and he said I don't care, I am wearing my suit!  I love to get dressed up too, he must get that from me!