Counting Blessings

And the winner is...

2010-10-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

At the starting gate...

AND THEY'RE OFF...

GO SPENCER! GO!!!

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE!!!

HE MADE IT!!! Spencer placed 12th overall, 4th from his team. His team-mates placed 5th, 9th, 10th and 19th for a combined score of 50 points!

After many months of hard work and

many. many, many miles of training...

BRHS won its first Cross Country Team Championship ever !

MEET OUR NEWEST ADDITION

2010-09-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

Our Grandson!!!

Tyson Ace

WELCOME HOME!

Still here...

2010-09-07T07:41:00.001-07:00

Well, we are still here and although this blog will never keep up with real life, my children have prompted me not to totally abandon it! So here is a very breif update... Meagan has totally enjoyed having everyone home this summer. She loves to play with all her brothers and sisters! She is getting so grown up and although she is only going on 3 this fall, she could easily pass for 4 or 5. She had so much fun at Family reunions this summer and hanging out with cousins too!

Amy's big event this summer was her baptism on June 3rd. She had a fun summer doing Book Club with Sarah and some neighborhood girls. She loved Cub River and trips to SLC. She is a beautiful piano player and goes to her first ballet class after school today!!!

Joseph LOVED our trip to Island Park with Grammie and Grandpa C. this summer. He has been busy with cub scouts and piano lessons. He reads all the time and is doing great in 4th grade this year!

Sarah has grown up so much this year! She just turned 12 and started Young Womens. She loves playing the clarinet in 7th grade band and babysitting around the neighborhood. She and Rebecca joined a City Track Team this summer and had fun running together.

Rebecca had a fantastic summer. She decided to rent a tenor saxophone and teach herself how to play so she could join band this year. She loves it, so now in addition to piano and violin (orchestra), she is now playing in the middle school band. She is also playing soccer this fall on a Competitive Team with Sarah and keeping busy with Young Womens.

Spencer had fun this summer doing a Shakespeare play and going on Trek with our ward. He has been super busy lately. He did track in the spring and he is now running Varsity Cross Country. He is also playing saxophone in Jazz Band and Marching Band. He has a new job at a furniture store in town two days a week. He is taking a full load of classes at the High school and one online class too. He is most excitedly counting down the days until he turns 16 and can cram a little dating into his already packed schedule...

Janelle graduated from BRHS in June. She got a great scholarship to USU. She got a job at a call center in Logan and just moved in to an apartment with 4 fun girls. She has had a great first week of college, but we are hoping she decides to schedule in some sleep time for her second week...

Bethany and Stetsen have a cute little apartment in Holladay. Bethany is still working at the Uof U Preschool and taking classes in Math and Speech Pathology. Stetsen is going to SLCC and starts an exciting new job TODAY at the hospital! We LOVE their cheery phone calls and visits!

Heather and Garrick are working and going to school in Logan. We are so glad they are close by! They are expecting a baby boy any day now!!! We are all so excited we can hardly stand it...

Brianna and Nick moved to a great apartment in Cottonwood Heights. Brianna is working in a law office, and having fun with photography on the side. Nick is still working at L3 and finishing his senior year at the UofU.

Eric and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this summer with a fun trip to SLC. We can't believe how blessed we have been for these past 25 years and look forward to the next 250! The best part of life is family time together! We are so grateful for our family and the sacrifices they all make to be with us and help each other!

Winter fun!

2010-01-18T18:02:00.001-08:00

When life gives you snow...

make a snow dragon!

Or grab the sleds and head for a hill...

2009-12-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

2009-12-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

2009-12-26T14:50:00.000-08:00

2009-12-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS
20TH
The official amazing gingerbread making party and the Messiah concert

23RD
Spencer and Janelle went to Heather and Garrick’s house to play and sleepover it was a lot of fun!

24TH
We all went to Logan and had Christmas dinner with Grammie, Grandpa C., and Uncle Will! We played Christmas songs with bells, and played fun games. Then came home set up stockings and crashed.

25TH
Christmas Morning! it was great, minus Sarah's excessively loud family wake up process, Everyone got lovely fun presents from Santa Claus and Papa and Nana, then we ate breakfast which was amazing orange and cinnamon rolls, and stocking cereal and oranges. Then as sisters and brothers started showing up we started opening more amazing presents and playing more games! We had a yummy Christmas dinner of ham and all that, but the best parts were the "poppers". It is an English tradition that mom prepared this year. Poppers are small rolls of gift that you pop open and out comes cool little presents. The girls got homemade watches, and the boys got toy cars.
We then had a birthday cake to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the reason for the season.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone, thanks for the presents!

now I will try to load some pics.....

Birthday Time

2009-11-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

Meagan is Two today! we are going to do more of a party when people are not sick.

(happy birthday to Nick and Papa as well)

The Paper Bag Game

2009-11-01T19:05:00.001-08:00

This is a fun game we played. You get a large paper bag, and then pick it up with your mouth, then rip off part of the bag and set it down for the next person. It gets shorter and shorter. the trick is nothing can touch the ground but your feet. If anything else touches you are out. Mostly it is funny to watch, here are some pics.

HALLOWEEN!!!

2009-11-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

We all dressed up as toy story characters, (except Meagan, who wanted to be big bird) and dad who was sick :( . Bethany and Stetson (woody and Jessie) came by for a lovely visit! Sarah, as you can probably tell, was also a little bit sick.

FUN

2009-10-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

The blessed two hours between Saturday's conference sessions! We jumped!

We made it!

2009-08-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you put 9 people (and all their "stuff") in a minivan and drive over 2,000 miles??? Lots of memories and lots of TOGETHERNESS!

Here is a report of our big family adventure to California...

Day 1: Drove from Tremonton to Reno and stayed with cousins, John and Lisa and their family.

Day 2: Drove from Reno to Riverbank Ca. to visit Great Grandma DeWitt, just home from a brief stay in the hospital. We also got to visit with Aunt Reanette and Uncle Bob and Aunt Joyce.

Then more driving from Riverbank to Fresno where we stayed with Eric's sister Stacy. While there we saw all of her family ( Stacy, Carl, Sonja Grace and fiancee Chris, Tasia and husband Allen, Jaden and fiancee Rose, Ben, 4 little dogs, 2 big huskies, 3 cats, 6 fish, 2 turtle, and a partridge in a pear tree.) We also saw Papa Lee, David and Nathan, Steven, and Tricia, Randy and Lavell, and Aaron and his family, and the Kelleys. Everyone had fun visiting and cooling off in the pool!

Day 3: We all went to the cemetery where Eric dedicated Sonja's grave. There were a lot of family and friends there. Sonja was buried right next to her mother and just a short distance from her baby, William. The cemetery was beautiful and we left yellow roses on all of their graves. Then we went over to the Church for a beautiful memorial service. Lots of beautiful music and a few short remarks (as Sonja had requested).

The rest of the day was spent catching up with lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, and old friends back at Stacy's house. The kids had a fantastic time in the pool again and playing with all the animals.

Day 4: We went to church in Fresno and then drove down to the Los Angelas area. We thought the traffic wouldn't be so bad through LA on a Sunday afternoon, but it was crazy! I'd hate to be there for rush hour! Thanks to help from "Maggie" we made it to our hotel in Anaheim and then to see Will in Orange. We saw his charming 101 year old apartment and he gave us a tour of down town Orange, We had a nice picnic together before we went back to the hotel to crash...

Day 5: DISNEY LAND!!!

We packed in as much fun and excitement as we could from about 8:00 am to 11:00 pm. We didn't do it all, but we sure had a great time! There was something for everyone and we all found our favorites!

Day 6: We checked out of the hotel and headed for the beach! We walked out on the pier, waded in the waves, and built a sandcastle. It was terrific! We could have spent the day there, but we had to head for home before "rush hour" hit. After many long hours on the road and a detour through Las Vegas, we made it to St. George (barely!) and relaxed for the night. We were all beyond exhausted by that time and appreciated a clean, quite hotel!

Day 7: We hit the road again and headed for SLC. We loved the beautiful scenery in southern Uath and hope to go back and spend more time visiting the National Parks around there. We got to Salt Lake in time to have dinner with Bathany and Stetsen at the Myan. (Unfortunately Brianna and Nick were at work.) The kids enjoyed the mexican food (a nice change from PB&Js and rice cakes!) and we loved the diving show!

We finally arrived home at about 7:00pm. YEA! Out of the car!!! We saw lots of wonderful places but there is no place like HOME! :)

JULY...

2009-08-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

JULY has been a fun and busy month! Here is a look at a few of our family's activities...

July 2nd ws an "empty" day on our calendar so we took a little family trip to Mantua to see the beautiful lake and play and picnic. We found a great rope swing and everyone had fun with it.

July4th and 5th was spent in Star Id. for Cache's baptism. It was so exciting to see him get baptized and confirmed! We are all so proud of him and happy for the great choices he is making! We had a wonderful time with the Olsens! Grammie and Grandpa C. were there and Uncle Will made the trip from Ca! It was so much fun to be together! The whole valley celebrated that night and we could see at least 6 different fireworks displays from the Olsens deck! (Unfortunately, my camera got left behind in Tremonton! Hopefully somome else will post some pictures of this fantastic weekend!)

On July 10-11th our family joined with some cousins for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life on the USU campus in Logan, Utah. We have all lost loved ones to cancer and have many family and friends who have been touched by cancer. We gathered sponsors and had various fundraisers to help raise money for the fight against cancer. With help from Heather and Ginger's employer (Impact Commercial), who made a large donation, and assorted other donations, lemonade stands, and craft/cooler sales, etc. our team raised almost $4,000!
We spent 24 hours taking turns walking around the "quad" and celebrating life. There was great food, entertainment, and inspirational moments. It was a great way to remember those who have fought the battle against cancer and pledge to continue the fight!

FAMILIES ARE FOREVER!!!

Eric's sweet sister, Sonja, finished her battle with breast cancer this month. We will miss her greatly,but we are so thankful to know of our loving Heavenly Father's plan of salvation and know that we can be with her again someday!

July 14-17 was our ward's YW Camp at Cinnamon Creek. It was a beautiful place and Janelle and Rebecca had a great time hiking, exploring a mine, playing in the water, doing crafts and all the other fun camp activities! We have fantastic YW leaders and a wonderful group of girls. Eric even got to go help for a couple days.

Following girls camp, Janelle spent a few days in Alpine Wyoming with a couple friends. She hiked to periodic springs, played at the lake, rode (and drove!) a 4-wheeler, floated the river, and relaxed with good friends!

While Janelle was gone, the rest of us went down to SLC for a day. We picniced and went to the Zoo with Brianna. Then we met Bethany and Stetsen and played at their apt. and went to dinner and a concert in the park by temple square.

We went on a fun trip to Sun Valley to visit Papa and Nana. We hiked and swam. We went to the pool near their house, we also went to Redfish Lake. Janelle did some woodworking with Papa. Spencer, Rebecca, Janelle, and Joseph, all learned to shoot from Papa. We had fun checking out the Shoshone Ice Caves too!

When we got back from Hailey, it was time for the play! Spencer, Rebecca, Sarah and Joseph have been working all summer with the Garland Children's Theater. Spencer and Rebecca were in "The Pirates of Penzance" and Sarah and Joseph were in "Of Mice and Mozart". They had 6 performances last week with great audiences each time! They loved performing and making new friends, and we all LOVED watching them share their talents!

Well--- there's a look at a some of the fun we had in July! Summer is not over yet and we have big plans for August...

9 things you should know...

2009-07-15T06:38:00.001-07:00

(Yea! I found the cord to connect the camera to the computer!)

Joseph is COOL!

1. Joseph is smart He loves to read and is a great problem solver!

2. Joseph is funny! His jokes crack us all up and no one is better at making a baby or toddler laugh than Joseph.

3. Joseph loves to be outside. He is a fast runner, a great bike rider, and a super climber!

4. Joseph is a great singer! (See him as a famous musician in "Mice and Mozart" July 27-31)

5. Joseph is kind! To everyone!

6. Joseph is fearless! (Loves the rope swing, zip line, and dunking booth...)

7. Joseph is creative! He loves to draw, build, and make up stories and comic strips.

8. Joseph is optimistic and cheerful! He has a terrific attitude about life!

9. Joseph is 9! Happy Birthday Joseph! We LOVE you!

Make a wish...

Catching up...

2009-06-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

No, I have not forgotten or completely abandoned this blog, I just haven't gotten to that point on the list lately! I thought things would slow down once school got out, but it seems busier than ever --- in lots of good ways! Backing up a little, here is a look at a few of the things that have been going on this month...

Memorial day trip to Cemeteries in Preston, Franklin, and Weston. We took flowers from our yard, great big purple irises! We met Grammie and Grandpa C there as well as Bud and Marie and Tracy and Steve Black and their darling family! It was fantastic!

Sarah participated in her school's science fair and won a beautiful Grand Prize Ribbon! Thanks to all those who helped by sampling her cookies made with different interesting flours.

Joseph's second grade class did a wonderful program with fun patriotic songs and square dancing!

Amy's 1st grade class also did a fun musical program all about summer... (picture missing... still looking...)

Janelle's orchestra performed at the end of the school year but Meagan was sick so Eric took the other kids and I missed it... :(

Spencer competed with a team in his school's Triathlon. They took second place!

Rebecca finished her soccer season. (She is #1 in red and white.) Her team made some great improvements and even scored several big goals this time! They are looking for a new coach for next year and in the mean time, Eric and a couple other parents are helping with summer practices.

Rebecca also played a Piano Solo in her school's talent show. She played "The Spinning Song" and did a great job! I will add the picture when I find it!?!

FIELDS TRIPS!!! Sarah and Joseph and Amy all had field trips on the same day! Amy went to the Nature Center and Tree House Museum in Ogden. Joseph went to Willow Park, Animal Education Center and Bowling in Logan. Sarah went to Hogle Zoo and the U of U Museum of Natural History. I went with Sarah's class since this is probably her last big field trip. Everyone had a terrific time!

Sarah graduated from McKinley Elementary school! Next year she will go to the Intermediate school with Rebecca!

BBQ at Hunters, complete with a pinata and CA. cousins-- Cheryl and family.

We also had a fun BBQ at Enid's house and made some plans for our teams "Relay for Life" for the American Cancer society. It will be July 10-11 at USU.

Graduation party for Craig (MBA from USU!!!). We had a great time in their beautiful backyard with darling Ashlyn! (Sorry, no pictures of the Honoree!)

A.P.T. Camp for Spencer and Eric started the day that school got out! They got to go camping, hiking, shooting, kayaking... They had a great time!

While they were gone, the other kids and I helped host a Summer Reading Kick-off Party at our Local Library. We had food, games, crafts, story-telling, tours, and FREE BOOKS! This was the 1st time we had tried something like this and weren't sure if any one would come... But they did! We had 100s of families there and more than 350 children signed up for the summer reading program! (No pictures-- Sorry, we were too busy to even think about the camera in the diaper bag!)

A few days later, the Olsens came to Utah!!! Celestia had an eye apt. in SLC (Her eyes look perfect and BEAUTIFUL!) and we got to enjoy their family for a few days! There is nothing quite like cousin time! We want more!

Summer was zooming along and we found ourselves with a free day... (No piano, play practice, soccer practice, cub scouts, YMYW, work, meetings, internship, etc) We loaded up the van and headed to Antelope Island. We hiked, rock climbed, picnicked, played on the beach and in the water. It was beautiful and we had a fantastic time except for swarms of biting gnats that attacked us... Still, it was a wonderful family outing!

The next day we were treated to a visit from our WA. cousins!!! We had a great time with Aaron and Amy and their fun kids! We enjoyed the time with them so much! We even took a little trip to Hill Air Force Base Museum where we met Brianna and Nick and Bethany and Stetsen. We all loved seeing all the amazing airplanes and trying out the flight simulators and games.

Yesterday we set up a Lemonade Stand across from the park near out house. There were lots of little baseball games going on and we earned almost $25 for the American Cancer Society.

On a VERY SAD note, we said good-bye to the three gigantic trees in our backyard. They had gotten too big and were causing problems (Or threatening to cause problems) for the apartments behind our house. We all cried. Now we are re- designing our yard and looking for new trees and a hedge to plant. Any suggestions?

Well--- that is a bit of what has been happening here... We hope you are having a terrific summer! It just flies by and now June is almost over! I will try to keep up a little better, but please forgive me if I get caught up in life... You all know how it is!

2009-05-28T14:25:00.001-07:00

SUMMER IS TOTALLY ALMOST HERE!!!

we are all very excited for summer. here is a list of some fun things we are planning to do. let us know if you have any more ideas

Summer pirate play- Spencer, Rebecca, Sarah, and Joseh

movie marathon, any suggestions?

bike the bear (Spencer)

play all the board games in our closet in one day!

build a castle

buy a dog. sshh dad doesn't know

soccer games galore!

hiking in logan canyon, old ephraim, the wind caves, any other ideas

read a lot of good books, any ideas of good one?

swimming

willard bay

camping

backyard camping

cross country workouts- Janelle and Spencer

cross country camp- Janelle and Spencer

YW camp- Janelle and Rebecca

YM camp- first day of summer, spencer is off to camp

relay for life- ( it is a 25 hour walking relay to raise money for the cure of cancer, if you would like to donate anything let us know :) )

EFY - Janelle

woodworking

carpentry internship- Janelle

Trip to Australia, I wish!

water fights

fireworks

who knows what .....

Back Yard Treasures!

2009-05-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying the

simple pleasures

in our own back yard...

Watching birds, climbing trees, planting a garden, picking dandy-lions, swinging and jumping, playing soccer...

Hope you are enjoying the beauty of each new day!

Favorite Books...

2009-05-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

Our sweet and amazing sister, Laura Bingham has written and published her first novel, Alvor! The sequel is already in the works! I'm not at all surprised that she has the talent to do it, but, don't ask me how she found time! She is the busy mother of 5 and has her own business and dance studio where she teaches clogging etc.. I haven't read the book yet, but it looks fantastic and has great reviews! I'm sure it will be added to the list of our favorites! If you are interested , it can be purchased through Amazon.com. I don't know how to post a link or picture of the book (I'm still pretty much computer illiterate!), but check it out!

Here are a few more of our favorite books right now...

We all LOVED the Olsen's version of "The BOX"! We can't wait to find a copy to add to our library --- and a good box to play in!

Meagan LOVES "Good Night Moon". We read it at least 10 times a day... She really loves all books and has since she was tiny, but just recently she has started to love the STORIES! Not just the pointing at the pictures and turning the pages!

Amy loves books about fairies and princesses! She has read almost all of the "Rainbow Magic Fairies" series and lots of other...

Joseph loves mysteries! He reads the "A to Z Mystery" books, "Cam Jansen", "Geronimo Stilton", and he is currently enjoying "Indian in the Cupboard"!

Sarah really likes books by Andrew Clements and has read lots of them and lots of others...

One of Rebecca's favorites is "The Anybodies" by N. E. Body. She also just finished "A Wrinkle in Time" for a book report and really liked it.

Spencer just read "Apollo 13". He liked it... Pretty technical, but a good book! One of his favorites is "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card.

Janelle has just read "A Raisin in the Sun" for her English class. It is NOT her favorite. She liked the Twilight series, but she is not an addict like some girls her age. She loves to escape with a good suspenseful romantic comedy!

One of Eric's all time favorites is "The Veil of Snows" by Mark Helpring. He has been reading "The Tale of Despereaux" to the kids and he just discovered "Skippy jon Jones"... a new family favorite, especially if Dad will read!

I can't pick favorites! I'm sure "Alvor" will be up there once my copy gets here! Janelle just gave me "The Truth about Forever" for Mother's Day and I look forward to reading it. To tell the truth, I mostly just read to and with my kids. But I love that and I am so glad that the all LOVE to read! What a gift!

I would love to hear what some of your favorites are! Happy Reading!

Zoom Zoom!

2009-05-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Joseph designed and build his 1st pine-wood derby car this week (with a little help from Dad)! It is a Super Shark Car! Very cool! We all went to the Pack Meeting last night and watched lots and lots of races! Joseph's car was the 2nd fastest overall and he took 1st place for the Wolves and Bears! Everyone had a great time and all of the boys won a ribbon and candybar.

Seven is Heaven!!!

2009-05-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

When I first found out we were going to have baby # 9, Heavenly Father spoke to my heart and told me that she was a very special baby coming to our family for a very special reason... No doubt about that! Having Amy Melissa in our family has made every day better! She is so completely and unconditionally loving! She is such a joy and a blessing!

Can you believe Amy is 7 YEARS OLD!!! She just celebrated her birthday on May 3rd. I have no idea how seven years could have flown by so quickly! She is getting so grown up! The last couple years have been so much fun that I tried to convince her to sleep up-side-down so she could go back from six to five ( I've heard that works...) instead of up to seven, but she wouldn't go for it... So she is really, truly, officially a seven year old --- big toothless grin and all!

(What a delightful age!!!)

Because her birthday was on Fast Sunday, we started partying in Saturday with birthday muffins for breakfast and a family party at the local bowling alley...

(Sorry-- No cool Music Video like the Olsen's.) None of us are great bowlers, but we had a great time!

Sunday was even better... After church, Grammie and Grandpa C. and Heather and Garrick joined us for a super fun birthday party and dinner. Amy is so loved!!!

Honestly, I wish my kids wouldn't grow up quite so fast, but I love every new stage and development, from toddler, to teen-ager, to adult...

School Play

2009-04-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

The elementary school my children have all attended puts on a musical play every spring and we have been attending for many years. (since Brianna was in 1st grade!)

Most of my kids don't really crave the spotlight that much, but they all have had fun participating and have gotten a turn to shine. The plays are always wonderful and last weeks performance of Alice in Wonderland was no exception...

This year Amy was "Rosebud" and she had 3 LINES! She said,"Hi, I'm Rosebud!", "I thinks she's pretty."(referring to Alice), and "I still think she's pretty!" Pretty big job for a 1st grader! She also sang a song with all the other flowers. She did great!

Joseph was an octopus in the Caucus Race. He got to sing and dance and run around with the other animals. Lots of FUN!

Sarah was Tweedle-Dum. She had lots of lines and even sang a SOLO! She really didn't want to sing by herself, but she did fantastic and now I hope she has learned that she can do ANYTHING!

It is so fun to see your children conquer new challenges, discover their talents, and have a great time too! We had wonderful support and a great visit with lots of family after the play! (Bethany and Stetsen came on Saturday and watched the High-Lights video that Eric made. We will show you too, if you can drop by. :)

Birthdays, Earth Day, and Busy-days

2009-04-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I love reading blogs of my talented and creative family and friends, but I'm starting to feel like this is just one more thing I'm getting behind in... It seems like such a fun way to share exciting events and ordinary moments, but I just can't keep up! Sorry--

Here are a few recent happenings:

April 17th was Janelle's 17th Birthday! She spent most of the day at school, and most of the night at work. (clearing tables and doing dishes at a local restaurant) We did manage to squeeze in a little family dinner and birthday party in between things.

I could go on and on listing all the things I love about Janelle, but then I would never get this posted-- so here are 17 words that describe Janelle:

cheerful, brave, hard-working, helpful, generous, talented, thoughtful, artistic, smart, funny, creative, faithful, friendly, trust-worthy, strong, beautiful, and LOVED!!!

Moving on a few days to April 22nd, Earth-day! A.K.A. Stetsen Womack's Birthday!

For "Earth-day" we all got out in the yard and planted some perennials. Our garden isn't ready to go yet, but we are making plans... (some pictures are on Erc's camera so I will try to add them later.)

Stetsen is one of our amazing son-in-laws. He and Bethany got married 4 months ago and are now living happily ever after. Stetsen is a delight to be with. He is always happy and optimistic. He is a hard-working and loving husband. He makes everything fun. We all love him, especially Meagan! (and Bethany!!!)

"Are we going yet?"

2009-04-21T11:30:00.001-07:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this project. I'm sure you all know how hard it is to get time to sit down at the computer!

More about spring break...

We started day 2 with a trip to BYU's Art Museum.

The kids loved the Walter Wick exhibit and some of the other displays... (no photography allowed)
But they weren't quite as excited about some of the other exhibits as theur Dad was...

Time to move on!

We packed up a picnic and headed up Provo Canyon. We enjoyed a walk up to Bridal Veil Falls and then Eric, Janelle, Spencer, Rebecca, and Joseph headed straight up the mountain to get a closer look.

We stopped in Salt Lake on our way back to Tremonton and had a fun dinner and DDR party with Brianna and Nick and Bethany and Stetsen! Loved it!

Saturday was spent cleaning up and enjoying our yard! It was good to be home.

Easter Sunday was fantastic! Due to an earlier visit from the Easter Bunny's cousin, "the Spring Chicken" no one missed the plastic grass, chocolate bunnies, or candy eggs that day. We had a wonderful day attending church and enjoying the blessing of family. Grammie and Grandpa C. and Brianna and Nick joined us for dinner and Heather and Garrick came over later. (We missed Bethany and Stetsen, but saw them again the next week-end.)

Monday was our last free day before it was back to school so we decided to go for another little hike. We headed up Logan Canyon and had a fun picnicand fed the ducks.

We wandered and explored a beaver dam along the river. Due to the snow still in the mountains, we didn't actually hike much, but it was still lots of fun.

Then it was back home for FHE and reliving the fun times together! Hope your Easter was delightful and you are enjoying spring!

SPRING BREAK, Day 1

2009-04-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

Our school had Spring break April 9-13th so we decided to get away and have some fun.

Our first stop was the Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy Ut. It was fantastic! Meagan really enjoyed it when she realized the fish couldn't get through the glass. Most of us loved the petting pool where we got to touch stingrays.

New Amazon Exhibit...

Amazing Jelly Fish...

A "sunken ship"...

Then on down to Provo to check out BYU's Paleontology Museum...

We got up close and personal with some serious dinosaour bones...

And amazing fossils...

Meagan thought the big bones were fun, but she really LOVED the drinking fountain and stairs!

Then on to the Life Science Museum...

Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!

Elephants, Turtles, and Butterflies!

Finally it was time to check in to the Hotel! We went swimming, out to dinner, relaxed and played games... Day 1 was great family fun!

To Be Continued...

Look Who's Talking!

2009-04-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Meagan knows lots words now! It is so fun. The list of words she understands is already endless! There are some she says, some she signs, and some she does both. I decided to try to make a list before there are too many to count...

Signs:

Please
more
All done
baby
apple
banana
milk
cracker
shoes
help
eat
sleep
bye-bye/ hi
book

Says:

Mamma
Dadda
Please
yes
Shhhh
go
banana
cracker
bath
dog
baby
read
flower
tickle tickle

Two new and important words...

Our toddler is such a TALKER!!!

It Worked!

2009-04-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

It worked! I never used to like April Fool's Day very much... but today was great! I came home to a clean house and dinner almost ready. The missionaries never shopwed up, but we had a nice dinner... And a yummy dessert!

I love my family!!! They are good sports!

Looking up to my Little Brother

2009-03-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Will!

I don't remember and can't imagine life without you!

You are the best brother any girl could hope for!

You are awesome and amazing!

I only wish you lived closer so we could see more of you!

Hugs and kisses from your "big" sister!

World's Fair

2009-03-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

"Tagged" by Melissa...

Rebecca's school jad a 6th Grade World's Fair a couple months ago. Each student researched a country, created a display , and dressed up. They had strange and interesting food to sample and amazing facts they had learned.

Picture #6 was of Meagan. She was very excited to see a real live bunny! (from Norway??) She loves animals!

Here are a couple more pictures from that same day...

Rebecca studied Thailand and made her own "Chada" (the cool gold funnel and macaroni hat). She was inspired by chats with the Olsens and their friend Jojo from Thailand. Sh learned a lot and had a great time.

The World's Fair was on January 28, 2009. Eric's Birthday! So after the school event, we had a fun little birthday party!

Our LUCKY Day!

2009-03-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

March 17, 1988 was our lucky day!

Happy Birthday Heather!

From the time ye were a wee little lass,

ye have brought joy and blessings to our family!

Thanks for being you!

PS. Sorry this post is late! We have been slightly overwhelmed by a stomach flu at our house this week...

Going Gluten Free!!!

2009-03-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

We were all tested for celiac disease this week. Sarah and Amy tested positive. We are excited to discover new foods and to try new ways of making old favorites gluten free. We are hoping the girls feel better and can avoid any future problems that celiac could cause. The Olsens have been here for a couple days so Celestia can have eye surgery and they have given us lots of support and good ideas. (and we have had a great time together!) Heather has learned a lot since being diagnosed about a year ago and feels great now. She has helped alot and is a super example. We hope her positive attitude is contageous! Please share any recipes or suggestions you have! Thanks!

Rolling into Spring!

2009-03-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

No school yesterday! It was the end of the Winter Trimester and so we had a teacher prep day in our district. To celebrate, we went out for pizza and roller skating at the Fun Park in Logan. Since school was in session there, we had the whole place to ourselves. We had a great time! Some are getting to be very good skaters. A couple decided that next time they may just enjoy the big slippery dance floor, music, and lights in their stockings and skip the roller blades!

Orchestra Concert

2009-03-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

Rebecca had an Orchestra concert last week. It was amazing to hear thier progress. They played "Main Street March" and "At the Grasshopper Ball" and it was great! Papa and Nana happened to be on their way from CA to ID and were able to join us for the concert. We had a fun, quick visit and enjoyed the music. For anyone that missed the concert and would like a personal recital, just ask Rebecca! She is an awesome violinist, just like her big sisters! :)

Janelle is Back!

2009-03-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Janelle just got back from a trip to California with her high school orchestra. They went with the chior, band, drama, and color-guard, so she had lots of friends there with her. They traveled trhough the night by bus then spent 4 days seeing the sights. She was so excited to see sunshine and palm trees! She LOVED Disney Land and the Midieval Times Dinner. They also had music clinics and performed at California Adventures Park. After another long night on the bus they got back to Tremonton Sunday morning. We missed her every minute, but are so glad she could have a great trip!

By the way... While she was gone she got a phone call saying she had won an essay contest on
"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." She entered the contest just to get a few points of extra credit in her AP History class and ended up with a $100 first prize! Congrats Janelle!!!

Cold Hands, Warm Hearts!

2009-02-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

WE WENT SLEDDING ON JACK RABBITT HILL ON VALENTINES DAY!

Meet Rosario

2009-02-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

This is our special friend Rosario. We met her through "Save the Children". She lives with her family in an adobe home in Mariscal Sucre Bolivia. She is 9 years old. She has 4 sisters and 2 brothers. We sponsor her so she is able to attend school in Ororu. She is a sweet, quiet little girl. We regularly email her and recieve letters, photographs and drawings from her. It has been such a fun experience for our family.

We have learned a bit about Bolivia. One thing that is fun for us, is that although it is summer there while it is winter here, it is the very same time of day as Utah. It is fun to be able to picture her eating breakfast, going to school, and helping with chores at the same time that we are! Bolivia is a very poor country. Here are a few interesting facts:

Population: 8.9 million

Life Expectancy: 64 years

Births attended by skilled health professionals: 67%

Under 5 Mortality Rate: 69 per 1000 live births

Population under 15: 38%

Population with sustainable access to improved sanitation: 46%

Population with sustainable access to improved water source: 85 %

Sponsoring Rosario and learning more about her life has really been a great experience for our family! It has helped us better appreciate our own blessings and opportunities. It has also made us wish we could do more to help more children.

Happy Happy Birthday!

2009-01-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

"Feliz Cumpleanos," That's how they say it in Spain.

"Frohlicher Geburtstag," In Greman it means the same.

"Gratulerer Meddagen," Norwegians say it too.

But any way you say it, it means "Happy Birthday to you!"

"Fetch"

2009-01-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, a friend told me that she had heard that all toddlers should be taught to obey simple dog commands. Hmmm, that seemed like rather strange advice. I've never trained a dog and I couldn't quite picture myself telling my baby to play dead, roll-over, or sit up and beg. It just doesn't seem like proper parenting. However, Meagan is getting really good at"Fetch!" Of course I don't call it that, but it is so fun to be able to say "Go get your shoe, or book, or baby, or blanket..." and have her actually run to find it and bring it to me. It is exciting to watch her learn and understand more and more! Maybe I should work on "Heel", "Sit", "Stay", or "Come". What do you think?

LOST and FOUND

2009-01-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

Amy has lost something... her two front teeth! If found please report to the tooth fairy immediately! :)
She recited this poem to try out for the school play today.

Wiggly Tooth

by Lillie D. Chaffin

Once I had a little tooth

That wobbled every day;

When I ate and when I talked,

It wiggled every way.

Then I had some candy--

A sticky taffy roll;

Now where my wiggly tooth was--

Is nothing but a hole!

Brianna has found something... a new job! She will start work on January 15th as an administrative assistant for Feature Films For Families. The company is located in Murray, UT. and produces movies such as "The Buttercream Gang" and my kid's favorite, "No More Baths!" She and Nick have also found an apartment near her job so she won't have to drive back and forth from Logan. Unfortunately, Nick will be making lots of trips to Logan and staying with his family some so he can finish one more semester at USU before he transfers to University of Utah. We will miss having them as close, but we are excited for them.

Stetsen has also found a job!!! He just got hired by the Lion House Bakery in Salt Lake City UT! He will start this Friday, January 16th, at 3:00am. Yes, that is VERY EARLY, but for a guy who loves baking enough to make his own wedding cake, we think it's the perfect job. And with all his enthusiasm and positive energy, the hours won't get him down!

Congratulations Brianna and Stetsen!!! Good luck with your new adventures!!!

Looking Back

2009-01-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

LOOKING BACK...
2008 Headlines

Meagan Charms Everyone!

Meagan is delightful and irresitable! She is so much fun and is learning and growing way too fast! Her current favorites are books, babies, and bananas!

Bethany—Scholar and Sitter at the University of Utah

Despite recent distractions... Bethany has kept her scholarship at University of Utah (Sugar Bowl Champions!!!) and is considering majoring in Math. She is currently working at the Preschool/Day Care Center on campus. She loves working with children from many different countries and nationalities (Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Korean, etc...). Some days she learns as much from her four year old friends as she does from her professors (maybe more)! She has mastered the TRAX system and made lots of trips to Tremonton this past year. We live for her visits (Life is better in every way when she is around!) and hope they continue now that Stetsen is with her in SLC.

Award Wining Rebecca!

Rebecca had a great time with her school's science fair this year. Her experiment about natural and artificial preservatives won 3rd place! Rebecca's musical talents have also bloomed this year as she has participated in her Intermediate School's Orchestra program and taken violin lessons from her sister, Janelle. She has also made great accomplishments on the piano. Her family loves to listen to her practice. She has performed in recitals, at the local Nursing Home, and as prelude in Primary many Sundays. She has also written her own songs, one of which won the Reflections Contest at her school!

Heather’s Birthday Promotion… Moving up in the Big Business World!

Heather turned 20 on March 17, 2008. She was delighted to leave the "Teen Scene" behind. She was also delighted and surprised to be called in to her bosses office that morning and offered a promotion! Although she had worked for the company for less than a year, she was highly recommended by all department heads to serve in the position as Executive Assistant. She now has her own office and handles marketing and other projects for Impact Commercial. She loves her job and the people she works with!

Janelle turns 16! Now Dating, Driving, and Doing Dishes

Janelle's 16th birthday was a day to remember! She had a fun first date and then many to follow... She gradually completed her driver's Training and the 40+ hours she needed to get her driver's lisence! She is looking forward to more independence. She also got her first real job this year working as a busser at a local restaurant. She sets and clears tables and washes MOUNTAINS of dishes. They are only open on Friday and Saturday nights, so although this cuts into her socail life a bit, it does give her time during the week to focus on her heavy load of classes at the high school.

Jensen’s big adventures to Atlanta Georgia and LasVegas Nevada!

Brianna and Nick have had an exciting year! For Spring Break, they traveled to The Atlanta Georgia area to get to know some of Nick's family and see the sights. They loved the cousins and had a great time at the ZOO! Then in December they took another trip to LasVegas to celebrate their 2nd Anniversary as well as Brianna's graduation. You can read more about their adventures on their blog (www. bri-and-boy.blogspot.com)

Mr. Stamps goes to Washington

Eric received a grant to tour Washington DC with a group of teachers from Utah. He packed all he could into a full week of sight seeing. He enjoyed making new friends, seeing the monuments, exploring the Smithsonian, seeing Gettysburg, and a picnic with the Austins!

Heather Marries Garrick Everton!

Heather and Garrick were married for eternity in the Logan Temple on July 2, 2008. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and dance at USU Alumni Center. They honeymooned in CA and had fun at Disneyland and on the beach. They are currently living in Logan where they are working and going to school.

Joseph Baptized 7-05-08

Joseph was excited to turn eight and be baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by his dad on July 5, 2008. Many family members gathered to celebrate the special occasion! We are all proud of his readiness and his choice.

Spencer Hikes 50 Miles in the Uintahs with his Dad

Spencer and Eric hiked 50 miles in the Uintahs with the scouts from our ward. They packed in all of their food and supplies for a week and climbed to 11,080 ft. Spencer said the best part was view from Robert's Pass.

Joseph Excels in Cub Scouts

Joseph loves cub scouts! His den meets just a few houses away and he runs there every Wednesday afternoon. He makes crafts, plays games, and learns all kind of things to pass off his requirements. He has almost finished earning his WOLF! He also had a great over-nighter in the back yard with the family... tent, sleeping bags, smores and all! (Now that's the way to camp!)

Rebecca Hits Stride at District Pentathlon, Community Races, Traveling Soccer Team

Rebecca's on the fast track to success as a runner. She won several 1 mile races and covered many miles on the soccer field! She is positive and enthusiastic and has very long legs!

Sarah Spots Wild Animals in SLC

Sarah made sure we didn't miss a thing on our family vacation to Salt Lake City. We had a fun night at the University Inn, saw the sights around town and Explored all of Hogle Zoo. We saw birds, elephants, giraffes, zebras, aligators, lions, tigers, and bears! Oh My!

Amy Leads the Way to Ensign Peak!

While in SLC this summer, we played in the park, toured Temple Square, and swam in the pool. But one of our favorite outings was a hike to Ensign Peak. The hike was not too far or too steep. Amy led the way and we were all amazed at the view of the Salt Lake Valley from the Top. No wonder Brigham Young said "This is the right place!"

Sarah Leads the Way in McKinley Student Council!

Sarah has had a fun time being on her school's student council. She gets to make video skits, help with announcements, assemblies, and newsletters. She also helps with other service projects and recycling. Her favorite part is making videos about character traits to show the school. She likes working together with some new good friends.

Spencer Reaches New Heights!

Spencer turned 14 this September. He is growing UP in many ways. He now stands taller than the rest of the family (5 foot 10 inches), and is reaching exciting new milestones. He was ordained to the office of a Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood. We are grateful for the love and support of our extended family.

Amy - Top of her Class 1st Grader!

Amy loves going to school all day now. She thinks 1st grade is great . She has awonderful teacher and many new friends. She loves reading, computers, library, and RECESS

Meagan on the Move!

Smiling... Sitting... Crawling... Standing... Walking... Running... and Dancing!

Meagan has grown so much this year! Everything is new and exciting. She has gone from being a snuggly sweet infant to a silly spunky toddler! Lucky for us, she is still just as sweet and loves to snuggle! She is adored by her family and seeing the world through her eyes makes everything better!

Janelle Achieves Personal Best at Regional Cross Country Meet

Janelle went out for cross country again this year. She gave it 100% (like she does with everything she commits to). She did her best ever (22:29.8) at the Regional Cross Country meet despite struggling with injuries throughout the season. She loves to run (even if it makes her puke?!?!?) and has lots of great friends on the team. She is in great shape and a good example to all of us! We only wish we could keep up...

Ponytails gone for Good!

For Christmas Amy and Sarah bravely cut 10+ inches off their long ponytails to donate to Locks for Love. (An organization that makes wigs for children without hair due to cancer treatments or other diseases.) Their new looks are fun and bouncy and cute!

Brianna graduates from USU!

After many long semesters, Brianna graduated from Utah State with a BS Degree in English Literature on Dec 13, 2008! We are so proud of her hard work and determination!!! It is a HUGE accomplishment, (even if she doesn't really like English...). We had a great graduation party with many of her biggest fans. She is now looking for work in the SLC area where they plan to move this spring so Nick can continue his studies at the University of Utah.

Bethany Marries Stetsen Womack!

Bethany and Stetsen Womack were married in the Logan Temple on December 27, 2008. It was a beautiful, white, wintery day, and most of us were freezing in the wind and snow, but I don't think Bethany and Stetsen hardly noticed :) They are so happy together! We had a fun reception at our Stake Center in Tremonton and now they are settled in SLC and are ready to get busy with school and work.

Jenny and Eric Keep Juggling

We are trying to keep up with our busy, growing family! ... Along with commitments at school, church, and in the community... We can't believe how blessed we are!

2009-01-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

So we saw all you really cool blogger people and decided to do a Stamps Family blog, so we will try to figure it out.