SWIM LESSONS

LEXIE HAS COMPLETED ANOTHER SEASON OF SWIM LESSONS TODAY! SHE HAS IMPROVED SO MUCH FROM LAST YEAR! SHE JUST COMPLETED LEVEL 4! SHE IS A LITTLE FISH. LEXIE LOVES JUMPING OFF THE DIVING BOARD...
JEFF SHOWED UP TODAY FOR THE LAST DAY SO HE COULD SEE EVERYTHING SHE HAS BEEN LEARNING THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS. HERE IS A GROUP SHOT OF LEXIE, JAXON, AND RIDGE WITH THEIR PASS-OFF CARDS! GOOD JOB GUYS!

BYE BYE LONG HAIR!

ZACH FINALLY DECIDED HE HAD HAD ENOUGH OF HIS LONG SHAGGY HAIR SO THIS WEEK HE CHOPPED IT OFF!!!! HE LOOKS SO DIFFERENT! WHAT A HANDSOME MAN I HAVE! HE NOW SPENDS MOST OF HIS DAY IN THE BATHROOM CHECKING HIMSELF OUT!!!!!!! LOL....REALLY!

FATHERS DAY!

WE STARTED OFF THE MORNING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS COMING OVER FOR A YUMMY BREAKFAST....FRENCH TOAST, PANCAKES, BACON, EGGS, JUICE, AND BLOODY MARYS. THEN THE MEN AND SONS WALKED OVER TO THE GOLF COURSE FOR A ROUND OF GOLF. WHEN THEY GOT HOME WE LOADED UP OUR RHINOS AND HEADED UP TO MANTUA FOR A WHILE. WE PACKED A LUNCH AND ENJOYED THE GREAT WEATHER!

THE NEIGHBORS NO LONGER HAVE THEIR RANGER SO THEY BROUGHT UP THEIR GOLF CART. I WAS IMPRESSED ALL THE PLACES IT COULD GO! WE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME BUT ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END...I HAD TO GO TO WORK! BEFORE I LEFT FOR WORK THE KIDS SUPRISED JEFF WITH A CUTE CANDY POSTER FOR FATHERS DAY!
LATE ON IN THE EVENING JEFF AND KIDS CAME AND VISITED ME UP AT WORK AND THEY HAD A YUMMY DESSERT...TIMBERPIE!!! JEFF IS SUCH A GREAT DAD TO OUR KIDS AND A WONDERFUL HUBBY TO ME! I JUST LOVE HIM TO PIECES!!!!

SUMMER FUN

TRYING TO KEEP KIDS ENTERTAINED DURING THE SUMMER IS THE WORST! LAST WEEK WE MADE HOMEMADE ICECREAM SANDWICHES THAT WERE SO TASTY....YUMMY!!!!!
LEXIE HAS ALSO MADE THIS CUTE LITTLE FLOWER POT THAT SHE PAINTED AND DECORATED WITH BUTTONS, FILLED WITH COLORED ROCKS, AND DECORATED PENS UP WITH CUTE FLOWERS AND RIBBONS! I THINK IT TURNED OUT DARLING!
LAST WEEK OVER AT KYLEES WE HAD A MUSICAL THEMED DAY AND ALL THE KIDS MADE TAMBORINES OUT OF PAPERPLATES AND BEANS AND SHAKERS OUT OF TOILETPAPER ROLLS. THE KIDS HAD FUN PLAYING THEIR NOISE MAKERS AS THEY MARCHED DOWN THE SIDEWALKS! NEXT ON MY AGENDA IS TO SET UP SOME TIMES TO GO TO SOME CANDY STORES IN SLC AND DO SOME FREE TOURS AND GET SOME YUMMY SAMPLES! SO FAR WE HAVE BEEN HAVING A FUN SUMMER!

TEA PARTY

TODAY LEXIE INVITED BROOKE AND ALEX OVER TO OUR HOUSE FOR AN AFTERNOON WITH HER GIRLIE FRIENDS! ALEX BROUGHT OVER HER TEA SET AND SHE MADE SOME FABULOUS TEA WITH HONEY, SUGAR, MILK, AND CINNAMON IN IT. THE GIRLS WERE FULL OF GIGGLES AS I WORE AN APRON AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE LUNCH MENU IN AN ENGLISH ACCENT.I MADE THEM A DELICIOUS LUNCH.... STRING CHEESE, STRAWBERRIES, CHIPS, AND MINI GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES! OF COURSE EVERYTHING WAS SERVED IN BITE SIZE PIECES. THE GIRLS WERE ON THEIR BEST BEHAVIOR USING THEIR MANNER AT ALL TIMES. LEXIE CAME IN SEVERAL TIMES TO TELL ME HOW MUCH FUN SHE WAS HAVING!
AFTER LUNCH WAS SERVED THEY PLAYED WITH THEIR BUILD-A-BEARS FOR A WHILE AND THEN LATER BROOKE BROUGHT OVER LINDA ( HER GUINEA-PIG ).
THEY CHANGED INTO THEIR SWIMSUITS AND HEADED OVER TO BROOKES TO JUMP ON THE TRAMP WITH THE SPRINKLERS GOING!
I ENDED THEIR PLAYDATE WITH ROOTBEER FLOATS AND STARBURSTS! IT WAS SUCH A FUN AFTERNOON WATCHING THE GIRLS GIGGLING AND BEING SO GROWN UP! THE BEST FOR ME WAS LEXIE TELLING ME HOW FUNNY I WAS DURING LUNCH AND THAT SHE HAD A GREAT MOM!!!!!

BRAGGING MOMENT

LEXIE HAS ALWAYS STRUGGLED WITH SCHOOL, AT LEAST UP TILL 3 GRADE. SHE HAS ANXIETY ABOUT BEING IN FRONT OF OTHERS AND OTHERS WATCHING HER. FROM THE FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOOL SHE WOULD CRY EVERY MORNING CAUSE SHE DOESNT WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL. I HAVE HAD TO PULL HER OUT OF BED KICKING AND CRYING AND I WOULD ALSO HAVE TO GET HER DRESSED . ( AAAUUGG ) SHE STRESSES AS SOON AS SCHOOL IS OUT CAUSE SHE IS ALREADY WORRYING ABOUT THE NEXT DAY. NEVER PARTICIPATED IN SHOW AN TELL AND SO FORTH. 3RD GRADE SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH HER 2 TEACHERS...MS. BOOTHE AND MS. JOHNSON! PROBABLY WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH OF SCHOOL LEXIES TEACHERS CALLED ME INTO THE SCHOOL NEEDING TO TALK WITH ME. I WAS THINKING THE WORST AS IN OTHER YEARS....NOT RAISING HER HAND, NOT COMING UP TO THE CHALKBOARD ETC. WHAT THEY TALKED TO ME ABOUT JUST BLEW MY MIND. THERE IS A LITTLE GIRL IN LEXIES CLASS THAT COMES FROM A BROKEN FAMILY, SHE HAS NOT SPOKEN FOR MANY YEARS AND IS NOT UP TO GRADE LEVEL. I WAS INFORMED THAT LEXIE HAS BEEN SITTING BY HER SINCE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND LEXIE HAS BEEN SUCH A GOOD HELPER TO THIS LITTLE GIRL THAT SHE HAS STARTED WHISPERING TO LEXIE. LEXIE TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO TEACH HER HOW TO READ EVERYDAY AND HAD GOTTEN HER TO SPEAK ( BUT ONLY TO LEXIE) THE TEACHERS ASKED IF LEXIE COULD BE THE GO BETWWEEN ( SORT-OF ) AND BE A TUTOR TO HER. IF LEXIES WORK SUFFERED THEY WOULD LET ME KNOW AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE TO HELP THIS LITTLE GIRL. LEXIE HELPED HER ALL YEAR LONG AND IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE CHANGES IN THIS GIRL. SHE STILL DOESNT TALK A WHOLE LOT BUT SHE WILL NOD AND LOOK FOR LEXIE FOR HELP. HER GRADE LEVEL IMPROVED DRASTICALLY DURING 3 GRADE AND LEXIE HAD A FABULOUS YEAR! FRIDAY AT THE LAST ASSEMBLY LEXIE WAS RECOGNIZED FOR HER HELPFUL, FRIENDLY, CARING, ACTS AND THEY ALSO SAID THAT HER CLASSROOM WOULD NOT BE THE SAME WITHOUT LEXIE! SHE WAS AWARDED THE " I LOVE SCHOOL AWARD" I WAS BAWLING AS MY LEXIE WALKED UP TO THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL TO RECEIVE SUCH AN AWARD! HER CLASS GAVE HER A STANDING OVATION AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER TEACHERS! AFTER THE ASSEMBLY I WENT TO LEXIES CLASS TO GIVE HER A HUG AND HER TEACHERS WERE TALKING TO LEXIE. THEY WERE CRYING AND WERE TELLING HER THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HAD A STUDENT LIKE HER BEFORE AND THEY WERE TOUCHED AND BLESSED TO HAVE HAD HER IN THEIR CLASSROOM! YOU KNOW AS A PARENT YOU WONDER ALONG THE WAY IF YOU ARE TEACHING THEM ALL THE "RIGHT" THINGS ABOUT LIFE AND TRYING TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE. I FEEL I NEED TO FOLLOW IN LEXIES FOOTSTEPS!!! I LOVE MY SWEET LEXIE AND I AM TRULY BLESSED TO HAVE HER AS MY DAUGHTER.

MOTHERS DAY IN MOAB

WE HEADED TO MOAD AGAIN FOR MOTHERS DAY THIS YEAR. THE WEATHER WAS TRYING HARD TO BE NICE BUT THAT DARN "W" ( WIND) WAS MISERABLE! WE STAYED IN THESE DARLING LITTLE ADOBE CABINS THIS YEAR. THEY WORKED OUT PERFECT FOR US!
WE ENJOYED SPENDING OUR VACATION WITH BOTH WHITNEY FAMILIES, THE STANFORDS, AND MAURI AND PHILS FAMILY. ALL THE KIDS PLAYED SO WELL WITH EACHOTHER! THE KIDS REALLY ENJOYED HAGING OUT BY THE FIRE...
PLAYING IN THE SAND ON OUR DAILY ADVENTURES.... ZACH AND JAXON HAD A GREAT TIME RIDING THEIR BIKES ON SLICK ROCK!!

LEXIE AND MADDIE HANGING OUT IN THE R & RS ON THE STEELBENDER TRAIL ON THE FIRST DAY...
HERES A COUPLE PICTURES OF THE BOYS AND THEIR TOYS!!!!

WE PACKED OUR LUNCH EVERYDAY AND ATE OUT ON THE TRAILS. WE DID A LOT OF HIKING AND LOOKING FOR LIZARDS. THIS IS A COLLARED LIZARD THAT WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SITTING OUT ONTOP OF A ROCK MAYBE 2 FEET FROM THE TRAIL. I CANT BELIEVE THIS LIZARD DIDNT TAKE OFF WHEN WE STOPPED RIGHT NEXT TO IT. LEXIE NAMED IT AVATAR FOR ALL ITS BEAUTIFUL COLORS...KYLEE AND I HIKING ON STEELEBENDER TRAIL. I LOVE THE SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND.
JUST A SMALL OOPS ON DEVILS REVENGE TRAIL...EVERYONE WAS OK! WE WERE ALL SHAKEN UP BY THIS OOPS THOUGH SO THE GIRLS AND THE KIDS DID SOME WALKING FOR SOME OF THE TRAIL.
CUTE PICUTRE OF ALL US GIRLS....KYLEE, CHERYL, CRYSTAL, AND MYSELF
A GROUP SHOT OF THE MEN....JEFF, ROD, KLINT, AND BLAKE.

WE SPENT OUR DAYS OUT ON VARIOUS TRAILS AND BY EVENING WE WERE BACK AT THE CABINS PLAYING MARBLES AND HAVING DRINKS ENJOYING EACHOTHERS COMPANY! WE MEET UP WITH JEEF PARENTS WHILE WE WERE DOWN THERE.I LOVE THIS PICTURE AND THE SUNSET IN THE BACKGROUND
SUNDAY MORNING WE ALL PACKED UP AND HEADED BACK HOME. WE STOPPED IN MOAB AT THE PANCAKE HOUSE FOR MOTHERS DAY BREAKFAST WITH JEFFS PARENTS, ROD AND CHERYL, KYLEES CUTE LITTLE FAMILY. WE THEN WALKED THE STREETS DOING SOME WINDOW SHOPPING.MY FAMILY DECIDED WE HAVE COME DOWN TO MOAB TWICE SO FAR AND WE ARE STAYING AND GOING TO SEE THE ARCHES NATL. PARK. SO WE ACTUALLY GOT OUT AND HIKED LIKE A 2 MILE HIKE TO SEE THE DELICATE ARCH......PICUTE OF ZACH AND LEXIE...
AND WE CANT END A STREBEL VACATION WITHOUT LEXIE THROWING UP IN A VEHICLE.... WE HAD A GREAT TRIP, WENT ON MANY ADVENTURES, SAW BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, ENJOYED HANGING OUT WITH GREAT FRIENDS, AND MADE MANY MORE MEMORIES!