Martin Manifesto

37

2012-01-23T15:29:00.003-07:00

That is how old I am today. I have never really been one to dread birthdays or getting another year older, but for some reason this birthday has been bugging me. I thought maybe it was turning 37 (which is so ever closer to 40), but I am not even scared for 40 so kept pondering...I think I am feeling "old" because Rylee will be turning 15 in 10 days. She keeps talking about getting her driver's permit and that she only has 1 year left til she can date....yep I think that is the reason I am not liking 37. I think in 3 years when I turn 40 it is going to be worse because Rylee will be almost 18 and my boys almost 16. Where has the time gone......

The Pinball Hall of Fame

2012-01-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

The last few times we went to Vegas Mike wanted to find this place, but we never seemed to have time. So this time we made sure to go and it was so much fun! There is a big warehouse full of pinball and video games from all eras dating back to 1948...so cool! It doesn't cost anything to get in, you just pay to play. And all the games take actual quarters, no tokens. The games either cost .25, .50, or .75 cents to play, so we gave each of the kids $5 worth of quarters and let them go.

Here is Mike helping Wyatt play a game.

I think Rylee enjoyed actually playing the games more than everyone with the exception of Mike.

Jenna was concentrating hard playing the first Mario Brothers video game. I remember when it first came out and we all thought it had the neatest graffics and stuff.

Mike had so much fun playing all the old pinball machines. We really need to find someone in Utah who can fix ours.

A couple "old" games from my era:

Bass Pro Shop

2012-01-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

Every time we go to visit Sara we visit the Bass Pro Shop. The boys had never been so it was fun to take them to see all the "trophy" animals and the big fish tanks. This location has a casino on the other side and they have a big salt water tank where you can sometimes see a mermaid. We have missed her every time until this trip. She was really cool!

All the kiddos by the salt water tank, Cole didn't want his picture taken anymore.

They all wanted one of these big fish pillows. I told them they would have to be happy with a picture.

Rylee was able to cross another item off her bucket list: doing the splits up an escalator. The first time she tried her phone fell into a display of bears, luckily she was able to get it out.

Wild Burros

2012-01-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

After we went mini golfing we headed to a little town called Blue Diamond. We went to see if we could see any of the wild burros that roam around town. We didn't find any on the way into town. We played at the park there for a bit before heading home. We drove through town once more in hopes of seeing the burros and we were successful in finding some.

Here are some of the ones we saw, the little ones were so cute:

Sara took this picture from her car. This burro headed over to our car and kept sticking it's head in my window. My window was locked so I could not roll it up and Mike wouldn't roll it up for me. I was freaked out and laughing so hard I was crying. I don't remember laughing that hard in a long time. It finally left me alone and walked around to the other side of the car and stuck his head in the kids window. They loved it! They were petting him and then one of the babies.

Noah was riding with Sara and this one came right up to his window.

At one point we couldn't leave because there was a burro in front of Sara's car, one on the side of her car, one between our cars, and one next to our car. The kids really enjoyed all the excitement!

Mini Golf

2012-01-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

We went mini golfing, which was a blast!

Here is Wyatt taking his turn:

Here is Ry "teeing off"

Sara, Jenna, and Rylee (writing my name for me) writing on the Hole-in-1-Club wall. Sara got the first hole in one while holding Audrey. Then I got one and even Jenna got one.

All the kiddos:

A Quick Working Trip

2012-01-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

A couple days after Christmas we loaded up the new van for a quick road trip to Vegas. We went to visit my sister, Sara, and her cute family. The main reason for the trip was for Mike to tile their kitchen floor and backsplash, but it was a good excuse to spend some time with family. It was fun to have a DVD player in the van, the kids didn't bug us much the entire drive down (which was I really appreciated since I had worked the 2 nights before and needed sleep). We didn't do anything extra special but had a great time! We went mini golfing, wild burro hunting, Bass Pro Shop shopping, pinball/video game playing, and frozen yogurt eating. We played outside: kickball, riding scooters, and just walking around enjoying the warm weather. We played inside: lots of Wii, the game of Life, Legos, making bracelets, and just hanging out. Since the kitchen was torn up we ate what could be made in the crock pot or microwave most the time. It was a fun trip (especially when you consider we had 4 adults and 7 kiddos living in a 3 bedroom condo with a torn up kitchen). Thanks Binghams!!!

We stopped at Jack in the Box on the way down for tacos...yum!

Mike hard at work:

Mike teaching Wyatt how to use the ruby cutter, he loved it!

Me with my adorable niece, Audrey...love and miss this sweet girl:

Audrey with "Uncle Ike":

More Christmas

2011-12-26T16:14:00.002-07:00

Cole got to hand out gifts at Grandma's this year, he was taking the job very serious:

Rylee wrapped up the sweatshirt she had borrowed from Shannon at Thanksgiving and gave it to her. You can tell Rylee thought it was hilarious!

Every year Mike's mom gives everyone a new fleece blanket she makes. This year she made them big enough to fit everyone's beds. Noah was nice and warm with his while he watched the rest of the gift unwrapping.

Jenna got a new baby with a miniature blanket that matches her big blanket, she loved it!

The kids with Mike and his mom playing bingo. They play every year and Carol always has fun prizes. The stash is in the middle of all the kiddos.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T16:04:00.002-07:00

The kids woke us up about 7:30 on Christmas morning. We opened gifts at our house, then went to church with all of Mike's family at his sister's ward. Then we came home and went to his mom's for more gift opening, bingo playing, and of course lots of eating! We got to talk to Mike's niece, Heidi, who is on her mission in Michigan. we skyped with Ashley, Brett, and baby June; we also skyped with my sister, Sara and her family in Vegas; and with my mom and Griffin who are in Texas with Devin and his extended family. I was suppose to work, but got called off which was nice. The kids always stay the night at Grandma's with all the Martin cousins. So I came home and went to bed early. It was a low key, wonderful Christmas!

I told Rylee to get close to Mike for a picture and this is the look I got from both of them:

Jenna loved the journal Rylee got for her! I think my kids favorite part of Christmas is buying gifts for each other.

Noah got a new guitar strap from Cole:

Cole with his new tie, guitar books, and his favorite gift, a fadora (not sure how you spell it) from Jenna:

Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T15:52:00.002-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve this year. First, Mike and I went to lunch at Iggy's so we could watch the Raiders beat Kansas City! Then we got an early Christmas present when Mike's niece, Ashley, had her first baby. She had a girl (of course) named June. She is adorable! We were able to skype with them for a bit on Christmas which was nice, but I can't wait to we get to meet her in person. We went to Mike's moms for pizza (pizza is a Delozier family tradition, so even though my family was gone we still got to keep the tradition). Then we came home to finish reading our Muppets Gift of the Magi advent calendar books and the kids opened their new pajamas. Then they all slept downstairs in Rylee's room and were asleep before 10, nice!

Jenna reading one of the last books:

Cole hanging the books on the tree:

Moe enjoying his early Christmas present:

My silly kiddos:

My kiddos acting "normal" for me. I love this picture!

Live Nativity

2011-12-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

My parents were heading out of town for Christmas, so we got together the week before to have dinner. My mom wanted to take us to a sing a long down at the Delta Center, but Rylee had to cheer at a game that lasted long, so we decided to go see the Live Nativity they were having in Bountiful. It was fun! The kids got to pet a sheep, a goat, and a miniature donkey. They had shepherds, wisemen, an angel, and of course Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. They had hot chocolate and cider along with some firepits to try to keep warm, it was COLD! After we drove around and looked at some fun light displays.

Deck the Halls

2011-12-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

Our elementary school puts on an annual singing event called "Deck the Halls" It was weird only going to see 1 child this year. It's always a lot of fun, each grade sings a few songs. Jenna's grade (3) sang a fun version of Jingle Bells in different voices and A Gift For Every Child.

The next night the boys had their Christmas Band Concert and I forgot to take any pictures. Their band is so large that we could not even see Cole or Noah from where we were sitting. It was a lot of fun too. They have really improved (individually and as a whole)!

Jenna, looking cute before her program, it's hard to get her to do a decent smile.

And here she is talking (probably when she shouldn't be), typical!

Christmas Choir Concert

2011-12-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

Rylee's choir concert was a fun way to start the Christmas season. They have an amazing teacher (she is a member of the MoTab) and she keeps the concerts short and sweet. The kids always sound fantastic!

Ry with some of her best friends: Keadon, Anna, and Brayden.

A big group of us went to Orange Leaf after for yummy yogurt.
The have a great group of friends!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

We spent Thanksgiving with my parents, Griffin, Krista, and Rachel at my mom and dad's. I forgot to take any pictures, oops. The day was filled with yummy food and lots of laughs, a typical Delozier family Thanksgiving.

Mike's niece, Jacque, and her cute family came from CA and we were able to see them for a little bit. The kids love their second cousin, Maggie. She is so sweet. Here she is with Cole and Jenna.

Breaking Dawn

2011-11-18T18:50:00.002-07:00

I know after this post I may sound like an extreme Twihard but really don't think I am. I have only read the books one time each and I don't own any of the movies, but I have been to a premier the night before for each Twilight movie and last night was no different.
I went at 6 p.m. with some of my friends to a showing that a friend does to raise money and they give out lots of donated prizes and everyone is screaming and crazy. It was SO much fun!!!
Then I went again at midnight with Rylee and some her friends and their moms. It was way fun too!!!
This movie is definitely more intense and graphic, but I really enjoyed it. I don't tend to over analyze the movies probably because I have only read the books once. I think it makes the movies more enjoyable for me since I am really just watching for enjoyment, not to compare the books and movies. I also don't remember all the details of the book and don't have any real preconceived ideas of what the movie should be. I think this was well done and had some cool effects. It also had some cheesy and funny lines and scenes mixed in randomly. I enjoyed it, but it is not a movie for the faint of heart.

Here is Rylee with a couple of her friends before the show:

Our Money's Worth

2011-11-18T18:43:00.002-07:00

We have been talking about getting a new van for a long time and have looked on and off. We have not had a car payment for so long, which is so nice, and the van kept chugging along so we waited...
Last Saturday I was driving up a hill in the snow and my van died...when we found out a few days later that it was completely dead we didn't have a choice anymore. So after a few days of seriously looking we found a new van that we hope will last as long as our old one. We had the blue van for 12 1/2 years and we had just passed 198,000 miles so we feel we definitely got our money's worth.

A Baby Shower

2011-11-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

Rylee's assistant cheer coach (she is also Cole and Noah's enlgish teacher) is expecting her first child in December. The cheerleaders threw her a baby shower and it was so fun! They are all SO excited she is having a baby girl.

This is the cake one of the moms made:

This is most the girls with both coaches and the blanket they made (in their school colors) for the baby...they made it one morning at practice when she was not there...she loved it!

P.S. Rylee and Jackie are holding babies...they had them for 5 days for a school project.

Sweet Baby Amelia

2011-11-07T22:36:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to be a part of Amelia's (my cousin Colby's daughter) baby blessing. I don't know what was more special, the blessing, or being able to hear my grandparents, my parents, my uncle, my cousin and his wife bear their testimonies. I am so glad my children were there to hear so many family members bear testimony and to feel of their spirit.
The next night we were able to have dinner at my parents with a lot of the family again. I love spending time with my family, especially those like my grandparents and aunt and uncle who live in San Diego. I am grateful that my kids get to spend time with extended family and learn from them.

Isn't she so sweet? I was lucky enough to hold her for quite awhile while she slept in my arms. Almost makes me want another one...almost!

All my kids were fighting over who got to hold Amelia next. Jenna especially loves babies. She still keeps asking for a baby at our house. I told her we can just go babysit and hold Amelia.

A Full

2011-11-02T16:35:00.002-06:00

Rylee has been working on her full (a layout with a 360 degree twist) and she did a couple private lessons with an awesome coach and now she has it! It's fun to watch her working hard, being completely exhausted and sweaty, and then see the joy in her face when she sticks it!

Halloween

2011-10-31T23:25:00.000-06:00

I am feeling like a slacker this year. I didn't decorate the house, I didn't dress up at all, I forgot to take pictures of the boys, I didn't even do any trick or treating. The kids didn't have school so we went up to my mom's for our annual pizza lunch and decorating sugar cookies. Then we came home and I made homemade chicken noodle soup and rolls. Then I dropped Rylee off with her friends at a Halloween party. I dropped the boys off at their friend's to go trick or treating. Then Mike, Jenna, and I headed up to his sister's house for chili dogs and trick or treating (this is a tradition for us). When we got there our niece, Alicia, and her husband David wanted to take Jenna trick or treating. So we were able to sit and eat and watch some football and old "scary" movies. Everyone had a good night so in the end Halloween was a good one this year. Maybe next year I will try to be more on top of things.

Rylee with 3 of her friends...
the one in the blue is one of her best friends and one of my favorite kids too!

Jenna (the vampiress) with Alicia and David

Jenna and Shannon

A Fun Visit

2011-10-30T21:15:00.000-06:00

Our cute niece, Ashley, is expecting her first baby January 1st. She lives in Pasadena so we don't get to see her as often as we like. Her, and her cute husband were in town this weekend for a couple baby showers so we were lucky enough to spend some time with them.

Jenna LOVES their pug, Lucy. The way Lucy attacked her, I would say the feeling is mutual.

Rylee with her cousins: Alicia, Ashley, and Shannon.
They are all so beautiful and so much fun to be around.

The boys didn't come to the shower and kept bugging me about seeing Ashley.
Usually when Ashley comes all they ask about is where is Lucy? Where is Brett? This time all they wanted was to see Ashley! They got to spend some time with all 3 of them.
Love this picture! Just wish Noah was smiling!

GNO

2011-10-27T23:05:00.000-06:00

I was lucky enough to get together with most of my girls from nursing school. We had our same clinical group (10 girls) throughout most of our 2 years and all but 2 of us were able to be there. One girl has moved to Canada and the other had something come up last minute. So the rest of us met at The Porcupine Grill (YUM) for dinner. It was so much fun to get caught up on everyone's lives and to laugh like the old days and even better that we didn't have to try and squeeze studying in too. One girl has gotten married, one is engaged, one is divorced, 2 have had babies, 1 is pregnant....All of us have RN positions that we like and are becoming the best RN's around! I really would not have made it through nursing school, especially clinicals, without these girls. I cannot believe it has been almost a year since we graduated and were all together.

Haunted Houses

2011-10-21T22:32:00.000-06:00

I went to a haunted house a couple weeks ago with some of my girlfriends and Rylee and my niece, Shannon came too. I was really freaked out, but had a blast!!! Rylee and Shannon have been buggin me to take them to another haunted house and my boys wanted to try one too. So we decided to try the Haunted Hollow in Ogden. It's outside in a wooded area...spooky! It was not as scary as I was anticipating and not as scary as the other haunted house we went to, but it was fun! The boys loved it! and were not scared at all. I had to hang on the them a few times.

PLANKING

2011-10-21T17:24:00.000-06:00

Not sure the what, where, when, why, and how of the whole planking thing,
but the kids had fun the other day planking.

Jenna

Cole

Noah

Shannon

Rylee
(when I saw this picture I yelled at her a bit. She is way too high up, on too thin of support. Teenagers...too brave and/or stupid...)

6 Years

2011-10-17T22:15:00.000-06:00

Cannot believe it has been 6 years since seeing his incredible smile. 6 years since he has given me one his big brother hugs. 6 years since we got to hang out with our kiddos together. 6 years and it still seems like yesterday. 6 years and I still think about calling him to tell him some exciting news or get some brotherly advice. 6 years and it still hurts a little everyday.

I love you Brandon!

9th Grade Choir

2011-10-17T22:09:00.000-06:00

Rylee is in choir again this year and enjoys it a lot. Not sure if that is because all of her friends are in the class or because she enjoys singing (probably the friends). I know she does not like their dresses, which I think look very nice. They always sound great! They did a few songs with actions and their closing number was The James Bond Theme...very fun!

Anna, Jackie, and Brayden with Rylee. These 3 are some of her best friends. I love these kids almost as much as she does...they are awesome!!! So glad Rylee has good friends.

BAND

2011-10-13T16:55:00.000-06:00

The boys had their first band concert at school and it was a lot of fun! It was just the beginning band and their instructor said they have only learned 3 notes so we would be hearing a variety of the 3 notes. Even with only 3 notes it was great!!! I am really glad the boys decided to try band. A week or so before they were suppose to start summer band they both said they did not want to do band because they had heard bad things about the teacher. I encouraged them to try it, but left the decision up to them. They definitely made the right choice for them. They LOVE band and they LOVE their teacher. It was a good lesson for them in not prejudging and in keeping an open mind.

They have been awesome about practicing, I rarely have to remind them. It's great to hear the trumpet and baritone coming from downstairs along with the guitars, drums, and keyboards. They are already talking about which instruments they might try next year.

Noah: my Trumpet player

Cole: my Baritone player

Bread...yum!

2011-09-29T12:55:00.002-06:00

So that first night in Vegas we went to a bread class that a friend of Sara's teaches. I love to bake (and think I am pretty good), but have always been afraid of bread. I have tried a few times but it seems like SO much work and then it never turned out very good, so I gave up. This class was amazing!!! She taught us one recipe and how to use it in countless ways. It made me excited to try bread again, so yesterday I did. It was SO easy and quick (in an hour I had a loaf of bread and a batch of cinnamon rolls and my kitchen all cleaned up)! My bread and cinnamon rolls looked and tasted awesome! Later that night I made another batch of dough and made another loaf of bread and pizza poppers for dinner. It was just as easy and turned out just as tasty! I don't think I will be buying bread much anymore. My next bread adventure is to try using part wheat flour in the recipe....

Last Day in Vegas

2011-09-29T12:46:00.002-06:00

Monday morning we realized our time was up. It's always hard to say good bye, especially to Sara and her kiddos! We went on a little drive to a little town not far from Sara's called Blue Diamond. They have wild burros just wandering around and we were lucky enough to see lots!

Krista teaching Wyatt to do the robot:

Ry and Wyatt being silly on our drive. My mom told us to keep our eyes peeled for burros and Wyatt screamed and said I don't want to peel my eyes! Hilarious!

The first burro we saw was by himself by the side of the rode.

We saw a few more here and there and then at this park there were lots including 2 babies. Rylee was trying to feed them an apple, but they kept walking away. They are beautiful animals!

Saying goodbye!

3 in a Row

2011-09-29T12:41:00.002-06:00

Rylee LOVES Jack in the Box tacos! I think they are pretty darn good too. Since we don't have any Jack in the Box close to us we always take advantage when we are near one. We got tacos (and shakes) late on Saturday night in Santa Monica, again on Sunday night in Vegas, and then at the last Jack in the box on the way home, St. George.

Heading Home

2011-09-29T12:29:00.002-06:00

Sunday morning we headed back to Vegas.

Mom wouldn't let me drive after my speeding ticket on the way to Vegas:

We stopped at Buffalo Bills at the Nevada/California stateline to ride the Desparado Roller Coaster. We tried on the way but it was not running, so we had to stop on the way back. I have not ridden this roller coaster since I was in high school. We stayed at the hotel once with our kids when they were little and they loved watching the roller coaster out our window. Rylee remembers watching and not being able to ride. Now that she is big enough I wanted to take her. It use to be the tallest (0ver 200 feet high) and fastest (over 90 mph) roller coaster in the world, but not sure anymore. Krista bought Sara a ticket and told her she had to go with us. This is us before the ride:

It was the funnest 2 minutes and 43 seconds I have had in a long time! This is what I looked like after 90+ mph (my hair was crazy and my necklaces were all twisted):

Sara wasn't smiling after. She told Krista she was not going to pay her back for the ride!

The Birds

2011-09-29T12:21:00.002-06:00

As we were leaving the pier there was a man there with 3 birds (parrot? macaws?) that you could have your picture taken with. He would pose you with the birds and my mom stopped for a minute which turned into about 15 minutes. After my mom had her turn, my cousin, Angie and my Aunt Nancy had a turn, then Rylee took a turn as well. He would pose them or have the bird kiss them. It was fun!

My mom with Max:

Angie and Aunt Nancy with all 3 birds, so cool. Can you tell my mom and Nancy are sisters?

Rylee loved it! She was a natural.

Max loved kissing the girls! (and pulling earrings out)

Ry with all 3 birds, love that smile!

Rides at the Pier

2011-09-29T12:10:00.002-06:00

The pier has a bunch of amusement park type rides which Rylee really wanted to ride. I have not done something just for fun like this in ages, so I got myself an unlimited ride pass as well. So did Krista and Angie and we had a blast!

The roller coaster was not real big or scary, but it was fun!

This ride was awesome! It looks like a boat and there are people sitting at the other end facing us and it goies back and forth until you are looking straight down on the other end. We were laughing so hard at the look on some of the kids faces. I wish I had my camera on the ride to get those looks, hilarious!!!

Rylee and Angie went on the scrambler and loved it. Krista and I don't like the spinning rides. I love the look on Rylee's face here:

This ride was fun, like the rocket at Lagoon, but on a much smaller scale. It was fun when you were high up to look over the ocean. Rylee started talking to these little girls in line and they were all best friends by the time our ride was over. They wanted to ride more with Ry but we were actually just leaving. They seemed very sad! Ry draws people to her and I loved watching her being sweet.

These bumper "cars" were so much fun! I think they work kind of like an air hockey table, it was a neat feeling, like you were floating on air. You could make them spin really fast too.

Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel

2011-09-29T12:05:00.002-06:00

This ferris wheel is solar powered and so big!

Here is the view from the top:

Ry and I at the top:

Krista and Angie

Sara at the bottom, she takes after our dad and does not like heights so she wouldn't join us.

Saturday in Santa Monica

2011-09-29T11:58:00.002-06:00

While mom and Sara were in their knitting classes the rest of us headed back to 3rd street. We checked out their local farmers market, did some more shopping, then met my niece, Ashley, and her husband, Brett, for lunch. They live in Pasadena and lucky for us they had the day off from school and work. It was fun to eat good food and enjoy good company. Ashley is expecting their first child (a girl) on January 1st. We haven't seen her for almost 2 months so it was fun to see how much she has grown. She looks great!

We met up later with mom and Sara, as well as my Aunt Nancy and my cousin Angela who had driven up from San Diego to spend the day with us. We headed to the famous Santa Monica Pier.

It was overcast and cool the entire day, it felt great!

I did not know until we were there that the pier is the end of Route 66

There were more street performers along the pier. This gentlemen was at the end of the pier and he was amazing!

Santa Monica 3rd St Promenade

2011-09-29T11:41:00.002-06:00

I have never been to Santa Monica before so it was fun to check out a new place. Our hotel was just 2 miles from the Santa Monica Pier. That night when we arrived my mom and Sara had to go to the hotel where there convention was to check in. Krista, Rylee, and I decided to head out to check out Santa Monica so we rode the bus to 3rd St. 3rd Street is a pedestrian mall that runs along 3rd street and is about 5 blocks (I think). It was fun to check out some different stores than we have in Utah, watch the street performers, and just to people watch. Sara and Mom met us there later and we ate dinner at a little Greek restaurant that was yummy.

Ry wanted to pose with the dinosaur, she didn't even notice the homeless man nearby. She made me a little nervous while we were there. I kept having to remind her not to go off by herself...she was so enamored with her surroundings that she wasn't paying attention to everything.

Krista walking down the promenade:

We found this fun store called Wasteland, they have vintage clothes and Rylee fell in love with some outfits:

She really wanted this outfit, we told her the gold leggings looked a like something a prostitute might wear, so she changed her mind.

The Drive to Cali

2011-09-29T11:35:00.002-06:00

It was so fun doing a road trip with my mom, my sisters, and my daughter! We listened to a wide array of music, reminisced, and laughed a lot!

Ry and Krista

Ry and Sara

Ry with everything she needs: her ipod, her cell phone, and sugar!

One of the items on Rylee's bucket list is to do a cartwheel over a state line, so we stopped:

I took this picture out of the front passenger window,
this cloud was so dark and right over our heads.

GIRLS TRIP

2011-09-29T11:23:00.002-06:00

A few months back my mom and my sister, Sara, were making plans to go to a knitting convention in Santa Monica. They asked if I would be interested in joining them...well I don't knit, but would love a girls trip!!! So that is what we did. My sister, Krista, joined us and I took Rylee along as well (she needed a break from everything). We left Thursday afternoon and drove to Sara's in Vegas. We stayed the night there which is always fun! Her kids are so cute and make you feel so loved. That night we went to a bread making class that one of Sara's friends was doing...more about that in a later post. The next morning we got up and dropped Mara at school, then Rylee, Sara, and I headed to the Las Vegas Temple to do some baptisms for the dead. It was a really good experience. It was the first time I have been to the temple with Rylee and we were able to do some family names my mom had. Then we headed back to Sara's to grab our bags and mom and Krista and headed to California!

Mara in her school uniform:

Us at the temple:

The beautiful Las Vegas Temple:
Rylee was impressed that they drive 45 minutes to go to the temple when we only have to drive 10 minutes to get to 2 different temples.

Wyatt showing us his Halloween costume:

Audrey! Rylee had her laughing hysterically, she has the cutest laugh!

Cheer and Football

2011-09-21T22:16:00.002-06:00

On Saturday Rylee had the opportunity to perform with the Weber State University cheerleaders during half time. It was so much fun! It was a different feel than being at the Utah game a couple weeks ago. Weber is a smaller school so cheaper tickets, smaller stadium, less fans, but still some good football! We left after half time so we could go home and watch the Utes kick some Cougar fanny!

The Stadium:

Due to the size, you are a lot closer to the action:

The girls waiting to go on the field, Rylee is the one folding her arms in the white shirt:

Here they are on the field, Rylee is in a white shirt, last girl on the left at the back:

Here are the Webe State Cheerleaders performing there awesome stunts. It was so fun watching them do some crazy, scary stunts that I hope to watch Rylee doing someday. She has wanted to be a Utah cheerleader for some time now, but while we were at the Weber State game she mentioned she wouldn't mind cheering here either.

Still waiting for #3...

2011-09-21T22:09:00.002-06:00

You always here that bad things happen in 3's so I am wondering what will be next. Over Labor Day weekend my little brother was rear ended pretty hard, he ended up with a badly bruised tail bone and some neck contusions, but ok overall. Last week I was rear ended pretty good too. Noah and Jenna were with me and we were all ok, unlike the rear bumper on my van which will cost $712-$1049 to repair.
The day after we were rear ended Noah got hit in the face with a shoe and ended up with his eye swelling shut. He is ok and it's pretty much healed now.
So I have been trying to figure out is someone else in my family going to be rear ended to make 3 or is something else going to happen to Noah (rear ended then shoe to eye) to make 3. I am hoping 2 is enough!

I haven't taken pictures of the van, but I got this one of Noah's eye:

Thinking of Moving...

2011-09-12T08:40:00.002-06:00

A few years ago they tore down the old house just west of us and then started building some new homes. We weren't thrilled at the time, but figured it would be ok. Half the lot has been just a big hole because the builders ran out of money until recently. They are building the final home, the one we were hoping would never happen. First they tore down one of 2 trees that were the only shade we had on the west side of our house. It provided shade for most of our drive way and helped keep our house cooler.

This is the view from our deck now:

This is the view from the front yard:

Then last week we came home to find this:

We (and all our neighbors, with the exception of the new grumpy, old couple on the street who complained about the parking among other things) were not happy AT ALL!! The red paint looks awful! It makes our street look so commercial and not like our cozy, quiet street. We are in the process of getting it fixed. There really has never been an issue with parking on our street before and cannot believe that 1 person complaining justifies this!

Uncle Griffin

2011-09-12T08:29:00.002-06:00

My "little" brother, Griffin, moved back home a few months ago and it has been fun having him around. The kids have loved going swimming with him, playing video games, and just hanging out. Over Labor Day weekend we were all hanging out and he invited the kids up to sleep over. The kids were SO excited! I dropped them off and visited with my mom for awhile then before I left went to say goodbye and this is what I saw:

Griffin had made popcorn and they were all settled watching Little Shop of Horrors! Thanks Grif for being a great uncle!!!

My OLD Man!!!

2011-09-12T08:16:00.002-06:00

is 40!!!

I have been pondering for months what to do for this big birthday and considered a surprise party or maybe a weekend getaway...I knew Mike would hate a surprise party and a weekend getaway isn't really in the budget right now so when I heard the Utes season opener was on Sept. 1st I figured that would be fun! So Mike & I went to the game and it was so much fun, especially because the Utes won! I had never been to a Utes football game before and loved it! Can't wait to go again! It was so cool seeing the stadium full of red shirts and school pride!

A few days later we went to a concert that I had gotten tickets for months ago for Mike's birthday, can you tell who it is?

Willie Nelson!!!

and it was a great show! He played at the Gallivan Center downtown and it was a perfect night to be outside listening to music, people watching, and enjoying good company. Mike's friend, Curtis, was there with his wife and some of her family. It was a good time!

Let the Games Begin...

2011-09-01T11:07:00.002-06:00

Rylee's school had their first volleyball games this week and it was fun to go watch the new team and the new cheer squad. So far the volleyball team is undefeated and I know I am a bit bias, but we have the best cheerleaders too! It was fun to watch the new girls and how the squad interacted with each other. I love their uniforms! The black looks so sharp!!! I think it should be a great year! Go SDJH!!!

Rylee was so too quick and I was too slow when she was tumbling so not a great picture. I will work on that. It was pretty funny cause she crashed into the volleyball team...luckily no on was injured.

Not sure what this face is all about!

Old Friends and New Babies

2011-09-01T10:58:00.002-06:00

One of my good friends, Rachel B., moved to the Seattle area a few months ago when she was about 8 months pregnant. She came for a visit last weekend with new baby, Alle in tow. A bunch of us met up at a park to catch up.

Rylee trying to make Alle happy.

Rylee having fun with Savannah, my friend Katie's oldest. It was fun watching Ry interact with her and the other younger girls that were there. My kids all seem to be older than most of my friends kiddos. (I guess that is what happens when you get started sooner.) I hope Rylee realizes how other kids around her look up to her. I want her to make good choices for herself, but also for those watching her. I don't think she realizes the impact she can have in their lives.

The boys enjoying the splash pad!

Savannah, Jenna, Alle, and me! It was so fun to sit and chat with all my friends and watch the kiddos play! It was nice to just sit and relax, it seems like forever since we all did that together!

And She's Off...

2011-09-01T10:55:00.002-06:00

to the Lansing, Michigan Mission. Mike's niece, Heidi, left yesterday for the MTC. She has been very excited about her mission, we all are. She gave a great talk on Sunday and we had a fun luncheon with lots of family and friends. This picture is from after and the sun was right in the kids faces, oops. I still had to post it. We wish Heidi the best of luck in Michigan and hope she doesn't freeze to death.

Day of Firsts

2011-08-22T22:11:00.003-06:00

First day of school for the year (for all 4 of my kiddos)
First day of Seminary (for Rylee)
First day of Jr. High (for Cole and Noah)
First time with 3 kids in Jr. High

First time walking into Jr. High with her brothers
First time walking into Jr. High for 2 boys

First day of 3rd grade (for Jenna)
First time being at elementary school by her self

First time walking to school with no siblings
First time using a new backpack and matching lunchbox

First time at her new desk

They all survived the day of firsts!!!

Beautiful Baby

2011-08-22T22:03:00.002-06:00

My cousin, Colby, and his wife, Corinne, had their first child last week. A beautiful baby girl, Amelia. We got to go yesterday and meet her, the kids were in heaven, especially Jenna. She still talks about having a baby sister all the time. I told her she will just have to play with Amelia and as soon as she is old enough she can babysit her. It was so fun to see Colby and Corinne too. They are going to be amazing parents! Congratulations!!!

See...pure joy in Jenna's face:

Rylee & Amelia

Cole & Amelia:

Noah & Amelia:

See how beautiful and sweet she is?!?! She seems very good natured as well. I couldn't tell who she looked more like so maybe she is a good mix of her parents. I love the blonde hair!

Horseback Riding

2011-08-22T13:04:00.002-06:00

For Christmas this last year my parents gave each of the kids a "coupon" to use to go somewhere or do something with Grandma and/or Grandpa. I loved this because they really don't need more stuff and it gives them special memories with Grandpa and Grandma. Jenna had decided she wanted to go horseback riding with Grandma. My mom was excited because that is something she loves to do! We decided to meet my mom in Park City on the way home from Bear River Lodge so that Jenna could go before school started. Then Rylee decided she wanted to do the same thing. Then Jenna was a little nervous and wanted me to come too. So the girls and I met my mom at McDonalds (that is where the girls wanted to eat) and then headed to the stables in Deer Valley. We got there and Jenna looked really nervous until she got on her horse, Bo. Then she was all smiles. Rylee's horse was an appaloosa named Romeo. We headed out from the stables right up the side of the mountain. It was so beautiful and neat! Luckily I was at the back of the line so I could get some pictures.

She LOVED it!

Ry had a great time too!

We were going right through the trees, up and down the mountain. So cool!

This is the view from the top of the trail, looking east (I think) from Deer Valley at Jordanelle.
It was so incredible!!!

The Drive Home

2011-08-22T12:49:00.002-06:00

The drive alone Mirror Lake Highway is amazing! So beautiful, with so much to see. We stopped at a few spots to check out the scenery and do a bit of hiking.

This is the view from Hayden Peak, it's at 10,700 feet above sea level. Just behind us was some snow up on the mountain which surprised the kids, but that's what happens that high up.

We stopped at Provo River Falls again per the kids request. They loved climbing up the rocks and playing in the waterfall. Here is Mike and Jenna checking it all out. They could see a big fish in the water. After they hiked up further, a girl got in the water and caught the fish with her bare hands.

Cole

Rylee looking graceful as she jumps from rock to rock.

Noah trying to scare me...the drop below him was about 20 feet with nothing but rocks below.

Heading Out

2011-08-21T22:31:00.001-06:00

We started the trip with a crazy picture of the kids, so we had to end with one too.

Fishing

2011-08-21T22:23:00.002-06:00

That evening Mike and the boys fished at the pond. They had already been fishing at the river, but wanted to try their luck at the stocked pond.

Noah really likes fishing.

Cole gets frustrated a little easier. He kept losing his worms when
he got good nibbles, but never caught a fish.

Mike caught 5 fish and lost 2 different lures when 2 different big fish broke his line.

Jenna didn't want to fish this time. She was happy watching.

This is a view of the sunset from the river on the other side of the pond. It was so beautiful!

Exhausted!

2011-08-21T22:16:00.003-06:00

After riding ATV's all day, then swimming everyone was pretty tired. I think Shannon was the most tired. She fell asleep with her towel on her head right on the couch in the middle of all the noise.

Noah relaxed by watching (Good Burger) a movie and having a snack.

Cole watched the movie too.

I couldn't tell if Wendy's eyes were opened or closed.

Ry was out as well.

Cooling off after ATVing

2011-08-21T22:10:00.003-06:00

We were all so hot and dirty so we headed to the pool to cool off.

David & Alicia and Shannon

Rylee & Shannon

All the girls jumping in...Alicia said lets all jump in together then she didn't jump, she left instead.

Rylee showing off by doing an aerial off the side.

Mike couldn't let Rylee show him up, so he tried an aerial too. His was definitely not as pretty as Ry's. I didn't realized how close he came to hitting his head until I saw this picture later. So glad he didn't hit...that would have put a real damper on the trip.

More ATV pictures

2011-08-21T22:05:00.002-06:00

Mike and our girls

My brother in law, Mike, with Shannon.

After we road for a couple hours we went back to the cabin and made sandwiches and loaded up the cooler and headed back out. We rode to this lake and had lunch.

Eating lunch

We were all filthy by the end of the day...
Can you see the dirt all around her face and even on the collar of her shirt?

More ATV pictures

2011-08-21T21:59:00.003-06:00

This is the view from one of the trails...it was breathtaking.
The sky was so blue and you could see for what seemed like miles.

Carol hanging on for dear life!

Driving through the river and creeks was the funnest part.

Mike and Noah

Jenna & I

Bear River Lodge 3

2011-08-21T21:48:00.002-06:00

On Thursday we had rented 4 ATV's for the day. We had a 6 man, a 4 man, a 2 man side by side, and a 2 man front to back. They have over 300 miles of ATV trails that start right near the cabins. It was so much fun!!!

Jenna wasn't too happy about having to wear the helmet at first, but once we started riding she was having so much fun that she forgot about the helmet.

Shannon was excited and ready to get going!

Alicia and Rylee were excited too. They are both pretty daring so I was kind of scared. I had to remind Alicia that she had precious cargo with her.

Noah got to start out riding with David.

Wendy had Cole in the front and her mom, Carol, in the back. I think Carol was pretty nervous.

Bear River Lodge 2

2011-08-21T21:22:00.003-06:00

The cabin was beautiful. It had 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, and 2 family rooms, so plenty of room for the 13 of us that went. This is a view of the cabins from down below near the pond.

This is a view from the deck of the cabin looking north towards Evanston. The water you can see is the pond and just beyond the pond is the Bear River. It was so peaceful to sit outside on the deck and hear the river rushing.

My brother in law, Mike, making cookies. The kids kept trying to eat the cookie dough and he was getting mad so I grabbed a big bite and ate it...he didn't think I was very funny, but the kids sure did. Then I started handing out cookie dough to all the kids...it WAS funny.

We played a game called The Game of Things. It is a really fun game that everyone can play and enjoy from Jenna to the adults. It's hard to tell from the picture but Noah is crying because he was laughing so hard. He was reading everyone's responses to the clue Things that Jiggle. He started reading and was embarrassed by some of our answers, then he just started laughing and couldn't stop.

Everyone playing the game...it really is a great game!

Bear River Lodge

2011-08-21T21:04:00.003-06:00

We were lucky enough to spend a few days at the Bear River Lodge in Christmas Meadows, Utah on the Mirror Lake Highway with most of Mike's family. It was so much fun: beautiful mountains, nice big cabin, fishing, swimming, riding ATV's, playing games, eating yummy food, and enjoying time with family.

We ate lunch at Dick's Diner in Kamas on the way up. Here are the kids acting like a bunch of weirdos...nothing new.

We stopped at Provo River Falls on the way. I had never been there and it was really cool! Here is a picture of Mike & Noah after climbing partway up the side of the waterfalls.

I LOVE this picture! Cole stopped to help Jenna without even being asked. I know he loves her and watches out for her despite all the fighting they do and this picture show that.

Me and my baby.

A Beautiful "New" Smile

2011-08-21T20:54:00.002-06:00

Rylee got her braces on in January of 2010. They thought she would have to wear them for 15-18 months. She was hoping to get them off near the beginning of the summer but she hadn't been wearing her rubber bands as religiously as she should have. She had an appointment in June and her orthodontist told her if she wore the rubber bands all the time for the next 2 months she could probably get them off at her next appointment. Monday we went to her appointment and he told her he was sorry he had to tell her that she no longer needed the braces on. Rylee was ecstatic!

Braces on:

Braces coming off:

Braces off:

I have always loved her smile, but now she has this beautiful new smile just in time for school to start and just in time for cheer pictures.

My "Band"

2011-08-21T20:04:00.004-06:00

Cole started learning to play the electric guitar a couple years ago. Noah started on the electric bass a few months ago. Noah recently started piano lessons. Both boys are going to be in the 7th grade band, Noah learning trumpet, and Cole learning the baritone. They play everyday and listen to music on their ipods all the time. Noah has been talking about getting drums for a few months and I told him to save his money. He saved and saved, then researched and studied up on drums. He kept watching KSL for a used drum set. He would bug me all the time about taking him to look at different sets, but I always blew him off. I told him he needed to talk with someone who knows drums so he knew what to look for. He kept telling me he knew what he needed to know. He gave me a note one night telling me all the reasons I should take him to look at a drum set. The reasons included: he had the money to pay for them, he knew what he wanted and needed, he could teach himself to play, and he REALLY wanted them. I figured there was no changing his mind so we went the next day to check out an ad he had found on KSL. I was blown away when he started asking the guy selling them a ton of questions that I had no clue as to what he was talking about. I realized then that he had really done his homework and really wanted this. So, Noah paid the guy and we loaded up my van with the drum set. We got home and he unloaded them and set them up and started playing. I was feeling a bit guilty that I hadn't taken him sooner.
Cole had been saving his money as well and found a left handed acoustic guitar he wanted to buy. I took him right away. (I didn't want to feel anymore guilt).
I love that they love music and have found something they are so into. They have turned their lego room into a music room and they spend hours down there each day.

Cole playing his "new" acoustic guitar with his 2 electric guitars in the background.

Noah with his dream, finally!

My boys playing their song together. I love that their interests allow them some individuality as well as giving them time together. I also love hearing the music coming from my basement each day. I don't even have to remind them to practice.

Brighton Camp

2011-08-21T19:54:00.002-06:00

As soon as the wedding festivities were over and all the family was gone we had to get Rylee ready for her next adventure, girls camp. This year is was her and the 2 other Mia Maids from our ward going to Brighton Camp. It is a church run camp up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Rylee wasn't too excited about going, but ended up having a great time. They repelled, played pranks, and hiked...

Here are the girls with Bounce (all the counselors have nicknames that they go by at camp and Bounce is from our ward so the girls were really excited to see her when we were dropping them off).

Rylee & Mandy waiting for their turn on The Perch, a tiny platform on top of a 30 foot pole. The girls had to climb up and stand on top, then they jumped off and tried to hit a bell as they jumped. Rylee and Mandy have been friends since Rylee was 1 and Mandy was 6 months old.

One day the girls hiked 14 miles. There are 7 peaks surrounding Brighton and they hiked to each one. This was the first peak. So beautiful!

The Reception

2011-08-21T19:47:00.002-06:00

They had a great DJ come and everyone was enjoying dancing!

Maggie was so cute and really got into the dancing. (Notice her cute little Toms)

Mike and the boys with the beautiful bride.

My girls:

The Big Day

2011-08-21T19:37:00.002-06:00

Our niece Alicia married David Cravens on August 5, 2011 in the Bountiful Temple. It was a fun filled, crazy day.

Here they are coming out of the temple, don't they look happy!

Here they are with all the Torres': Mike & Jacque with their daughter, Maggie; then Shannon and the happy couple; then the proud parents, Wendy & Mike; then Ashley and Brett who are expecting their first baby January 1st.

Mike's mom, relaxing a bit before all the fun begins.

The cake that one of Alicia's cousins made

The reception was held in someone's beautiful backyard. They have a creek running on one side of the yard and a couple different levels of the yard. My sister in law and mother of the bride, Wendy, was also the wedding planner. She is very talented and everything was amazing!

Salt City Burger

2011-08-21T19:30:00.002-06:00

Mike's sister, Cheryl, and her husband, Jon, flew in from CA for the wedding. The kids LOVE Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Jon and it had been awhile since we had seen them. We all went to dinner at Salt City Burger...yum!

If looks could kill...not sure what she was so upset about, maybe just inpatient waiting for a table.

The guys having a deep discussion, probably about fishing or cars.

Jacque and Cole

The gang waiting for our good. I reallly like the burgers and sweet potato fries at Salt City, but they were SO slooooooww that night. Luckily we were in good company so it was all good.

Swimming Fun

2011-08-21T19:21:00.005-06:00

Our nieces, Ashley and Jacque (also her husband, Mike, and daughter, Maggie) were in town for a week because their sister, Alicia was getting married. It was fun to spend time with them since it doesn't happen often enough. One day we went swimming at a friend's home. It was a blast!!!

Jacque was getting Noah back with the squirt gun:

Jenna getting dumped off the chair:

Cole enjoying the slide:

Shannon & Rylee (you would think that after a week together these 2 would be sick of each other, but they have way too much fun whenever they are together).

My sweet grand niece, Maggie:

The Martin "Reunion"

2011-08-21T19:12:00.002-06:00

We got together with a bunch of Mike's cousins for a little "reunion" at a local park. It was fun to catch up with everyone!

Our nieces, Heidi and Alicia, with Lucy (the pug), our grandniece, Maggie, and Jenna.

We had cake and ice cream for Heidi, who was turning 21 in just a few days. She leaves for her mission in Lansing, Michigan later this month.

Rylee and Shannon had just gotten back from EFY early the same morning. They were so exhausted after a week of fun that they fell asleep on the cement.

A Treat

2011-08-21T19:02:00.002-06:00

Rylee was off on her next adventure of the summer:EFY at BYU (for some reason I am unable to load her pics to the blog) so the house was a bit quieter again. One night Mike was gone so the other kids and I went to get one of our favorite treats: self serve yogurt at Orange Leaf. It was nice outside so we sat outside to enjoy the yogurt and cool air.

Then we got a bonus treat: this beatuiful sunset:

Family Time

2011-08-21T18:27:00.002-06:00

We had spent so much wonderful time with all my family, then I worked a few nights, and Ry was getting ready to leave for her next adventure: EFY so I wanted just the 6 of us to have some time together. So we headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon to one of our favorite hikes: Silver Lake at Brighton. We got up there and both parking lots were jam packed so we decided to go for a drive instead. We took Guardsmans Pass over to Park City. It was fun to just drive around and enjoy the beautiful scenery as well as each others' company. At one point Cole got car sick so we had to pull over for a few minutes. There was a little creek and Mike and the kids found some rocks with fossils in them.

Here he is with Jenna looking for more fossils.

Here he is with Cole checking out some fossils.

Here are some of the neat fossils they found.

Ry and Noah listening to some tunes...they all love their music...

Our view from Guardsmans Pass.

Happy Birthday Griffin!!!

2011-08-20T13:46:00.002-06:00

My baby brother turned 23 on July 22nd. Sara and her family were still in town so we all got to celebrate together. We went to lunch at 5 Guys (yum!) and then came to our house for cake and ice cream. I cannot believe he is 23! I have so many funny stories of him when he was little...up until he was 8. That's is when my family moved to North Carolina so I feel like a missed out on a lot of his "later" years growing up. He just recently moved back to Utah and it has been a lot of fun having him around. You have had to make some hard decisions and major changes lately and I have been very impressed with your courage. Thank you for being an awesome uncle to my kids, they love you and look up to you. We love you and are so proud of you!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Cowabunga Bay, The Slides

2011-08-13T12:26:00.003-06:00

Devin and Roran

Mara

Sara

Jenna

Karissa and Roran

Cowabunga Bay

2011-08-13T12:04:00.002-06:00

One day mom and dad took us all to Cowabunga Bay, this FUN waterpark! It was a blast!!!

They had a huge 12,000 gallon bucket that dumped every so often over the slides and stuff. Here are most the girls (Jenna, Karissa, Mara, Shannon, Rylee, Sara, and Audrey)getting wet underneath the bucket.

They also had a nice warm, relaxing lazy river. Here are some of the girls again (Jenna, Rylee, Mara, and Shannon) enjoying it.

And of course they had water slides, lots of water slides! Here is my brother, Devin, enjoying one of them.

Here is my nephew, Roran, enjoying the little fountains. He LOVED them. He played in them for at least an hour straight. So cute!

Here is Audrey enjoying the little pool, she seems to love the water and had so much fun!

Sunday Night at Mom and Dad's...

2011-08-13T11:47:00.003-06:00

Is always entertaining, but even more so when all my siblings are there too. Of course we had a yummy dinner (food is never not delicious at mom's house) and great conversation (reminiscing a bit and lots of crazy stories from the kiddos). It was nice and cool outside so we sat outside then played some badminton until it was too dark, then we went inside to play The Game of Things (if you have not played, I highly recommended it!). It was another great Sunday night at the Delo's.

Here are my sisters, Sara and Krista, playing badminton. Krista is blurry due to the fact that my camera is not great at capturing action shots.

This is my dad rolling on the ground laughing! Who knew badminton could be so funny.

Here is a shot of my mom hitting the shuttlecock. I missed when she hit a dragonfly instead of the shuttlecock...I think that was what was so funny to my dad...

Cole loved badminton but I didn't get any pictures of him playing that night. He was pretty good and kept saying it was the only sport he was good at. It was fun watching him play and enjoy it (I think that's why I didn't take any pics, I was too busy watching him enjoy himself).

The Baptism

2011-08-12T15:04:00.002-06:00

Saturday July 16 at 7 p.m. was the baptism for Jenna and Mara.
They were very excited and it turned out to be a wonderful day!
We had lots of friends and family there to support the girls and participate in the program.

Here is a picture of Jenna before the baptism in her pretty white dress. In the rush of things we forgot to take a picture of the girls in the matching dresses they were baptized in, oops.

Here is Mara after the baptism, celebrating her birthday.
She was lucky to get baptized on her actual birthday!

Here is a picture of my parents and my siblings.
It was fun to all be together!

Here is our little family....we may be a bit crazy,
but I cannot imagine my life without Mike and my kids.

Swimming

2011-08-08T13:13:00.002-06:00

One day we all went to the Roy Aquatic Center to go swimming:

The boys were very excited to go since the girls told them about the fun slide. Here is Noah:

Here is Cole, I love this picture! His hair is flying up and you can see the excitement on his face.

Jenna went off the high dive and screamed as loud as she could (which we all know is LOUD)!

Mike was trying to teach the kids how to jump off a diving board the "right" way.

Here I am with my adorable niece (Audrey) and nephew (Roran). I love these kids! and miss them like crazy!

The Zoo

2011-08-08T13:02:00.002-06:00

One day we all went to the zoo:

Here is my brother, Devin, with his cute son, Roran.

Here is my "little" brother, Griffin.

The boys: Cole and Noah with my nephew, Wyatt (one of the coolest kids around!).

Devin with his son, Roran and Sara with her daughter, Audrey. The "babies" of the family are just over a month apart. Roran will be 2 in September and Audrey will be 2 in October. They are both SO cute and so fun.

Here are the 2 girls who act like sisters sometimes. Best friends one minute and fighting the next! I wish we all lived closer so they could spend more time together.

A Week of Family

2011-08-08T12:54:00.003-06:00

thanks to these 4 crazy people

Jenna turned 8 in May but she wanted to get baptized with her cousin, Mara. So we were able to work it out so the girls could get baptized together and a week of family fun surrounded the big day. Mara (my sister, Sara's daughter) and her family came from Vegas and my brother, Devin, and his cute family came from Dallas. We spent almost every waking minute together as a family playing games, eating, laughing, reminiscing, and making new memories. Thanks Mara & Jenna for bringing us together. Thank you mom and dad for making our fun filled week so amazing!!!

Still SO behind...

2011-08-08T12:42:00.004-06:00

So the day Ry got home from cheer camp we had a bridal shower for our niece, Alicia. So fun to see all the people you love but don't get to see often enough!

Next on the calendar was getting all the last minute things done to get Rylee ready for TREK. She was not looking forward to it and I was really hoping and praying she would have a great experience. Here she is the morning they left in her cute pioneer outfit (thanks mom for making the skirts and apron!).

So, she went and she survived and I think we will just leave it at that since according to her "it sucked". I was glad to see light in her eyes when she has related some stories for her experience.
I was very disappointed in her and her attitude and it prompted some major changes around our house, in particular relating to her. I have seen a difference even though I am not liked as much these days. Sometimes being a mom is so hard...

Cheer Camp Part 3

2011-07-19T23:32:00.002-06:00

They spend the week learning about all aspects of cheerleading, from stunting to cheering to dancing to tumbling. They learn a cheer and a dance that they work on and try to perfect, then perform the last morning of camp. So it's fun for us to get to go watch them compete again.

Here is Ry with some of her team

Here she is with her entire team and 2 coaches. They were waiting for the competition to start and playing their favorite game: the snorting game. They try to get each other to laugh by snorting at each other. If you show your teeth when you smile or laugh you are out. It's pretty dumb, but pretty funny to watch.

Here is Ry with her stunting group. She has been having some pain in her wrists and the first day of camp it was so bad she was crying. Her and another girl switched spots, so now Ry is the back spot instead of a base and no more wrist pain.

Here they are at the end of the routine in their final stunt...they were AWESOME!!!

Cheer Camp Part 2

2011-07-19T23:22:00.003-06:00

The first night of camp they always perform their pom routine. They had been practicing extra hard this year and it paid off: they were AWESOME!!! Their routine was fun and so clean and precise! They enjoyed it too, you could see it on all their faces as they danced. They found out at the end of the week that they took 1st place for their routine, way to go SDJH Cheer!!!

Here they are performing.

Ry, striking a pose! I love their uniforms! The black looks really sharp!

We were even lucky enough to check out their dorms this year. Rylee was in this room with 3 other girls. One of the best parts of camp is the getting to know each other and bonding that happens since they are all (14 cheerleaders and 2 coaches) together 24 hours a day for the few days they are there. It seems to set the tone for the whole year.

Their team motto this year is TEAM: Together Everyone Adds Magic! Love it!!!

Cheer Camp Part 1

2011-07-19T23:07:00.004-06:00

The whole team met at the school to take pictures and carpool to the University of Utah. They looked so cute and you could feel the excitement in the air.

Here is Ry with Jackie and Anna, 2 of her best friends!

Here is the team in their end pose of the pom routine they had been working very hard on and would perform that night.

I LOVE this picture of the group hug...look at all those cute smiling girls!

Here they are showing off their cute pom bags. I love their socks too! All their uniforms and outfits are awesome this year!!!

4th of July

2011-07-19T22:57:00.002-06:00

Where we live the big celebration is usually on the 3rd, but since that fell on Sunday this year, it was on Saturday July 2nd. Mike & Jenna were in Idaho camping, fishing, and skateboarding. I ran in a girls only mud race that morning. That was fun! That night the boys, Rylee, and I joined some of our friends up at the golf course to hang out and watch fireworks. It was a beautiful night!
I had to work on the 4th of July and I work on the 14th floor so we had a great view for fireworks. Murray City Park is right across the street from the hospital so it was amazing to watch big fireworks so close and from so high up. We could actually see fireworks all across the east side of the valley from as far north and as far south as we could see...Incredible and SO beautiful! I watched with one of my cute patients, she was so excited and wanted me to be sure to wake her up if she fell asleep before they started. We turned her bed so she could she better and sat and watched with her. The expression on her face was priceless!

Roy Aquatic Center

2011-07-19T22:47:00.003-06:00

While the boys were gone, the girls and I and my little brother, Griffin, tried out a new swimming hole: the Roy Aquatic Center. It is all outdoors and awesome! They have a splash pad area with water about 1 foot deep for little, little ones. They have an area that slopes from a few inches to a few feet with some slides and a play area for the little ones. Then they have a pool with a diving board and a high dive and another area with these 2 big slides:

Jenna & I tried the twisty one first and it was SO slooooowwww. Later we tried the tall one and it was SO fast!!! It took some convincing to get Jenna to go, then after the first time down she was screaming "Let's do it again!"

Here is a picture of Rylee doing a jump off the high dive.

And Griffin attempting a flip off the high dive.

Too Long...Too Busy...

2011-07-19T22:38:00.000-06:00

I knew it had been awhile since I blogged, but didn't realized it had been almost a full month. I guess when you are busy working and/or having fun time passes too quickly...I will try to update but it may take a few days just to catch up.

So, my boys survived Scout camp, actually they loved it! Noah took his camera but forgot to take any pictures, so all I have is the excitement in their voices and on their faces as they told me all about it to know they really enjoyed themselves. They were nice and dirty after 5 days of playing, sleeping, and basically living in the great outdoors with no shower. I didn't even have to tell them to get in the shower...that was the first place they headed. The house was a little noisier once they rejoined us, but only for a week or so, then Rylee left for cheer camp. I think just having her gone made the house as quiet as having both the boys gone....

6 Days

2011-06-21T09:39:00.002-06:00

without my boys........
Cole and Noah left early yesterday morning to their first Boy Scout Camp and they were SO excited! I am a little anxious about the whole thing...I know they will be fine and have a great time. I just worry because it is their first time away from home that long and Cole has been bullied a bit at school this last year, they are picker eaters and I don't want them to be hungry...so you know, a mom's job is to protect her children, but when they are away I can't.
Anyway, our house is quiet: less fighting, no guitars being played, no wisecracks, etc. It's just kind of weird.......

My First...

2011-06-05T22:51:00.002-06:00

Little Red Riding Hood bike ride. I road 50 miles, yes 50, yesterday in the Little Red, which is an all women bike ride north of Logan that has been happening each year for 24 years. It was my first real bike ride and it was awesome!!! It was HARD, but I finished even after popping a tube (twice) and crashing. I really struggled the last 15 miles and did not think I was going to make it. When I got to the end and saw the finish line I cried. It was really one of the hardest things I have ever done. Even though it was hard, it was also fun and a beautiful day. I don't think I LOVE biking like some of my friends, but it is something I will continue to do. I am hoping that I can get in better shape and get a bit faster before October. I plan on doing another ride then in Vegas.

6th Grade Graduation

2011-06-05T22:43:00.002-06:00

I really cannot get over the fact that my boys will be in Jr High next year, CRAZY! They had their graduation on Thursday and it was fun! They got their certificates and then performed some dances they had been learning for us. Then we got to dance with them, my boys were reluctant to dance with me, thanks guys. It was a nice celebration!

Noah, with his teacher, Mrs. Fulkerson

Cole with Mrs. Williams

Noah dancing, doesn't he look SO excited?!?!?!

Cole dancing. He looks pretty good!!!

The boys with their group of friends...a good group of boys. And yes, the tall one is their age.

Bruno Mars Concert

2011-06-05T22:39:00.002-06:00

was AWESOME!!! I had gotten tickets months ago with some friends from work. Some of the girls ended up not coming so Rylee and Anna came with us. Then I could not get in touch with the other girl all day! We were eating dinner in Provo before the concert when Jackie (Rylee's other friend) walked in with her family...what are the odds? Since we still could not get in touch with the other girl and we didn't want the ticket to go to waste, Jackie joined us. The three of them had a blast! I thought it was a great show. I hope my friend, Brittany, that was with us will still have children after spending the night with Ry and her 2 crazy friends!

I don't have pictures from the concert (will try to add later when I get some from Jackie), but here are the girls at Yogurtland before.

Rylee's Choir Concert

2011-06-05T22:33:00.003-06:00

It was fun to watch and listen to the SDJH choirs sing. Rylee joined choir the second half of the year and really enjoyed it.

Here she is singing (I know what else would she be doing at a choir concert),
she is on the bottom row, far left.

Here she is dancing (yes it is a choir concert). Her and her 3 best friends choreographed a little dance for one of the songs they were singing. It was really cute!

Here she is with Megan, Anna, and Jackie, her 3 besties. I love these girls! So glad Ry has good friends and I hope they continue to help and support each other.

Jenna's 8th Birthday, Part 2

2011-06-05T22:22:00.002-06:00

On Jenna's actual birthday we checked her out of school to go to lunch. It was suppose to be her choice, but she kept suggesting McDonalds or Arctic Circle. Mike and I tried to convince her otherwise. She said all she wanted was onion rings and a shake, so we took her to Salt City Burger. She had a hamburger, fries, onion rings, and a chocolate shake and LOVED it. She has since suggested we go there about a dozen times. That night we had family over for dessert. We had brownies, left over cake, cookies, and ice cream, yum! I still can't believe she is 8! Thanks to all who were able to help us celebrate.

Jenna & I at Salt City Burger! I love their sweet potato fries!

Mike & Jenna! She loves to make funny faces for pictures!

Enjoying dessert with her siblings and cousins.

Jenna and her very own set of scriptures (thanks Grandma Carol), she loves them!

Jenna with her American Girl doll that looks more like her in real life than
this creepy doll picture.

Jenna's 8th Birthday, Part 1

2011-05-22T19:56:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe my baby will be 8 tomorrow! We had her birthday party with her friends on Saturday, are having family over tomorrow night, and then her baptism will be in July with her cousin, Mara. So, needless to say, this post will be the first of a few.
HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY JENNA!!!

Here is a picture of her cake that my friend, Aislinn of Ozzie Cake Designs, made. I think it turned out really cute, it tasted yummy, and Jenna loved it, so I think that makes it a perfect cake! Thanks, once again, Aislinn for a great cake!

Here is Michelle (she use to babysit my kiddos and was one of my YW) doing Jenna's hair. She came and styled all the girls hair in way cute up dos.

Here is one of Megan (one of Ry's friends) doing Jenna's make up. Rylee and her friends came so they could put make up on the girls and paint their nails. They were awesome and I think the younger girls thought they were pretty special that the older girls were "pampering" them.

Here is Jenna after being all made up. She kept posing for me, but I loved this picture!
8, I still cannot believe it! Isn't my baby beautiful?!?!

Here she is with some of the other girls after they were all beautiful!
I hope they all had fun, I know Jenna did so that is what is important.
Thanks to everyone who helped make the party a success!!!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:57:00.000-06:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the incredible moms in my life: my own mom, my mother-in-law, my sisters and sister-in-laws, my grandma, my friends, and so many others who are examples and help me to be a better mother each day! I am so blessed to have so many mothers in my life. I wanted to focus on my own mom today. She is THE most wonderful mom and grandma. I could never express to her how truly grateful I am for all she does for me and all she has taught me. She is the most unselfish person I know. She serves anyone and everyone. She works hard. She enjoys life. She loves everyone, even when we don't deserve it. She loves the Lord and it's evident in the way she lives her life. Through her example she has taught me all of this and so much more. Here is a short list of some of the things I appreciate most about my mom: the way she took care of my brother, Brandon, when he was sick and dying, the way she has always supported me by being there at my school or sporting events, the way she supports my children by being there at their events, the way she makes treats for me or my kids just because and it's always our favorite thing, the encouragement she always offers just when I need it most, the unconditional love she has for me. I am so blessed to have her as my mom and as the grandmother of my children. THANK YOU MOM! I LOVE YOU!!!

Here she is making frosting for Jenna's birthday cake. The girls and I flew to NC for my brother's wedding and it was Jenna's 3rd birthday. When we got to her house she had already made a cake and let Jenna help her with the frosting and let her lick the bowl,

Here she is on Easter last year with some of my siblings, my dad, Mike, and some of my nieces and nephews. My parents have had this big table for many, many years and my mom enjoys having us all around the table whether we are eating, playing games, or just reminiscing. It is one of my favorite places to be because no matter where my parents live, the table is there and brings back so many memories. We always have great food and so much fun!

Here she is holding my nephew, Wyatt. She loves all her grandchildren so much and would do anything for them. She is always planning fun things to do with them, making them treats, or teaching them something fun.

A Sad Day at the Martin House

2011-04-20T18:11:00.004-06:00

Truman passed away today. He has been sick lately and then quit eating and was mostly just lying around. He fell asleep in the garage and didn't wake up. We got him when he was 8 weeks old and Rylee was 18 months old, he would have been 13 next month. He has been a part of our family for so long, the kids don't remember life without him, so it is going to be rough around here. He was Mike's sidekick, he was always close by when Mike was working in his garage. He has been our protector, sometimes too much so, barking at things that aren't really a threat. He had a nice loud, deep bark that usually scared people, but he was so sweet and timid he wouldn't hurt anyone. Mike's dad use to call him his black grandchild. I was trying to find a picture of the 2 of them together, but too many picture to look through with no success. The kids were saying that Truman is probably playing with Grandpa tonight, I sure hope so! We love you Truman and will miss you a ton!

Here he is on Christmas morning one year, he always got a big bone
from Santa. It didn't matter how big the bone was, he would have
chewed it all up within a couple days.

Here he is with Cole on a walk. The kids loved taking him on walks,
they would fight over who got to hold the leash. He was so strong we had
to be real careful or he would drag the kids away.

Here he is with Jenna, he was fascinated with babies, but especially Jenna. I have so many pictures of him following behind her while she crawled around or licking her face after she ate. Jenna loves doggy kisses and always has. She would let Truman (and Moe)
lick her face all the time. Just yesterday she came in from seeing Truman and had to wash the dog hair and slobber off her face.

Time...

2011-04-19T15:32:00.004-06:00

has been on my mind lately...I was looking through some old pictures of the kids like the one here and pondering how fast time flies. My kids are growing up and I am worried about the time I have wasted or the time lost with them. I think the last 2 or 3 years (while I was going to school) I have missed out on some valuable time with my kids and Mike. I know going to school was the right thing for me and our family and I am so grateful I made it through, but I am feeling a bit guilty lately. I think there are lots of little things that have happened or that I have noticed that are causing these feelings. I know I need to get over it and make the time now so I don't feel that way again in a few years. I like sitting and talking with my kids one on one or taking them individually to do something fun. I have been reading to Jenna each night and enjoying the few minutes alone with her. Last night I sat and talked to my boys for almost an hour about life. They made me cry and laugh and I loved it! I think they enjoyed it too, they didn't want me to go do other things after, they wanted to keep talking. I have been picking Rylee up from school each day lately and enjoy the few minutes with her to find out how her day went and what is going on at school, with her friends, with boys, etc. A few people have asked me how I like my schedule and working nights and they are usually surprised when I say I love it. I am a bit more tired and it can be hard to stay awake or feel like I have energy to do some things around the house, but I am home when my kids come home from school and we get to have dinner together as a family before I leave. I know it's better for me to be here for my kids, especially the ages they are right now. They need their mom and I like that my schedule allows that more than working everyday. I love my kids, more than life itself, and I am trying to be the best mom I can. I pray for them (and me) each day and look forward to all our time to come...

Grateful

2011-03-28T16:27:00.002-06:00

My life has been crazy and stressful the last few weeks with the start of a new job (SO much to learn and working graves) and trying to "reorganize" my life and schedule as well as kid drama (friend issues, bullying issues, cheer tryouts, etc). I also have some friends going through some tough situations that are weighing heavily on my mind. The weather has been a bit wet, snowy, cold, and depressing, I am ready for spring! I have just been feeling a bit down until I was driving to work last night. I wasn't excited about leaving my family on a Sunday evening, would much rather have stayed at home just chillin'. As I headed south I realized the sky was clear and the fresh snow on the beautiful mountains with blue sky in the background was AWESOME!!! It made me start thinking about everything good in my life. No matter how awful things are, the good always outnumbers the bad. I am grateful to have an RN job, one I like, and I get to work with some pretty great people. I am grateful for a husband who works really hard and takes care of our babies when I am not there. I am grateful for my incredible kids, they each teach me something and bring laughter to my life. I am grateful for my parents and Mike's mom, I would not have survived the last few years without them. I am grateful for supportive, inspiring siblings (who I wish lived a bit closer). I am grateful for time with extended family this weekend and the chance to celebrate and reminisce. I am grateful for a home to live in. I am grateful for wonderful friends. I am grateful for my health and strength. I am grateful for the knowledge I have of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the Atonement of my Savior that allows me to feel of His love and inspires me to be a little better and try a little harder each day. I AM GRATEFUL!!!

2 Young Men

2011-03-13T20:55:00.002-06:00

12 is an important age for boys, they are old enough to receive the Priesthood and take on those responsibilities. We have been trying to prepare them spiritually and emotionally. My boys have both grown into fine young men and are ready for the responsibilities and are excited for this next step in their life. Yesterday we got them prepared physically: haircuts and suits! Today they were ordained and it was an amazing experience. I loved seeing them on either side of the Bishop at the pulpit as they were presented to the congregation. Then the spirit that was there as they were ordained was so strong. We had a nice family dinner after at our house. It was a special day, one I will always treasure.

Mike helping Noah with his new tie.

Cole looking good!

Noah looking good!

My awesome kiddos!

To Cut or Not To Cut

2011-03-13T20:44:00.003-06:00

My boys have both been growing their hair for quite some time now. I told them as long as they keep it cleaned and combed it was fine. As it got longer and longer, especially Cole's, it was starting to bug me. It was in his eyes all the time and he was getting called a girl too often. As their 12th birthday got closer and closer, Mike told them they needed to get their haircut. He said if they were going to be Deacons and pass the Sacrament, they needed to look like young men. I had mixed emotions about it. I know how much their hair means to them, especially Cole, and every time we brought it up they would get upset. I finally realized Mike was right and told the boys it was time to let it go, at least for now. So yesterday was the big day:

Noah: Before

Noah: After

Cole: Before

Cole: After

I think they both look really nice! I let Cole keep his a bit longer than Noah's since looking different is the reason he started growing his hair in the first place. It is going to take some getting use to for both them and all of us around them, but definitely think they are looking good!

12 Years Old

2011-03-13T20:32:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe my boys are 12!!! Time really does fly when you are having fun!

I had to work ALL day on their birthday but Mike took them to dinner and I told them we would have a fun weekend celebrating!

Friday was their birthday party with their friends. We went to see the movie, Rango (they all loved it and so did I), then we picked up Little Caesars on the way home, had pizza and cake and ice cream, then they played hide and seek at the neighbors (they have a bigger yard), and then came back to our house to open gifts and play Wii. It was the easiest birthday party and so much fun! (and not too expensive either)

Here is a picture of the cake my talented friend, Aislinn, made. I told her some of the boys favorite things and what they enjoyed and she came up with this awesome cake! The bottom layer was for Noah whose favorite colors are purple and black. She had a music note, a skateboarder, and a guitar on the back part, which are all things he enjoys. The top layer was for Cole who loves cows and his favorite color is red. Then she topped it off with "spaghetti and meatballs" because both boys LOVE pasta. It was so fun and so yummy!!!

Here is a picture of the 6 boys together...they are a great bunch of boys, so nice and polite, and so much fun. I am glad my boys have good friends and that they were all able to come and have a great time.

Excited and a bit nervous...

2011-02-23T22:18:00.002-07:00

about my new job. I have spent the last 3 years going to school to learn to be a nurse. I graduated and then passed my boards. I was feeling so good, but having no luck finding an RN job, and started getting very frustrated. I had an amazing interview yesterday...felt so good about it, loved the manager and wasn't even really nervous once I was there. I didn't want to get my hopes up and didn't think I could wait until next week to find out I didn't get the job again. Well, I didn't have to wait and I didn't get rejected. I got the call this afternoon and was ecstatic! It's all official now...I am really an RN. I will be working at IMC on the 14th floor, Neurosciences. I can't wait to start training and learning even more. At the same time, it's a bit scary. It feels like a huge responsibility, but I know I can do it!

Happy 38th Brandon!!!

2011-02-23T13:10:00.002-07:00

Today is my brother, Brandon's, birthday. He would be 38 today! We miss you B!
Tonight we are getting together to have cheesecake in honor of him.

I made this for his memorial service and now have it in my living room so I can look at each day and remember B and his life. It is really hard some days, just miss him more, and wish I could call and talk to him. I can't believe it has been over 5 years.

This is one of my favorite pictures of B and me. It was taken at the Outer Banks in NC almost 14 years ago. Mike, Rylee, and I were just saying goodbye after an incredible week with the family in an incredible place. Even after a week at the beach I was still pasty white and as usual B was so nice and tan. We had to take a pic of the two extremes.

More Ry & JB

2011-02-15T22:00:00.001-07:00

For Rylee's birthday my friend, Aislinn, made her this awesome cake: