Cross Country Season Begins!

Tis the season. Yes, cross country has begun. This year we have two runners on the team. Yesterday was the first meet. They had the Grizzly Jamboree, which is a fun invitational. It is a relay. It is a good way to start the season. Unfortunately the heat was unreal.....over 105 degrees! It was a very hot day, almost too hot to run. The guys did great! They took 2nd place. Here they are getting ready!

This was Austin's very first meet ever. He did great, and later he said that he really loved it. He said it was hard to judge how fast to go and what to do. The first meet is like that. His partner was Josh.
Zach waiting at the start. Austin and Zach ran the second and last leg of the 1 1/2 miles. His partner was Connor.
Zach waiting. What is coach saying?
There Zach goes!

Austin waiting.

Josh coming in and Austin on his way out!

Zach said that this Palo guy and him kept battling it out the whole race. Zach got him in the end. It helps to have long legs for that kick at the end.

Austin finishing strong.

Zach and Connor received a medal.

Zach and Connor and their medals!

Craft Time With Aubrey

I am slowly getting the kids organized for school. It seems like everyday a new supply list comes home for a different teacher! It makes me crazy. I am so sick of going to Wal-Mart, Target, and Office Max! Anyway, I am not one to get all of those cute notebooks and stuff. I keep it pretty basic! I know, I am boring. When you have one girl and three boys, you kind of have to keep things neutral. Well, Aubrey took care of it for herself. With the help of my cricut and some photos she decorated her own notebooks. She did pretty good and she is very pleased with the finished product.

First Day of School

I always have mixed feelings on the first day of school. The summer has been wonderful and it is hard to see it end. I miss the kids when they go back. We get so busy with projects, sports, and the holidays. It is hard to say good-bye to summer. On the other hand, the kids were so excited to go back to school. They spent the month of July traveling across the country and going to New York. When they got back home, they were bored! They were ready to get on with the school year. So yesterday, dressed in their new clothes, new shoes, and new backpacks for some of them, they headed off to school! These are their first day of school photos. I have to take the boy's and the group ones in the afternoon because the boys leave the house so early to go to seminary.

Zach is a senior, and ready to get on with his senior year. He is looking forward to graduation and moving on to college. He had a good first day, no problems.

Austin is a freshman. He did great yesterday. He thought he didn't have any friends in his classes, but they changed his schedule around, and now he does! Unfortunately he got his very last choice for his elective, and now he is in woods. He says it isn't too bad, and he is really looking forward to it.
Aubrey is now in middle school! She had a great first day! No problems here! She can't wait to get her instrument in orchestra.
Ian is in 2nd grade. We have tried with all of our kids to get a certain teacher for second grade, and finally we got her for Ian!!! We are so excited. She is awesome! Ian had a great first day!

Trying to take group pictures! My goodness. Every year it is a chore. Look at Aubrey looking at Austin as if to say, "I wonder what he is going to do next!" This was a third time trying to get a good picture!

There we are! They looked great!

Alright, you guys know how they are! What can I say?

Aubrey and Don's Excellent Adventure

Not far from our house is a very large mountain range with a high peak called Mt. Charleston. For the past few years I have wanted to hike this mountain and stand on top of the highest peak in our area; unfortunately, every time I have planned to hike the peak with a group of boy scouts or my sons, something has prevented us from doing it. This summer I REALLY wanted to hike Mt. Charleston so once again I tried to make plans with my sons to go and neither one of them could go with me for various reasons. Out of frustration, I told Kelley that I was tired of not being able to complete this hike and that I should just take my daughter and go....well, that is exactly what I did. Aubrey was thrilled when I asked her to go backpacking with me. Since the hike is 18 miles long and very steep in places, we packed enough gear to camp overnight and then finish the hike to the Charleston peak the next day. I even had Aubrey carry a backpack of lightweight gear. I am very proud of Aubrey and myself ( I am getting older you know.) because this was NOT an easy hike and we both made it to the top of Mt. Charleston. This was a very memorable moment spent with my daughter and I enjoyed hiking, camping, and spending time with her.

The beginning of the trail.

Taking a break along the trail..Aubrey even drank Gatorade !!

Aubrey posing with Mt. Charleston in the background. Mt. Charleston is the

treeless, bare mountain to the right of Aubrey.

Time to rest, relax, and eat after a hard day of backpacking.

We chose this area to camp in because it was sheltered by all of the tree branches. We were grateful for our decision because it was very windy and cold during the night and the shelter kept us warm and wind free.

Our goal....that way.

Stopping for a rest on the trail. If you look carefully, you can follow the trail along the mountain side. Again, Mt Charleston is the treeless, bald peak in the background directly over Aubrey's head.

More breaks along the trail.

We made it !!!! On top of Mt. Charleston with Mummy Mountain in the background. If you look carefully, the mountain range behind Aubrey looks like a person lying down on their back.....thus the title Mummy Mountain.

The "Big Daddy" with his pink backpack posing on top of Mt. Charleston. If you click on the picture, you can see Las Vegas in the background to the right of me.

Hill Cumorah Cast Teams

These are a little out of order, but I just got these pictures in. When you are not in rehearsal at the Hill Cumorah Pageant, you spend your time in your cast teams. The kids have a ton of fun in their cast teams.

This one is Aubrey's.

Austin's.
Zachery's

This is a picture of the whole Primary! Primary goes up to age 8. Ian is in this picture. Don and I are there too. I know you can't see me, but I am in there! I love how A.R. has her hands on top of Don's head!

Cooking Club

Aubrey had missed cooking club a few times due to our vacations, so it was nice to be back into it. Today, the girls made chicken kabobs and learned how to grill and homemade lemonade! They loved it! Thanks Brett and Heather for the great time!

Aubrey, you actually have to touch the chicken to get it on the skewer!

Finished product!

Then the girls went for a swim!

Hot Summer Days In Vegas!

What do you do when you live in Vegas, it is over 100 degrees during the day, but you want your kids to get their exercise???? SWIM! I am serious. This is the only way kids in Vegas can be outside and still get their exercise in the heat of the summer. I probably go to our pool every other day during the summer. Zach and Austin say that is too much, but Aubrey and Ian love it! They love it even more when their friends, the Albrights come! I am a big sunscreen nut! We use sunscreen with SPF 50, and still my children and me are all tan. I can't imagine if I didn't use any at all! We would all be sunburned to a crisp!

Synchronized Swimming!

Practicing our cannon balls!

Ian

Front Flip!

Group shot!

Got enough noodles?