Day 3

today we went into downtown. shopping! i really didn't want to shop this early on our trip but b wanted to get it out of the way. he's a man and hates shopping. so anyway...we took a taxi into the downtown shopping area.

here the buildings are all different colors and very busy. we were dropped off at the rennissance hotel and mall which overlooks the ocean. with fishing boats, house boats, sail boat, and monster tour boats. it was fun.

we shopped in the marketplace where the locals sell things of the island, t-shirts, jewelery, instruments, and so forth. i loved it all. we stopped for lunch at Iguana Joe's. i had a monster burger with fries and a diet coke. it was so yummy. i can't remember what b had but it was probably something with red meat. he liked all the food on the island.

after lunch we went to the local movie theatre to see pirates of the caribbean. loved it. you know how when you go to the movies and they start at the said time and then you sit through about 15 min. of previews...well we just sat...there was maybe one preview. weird. but loved the movie. b said we'll have to see it again to catch all the dialogue. the ending was not what i wanted but i rarely get the ending i want in movies.

after the movie we returned to our hotel for dinner and bed.

Day 4

we were going scuba diving this afternoon and were excited but also a little nervous. in the morning we made a run to the grocery store for some much needed snack food and daily meals. after a relaxing morning we were ready for our dive. we had a short lesson in the marriott pool and then it was off to the boat. our scuba excursion started at 1:30pm and ended at about 5:30pm. the actual dive was 30 min. long. there was a LOT of waiting around for crew members and such. there is definitely an aruba standard time...1/2 hour after when they say. mormon standard time is nothing compared to these people. they have all the time in the world.

it took me awhile to adjust to breathing underwater. i had to resurface and regain my composure before repeating over and over in my head to breath in and out of your mouth. stay calm. equalize. breath in and out of your mouth. this was a huge task but once i finally got it i could enjoy the fish. b had no problem. we saw many beautiful fish...lots of schools...and NO sharks. hurray. i was a little worried. it was fun to see big fish eating little fish. i tried to touch some fish them but they were too fast for me. it was really a neat experience.

Day 5

this morning we awoke bright and early for our ATV tour. i was kind of nervous. i'd never riden or driven an ATV. i drove a motor bike right into an irrigation ditch once and memories of that were starting to come back...scary.

we waited for our tour bus in front of the resort. we were told that they would be there by 9:00 am. we the time came and went and we waited till about 9:30 when they actually arrived. we were getting use to aruba time. then we were off. off, off, and away on our 4 wheelers. our atv group consisted of myself, b and our tour guide. so nice. we went up and down one side of the islands coast, we found this out by looking at a map the day after. the aruban coast is simply breath taking. there were small coves and beaches everywhere. i didn't see much of it at first...i was too busy concentrating on driving. but after a few close calls and then finally flying off and into a huge thornbush, i was able to view the scenery and drive at the same time. and it was just so gorgeous.

our first sight was a small church on a hillside. it was so charming and quaint. at this sight you could look out and pretty much see the entire island. it was so pretty.

we stopped at the last indian castle left on the island.

our guide, angelo, told of it's history and about the rock pyramids all over the place. when the indians left a place they loved...their homes, they would build these 'hope' pyramids. the pyramids signified a place that they hoped to see again one day. these days the tourist are very intrigued with them that they too make their own 'hope' pyramids with rocks. i remembered seeing one last year on our grand canyon hike. i thought it was pretty cool.

we then rode to a small natural pool. b and angelo had fun climbing the rocks and diving off into the water.

their were little crabs all over the rocks that would scatter when anyone came near. they were kind of creepy. i didn't get in because i had made up my mind before the tour that i would not be subjecting my blood to any mosquitos in any more natural pools after hawaii. but it was totally my lose because in hawaii we were in the rain forest, mosquitos galore, but in aruba we were oceanside. no mosquitos. oh well. it was very pretty though.

we met 2 girls from amsterdam, holland who had hiked their way to this natural pool from their resort. it took them about an hour on this rocky terrain and angelo felt bad for them and didn't want them to have to hike all the way back so he told them to hop on and we would drive them to wherever the heck they walked from. it was crazy. they couldn't remember the name of where they were staying but angelo knew the island so well that he got them to where they needed to be. they asked for our emails, but no one had any paper, and said if we were ever in holland to look them up and we would always have a place to stay. NO PAPER!

anyway... our last sight was the california lighthouse. up here you can see the entire island. beautiful. i loved it.

then we were off again driving through red rock/dirt and ocean sands. by the end of our tour we were tired, hungry, and DIRTY!

we got to the marriott, took a shower, and then a long nap. it felt good to sleep.

Day 6

i woke up this morning feeling great and a little sad! this was our last full day in aruba. but i was planning on laying by the pool all afternoon...or at least till i got burned. and i did. b had some work to do for his trip to palm springs next week so while he was busy with that i hit the pools. i love laying by the pool.

b came down about an hour later and joined me. he put up his fort, protection from the sun, and read his book. we swam a bit and watched the water aerobic class do their thing. it was pretty crowded too. i should have joined them but was feeling extra lazy today and just watched. i am almost finished with my book and i really like it.

after 2 hrs of poolside tanning...i told b that i thought i got burned again so we called it a day and went for lunch. after lunch we went back to our room for a nap. at 5:00pm we started our night. we browsed over jewelery, handbags, cigars, and other odds and ends that various venders were selling right in the marriott. we didn't find anything...we were looking specifically for a. i did see the cutest hello kitty bags that i wanted for m but i couldn't justify it when a was our main focus. we finally found something for him at the airport.

so then it was off to Texas de Brazile. YUMMY! after dinner we walked along the beach till our moonlight cruise. we just happened to be there the week of a full moon and the only time they offer these moonlight cruises. it was amazing. the moon was so beautiful and i couldn't capture it with my camera. since we were on the water i couldn't hold still long enough. but it was so pretty. it was the perfect way to end our week long stay in aruba. so until next time...

aruba

we're off. when we return we expect to have TONS of beautiful pictures and i fully expect to be tan in all the untan spots...well not ALL the untan spots. have a happy memorial weekend to all. we will have lots to journal when we return.

baseball

i love going to a's baseball games. they are so relaxing. i love sitting in the sun cheering on all the boys. if a could learn to shut out all the parents telling him how they think he should be holding the bat...he would do great. not that he's doing bad but it really gets overwhelming when he's trying to concentrate on the ball and 3 male parents are yelling at him. i can't even help him because he probably wouldn't hear me. just leave him alone and let him have fun. i hope he does tonight. he enjoys it so much better.

today was k's field trip to red butte gardens. we took a 2 mile hike into the hills and it was cold. interesting but cold. we saw ducks, ants, and birds. we even saw a bride. that was fun. and the flowers were gorgeous. i wish we could have stayed longer and seen the actual gardens but no such luck. this was a nature field trip. we went to a nearby park for lunch but because of the cold we ate on the bus. then it was off to our final destination. mrs. cavanaugh's chocolate factory. so fun. we had lots of free samples. yummy. it was a fun day full of pictures and yummy treats. gotta love these days. i'll post pics later.

house hunting

how depressing and frustrating! i couldn't believe it! the houses were all over priced and the market is going down hill. maybe they should lower their prices a bit... we looked at a house that was 2200sq. ft and the asking price was $491,000. we looked at one that was an existing home at 1700 sq ft and the asking price was $336,000. seriously it's no wonder their market sucks in nevada. i couldn't believe it. i was so upset by the end of the night, saturday, that i cried all the way to tahoe. if we are suppose to be there...and b has his orders so there's really no question...things will work out. we have 2 showings of our house tonight. this will be the 3rd time back for one couple.

end of year dvd

well i am finished. the dvd for my kids school is complete. now i just have to wait for all the orders to come in and we can mass produce. i am rather happy about the outcome. i enjoy making these memory discs but the fun part is putting it to music. i honestly think music says so much more than words. we should all live a life of music. i can see it now...all of us greeting each other in song. i'd sing...good mornin', good moornin'...from singin in the rain. love it. now i can go to sleep at a reasonable hour and pay more attention to my kids. i can't wait for summer to get here. then i can sleep in and go to raging waters. love it.

might as well hear it from me

We're Moving.

wow...i could just say that and be done with it. but i know how everyone loves a good story...or a sad story...or whatever kind of story.

b had turned down 3 jobs since we've been here. Vegas, Palm Springs, and Tahoe. the timing just wasn't right and in all honesty i think the lord needed us here for a time. we feel that time is up and it is time to move on. last friday, b accepted a job in Tahoe...the same one he turned down 3 months ago. he said 3 months ago he felt a strong impression to decline. now he feels that he can take the position and feels good about a move.

i have to take a moment and say that this 'utah experience' has been such a blessing for our family. 3 years ago i didn't even know if our family would still be together. it has been a miracle of heavenly father proportion that we had the opportunity to move here...our testimonies have been strengthen by our friends and the callings that we have held. i can't express enough how much the lord loves each one of us. he knows when we are struggling... he knows when satan has a grasp on us... and he is just waiting for us to call out to him for help. we called... and he answered. we are all indebted to our father in heaven...but it's times like these when you reflect on certain times in your life that you really feel the debt but also the amount of love he has for us. for me. i pray that our testimonies will stay as strong as they are today wherever the lord takes us. i have to thank all of you who read and don't read this...you have been such wonderful examples for us to follow.

well the good news or bad news however you want to look at our move...we won't be moving till the end of july. so we will be around for a couple more months. moving is always bitter sweet for me. i grew up moving, as did b, but i worry about our kids. as they grow older i want them to have good friends to have sleepovers with and hang out after school. i didn't have close friends because we moved so many times but i desire better experiences for my kids. i know they will adjust wherever we go...and as long as we are together...but it still bothers me. i am a mom. i worry about my kids. that's my job.

anyhow...we will probably be living in a SMALL town called dayton which is about 50 min northeast of lake tahoe. population 6,000. they have a smiths grocery store...and that's about it. but carson city is only 15 miles away and living in dayton will hopefully save us on gas and extra spending. hopefully. i looked up things to do in dayton and they have lots of festivals and parades...they even had a craft fair at the local high school before school starts to raise money for something. every year. there are lots of historical sites in and around dayton so i have been inspire by kim to check them all out. i won't have anything else to do so we will make it an adventure.

since dayton is so small, b found a new golf course to live on. and seriously i couldn't believe the prices. the house b really wants is called the 'palmer' but it's way to big and much too pricey. plus it's right on the golf course and i don't want to be replacing my window everytime a golf ball comes flying my way. so we might build this model...it's called the magellan.

b flies out for task force this weekend and i am hoping that marriott will have all the papers processed so i can go out with him to look at houses. the only problem with building, as we all know, is that it take a minimum of 6 months. so where to live for the time being...we haven't figured that one out yet. i am hoping they will have a couple of spec. homes that we can choose from. but i am not holding my breath. b says because it's such a new community they don't have a ton of specs.

but anyway. i just wanted to share my news.

Keeping COOL

wednesday it was so hot i took the kids to the fountains at gateway. i didn't think they would get in. the day before i took them and they just sat there and wanted to watch. after about 20 min. of just sitting there i asked them for the 5th time if they wanted to go in...they didn't so we left. f and m cried the whole way home. f kept saying 'pitty pease mom...pitty pease. it was so cute but i told him no because he didn't get in when i asked. so here we are now and lovin it. everytime i threatened to go home they got right in. so cute. i even went in...didn't get wet...but enjoyed the sprinkles. it was nice and cool. thanks for going with me missy!

SOFTBALL

i love going to k's softball games. i get to relive the glory days as a youth. she did well today. there was a killer pitcher and she almost hit k...3 times and her coach kept saying 'great pitch' and 'that was a nice one'. what the hell was he thinking. she almost hit my daughter! jerk. anyway... it was really hot i was sweating just sitting there. k really likes softball and would like to pitch sometime. maybe next year.

K's BLOG

last night we were driving to our favorite store...TARGET...and k was telling us about her day with jess. i can't for the life of me get her to write in a journal...if i can't keep one how do i expect her to keep one...then it hit me. let her create her own blog! well i am a control freak to the max and so i created one for her but she will be able to add her own pics, journaling, and links. she is way excited. and i for her. so check it out. she won't be updating it as much as i do...because she has a life but i am sure she will find this a great way of keeping a record of her happenings. i love girls.

GRATEFUL

after the friday i just had i didn't think saturday would ever come.

k and a's school had their cinco de mayo celebrations yesterday complete with pinatas and dancing. each grade sang a song in spanish and learned a dance. it was so cute. k had to dance with a boy and just thought that was not right. i am sure she really liked it...maybe not the boy she had to dance with but the idea of it all. since i am incharge of the end of year dvd for the school i was able to go and take pictures. i was so mad when my video camera started flashing the battery sign...or was it the tape sign. now that i think about it...oh i'll have to check it...anyway... i couldn't video it because i think it was the battery running out even though i charged it over night. so another mom video-ed and i took pictures. you should have seen the faces on the boys and girls in the upper grades who had to dance with each other. too funny. a's class did the mexican hat dance. he stood in the middle of a cirlce of girls and twirls and danced his dance for them. it was so cute. all the grades did really good.

then it was off to piano and violin lessons. m had her lesson first. she practiced standing and waving her violin at herself and where to put the violin once she's ready to play it. she learned today the their is a chin rest for a purpose and she was told to just pretend that she was going to sleep and rest her chin on it. so cute. then she learned to hang her fingers on her bow like wet laundry hangs on the towel rack. heavy and limp. this was a little challenging for her because she didn't really understand that wet laundry is heavy and what limp meant. we get to practice this technique 3 time a day for a week and she will eventually get use to it. she got to play her twinkles for grandma and that always is a treat. she did really well.

while a and k were taking their lessons i got m ready for her dance pictures. we curled her hair, much to her dismay, and used TONS of hairspray. we put her make-up and costume on and she looked so cute! i love her hair curled. it takes a long time but it is so pretty. after the kids were finished with their lessons we went straight to the jazz studio. her little dance group was so cute posing for the camera. there was a mom there that brought in her own camera to take pics of the girls and mine was in the car and i should've brought it in but didn't even think about it. darn it. we order pics and she took her individual photos and mrs. stephanie posed her. i love mrs. stephanie. she really does such a great job with the girls. i love it. and m just soaks it all up...she is such a girly girl. after dance pics were over we went straight home to get her changed for their primary missionary activity!

we got a and m ready in their church clothes...because missionaries don't wear shorts and t-shirts. then it was off to the 'mtc'. m was called to serve in the philippeans mission and a and k would be serving in russia. they were so excited to become missionaries. but before k could enter the 'mtc' she had to take her dance pics. so off to the jazz studio we went.

k had her hair done all cute and i told her not to dance around or play with f while we were there but she was so excited she just couldn't stand still. so we ended up pulling her hair up right before her pictures. it was still really cute. there are about 7 girls in her class but only 3 were there for the pictures. mrs. stephanie posed them so cute and the girls were really excited because they got to wear their dance costumes and make-up. they looked so G L A M O R O U S!

and the fact that they were giddy made this a happy experience for the moms. this time i brought in my camera to take some candids and glad i did. those girls were so cute. i can't believe how fast they grow up. after k's individuals were done she changed into her missionary clothes and we were headed to the 'mtc'.

on the door of our church building there was a sign that read...welcome to the mtc. i go goose bumps and my eyes started to water. we were a little late but we got k her missionary name tag and found her group. the 'missionaries' were divided up into missions...france, guatamala, philippeans, russia, brazil, and poland. as a district they went to many rooms to learn about different things like how to sew a button, how different parts of our bodies help us in our missions...like how our stomach can help us eat strange foods! loved that comment by nikki beckstrand. they learned that they would have a 'p day' and that they could have fun and exercise on that day. the kids were so cute...they learned that they needed to have a savings for their mission...and that they can and are encouraged to write letters home. it was so fun to take pictures of them learning how to be good missionaries. just before their return home they went to their missions. (elder hellewell taught about brazil, sis. marroquin taught about guatamala, sis. thatcher taught about poland, elder crockett taught about the philippeans, elder adams taught about france, and elder henrickson taught about russia.) they showed some of the things that the missionaries would see and hear while on their missions. i just got the best feeling listening to these elders and sisters shared their testimonies of their service to the people in these countries. it was amazing. then it was time for our missionaries to come home. all the parents waited at the airport with 'welcome home' signs and 'we love you' sign. we had balloons and...we were excited to see our little missionaries and hear all about their experiences. it was so emotional when the doors opened and those missionaries from france came running in. looking for their parents and running to them filled with excitement. all the parents were clapping as each mission took their turns in coming through the doors. i started to cry when m came through the doors and thought this is what it will be like when she comes home from her mission...if she chooses to go on one. i think k was the first one to walk in and f immediately saw her and ran to her like he hadn't seen her in a long time. i started crying. i was so emotional and scooped up all my missionaries and asked them if they had good missions and told them i loved them. they must have thought i had lost it. it was such a good activity and the kids had so much fun. but not only did they have a good time but they learned something. they learned about all the things missionaries do and how they can prepare to serve a mission. our primary presidency did such an awesome job! the kids had doughnuts and lemonaide for refreshments to end their activity. then it was time to go home.

m's missionary, peyton fox

missionary homecoming!

k spent the night with jess...and corbin came over the spend the night with a. we had panda express at 9:30 pm and watched sharkboy and lavagirl in 3D. b and i ate in our room and watched a bit of narnia...then went to bed. what a day. there are so many things i am thankful for and i love days like this that help me remember that i have so many blessings in my life. i love my children and my husband most of all. they are my treasures and if i only had them in my life...i would be the richest woman. the fact the i have so much more is a bonus.

Organized Sports

nellie says, 'i don't play organized sports. nothing good can come of it.' well i should have listened to her. fyi nellie, i changed the blogger blocker 5 times...so try it.

last night i was asked to play on angie's indoor soccer team. so i get to the field early to sign in and we kind of warm up...the game starts and the other team is short a couple of players so it's a forefeit. we play anyway. i don't normally play forward but that's were they put me so i tried to make the best of it. we were doing great! i even scored. i should have had a least one more goal but man was i tired and my feet were just not kicking as hard as they normally do. anyway...i was approaching the ball one time and collided with another player, twisted my ankle, and sat out for a couple of minutes. i was back in the game just fine. i think my adrenaline was pumping cause i there was no pain whatsoever. the game ends with the score 7 to 5, our win. mikelle packer was our goaly and she is AMAZING! i couldn't believe all the saves she was making. they were incredible. i went home took a shower and the pain hit. i couldn't sleep because every position hurt. plus i had an ice pack on my foot so i was limited to the number of positions i could lay. so this morning i couldn't even walk on it. it was stiff an di thought that i had forsure broke it. i made an appointment with my doctor and by 9:30 i could apply some weight. so i knew it wasn't broke. thank goodness. missy dropped me off at the doctors, thanks missy, and she said i had a 2nd degree sprain. i don't need a cast, splint, or crutches. but i can't i can't go the the gym unless it's on a stationary bike or lifting some weights, i can't play soccer, i can't go running...

i should have listened to nellie. this is what happens when you play organized sports. sucks to be me.

TIP TOEING THROUGH THE TULIPS

i can't say enough how much i love tulips. my kids like to step on the rock path that leads them through my tulips so i decided to take some pics. and the last one is my computer...and what the desktop shows EVERYTIME i log on. i love it. it seriously makes me happy. i LOVE tulips.

Tulips

part of me wishes i had a south facing or even east or west facing house. so in the winter when it snows the sun will melt it away and i won't have to shovel it as often...but then part of me loves that i have a north facing house because my tulips come in later and stay longer. so for now i am happy with my house. until winter. these are my tulips. this is the first year i have ever planted tulips and seen them come in. i love them. there is only one thing that bothers me. the red ones in the back are shorter than the yellow ones in the front. how did this happen! there was no warning on the bag that said short or tall tulips that i can remember. but i love them just the same. the are so pretty. i can't wait till the fall...i am going to plant more in the front and a ton in the backyard. my mother in law gave me a daisy plant that i am planting tonight and look forward to watching the TALL daisies grow in the backyard. i want them to take over back there. i love flowers that are independant!

Cereal Boxes

all my kids love to look at the cereal boxes while they eat. especially the sugar cereal ones. the backs of the boxes have fun games and puzzles and all kinds of interesting things. this morning was no different. other than f wanted to look at 2 boxes instead of 1. as i sat next to him at the table this is all i could see...

he is too cute. he was counting all the bananas he could find. 4 is as far as he can count so he kept saying "free, fou, free, fou". it was so cute. i love their cute little habits.

Happy Anniversary!

yesterday was mine and b's anniversary. and to celebrate we went to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the capital theatre. it was so funny...a little crued but funny. we laughed so hard. i am so glad we saw it. for dinner we were suppose to go to olive garden but by the time we got downtown we only had 45min. so we ended up at pier 49 pizza. it was good...i ordered a chef salad because one mention of olive garden i start to crave their salads. i love them. anyway...the salad was GINORMOUS! so many toppings: ham, pepperoni, green peppers, olives, mushrooms, red onions, mozerella cheese, tomatoes, crutons...oh so yummy. well we enjoyed talking to eachother without being interupted and not having to share our food. it was great. i love going out with b....and what i like is that we can act like adults and dress like adults. it was nice. 11 years down...eternity to go.

Never Let the Fear of Striking Out Keep You From Playing the Game

oh how i love to watch a play ball. he really exceeds in baseball. he had one double and pop fly and 2 singles. i was trying to give him some pointers during the game and he just looked at me like i didn't know what i was talking about. you know that look your son's give you...the one that says, 'mom, you don't know what you're talking about because this is a guys game and you are just a girl.' oh was i ticked. b just told me to leave him alone after awhile. so i did. and when a came in from the field he said, 'that's what his coach told him to do.' so truly in his mind i didn't know what i was talking about. but he did really well tonight. i was so proud of him. way to go, a!

ps. check out my craft center link...card swap creation and my photography link...a flower in my garden. too cute.

Batter Up

a's baseball season has officially started. one strike out, three singles, and one double. a started machine pitch this year and wasn't too sure about it at first but once he warms up he really smacks it.

this year we weren't so lucky as to having members of the ward or neighborhood on his team but he'll be okay. just keep your head in the game. he gets really excited when we praise him for doing such a good job so that's what we'll do. the more cheering the better for him. and he loves baseball. what a game.

BUSY BUSY

today we are watching the dustins boys while mandi and mckenzee go on a school field trip. i wasn't planning on doing anything but last night i promised m that we would go to target and find some sandals for church. so when the boys got here we loaded everyone in the car and off we went. well one stop became 3 or 4. we went to the bank to cash a check that's been on my fridge for a month, sorry che. then it was off to target for some sandals for the girls. we all tried on sunglasses and that was funny! then bought some cute sandals and we were outta there. since we were in centerville i thought i might as well go over to the to get me address on my license updated. i also added my maiden name so it matches all my other legal documents like my passport and ssc. so we did and the kids just ran around and cried here and there. i had to retake my photo and she asked if the photo would work. i took one look at it and said sure. it wasn't the best but i was not going to retake it with 4 kids wanting to leave already. the kids were hungry by this time and chaser was missing his mom. i told him we had one more stop to make and then we would get lunch at mcdonalds. he perked up and away we went. we made our last stop at the bountiful music store where m was fitted for her very first violin. it is the cutest thing i have ever seen. i love it. she is so excited to play the violin now. more than before.

m playing her 'twinkles'. MISSISSIPPI STOP STOP, HOP BUNNY HOP, and ELEVATOR OPERATOR. she is so stinkin cute!

then we hit mcdonalds and brought our lunch home to eat.

jacob slept the entire morning so when he woke up he was ready to eat and be changed. what a cutie. he has the most beautiful big blue eye's ever!

and he is such a easy baby. i love taking care of them. anyway...it is 1:25pm and i must say that this was a very productive day. and the kids were really good and helpful. i love these days.

Sleepers and Water

none of these have anything in common. yesterday while i was busy on the computer, there was silence. and all mother's know what that means. somewhere there is a child getting into no good! but this was not one of those times. surprizingly. this is what i found on my family room couch.

what a precious little boy. fast asleep.

he slept for an hour and a half. and it was only 10:15am. he must have been really tired or really bored. there were toys all over the floor so he must have played hard then concked (sp?) out. so cute.

i have gotten up to 5 1/2 bottles of water! i am so excited. i should be drinking 6 but i can't seem to get there. yesterday was the day and i was thrilled. today...not past one! sad. but i will keep trying. i have to drink lots before i hit the gym tonight. they say you should hydrate before working out not during. that's what i do. bad. but now i know.