Sea Shells, Sandcastles, Dunes & Drag Races

...All in a long weekend at the Beach! WOW what fun (& dirty!)


What a fun filled trip. We left on Thurs. afternoon for the Pismo Beach Dunes to camp on the beach, ride ATV's and have all the fun we could. We went with our friends the Lenzinger family and really enjoyed ourselves. Friday was cold and overcast and kinda wet, but do you think that slowed anyone down? ... Not a chance, just made for the sand to stick to everything a little better, which made sand castle building fabulous that day. The kids loved every minute of playing in the sand and building that they could. Emily was a great help and teacher to the girls on the art of building.


We also enjoyed some fun walking on the beach collecting shells and sand dollars. It was really cute because each kid to their own bucket to carry there treasures in. The younger the kid the more treasures and wider range; exp: rocks, wood chips, any shell or sand dollar broken or whole. There buckets were so full we would have to dump them every time we wanted to looking again, because they couldn't even carry them. The older they got the more choosy they were with their finds, only perfect shells and sand dollars and even a couple star fish.

We even had our own beach models posing for the camera. Presenting MaCayela and Abby...

As for the ATV's they were a none stop activity, as one would stop, another would start. We roped off some area for our camping pleasure and made a track for the kids to ride around on. MaC and Ella started the weekend with someone on the back helping them along, but finished the weekend just asking someone to get them on and started, and then they would be off. No matter how windy it got on Saturday the kids were always up for riding, even if we just wanted to sit inside where we weren't getting blown over. (it seems all the pictures I have is of them riding the Lenzingers little red one.) The girls really did well picking up on the skills and had a blast just riding around as we would sit and watch. Each girl also got their rides with dad on the "BiG YeLLoW" one. They would get so excited when Corey would take them out on the dunes with him.

There was also no shortage of fun for the "BIG" kids either. The boys would take off riding and all you would hear when they got back was, You should have seen this or You should have seen that... You should have been with there... It really was fun to hear the stories and recounts of the hills they climbed, jumps they made and the air they caught. They also enjoyed going out to the back of the dunes where they have drag racing to race others on the ATV's. Diana and I joined them one time and really got a kick out of watching and racing the boys.

But the best part of the weekend came just before we were ready to leave. Jared and Corey got the idea that they would take the kids out to the dunes in the trucks. They had seen others out there in their 4WD vehicles so why should we. So we buckled in all the little ones between their truck and our excursion and Diana and I hoped on a ATV so that we could tag along. The kids had a blast going all over the dunes climbing hills and going down the other sides. (if you click on the picture below to make it bigger you will see that corey even got the front tires about 6-8 inchs off the ground.) We decided that we would take the sand highway out towards the drag racing to see what was going on out there. Well when we got our there, nobody racing and hardly anybody was even there. So what do you get with 2 boys (with all the kids in the car mind you) and an empty drag racing strip.... Yes you guessed it, 2 guys drag racing their trucks with all the kinds in the back seats cheering them on!!! and trash talking the other vehicle. I've got to say it was quite a sight and soon attracted a crowd of on lookers and even another truck joined in. It really was fun though for the kids and for us to all be able to do it together as a group and family.

{On your mark, get set, go...}

{Go Corey ~ round 1}

{Go Jared ~ round 4}

All in all it was a wonderful trip with lots of fun and enjoyment. We love taking the kids for these fun memories and are so glad for the time that we have to spend with them doing all these crazy things. We are also thankful for our friends who are always up for a break and some vacation time. Thanks so much for the fun and looking forward to the next time.

{kids feeding the ducks while we aired up the tires}

Dallin is 1!

We had Dallins birthday party on Sunday but his birthday was yesterday. He was feeling good and had a good day, a little busy and hectic with gymnastics and all. We thought that since he didn't enjoy his cake on Sunday that we would try again. I had froze the cake and brought it out for him when we got home last night. I really thought that he would have fun diving into it... boy was I wrong. Once again we put his hands in it to get him started, but he did not like it one bit and just wanted his hands cleaned and out of his chair.

Okay so Photoshop isn't working to put the pictures up so I will post them later.

YEAH... I got it to work.

It's Your Birthday... Shout Hooray!

Sunday evening we had a little birthday party for Dallin. We decided just to have family and not make it a big huge thing. Though the girls thought that they were getting a special treat out of the whole thing because Grandma Marianne was going to come to the party and have a "Sleep Over" and then we were going to take her home and see her house. They really thought that was a great thing for them. MaC even thanked Dallin for having a party when she found out.

On Saturday Dallin woke up with a fever and was pretty mellow for the day and was still running warm on Sunday (No other symptoms, so I figure just his teeth.). By the time everyone came over Dallin was content to just sit with his dad and observe all that was going on around him. So we had MaCayela, Preston, Ella and Ashlyn open presents for him, which they thought was fantastic.

We sang to him and he even had his own cake that his Grandma had made for him. (Thanks Mom!!) BUT... He decided that was nothing he wanted to participate in. We even stuck his hands in it to get him started and all he did was start fussing and wanted out of his chair. (Maybe some other time.)

After eating some cake off dad's fork he did perk up some and decided that he liked his mater truck. All in all even with him not feeling the best it was lots of fun.

These boot are made for walking...

Ella has these cute pink boots that she loves to wear. She asks almost every Sunday if she can wear them to church, but the answer is usually "no". Well today I thought that they fit with her dress so she got to wear them. She was really cute at church showing everyone that would look her pink boots.

And since we are talking boots... MaC wanted me to put the picture of her wearing my boots when she was a "little kid". It amazes me that they remember the things that they do. This picture was taken last May and she reminded me that we had it somewhere. (It actually took longer to find the picture than it did to post this whole thing.)

Dallin's new hairdo

Dallin had been receiving a few comments on how his hair was covering his ears and it was getting long and shaggy. (I only wish my little girls had hair like that at that age.) So we took him in for his first hair cut today. He was a great little guy that just sat so nicely on my lap and played with the hair clips off Jill's apron. I have attached a picture from a couple of weeks ago and his day at the salon with his new look.

Daddy loves me

They always say Boys and their Toys...

But in this case it's the Girls and their Toys,

or the fact that Daddy loves Me.

We went out today to run some errands and decided to stop at the ATV shop. Wow, didn't even think that it would be anything more than a looking stop, but as you can see we came home with some fun. We bought a ATV110... which has a 110cc engine with a pink camo body. The girls, mostly Mac ~ Ella isn't quite big enough to handle the brake yet, are very excited for their new toy. Mom is alittle nervous... that thing is dang fast!! We have turned down the throtle so that the girl can't go that fast, but Mac still scares me until she gets the hang of it. I guess it is good that we have reservations out on the dunes at Pismo Beach next week. Hopefully they will get the hang of it out there. We'll let you know soon.

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day!!

Just want to let my family know I love them!!

Catch up Time

Besides little post on the Prophet we havn't really been keeping up on what is going on in our lives, so here goes...

First off ... YEA!!!!!!!!!!! Corey is finally back on the west coast! Not home, but on the West Coast. He has been traveling of the last 3 weeks. Between 2 days in Fallon NV last 2 weeks, Washington DC. and now San Fransico since early Sunday this week, I am glad that he will be home soon and that he is almost done with the contract bids.

Things have been going well here, just busy. We have had the normal school, mutual, meetings, libarary day, park day, and gymnastics each week. And then we decide to add on even more... Stake YW meetings, birthday party, baby shower, Family dinner, Disney on Ice, Ward party, temple baptisms and Girls Camp Meetings all got put into our last three weeks. Along with Coreys traveling. How do we do it all!!!

So if you didn't catch some of all that...

I am going to Girls Camp again for our stake in June. I thought that I might get to in that they said that they wanted all the YW Presidents to go, but I got an actual call and assignment. I am really excited to go again this year. This will be a different experince for me as I am going as staff, not as a cabin councilor. I have mixed emotions over it. I will miss having the late nights with the girls, but not the lack of sleep, I will miss the over night hike with the 4th yrs, but not the hike or sleeping on the ground. (Although maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't pregnant while doing it.) But we will see how it goes and YEA!!!! me.

Kaytlynn, my neice, just had her 11th birthday this month. I can't believe that she is that grown up already. It seems that she should still be just a youngin playing with the little kids in Kindergarden. But then that would mean that I wouldn't even have had any kids yet. (Oh the memory of a life that is now gone.) So a big shout out to you ~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYTLYNN!!!

Catch up time #2

A Night for the Princesses

Kirsten, Ella, Abby, MaCayela

Last week we took the girls out for a night of Fun. Princess Fun. The girls had no idea what we were doing. That day as the girls were all getting dressed up we told them that it was a princess party, but that is all that they knew. Diana (Lenzinger) and I decide back in Dec. to take the girls to Disney on Ice. The guys (Corey and Jared) said that it sounded like a fine idea. (I don't think that they realized that they were included in the event until after they gave the nod of go ahead. I have a feeling that it would have been alot different if they knew that they would be going along with us.) As we got to the arena and the girls figured out what we were there for they squealed with delight. They had seen the commericials on the tv, but we just kept saying I don't know, Maybe.

The show itself was fantastic. I showed all the princesses and their dreams comming true. We really enjoyed it all. MaC says that Sleeping Beauty and Arial were her favorite and Ella like Tinkerbell and Minne Mouse and the Princesses. As for myself, I really enjoyed all the supporting roles. I thought the sailors and fish from mermaid, the dwarfs, the dragon in sleeping beauty, and silverware in beauty were great. (Corey even admited that he enjoyed the show, but don't tell him that I told you.) It was great fun and nice to take the girls out for something special.

Gymnastics

Ella has been asking for quite some time now when she gets to do "nastics" (that shat she calls it) again. We did a mommy and me last winter/spring and I said never again. Try being 9 months pregnant and then having the baby in the middle and having to come back to it after just having the baby. (Thank heavens for Grandma that was willing to go to class for the weeks right after adn and then willing to keep Dallin when I returned.) Needless to say I kept telling Ella that she couldn't do class until she was 3yrs. and could go by herself, 'cause mom's not doing the whole mommy and me again with Dallin now on the move. So she has been asking since Nov. when she can start...

Our Tuesdays are now our crazy day. Ella and MaCayela have both started Gymnastics again and loving it, but it is one crazy day for mom. MaCayela has preschool that morning at 9:00am and then it is off to Ella's class at 10:00am. That finishes at 11:00 and MaC needs to be picked up at 12:00. School and class are about 15mins apart, but with 2 kids with me the extra 35mins that I have between dropoffs/pickups and class isn't really enough for us to get in and out of our car and accomplish any errands. So the DVD player is back in the car and we sit in the parking lot while Dallin gets a nap in his car seat and Ella talks to mom nonstop. (Literally nonstop, I am so surprised how much of a buffer Mac is when it comes to the conversations with Ella.) Surprisingly though, the teachers are having a hard time to get Ella to talk in class, she won't even tell them her name. It has really made the staff chuckle, 'cause they all know that from last years mommy and me class that she is just a ball of fire. It really makes me laugh becasue she tells me ahead of time... mom, I'm not going to talk in class today, I am going to be shy. (How the crap do I get her to be shy around me and not talk. Even when we play the quite game she can't make it to teh count of ten.) She is doing great at the skills and even listening to the teacher, another thing that I can't get her to do.

After picking up Mac from school, getting home to eat lunch, taking naps for everyone, getting dinner ready, feeding everyone, it is back to the gym for Mac's class. (With the other 2 little ones in tow.) Part of the deal with Corey for an evening class for Mac is that I would take the other 2 with me so that he can have a night to himself, since he has the kids on Wed. and Thurs. nights due to mutual and meetings. MaCayela is actually in the 6 yr old class this year and is doing well. She is alittle behind some of the others, but is seeing what the others can do has pushed her to want to do more. She really has been funny with it though. Just the other day they were working on their cartwheels so when she came home she wanted to practice more. I would try and spot her the way that her teacher had, but it was never right in her book...

Mac: Mom can you help me with my gymnastics pleeeaaaaaaaase!
Mom: Sure (I've seen the teacher do it, how hard can it be. I thought.)
Mac: I'm going to do a cartwheel, ready?
Mom: Go for it.

I put my hands on her hips to help steady her. As she goes over my arms get all twisted and I almost drop her on her head.

MaC: MOOOOOM, you dropped me. That is not how teacher Renee does it.
Mom: Sorry, lets try again.

Same thing all over again. (I now know that you are suppose to start with your arms crossed so that when they end you arn't all twisted up. Would have been good if I had noticed that is how the teacher did it before we tried it at home.) Anyways...

MaC: Mom you dropped me again! Just do it like teacher Renee and you won't drop me.
Mom: I'm just not sure how she does it, I'm sorry.
MaC: Well, just show me how to do a cartwheel and I will try and copy you.
Mom: ... that would be a problem, mom doesn't know how to do a cartwheel.
MaC: *with a look of surprisement and inocents, with just a touch of humor* You don't... Well maybe you should come to my class and teacher renee can teach you too.

Great now I need to be in class with the 6 yr olds to learn something that I should've learned years ago. But gymnastics was never my thing. Give me a sport with a ball or some skiis or something, but don't ask me to contort, spin, flip, or twist my body into something. Didn't happen years ago, certianly not going to happen 20years older and 3 kids later.

As for Dallin during all this, he enjoys getting out and all the attention he gets at the gym from all the other moms and staff. He gets to play with the toys and flirt with all the ladies how much more could a male want. I really am lucky and blessed that he is such an easy going, laid back kinda kid. And isn't he a Cutie.

A New Prophet

Thomas S. Monson is the new president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it was announced today at a news conference in the Church Office Building. President Monson, 80, succeeds President Gordon B. Hinckley, who died 27 January 2008.
The new world leader of the Church has called to serve with him in the First Presidency, the top governing body of the 13-million-member faith, President Henry B. Eyring, 74, first counselor, and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 67, second counselor.

Gordan B. Hinckley Challenge

President Gordon B. Hinckley on the Book of Mormon
"I take in my hand the Book of Mormon. I read its words. I have read Joseph Smith's explanation of how it came to be. To the unbelieving it is a story difficult to accept, and critics for generations have worn out their lives writing books intended to refute that story and to offer other explanations than the one given by Joseph the Prophet. But to the open-minded, this critical writing has only stimulated them to dig deeper; and the more deeply they dig, the greater the accumulation of evidence for the validity of Joseph Smith's story. Still, as has been demonstrated for a hundred and fifty years, the truth of the Book of Mormon will not be determined by literary analysis or by scientific research, although these continue to be reassuring. The truth about the origins of the Book of Mormon will be determined today and tomorrow, as it has been throughout the yesterdays, by reading the book in a spirit of reverence and respect and prayer."( "Praise to the Man," Ensign, Aug. 1983, 4)


The challenge is that we are to read the Book of Mormon in 97 days, one day for each year of Pres. Hinckleys life. It starts on Feb. 4th and goes through May 10th. I am excited to take this on and looking forward to it. I have also challenged my Young Women to join me in this. We will see how it goes, and you can see how I am doing as we are going to post our chart.

If you decide that you want to join in... http://www.hinckleychallenge.com/