Memorial Day 2013

We decided we had to get some great camping trips on the schedule this summer... 

sadly we didn't even use our trailer the last two summers! It is hard to believe that we didn't make the time to go at least once... but in our defense... it is tough to be gone on to many weekends when you're a bishop! Also... last summer we did go on several big trips that included weekends... 

We decided our first big one would be on Memorial Day weekend... and we had a blast! We went with the Davis family, and also invited our friends son Derek. He just returned from his mission to San Diego and is attending BYU. His parents are in Germany... so we love including him in some of our family fun! He is a great guy and we loved having him along. It is interesting that Taylor Davis received his mission call to San Diego shortly after this trip. 

Playing Mexican Horseshoes...

Courtney and Jonah playing "tether ball"... conjures up memories of Napolean Dynamite...

Trying to cook our foil dinners... Derek, Kenna, and Dan...

Our home away from home... Derek was very relieved to see our digs when we got up to camp. The great outdoors are not his favorite. We bonded. (I like the comforts of home. Don't judge me.)

Courtney shooting her bow...

Katniss... I mean McKenna shooting her bow...

Jennifer is the most stylish "fisher-woman" I know... I wonder if she is a BYU fan?

McKenna caught more fish than anyone... I think this might have been her fourth or fifth...

She looks happy... but the truth is she had to stick her finger in it's mouth to hold it and she was pretty grossed out. I think that is hilarious given the fact that she put in for an archery tag and thinks she is going to kill and field dress a deer this fall with Dan. Good luck with that. I will be at the spa.

Jonah and Shane... He caught one!

Thank you  Jennifer for picking up a fishing license for Courtney! She was thrilled to catch one! Derek and I sat by the lake and visited (and got sunburned) while they all fished. It was fabulous! Every one was happy!

Derek, Kenna, and Courtney playing Mexican Horseshoes. This was a favorite at camp.

Derek's sister Kayli was able to come up and stay Saturday night with us. She is hilarious!!! We had a blast with both of them! She caught on quick and was quite the competitor...

This picture cracks me up. Kenna and Taylor decided to go for a bike ride (one of many)... got hot and stuck their heads under a facet to cool off. They look 12 in this picture. Love the windblown look!

Each night we read scriptures... and on Sunday afternoon Jonah and Courtney prepared a devotional and we played Courtney's game she made... "The Path to Happiness".

Later that day Kenna, Taylor, and Shane watched a movie...

My Mom and Dad were able to come up for dinner on Sunday night... and really seemed to enjoy it! I think they were shocked at how we "camp" including how well we eat.

Colton, Shannon, and Taylor lounging by the fire pit... she looks thrilled doesn't she?!

Colton, Shane, and Jennifer... he looks almost as excited as Shannon did...

Scripture time! Jonah... Taylor... Kenna... Courtney... Jennifer...

Cutest picture ever of Shannon and Colton.... awwwwww!

Scones for breakfast before we headed home...

Such a fun trip... and we are already looking forward to our next camping trip over the fourth of July!

2013 Women's Conference

This year I finally got to take one of my very BEST friends to Women's Conference. It never occurred to me that I could take Kenna... but I checked into it and found out that you only have to be 16 to go!! We had a blast! This will be a new fun tradition for us each year.

MORP 2013

McKenna asked Taylor Davis to MORP at Westlake High School. Her friend Kamree asked Andrew Stockman... but he wasn't able to get off work. They asked the guys to the dance by having the girls at the party store put one word in each balloon. The guys then had to pop each balloon to figure out who was asking them. Very cute....

 

 Taylor answered with this big batch of chocolate chip dough... so cute... and so yummy!

 Unfortunately we found out a couple of days before the dance that Andrew couldn't go and Kamree didn't want to ask anyone else. We went down and spoke to Taylor and his parents and decided to let these two go alone. They are such good kids! They decided to watch Ironman 1 and 2 ... eat dinner... go to the dance... and then they went to the new Ironman 3.

                               They had a blast... and it was a great end to Taylor's senior year!

20th Wedding Anniversary: April 10, 2013

Today we celebrated our 20th wedding Anniversary. I can't believe we have been married that long... and yet it just seems like just yesterday we knelt across the altar from one another for the first time.

We tried to make several different plans for a vacation but nothing would work... including going down to Manti and staying at a B&B with our girls and going to the temple on our anniversary with them. How amazing would that have been?! We figured there was a reason and decided to stay home and plan  a great day here. First we got up and went to the temple and did initiatories, followed by the endowments and sealing of Dan's great-great-grandparents. It was incredible. Too sacred to share any of the experiences we had... but we were also able to seal his great-grandfather to his parents along with an infant sister. I love that we share the anniversary of our sealing with them now.

 After the temple we grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed to Sanctuary Spa at Southtowne and had an incredible couples massage. BEST massage I have ever had. And that's saying a lot!!!

We then headed to Salt Lake and went to our favorite "special night out" restaurant...Flemings. It is incredible. This was our dessert to share.

                                                    Wish this picture had turned out better....          

It was an incredible day... sure love my sweetheart!!!! When we got home we spent a little time with our girls and read scriptures... and then the phone rang. Bishop Dan had a major event to deal with at just after 10:00 pm. That was when we realized WHY nothing we had tried to plan would work. We needed to be home that night. It was a wonderful anniversary... I am so grateful for the husband and father that Dan is for me and the girls... and the Bishop he is for our ward. Love you!

Misc... Temple and General Conference...

General Conference is coming soon... we stopped by Cheryl's and she showed us this amazing General Conference board she was making for her girls... it is so cute!

 Courtney wanted to go to the temple this morning with Dan and I... it's Friday and conference is tomorrow and Sunday. We didn't think about how BUSY it would be with people in from out of town for conference. We are so glad we went though... Courtney loves going with her daddy!

 Courtney and her friend Abby made these adorable games as projects for Young Women's. It is called "The Path To Happiness"... and it is really fun to play!

 And lastly... Cheryl made Kenna some PJ pants like these for Christmas.. and decided to make Courtney some for Conference. She can't wait until tomorrow to wear them!

Easter 2013 and the General Young Woman's Meeting...

Our girls asked us if we could do Easter Baskets on Saturday this year. It is so nice to have our kids be old enough to realize that some "fun" holiday traditions can get in the way of focusing on what we should. After finding their baskets the girls and I got ready for a fun girl day together.... 

 Wearing their new Easter outfits.....

 We went to find shoes and went to an early dinner at the Olive Garden. We had an extra ticket... so we invited Kristin Perry to go with us. Christine VanWagenen got us awesome seats up front which was really fun. Today was her last event before being released at General Conference in a few weeks.

It was so much fun to have Courtney be old enough to finally get to go with us!! What a fun day! Oh... and tomorrow I am speaking in Sacrament meeting. What is it with me and speaking on Holidays?!

Courtney's little man...

I almost don't even need to write anything. Is this the cutest little man you have ever seen or what?! Courtney absolutely loves babysitting for the Perry family... and this is one of the 4 reasons why. 

Courtney had been at Clearcreek for a few days and when they returned to the school this is what she found waiting for her...

 Her own little "Cupid"... wings and all. Like his beautiful mom doesn't already have a million things going on... but she still took the time to make Courtney feel amazing!

                                                      So cute!!! Happy Valentines Day!!!

February Swim Meet Fun

Our little fish qualified for the BC finals in February... and the Davis family made her this adorable candy bouquet. She LOVED it! How cute is that?! 

 The BC finals for short course were held in Bountiful South Davis Rec Center pool. McKenna and her best friend from when we lived in Bountiful were thrilled to get to spend some time together. Holly came and cheered on Courtney with us. Aren't they cute?! They were besties until 3rd grade when we moved to Saratoga Springs... and we still get them together as often as possible.

 Courtney impressed all of us so much when she competed is the BC finals. She had been REALLY sick all week and hadn't been to practice... but she had worked so hard to get here. Her times were either tied with her best times or within a second or two. Pretty remarkable when you think about how crappy she felt. So proud of her!!!!!

Sweethearts 2013

I know I have been terrible about putting pictures and updates on my blog... and I am committing myself to changing this. The problem is I got a Samsung Galaxy S3 for Christmas... which I LOVE by the way... and so I just don't take pictures with my regular camera like I used to. Gotta change that! 

These are pictures from the Sweethearts dance in February. These kids are so cute! McKenna asked Cody Enslow and Kamree asked Taylor Davis. They started out the day at the temple and then later came to our house and watched a movie and had dinner.

I didn't want to them to spill on their nice clothes so I gave them my adult version of "bib". 

Love these cute kids! They had a really great time and lots of fun at the dance!