Our Visit to Moab

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. This was a tiring 1.5 mile hike each way. It was also 100 degrees outside! But all these little munchkins were troopers! The two extras on the end are Camryn and Logan, Henry and Diana's cute babies. We stayed with them, right before their big move to Tennessee.

Henry and Diana's baby Aubrey. I just couldn't get over those giant blue eyes. The pic doesn't do them justice. She is 10 months and so dang cute! I wanted to keep her!



Camryn and Tessy

Brianna

Whitney

Laurel

Ellie

Also at Dead Horse Point. This was such a gorgeous outlook. It could hold it's own in beauty and spectacle with the Grand Canyon. You could see the great Colorado River "goose-knecking" back and forth.

Another outlook at Dead Horse Point.

Tessy and Ellie at Dead Horse Point.

Tessy's Outstanding Student Award

A couple weeks ago the assistant principle at the Ninas' school called. She said they would like to honor Tessy as an Outstanding Student at the upcoming Alpine District Board Meeting at our school. We were honored! Tessy was thrilled and excited! She was counting down the days. When the day of the award finally arrived, she paused amidst her excitement and asked, "Mama, what does "outstanding" mean?"There was just one student from each grade honored. Tessy was first to be called up to stand on the "stage." Principal Brunner is at the mic calling up each student and telling a bit why he or she was selected. I need to have Tessy's teacher email me what she wrote, because I was too occupied with getting a decent picture, I don't recall what he said about Tessy.

After they read nice things about each student, they got to go up and shake the hand of each district board member seated behind them. That was so cute. She's so little!

She was presented with this nice certificate, as well as a little notebook and pen.

Pile on Papa

Unlike me, Maho loves to lay on the floor and have one nina, two ninas, three or five ninas, all pile on top of him. He loves it. They love it. Can you tell? Haha! I'm happy to just be the photographer.

Brianna got Braces!

Brianna is at the orthodontist office, about to go get her braces on.

Ha ha! Nobody tell her I posted this pic! Looks like she's saying, "SLOW DOWN DADDY!" (Inside joke) In about 2 years this will be Brianna's cute "before" pic. Whitney is in the background, still waiting to see, but I made her stand behind, because Brianna wasn't ready to show anyone yet!

Pioneer Whitney

The whole 4th grade at Whitney's school have been studying Utah history and have been putting together a program called "It Must Be Utah." Whitney's class did the Pioneer portion of the program and had to have pioneer attire. Whitney and I went together on a Monday to get the pattern and fabric for this dress. I sewed ALL DAY Tuesday so that she could wear it to school on Wednesday. Turned out pretty darn cute. It helps to have a darn cute little girl in it.

Tessy and Ellie had to be in the photo.

The backdrop for their program.

Whitney with one of her best friends Ali (left) and Ali's cousin Joslyn.

My Memory of Uncle Leonard A. Povey

My Granny's brother, Uncle Leonard Povey passed away two days ago.I want to share a fond memory I have of him.

I remember sitting on his lap as a 6 or 7 year-old. He asked me, "Molly, do you have a boyfriend?" "No!" I giggled. "But there's a boy I really like."

"Oh, there is, huh? Well have you kissed him?" he asked me.
"No!"
"Well how is he gonna know you like him if you don't kiss him?"
That question really got me thinking. How WOULD he know I liked him if I didn't kiss him?
Thinking turned into plotting.
The next day at school I carried out my plot, as Uncle Leonard's words rang in my ear, "How will he know you like him if you don't kiss him?"
It all went down on the playground at recess time. Justin often played house with my friends and me, so this would be easy. Justin usually chose to be the mean dad who'd send us kids off to boarding school. But today I told him I was the mom, he was the kid, and I was sending him off to school. And what do mothers do as they send a child off to school? They give their child a kiss!!
Perfect, right? Well, as I "sent him off to school" I kissed him on the cheek.
"EEEEEEWE GROSS!" He hollered as he wiped his freckled cheek with all his might, attempting to remove my gross girl germs.
My other friend then began chanting, "Molly kissed Justin! Molly kissed Justin!" I was horrified.
Not exactly as we envisioned it, was it Uncle Leonard. But hey, it sure made for a great memory and a good story to tell. We'll laugh about it again some day. 'Til then, God be with you til we meet again.

Halloween 2010

This year I went a little nuts on costumes. Okay, that's an understatement. I was a whirlwind of creativity, and I had so much FUN!! Whitney wanted to be a big fat pumpkin. So I got some ideas online and made a pattern for this. I thought she was the cutest pumpkin ever! Brianna (for some odd reason!) wanted to be a hot dog! Again, just looked for ideas and inspiration online. I had to make the bun twice. The first time it looked like it was made for a two-year-old. She looked good enough to snarf.

Laurel was a super hero with her friend McKenna. The only thing I had to make for her costume was the "S" on her cape (for Sanchez, of course). All her friends call her "Sanchez," not Laurel!
You can also see little Boo peeking out. She even had me cut her hair so that she would look more like Boo! We dressed her in leggings and one of my pink shirts so that it'd be long, just like Boo.

All the rest of us (Maho, me, ellie and Tessy) were characters from Monsters, Inc. These costumes were my favorite to make!

I wish I could take credit for this cute Boo costume, but I borrowed it from a neighbor who'd made it a couple years ago. What a lifesaver!! That saved me a whole day! Tessy and Ellie were the talk of their whole school in their costumes!

I was Roz. I think was what so fun about all the rest of these costumes is I didn't have patterns, so the creative juices were really flowing. I even surprised myself!

I'll be watching.... Always watching!!

We talked Maho into being Sully!! And what a great Sully he was! I made the head out of paper mache. That was SO FUN! I even squealed with delight at each step of the process as Sully came to life before my very eyes. I may post pics of the process...

I didn't get around to doing his hands and feet (go figure, eh?). Maybe next year...



Ellie was Mike Wazowsky. Her costume was hands-down my favorite to make ever!! The ninas helped me with this. I made him by putting paper mache over an exercise ball. I'm telling you, paper mache has opened up a whole new world for me!! I can build ANYTHING now! Everyone at the school was talking about "Mike Wazowsky." She won the costume contest of her classroom.

Here we all are at the ward party. We won the costume contest!

We may take an easier route next year. On the other hand, now that I can do paper mache.... a whole new world has opened up! Bwa ha ha ha ha!!!