Random Stuff!

I didn't have much to post about the last few days that would be really interesting to all of you. We have been busy with football, flag football, piano, softball (starts tomorrow )and dentist visits. Why is it everytime we go to the dentist it's so dang expensive. You go in for a cleaning and when you leave your writing a check for $500? I found out Jess needs her wisdom teeth pulled, Brittany has a tooth that wont come down on it's own, so they're going to cut her gums where the tooth is and put a bracket on the tooth and that will pull it down. Savannah needs braces (that won't happen until Brittany is out of hers) and Cody has a cavity. Why can't teeth just come in like their suppose too and in straight and be hole resistant?

I found these pictures of Brittany today in a secret folder on the computer. I know she wasn't intending on anyone finding them, but they are just too cute and they show what a darling teenager she's becoming. I really couldn't ask for a better kid. She is so sweet, respectful, selfless, kind, generous and caring. If you knew her when she was young you wouldn't believe that that was the same kid. She was pretty much a terror when she was little. We seriously thought she was possessed by the devil sometimes! But thankfully she grew out of that terrible stage and turned into a total sweetheart! We love you Britt!




I had to put this picture in so that you all could see a picture of Tyler's (Jess's boyfriend) sister.
Could they not pass as sisters? Scary!

Were excited to have Clay's sister Courtney and her family coming out to visit this weekend. Cody is planning on going with them to the BYU game Friday night in Logan. Then everyone is going to come and watch Cody play in his football game Saturday morning. It sould be a fun weekend with family.

Choir, Homecoming and Football

I know that I sound like a broken record when I say we had another huge weekend, but this one I think takes the cake! It started with Cody's big football game. We have been waiting to play this team all season because this team is the team we played in the championship last year and lost to. Now Cody was not on the team last year but both team have almost the exact same players and the same coaches. Clay and Cody spent the early morning watching the rival teams films and learning who their big players were and who Cody had to keep his eye on during the game. The funny part about this other team is they are from Cedar Hills. This is the city we used to live in, the last time we lived in Utah and these boys are all of Cody's old friends from preschool.
When we got to the field we found out two of our biggest and best blockers on offence were not in town and wouldn't be at the game. So it would be pretty much up to Cody on the offence side. Now defense, which Cody's plays as well is where Cody is strong and he pretty much took care of everything and stopped this team from scoring the entire game.
By the end, the score was 7-0, we had won! It was so much fun and stressful, I couldn't stay in my seat the entire game.
In the first video is a great tackle made by Cody. He is number 42!


I thought this video is funny. cody really isn't doing anything in it, but decides anyways to knock a guy over, just for the fun of it.






After the game we took the kids and my MIL out to lunch for a celebration for Cody's great game and Savannah's as well. I don't have any pictures of it, but Savannah during her game (flag football) caught and interceped a pass in the other teams end zone and ran it all the way back for a touch down.
When we got back I had to hurry and get ready for my big night of singing in the General Relief Society Choir. We had to be at the Conference Center by two for rehearsal and camera checks. We practiced for two hours and then they took us back in the back room of the Conference Center for a light lunch. We were able to touch up our makeup and hair and then it was off for the big performance. The Conference Center was packed full and it was such an incrediable experience to be there, so close to the prophet, and to participate in this choir.
By the time it was over, we headed back to our back room, got our belonging and that is when I checked my cell phone. I had over ten messages from Clay telling me ever time the camera had been on me. I was so embarrassed, you don't don't have a clue where the camera is or if or when it is on you. But they did tell us that the camera finds faces and sticks to those. I guess I happened to be one of those faces. Clay called to tell me that my SIL's in Texas were watching it from thier stake center and were having some technical difficulties but when the picture came back on it was right during my close up! How terrible! Oh well, it was so much fun I don't even care!

While I was at the broadcast Jessica was having her first date for Homecoming. Yes, I had to miss my babies first big date! But thankfully she had her wonderful aunt Chelsey there to help her with her hair and makeup and she did a wonderful job cause Jess looked beautiful.
Thankfully Clay took tons of pictures and video so I'll put a few on for all to see

Jessica pinning the flower on Tyler

Chelsey pinning the flower on Tyler!

Jessica pretending she pinned the flower on Tyler!

Jess showing off her flower. Didn't he do such a great job picking the flower? I was so impressed!

The happy couple!

The happy couple sick of taking pictures!

The very happy couple because Clay said they could take his car!

Tyler being a gentleman

Savannah, yes Savannah started flag football this week. She is only one of two girls on her team, and the other girl is their quarterback. Savannah had an amazing catch during this game that of course I didn't get video of, but beleive me when I say, it was awesome!
I forgot to post this picture last time so here it is now. This is Sister Webb my chorister for this amazing choir that I'm participating in. She is truely one of the most amazing women I have had the chance of meeting. She is so happy, energetic and so positive, I wish she could bottle it and give some to me. Sister Webb not only taught us how to sing wonderfully, she also taught us how to strengthen our testimonies and in the process become closer to our Savior. Every week she would start off our practice by saying "I have a gift for all of you", she would then chant this hawaiian song (she lived there in Hawaii for quite a while and taught school there) in Hawaiian, that when translated said that we are beautiful women who can do anything. We can climb mountains, but the Lord has a higher mountain for us to climb. We are promised love and help from our Heavenly Father if we remember him. Then she would say to us "You are the precious adornment worn around the next of your anncestors".

She always told us "Dont be sad that it is over, be happy that it happened". I now think of this often when little things happen in my life, especially with my kids.

She taught us that the most important word in the English language is "remember". She asked us "would a couple divorce if they remembered how in love they were with each other in the beginning?" "Would we be mean to others, if we remembered how it felt when someone did something nice for us?" "Would we forget to pray or read our scriptures or attend the temple, if we remembered what our Savior did for us?"

She told us that the most important goal in this life is to realize who we are before we remember! I have learned so much from her and feel so blessed that I was able to meet and be apart of her life. Something I just found out about her is she has never been married and has no children. She told us that she knew she had a different mission for her life and that she was going to make the most of it! Amazing!
Tonight, our wonderful neighbor came over and gave Luke the thrill of his life. I was inside when Luke came running in, completely out of breath, yelling for me to come outside. Not knowing what was going on, I went outside to see Brother Platt (our neighbor) on his motorcycle asking me if he could give Luke a ride. I ran back inside to grab the camera and got back in time to get one picture.

The video isn't very good thanks to the sun being in the worst position possible. If this would of happened five minutes later the sun would of been behind the houses, oh well!

Brother Platt just returned to work after being in a terrible accident the first of this year. He T-boned another car and shattered his leg, loosing a lot of blood and almost dying. He is one of the most funny guys in our ward and Luke and his son CJ are in the same kindergarten class.

weekend mess

The weekend started off nice and early, 6:30 a.m. to be exact, with a dress rehearsal at the Conference Center in down town Salt Lake. It was so amazing to get to go up to the choir section and be in this area that only a few people ever get to be in. This is a picture of the women walking in our very long lines, up to our seats. During this practice my seat was in the very top (second to the top to be exact), very left corner of the choir seats. They told us we may change our seats, but I will for sure be on the left side (soporano section) and at the top, since I am one of the tallest in my section.
This a picture from my seat. We found out also on Saturday that from the choir section you can not see the prophet. In fact you can't even see the pulpit from the choir section. So the entire conference we wont even be able to see, only hear it!

After the rehearsal Clay and the kids picked me up and we headed to Kennecott's concentrator where they were having a 20 years celebration party. Ususally the concentrator is off limits to anyone, but today they opened it up to employees and their families. The concentrator is where they send all the rocks and minerals they pull out of the mine and break them down and seperate them into all their different things. (terrible description, I know)

At the end of the tour we had lunch and they gave us each a goody bag to take home.
Here we are inside the concentrator and well it had a very interesting smell, sulfer, chemical and oil/gas mixture.
That big round thing behind Luke spins all day long, grinding up the rocks that come from the mine. It's really loud but so cool! They have four of them here at the concentrator.

This was the coolest part of the tour, the silver bubbles. After grinding the rocks they are sent to these tubes of water, where chemicals are added that draw up the minerals and they form these silver bubbles. Clay called them "money bubbles", because each bubble is worth a lot of money right now! Yes, Luke is licking the hand rail in the video, don't watch if it will make you sick!

busy, busy, busy!

Ok, my sisters have been asking me to post a picture of Jessica and Tyler, so here you go.
I don't ever seem to have time any more to post to often. And my days just keep getting more crazy as the weeks fly by. So hang in there and don't get mad at me if I'm only posting once a week.
Sorry mom, I forgot to bring my camera again to Cody's football game so that you can see him in action. And I'm not going to be able to make his game this Saturday because I have a dress rehersal at the Conference Center for choir. By the way it's open to all friends and family who want to come watch us practice for the General Relief Society Meeting. And of course my family can't make it because of the football game. So if any of you want to come I would love to have you there!

I have been having these terrible stomach pains for about a month now so I finally made myself go to the doctors and they told me I have a ulcer. Clay has been telling me for years that I would some day give myself an uncler because I'm such a stresser and a little high strung (just a little)and now he can say "I told you so". Oh well what can you do?

Clay called last week and told me that he got a call from the big guys in London because they have a opening out there they wanted him to consider taking. He had them email the job description to him and it wasn't anything new, just the same stuff he is doing now, so we're not going to take this one, but from earier experience I know that once they start offering they don't stop until they get you. When we moved to Denver the guys from the SLC offices started offering Clay openings in Utah. We didn't except any of them, until the one from Kennecott became open. It was to good of a position to turn down and that's why we are back in Utah. So don't be surprised if we announce that were headed off to London in the next year or so. I won't be!

Well that is all I have time for today. Now I'm off to pick up Luke and Cody from school, take the girls to get a immunization shot at the doctors, Britt has an orthodontist appt. and then Cody has guitar practice.

Homecoming fun!

Alright, I know it's been a while since I updated my blog. To those that have been bugging me about this, I'm sorry. It's seems like my life has been thrown into fast forward and I can't seem to keep my days, or weeks for that matter straight.
I have been very busy trying to get things started and organized in scouts, being Luke's room mom, football, guitar and piano practice, young women's, carpool, homework and keeping my house clean.
We had a reginal conference on Sunday and when we got home, there was a little surprise waiting for Jessica up in her bedroom. It's hard to tell from this picture but there are hundreds of Hersey Kisses all over her bedroom. Then there was this note on her bed on this piece of plastic paper that said..."Dear Beautiful, I hid a book somewhere downstairs for you"


She found the book down in our office and it's the Jane Austen book of seven novels, which includes Pride and Prejudice, her favorite!

Inside the book was a note that said "Love, Tyler". We were all very confused because we knew he was asking her to Homecoming, but what an odd way to do it. Then Jessica noticed on the top of the plastic paper was a page number. She turned to that page in the book and it was the part in Pride and Prejudice where Mr. Darcy asks Miss Bennet to dance. Well when you line the paper up perfectly the part that he highlighted in green read....."Do not you feel a great inclination, Miss Collins, (he wrote in Collins on the plastic paper) to seize such an opportunity of dancing a reel?"
I have to say that we were all so impressed with Tyler's creativity and after talking to his mom she told me he came up with it all on his own and even had to search for hours on the internet to find this line in the book that he could use to ask her.
Jess took her book to school the next day and all her friends just about died they were so jealous of the way he asked her. Her other friends got balloons in their rooms that had the guys name inside telling them who was asking them. Boring!
Anyways, with the help of Aunt Chelsea we came up with a fun way to respond to Tyler. We had to keep the Pride and Predudice theme so we decided to send him on a savenger hunt looking for clues to her anwser.
This was the first clue- on the outside of the box it reads..."Mr. Balkman". When you open the box a mouse jumps out on you, hopefully scaring him to death! Ha Ha
Then he must find the clue inside the box. This clue reads..."My dear, would you be so inclined to fetch the mail for me?"

Then he must go to his mail box where he will find this letter that says..."Will you accompany me for a stroll about the park?"

That is where he will find this sign taped to the jungle gym that says..."One might want to look about the suite of the younger Miss Balkman to find the written word of Tess of the Durbervilles."

This is a fake book that we have that when you open it it's hallow and we put the remote to his DVD player in it.

When he finds the remote he finds the last clue that reads..."Press play to see a pre-inactment of the 27th day of September two thousand and eight in the year of our Lord. Post Script, do me the pleasure of only partaking in a minute of such theatrics."

We set up the DVD in his theather room so that the movie was in the spot when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth were dancing together.

While Jess and I were running around the neighborhood doing this fun activity, Clay sent me this picture of Cody to my phone. Clay is driving me crazy right now because he wants a motorcycle. (Yes, Rob thanks to you!) He knows how I feel about this, but as you can see, he doesn't care! He even has Cody in on it!! He swears he wont buy on right now, but I'm just waiting for the day when he pulls up in one! By the way that is a $400 jacket Cody is wearing and he came home telling me how badly he wanted it! In your dreams son!

Relief Society Choir

I have been given a great opportunity to get to sing in the choir at the General Relief Society Meeting on Sept. 27th. The Highland and Alpine stakes were chosen to put a choir together for this session of Conference. The bishops of all the wards in these stakes choose 5 people from each ward to participate in this choir. I was so lucky to be one of those 5 people in my ward to be given this chance of a lifetime.

It's interesting for me to look back at all the different places I have lived especially just the last few years and I know exactly why we were supposed to be in those places at that perticular time. When we were first given the job in Valencia, Ca. I didn't want to leave Utah because I felt we couldn't have the same quality of life in Ca. that we had in Utah. But we still went. The year we spent in Ca. is filled with the most fun memories my children and I have. We spent a lot of time together as a family going to Disneyland, the beach, whale watching, swimming and other fun things.
Then we were sent to Denver. Once again, I didn't want to go because I was really enjoying our lives in Ca. But in Denver I was able to find the most amazing preschool for Luke. Luke is our youngest and at the time was suffering with some language and developmental delays. He was terrified of being separated from me and I didn't think he would ever be able to attend preschool. I had him tested for his speech and because he qualified he was able to attend a preschool that helped with all his special needs. The women who were his teachers were amazing and both Luke and I became really close to everyone at the preschool. I know that we were supposed to be there in Denver for Luke. He is now doing so much better with his speech and loves going to Kindergarten with no problems.
After only a year in Denver we were moved once again back to Utah. Again, I did not want to move out of Colorado. We were in Utah only 6 months when Savannah was diagnosed with Juvenille Diabetes. We have been so blessed to be here in Utah where they have Primary Childrens Medical Center. This facility is so amazing and I can't even imagine going through something like these without the support of this hospital.
And now I get the opportunity to sing in the conference center during the Relief Society General Meeting. If I wasn't in Utah I would have never had an opportunity like this. Ok, I'm going to reveal a big secret of mine and that is I would love one day to be in the Tabernacle Choir. I know that is weird to some people, but it's something that has always been a dream of mine.
Anyways, back to the choir, our first practice two Sundays ago I figured we would show up and practice the songs we were going to sing. Boy was I wrong! When we arrived there they had us sign in, we sat down and warmed up our voices. Then we had one of the Stake Presidents from the Alpine Stake speak to us and he pronouced a blessing on all of us. Then one of the ladies from the Relief Society General Presidency spoke to us. We were then given a lesson on what we are to wear, when our practice times would be (if we miss one practice we are out of the choir) and then Sis. Webb got up to speak. Sis. Webb is the conductor of our choir. It's her calling to conduct all the choirs that sing in Conference, except the Tabernacle of course. She also arranged all the music we are singing. She is the most amazing women I have ever had the opportunity to meet. She doesn't just teach us our music, she inspires us every week. The first week she taught us how to connect our hearts with our faces, so that we look and express our feeling in our face that we feel in our hearts. She told us when ever we enter into a room to "add to the room, don't take anything away from it". And if we are dealing with opposition to say "Bring it on"!
I left the first practiced so inspired and ready to change my life. And the next week was even better. As soon as we started practicing our music the spirit was so strong in the room it was almost sufficating. It was hard to breath, let along sing. We had another women from the Relief Society Board talk to us and she gave this great quote "The opportunity of a lifetime rests with in the time of the opportunity".
We were told not to take offensive easily and she gave a example of how she could of easily taken offense and didn't. She was given her first assignement from Sis. Beck (the R.S. General President) and when she thought she had completed it, Sis. Beck told her "good job, now lets do it again". She has been told this three times now by Sis. Beck. She explained how she could of easily been offended by this, but she didn't and she has learned from each "try" and will continue until the assignment is done correctly.
Sis. Web read this quote from Brigham Young to us right before we left choir practice and challenged us to do what this quote asks this week in our personal lives.

"Strength the Hands of Your Fellow Beings"

If you feel evel, keep it to yourselves until you overcome that evil principle. This is what I call resisting the devil, and he flees from me.
When you are influenced by the Spirit of holiness and purity, let your light shine;but if you are tried and tempted and buffeted by Satan, keep your thoughts to yourselves-keep your mouths closed; for speaking produces fruit, either of a good or evil character.

If persons think they have greater sorrow and affliction than any others, when they reveal that sorrow and affliction, it produces fruit. You frequently hear brethren and sisters say that they feel so tired and tempted, and have so many cares, and are so buffeted, that they must give vent to their feelings; and they yield to the temptation, and deal out their unpleasant sensations to their families and neighbours. Make up your minds thoroughly, once for all, that if we have trials, the Lord has suffered them to be brought upon us, and he will give us grace to bear them; and that they do not concern our families, friends, and neighbours, we can bear them off alone. But if we have light or intelligence-that which will do good, we will impart it; but our bad feelings, our desponding feelings, our dark hours, and disagreeable sensations we will keep to ourselves. let that be the determination of every individual, for spirit begets spirit-likeness, likeness; feelings beget their likeness; and custom, custom. You know very well, by your own experience, that you are naturally inclined to more or less adopt the customs, feelings, and manners of the poeple you associate with. If, then, we give vent to all our bad feelings and disagreeable sensations, how quickly we beget the same in others, and load each other down with our troubles, and become sunk in darkness and despair! If you have anything good to say, speak it and comfort the hearts of the Saints. If you have that which tends to death, keep it to yourselves; we do not want it, for we already have plenty of it!

Frame your lives according to the precepts of the Gospel. Let your deal, walk, and conversation be that upon which an angel can look with pleasure. And in all your social communications, or whatever your associations are, let all the dark, discontented, murmuring, unhappy, miserable feelings-all the evil fruit of the mind, fall from the tree in silence and unnoticed; and so let it perish, without taking it up to present to your neighbours. But when you have joy and happiness, light and intelligence, truth and virture, offer that fruit abundantly to your neighbours, and it will do them good and so strenghthen the hands of your fellow beings.

We are given a challenge every week, and they always are something to help improve us and strengthen us. And I thought we would just be singing! This experience of being in the choir I know will change me and I'll be a better person for doing it.
And all because I moved back to Utah. Who would of guessed? Not me!

Where do I begin?

I am so far behind this week, but I'll try to catch up on everything that happened last week.
It was Cody's (3rd grade), Brittany's(8th), and Jessica's(11th) first day of school last Monday. Cody was so excited to get back to school and to see all of his "school friends" that he had not seen all summer.



Brittany loved going back to her Jr. High School and she told me her first day as an 8th grader was so much better than her first day as a 7th grader. She knew a lot more kids this year and she didn't end up eating lunch by herself, like last year.
I didn't get a chance to take a picture of Jessica before she left for school. She has to leave so early and I didn't even get a chance to see her before she took off that morning.


On Sunday Lacy and Susan (my SIL and MIL) came over for Sunday dinner. We miss having Lacy and her husband Jason over on Sunday's for dinner ever since they moved to Texas. Lacy was in town visiting the Utah crew and we were so excited to see her son Riely, who we haven't seen since he was a month old. He is now six months old. Cody loves Riely and never pass on opportunity by to hold him. He is always asking me for another baby brother (thanks Lacy), but that isn't going to be happening! I feel bad that I'm not more emotionally strong so that I could have another child. But five was my limit. Someday he'll understand that.

Cody had his first football game on Saturday. He is on the Highland Knights team. We played the Alpine Knights who are supposed to be the best team in the league. And the team that we lost to last year during the finals. When we first arrived the other team was already warming up and looked so professional, I was starting to get really worried we were going to get our bottoms kicked! But in the first quarter their teamed fumbled the ball on their 10 yard line, right when we thought they were going to score. On the next play one of our boys ran it 70 yards for our first touchdown. We scored again and at half time the score was 13-0. Cody couldn't wait to run over to me on the side lines to tell me the score. I of course reminded him that he needed to focus on the game and not on the score, but inside I was just as excited as he was. We won the game with the same score and I have to admit I was bitting my nails the entire game. It's so much more competitive than any other sports my kids have played. But it's really fun and I can't wait until next week for our next game. Cody plays both offense and defense and is almost always on the field. At first I was concerend because he was never getting a chance to rest and get water. But he told me at half time that he was having so much fun he didn't even realize he was thirsty and he never felt tired. Clay is the Defensive coach so he is allowed to be on the field with the boys. He told me that at first when he was on the field when he saw the other teams offense line up he started to get ready to tackle them and then had to remind himself that he was the coach and couldn't do that. I told him that would of made a great story on the news "235 pound coach tackles 75 pound boy".
He really is loving it and couldn't believe how much Cody reminded him of his brother Cody. He told me he even runs like Cody. I could tell Clay was on cloud nine that morning!

After the football game Kym (my SIL) and her husband Martin invited us out for a day on the lake. Now, my kids have never been water skiing before and were so excited to give it a try. Martin was so patient with all the kids and by the end of the day all the kids were wake boarding.


Even Clay had to get in on the action. Even though he is paying for it now, he is so sore!

Poor Clay, he is so big in the shoulders that none of the life vests would fit him. And yes, he is going to kill me for putting this on!
Luke was very worried about there being sharks in the lake. And it took him so time before he would really believe us and actually got in to swim. And with Clay's help he even took a spin around on the wake board.

After all the water fun Martin let the boys take over at the wheel. Kym was not happy when Martin stepped out of the way so that I could take this picture of Cody driving the boat. Yes, he really is driving right then!
We are all really happy for Kym, she is pregnant and due in January. This is her first child and it's a girl!!! Kym has been waiting so long for her prince charming and last November she finally got him and not to long after that she got pregnant. We couldn't be more happy for her and it's so great to see her so happy as well. Kym was our official flag girl and had to use her sun dress as the flag because we lost the real one. She even got out there and surfed while she is pregnant. Way to go Kym!


The thing the kids enjoyed the most was just swimming when ever we stopped the boat. We were at Utah Lake and you can tell from the pictures it's a totally gross lake. I wouldn't even get in it!

First Day of School, well at least for one of them!

Well here is my sweet Savannah on her first day of Jr. High School. Today was her first day of school but only for the 7th graders. The 8th (which is Brittany) and 9th graders will go on Monday, with everyone finally together on Tuesday. Cody and Jessica start on Monday along with Brittany, while poor Luke has to wait until the 25th to start Kindergarten.
Savannah and I were especially nervous for this first day because Savannah has Juvenile Diabetes, rather known as Type 1 diabetes. She was diagnosed back in Feburary and she has learned how to manage this disease mostly all on her own. She has to test her blood sugar just before she eats, and if she starts to feel low or high. Then she gives herself injections of insulin 10-15 mins before she eats, anything. It was pretty easy for her to monitor when she was in Elementary school because her whole class knew about it and didn't mind when she whipped out her tester during class to test herself. But now that she is at the Jr. High there are less people who know about her situation and she is embarrassed to test and inject herself about those kids. Most of her teachers don't even know yet about her situation. She was concerned that the teachers wouldn't let her out of class so that she could test herself. I talked to her about how everyone would understand and I think she was a little more at ease. But this morning I could tell she was pretty nervous.
When Savannah blood sugar gets to low she starts to get shaky and really irritable. She needs to test herself immediatly and get something into her body that will shoot up her blood sugar and quickley. She carries fruit snacks around with her everywhere in case this happens. I also have a stash in my purse with me at all times and in the car. We can't be caught off guard and not be prepared. I also have to carry around an emergency shot with me everywhere in case Savannah goes unconscious or starts having a seizure. This shot is a large dose of insulin that you give a diabetic before you call 911. I keep one in my purse, in the car and in the house at all times. We also had to bring one to school to give to the nurse there, in case anything happens at school.
Here is a picture of the needle she uses everyday to give herself her injections (the one on the top)
The next needle is the emergency needle I would have to use. As you can see from the size of the needle there is a big difference between the two.


Thankfully we have never had a need for the emergency shot and hopefully never will!!
I really didn't mean to get into all this diabetes stuff but I thought you would would find it interesting.
By the way, I just started on Tuesday reading the Twilight books and I love them!!!!!!!!!!!
I have finished the first two books and am now just starting the third. I can't wait until the last one!! I can't believe I waited so long to start them, but I'm kind of glad because at least I have all four books to read and I don't have to wait for one to come out! I love Edward!!!

Wow! What a week!

It all started last Sunday while we were at Church. Of course it was during the Sacrament, when Luke came over to where Clay and I were sitting and told us his tooth was all "crazy". We didn't understand what he was trying to tell us until he pulled his bottom lip down and showed us this dangling tooth. This is Luke's first loose tooth! We tried wiggling it but Luke kept telling us to stop because he was afraid we were going to hurt him. So he quietly went back to his seat and sat there wiggling it, non-stop. After only a few minutes he was back and crying that he just wanted it out "right now"! So Clay took him into the bathroom and yanked the thing out! Luke and Clay came back into the Chapel with a bloody paper towel sticking out of Luke's mouth, but he was so excited and proud it was hard not to laugh.

The next morning Jess and I spent over two hours sitting at her High School in the counseling office waiting to meet with her couselor so we could get her schedule changed for this new school year. Jess has changed her major from Interior Design to Pediatric Nursing. All her classes she is registered for right now are for Interior Design and we need to get them changed to Nursing. It took about 45 mins after the long wait to get all her classes changed because all the ones she needs to take were already full. But we got it all worked out and she is even signed up to take two college courses her first two periods of each day. She will take them down in American Fork at this school that offers these college course to high school students and then after she is done she will head back to Lone Peak (her High School) and finish out the day there. Her college classes are medical classes she needs for her nursing degree. I can't believe I have a child taking college classes already!

Thankfully there is a guy in our ward named Tyler who is one of Jessica's best friends who is taking classes at this same place and same time as Jess. So he will drive her there in the morning and take her back to school when they are done. I don't have to worry about dropping her off and picking her up! The funny thing about her friend Tyler is that his mom grew up in Tustin which is in the same stake I grew up in. Her name is Debra Paul and her younger brother Brad Paul was friends with my brother Tom. Debra lives close by us now and the first time I met her she told me where she was from and I told her where I was from and she asked me if I knew of her brother Brad who was close to my age, and I told her how we used to hang out sometime and she just about fell over. Anyways, now are kids are good friends. Crazy how things happen!

The next day I took the kids to the Gateway Mall in SLC and we went to the Discovery Museum. It's more for Luke's age but all the kids had fun goofing around and guess what Libby, Jessica even came with us!! Here the kids are pretend to be on the news and doing the weather report.

This is a big fan that when you put different things inside like coffee filters and paper airplanes you can watch them shot up!

Here is Jessica learning how to send a signal. This is how they used to do it back in the "olden days" Or that is how Jessica put it anyways!

Of course the rock wall was popular for all the kids!

And Cody of course had to strike a pose while on the horse!
Why is it fun for kids to pump gas and not for adults?

This was really fun for the kids, they had a real life flight helocoper for the kids to sit in and it even had real sound effects and lights. Wow! I told the boys to pretend like they were the news people and this is the pose they gave me. I guess they don't watch the news very often!

This part of the museum was so much fun. They had these tubes every where and all these different ways of getting the balls threw them. This one part was a vaccum, kind of like a bank teller, when you stuck the balls in they got sucked up threw all the tubes. Luke was at this place for almost a half an hour. I need to figure out how to get one of these things in my house!

This was the constructing area where you build tall buildings. This crane is what the kids used to lift the heavy(Styrofoam) blocks to the area where all the constructions is happening!

After the Discovery Museum we headed over to the Planetarium. It didn't have as many things to do like the last museum, but it was still fun. Here the kids are taking a walk on the moon! Amazingly this part of the moon had oxygen.

Here they are on Mars. Once again this planet has oxygen and apparently a Hot Dog on a Stick. (Jess's drink)After walking around we decided we needed to sit for while so we went to one of there 3-D movies. It was about the International Space Station and they showed the shuttle taking off and how the asternaunts live up there for months. Really cool especially in 3-D
And we got to wear these awesome glasses!

After our long day we finished by going to the Olympic fountain and letting the kids cool off.

The next day was another big day for us. It started with me sitting at the Jr. High for three hours helping with registration. The PTA president of the school happens to be my good friend and neighbor, so I have a feeling I'm going to be spending a lot of time volunteering there through out the school year.

After that I came home picked up Jess and we headed to the DMV. Yes, Jessica is now a legal driver, so any of you who are driving the streets of Utah Co. Beware!!!
She only has her permit right now, so I have six months until she is on her own and stressing me out!

After the DMV we came home and changed and went and Jessica received her patriarticle blessing. It was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget. I'm so proud of Jess, she is a wonder daughter and sister. She has really tried hard this summer to get herself ready to receive her blessing. She attended EFY and has almost read the entire Book of Mormon, just since the first of the summer. She is a great student and is very determined to go to college and become a pediatric nurse. She also wants to travel all over the world and help children who are less fortunate and who cannot afford medical care. Her blessing promised her she would be able to do all these things.