The Beatty Beehive

Austen is the Bass-masta!!

2011-03-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Whether it's jazz band or the orchestra, Austen puts his talents to good use. He loves playing his bass and and guitar. The only draw back is hauling the gigantic thing around, you almost have to rent a moving van...

Preference Dance 2011

2011-03-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

Naomi decided to ask someone to Preference this year since she is now 16 and ready to start dating. She bought a bunch of banannas and strung them on curling ribbons. She hung a bunch of them in his locker and had some hanging out. Inside on a big bananna leaf she wrote: "I'd go banannas if you would go to Preference with me". Then she signed her name on one of the banannas.

He answered her back with a big bottle of cheese balls! "Hope this isn't cheesy, but I would have a ball at Preference with you"

They went repelling for their day date. It was Naomi's first time to repell and her dates as well. They had a fun time and only came home with a few scraps and scratches. Then they had a really nice dinner at one of her friends house and went off to the dance. She really had a great time and was excited that it went well.

Naomi's First Date!!

2011-03-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

Naomi turned 16 this year. She is such a sweet, adorable and kind girl. Dad has a little tradition that he got to carry on with his last little girl... he gets to be their first date. He leaves the house and comes back in a while. He comes to the front door with a rose and tells me where they are going and what time to expect her home. Also, at some point during the evening he gives her a brand new CTR ring to remind her that in her dating times she needs to always choose the right and other little tidbits of advice. Such a fun tradition and marks the beginning of a great time in her life!

Austen's first love!!

2011-03-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Austen has really been busy improving his skills in basketball. He loves that he has grown to 6'2". He finished city league ball in January, played a little church ball in February, even helping them to a regional win! Now he begins his season with the border league where they play every weekend at different places around this area.

Presten's New York results!

2011-03-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

Presten has returned from the Great West Conference Championships in New York. They were held in the National Armory Building which also houses the Hall of Fame. The track was on the third floor of the building. He placed in the Triple Jump!! Not bad for a freshman in his first collegiate indoor championship meet. He had a really great time sight seeing in New York.

Presten Goes to New York!

2011-02-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

Presten is going to New York for the GWC Indoor Track and Field Championships! It will be bitter cold there this weekend so thank goodness it is all indoors.
He is competing in the Long Jump, Triple Jump and maybe High Jump!
Go Presten..... We love ya!

Start of a Great Year!

2011-02-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

Tia was teasing me about not keeping up with my blog, .... I'll show her! :) I'll blog about the most exciting month EVER! (warning: this is lengthy... but soooo worth reading!)

A year ago I planned a girl friend getaway with my college buddy Loni. We set aside four days at a nice hotel in SLC to scrapbook and visit as late (or early) as we wanted. This was all going to begin on Thursday Feb. 3rd.

Everything was going fine until Wednesday morning we get a call from our friend at the Post Office. He said... "hey, I think there is something down here that you guys might be waiting for. Would you like to come get it?" I was shocked! I thought that Presten had his mission call sent to his college apt. So... Rick went to pick it up and there it sat on the shelf... waiting for Presten to find his way home to open it. Unfortunately a whole big mess was about to begin....

The plan was that I would miss my first day with Loni, go get Presten and bring him home to open his call on Thursday night, then I would take him back early Friday and join up with Loni. Then Rick called and said... " I thought I would be back from this trip to California by Thurs. night, but it's looking like it won't be until Friday. Just go ahead and open the call without me. Just call me." Then half an hour later Presten called and said... " Mom I can't come home on Thurs. cuz I have a lab early Fri. morning. Can you just get me Friday afternoon?" I tried to be positive and happy as I told him that I would be leaving my getaway, Naomi wouldn't be there, and Dad wouldn't be home til late. Needless to say... Presten was exasperated. He finally gave up trying to find a solution and hung up frustrated. I was so sad for him. I was trying to make it all work out so that the family could be together for him to open his call, but these were some big hoops to jump through. I called him back and told him not to worry about anything... I would be there to pick him up on Friday afternoon when he got out of class.

So here's the run down of my "four day getaway-missioncall opening-volleyball tourney-husband traveling-daughter turning 16-and a surprise on the end" weekend!

Left first thing Thursday... drove to north side of state... scrapbooked and visited until 2:30 a.m.... Friday...scrapbooked and visited until 1:00 p.m. drove to Presten's... then drove to south side of state... collapsed on the couch while everyone went to the basketball game... smiled big and hugged my son after he announced he was called to serve in the Paraguay, Asuncion mission... stayed up late talking with family... Saturday...got up at 4 a.m. and drove to north side of state...Presten back to school, and Naomi to her volleyball tourney... returned to my girlfriend getaway and scrapbooked and visited until 2:30 a.m... Sunday... got up took a long bath... packed up my ginormous suitcase of supplies... drove to the south side of the state... got home in time for the superbowl... at half time Tia and Ben announced that I was going to be a grandma!!!!!!... got the best night sleep in four days... Monday...took my youngest daughter at 7 a.m. to get her drivers license cuz she turned 16 that day!!! Whew... what a weekend... I can't stop smiling!!!!

May 2010... part 5

2010-10-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Presten received General Sterling Scholar for HHS!

Presten was the Senior Class President and conducted the graduation ceremony. The funniest moment came right after his singing group (The Rising Sons) sang an awesome arrangement of "Go the Distance". Presten sings this amazingly high note at the very end. Right after that he had to announce the next speaker... he started to speak and his voice was still in falsetto mode, he then cleared his throat and spoke in a more bass/baritone range. Everyone laughed!!!
He was a highly decorated graduate and we are so happy and excited for him. He is going to do great things in the future.

Presten is presented one of the National Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarships. It was a great evening. The Elks Club really gave out some amazing scholarships and awards to students!

May 2010... part 4

2010-10-21T20:48:00.001-07:00

Presten and his teammates take the
STATE TITLE in Track!!!!
This is Presten's second consecutive year
with a title!
He performed well individually also
earning 2nd in the Long Jump.

Presten's 4x100 relay team set
a NEW SCHOOL RECORD!!

Tia and Ben have "his & hers" fishing poles!

Tia was thrilled to show off the flashing lights

as she reels in her catch!!!

May 2010... part 3

2010-10-21T20:27:00.001-07:00

We spent Memorial Day at the Ranch!

Naomi practiced up on her bow skills!

She is really getting good!

Presten had fun target shooting with the 22 single shot.

He still has good skills!

Austen showed us his amazing skills by hitting

the pop can targets... 12 times in a row!

Tia and Naomi passed time playing cards.

Why does Tia have a spoon in her mouth?

Rick took some of us clear out to the knoll

to check on his wind monitor. He is really

excited about the possibilities of having a

wind generator someday.

(a side note: Naomi rode the 4 wheeler out

there, and Austen rode the motorcycle... that

was no small feat considering it is mostly sand

the whole way. :)

May 2010... part 2

2010-10-21T20:19:00.001-07:00

Ashli and Josh moved to Logan. It was a fast and furious weekend of packing, traveling and unpacking. Their house is so cute and fun. They are so happy and excited for great adventures!!

Austen was the lone bass player in the Spring orchestra concert. He really enjoys playing the string bass and the electric bass!

Let's try a new format here...May 2010 recap part 1

2010-09-21T13:29:00.001-07:00

As a freshman, Naomi really did well this year. She enjoyed running the 2 mile. Ugh... who could enjoy running that far? :) She would beat her own record nearly everytime she ran. She has such tenacity and grit and perseverance. She also wanted to throw the javelin. This proved to be a bit more challenging only because there were a lot of girls trying to practice throwing and only 2 javelins to use. By the time she would return from her long distance running and training they had locked up the equipment and she wasn't able to practice much. That didn't deter her. She would throw when she could. Gradually through the season she was improving and doing well in the meets. At region she was unexpectedly asked to throw for Varsity. She did great and ended up coming in 6th overall in region.

2010... RECAP... April

2010-09-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

So... the Beatty family was feeling really musical at the beginning of April. Both of the boys were able to be a part of the Grad Night fundraiser... Broadway Magic!!

Larson and his friends were the most adorable lions! Doing a dance to "Gonna Be a Mighty King"!

Larson discovered the box with all the Bows in it. Of course his curiosity took over from there. Rick was excited to show him how they work. They ordered a new string for the recurve bow and Larson couldn't be happier. Surprisingly.... Naomi really took a liking to shooting the bow and has really become good at it. She got to show off her skills at girls camp and loves going to the ranch to practice up.

Austen was working on his camping merit badge and got to do some repelling this summer. He was the first one off the top and did a fantastic job. He is definetly an outdoor adventure lover.

Austen was also in the Broadway Magic show. They performed a dance to the High School Musical song "Gettcha Head in the Game". He and his buddies were right in the middle of the Border League Basketball season so this was a way to have fun and workout too!!! They had so much performing and especially loved the screaming fans! It was really fun to watch.

Recap... 2010... March

2010-09-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

Naomi has decided to throw the javelin and to run the 2 mile for the Track team. She spent an afternoon with her state champion big sister getting some great tips for throwing. (Just a side note... Naomi ended taking 6th overall in the region. Not bad for a freshman!)

Naomi was also playing on a club volleyball team. She is becoming quite a good passer and Coach Q. teases her about her "ice" serves. They are impossible to return. She loves, loves, loves volleyball!!

Occasionally we capture the really silly side of our dad. It was fun for us to see him smiling and feeling good enough to joke around with us.

Austen played in a basketball border league. He really is becoming a great post player and developing some awesome skills. He isn't smiling here because he was so stinkin mad that they lost to the Snow Canyon team.

2010 Recap... February... continued!

2010-09-01T17:37:00.001-07:00

Presten participated in the Simplot Games this year.
It's one of the largest indoor track meets for highschool students.
He had to jump 21 feet just to qualify for the finals.
There were only about twenty that made it out of nearly 100 jumpers.
Presten did great considering it was some of his first jumps of the season.
It was a great experience, and lots of fun to watch.

2010 Recap.... FEBRUARY

2010-09-01T17:28:00.001-07:00

Something musical.....

Kelli held a private recital this year for her piano students.

They all worked really hard and performed fantastically!

Something to smile about.....

Naomi got her braces off the same day as one of her best buddies... Tory!

Don't they look pretty and straight?!

Before.....

After....

A Quick Recap of 2010.... so far!

2010-09-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

January....

Austen makes it into the Hurricane Idol finals... and does a fantastic job!!!

He sang... "I Just Haven't Met You Yet" and "SOS". Way to go Austen!

Rick and the boys play a little two on two after one of Austen's city basketball games.
What's up with the wolverine shorts Presten? :)

Life is Good!

2010-02-09T20:42:00.001-08:00

I know, I know here I go again trying to play catch up. It was a busy couple of months and time is just slowing up and it's already February.

Tia and Ben's wedding was amazing and beautiful. They are such a cute couple and so in love!
Christmas was...somewhat subdued, but still a joyous and fun family time. (photos next time)

Then came Hurricane Idol in January and that nearly took over my life. My poor family was just about to throw me out a window, but we all survived and it was an awesome fundraiser.
Austen tried out this year and was selected as a finalist for the final night in his division. He was so fun and energetic on stage. It was a thrill to watch him.

Ashli and Josh are just starting into winter semester and making plans to transfer up north so that Josh can pursue his career in wildlife management. Ashli is hoping to teach History and coach soccer.

Naomi is full into club volleyball and has frequent tourneys up north (which I hate in bad weather)! She just completed a training course called fast track. She was running up to 19 MPH. Isn't that so cool??

Presten is gearing for track season by competing in the Simplot Games next week. I think he will do really well, and will surprise himself.
He has had a couple of colleges interested in him for track and a couple for academics and leadership. I hope something good comes of it!

Larson is non stop entertainment and I love having him around. He keeps me happy and smiling. His happy personality is so fun to hang around with!

Rick has spent the last week (plus one more week to go) at a Health institute in San Diego trying to find solutions and options for himself and his condition and pain. We are hopeful!

As for me I am working part time, and teaching piano to 20 students and trying to keep the fort standing (among a few other things).

All in all... Life is Good!
Sure glad for good friends and an amazing family to keep me going!

TIA'S ENGAGED!!!!

2009-10-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Is it really any surprise to you who have been following her blog this past year? Yes, it has finally happened... Ben popped the question!

They surprised us with the news last night and we are thrilled! Tia was floating around on a cloud (probably still is :) )

Ahhhhh.... love is so grand!

We will let you know when the date is (hopefully not Christmas weekend, hahahaha)

{ I'm serious Tia... not Christmas weekend}

Love to all the family!!!

No more injuries...

2009-08-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

I know it's back to school time, because all of my kids are back to sports too!!!

Naomi is sporting a beauty of a bruise on her hip from playing volleyball. (We've since determined that she is most likely diving wrong) She broke some blood vessels and it looked... colorful!

Presten started in with football pads and had to ice some swollen and sore shoulders.

Austen was going for the goal, slipped and landed on a previously injured elbow.

Isn't Larson sweet? Tying big brother's shoes?

I am hoping that we'll get all the injuries taken off right off the bat and we'll be good for a while!!

Post script.... Since this was written Austen has jammed his thumb a real good one and sprained his Achilles Tendon. Oh joy... it continues!

First Day of School!!

2009-08-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

I am really not happy that school is already starting. The summer just went by way too fast. I didn't play enough. It might be because of the fact that my kids aren't little anymore. They were working, working, and working, plus scout camps, swimming lessons, volleyball camps, football and basketball clinics, etc.

It's a good thing that we didn't try to schedule a real family vacation, because I seriously don't know when it would've been "squeezed" in.

Nevertheless....

First day of school is always such a bummer for me, but the kids are mostly excited to get back!

Cutie pies... I miss them!

Presten's new wheels

2009-08-26T11:43:00.001-07:00

I know some mothers out there would freak out, but I am actually really excited for Presten to have his new wheels.

He has been waiting for a long time and has gone through a lot of garbage just to get to drive his motorcyle, but finally everything is all in place and he has a new sense of freedom and independence.... and I get my car back!!

She's leaving me.....

2009-08-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

Tia hates to pack!!! I hate it too!! It just means that there will be one less person at my table, one less person to wait up for at night ("there's a double meaning in that:)", one less radiant, fun, laughing, child home.

She is so happy to be getting back to college and with friends, late nights, music classes, etc. etc. but I will miss her terribly.

Good thing she is only 1 hour away, and I can talk her into coming home pretty easily!!

For not liking to pack she sure has a lot of stuff!!

Panic to Beauty

2009-08-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Tia came running into the house shouting "Mom...., Mom..., Everybody...turn off the video, hurry up!"

My heart fell to my shoes, I instantly went into worry mode. Was she hurt??? Did she crash??? Did someone give her a ring???? (sorry, can't help myself)

Her excitement was over this amazing sunset in our very own backyard. I am so glad that she is a lover of beauty. She sees it everywhere and wants to share it with everyone.

We were talking about it later and Presten told us that during "heck week" for football, when they were practicing in the evening... Coach Pearson would halt practice and have all the players turn and look at the sunset while commenting that we have the best sunsets in our part of the country.

Being an Arizona girl I would almost disagree, but this particular one was out of this world!

Like Father... like son

2009-08-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows Rick, knows the many stories of head and mouth traumas that have occured in his lifetime. Our oldest son is following in his footsteps by having his own series of head and mouth traumas. Can you remember the post about Presten breaking his tooth at basketball practice? Well, Dr. Hatch miraculously repaired the tooth and all was well. Then....

Presten was celebrating one of the few times he wasn't working this summer and actually had time to hang out with friends. They were swimming and having a great time. Presten has recently learned to do a "gainer" and was demonstrating it when the board that he jumped off of came up and whacked him in the head mid flip. This caused a jar to the head (obviously) which slammed his mouth shut and broke off the tooth that Dr. Hatch had so marvelously replaced.

When I got the call from Presten, I told him to walk next door to Dr. Hatch's and ask if he could help. Once again it was after hours, once again Dr. Hatch had company and plans for the evening, once again Dr. Hatch's assistants were unavailable, and once again he came to our rescue.

There was no finding the broken tooth this time so that we could put it back on, so he "built" a new one for Presten. Boy, did he do a great job. Amazing! You can't even tell. He will have to get something more permanent in the future, but we are going to wait until football season is over!!

Before.....

After....

By the way... Presten had this huge gash in the top of his head... I wanted to go get stitches, but he said "No Way". I think the tooth trauma was enough for one evening! Besides boys like scars right?

Pioneer Day Part 3

2009-08-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Can't let the day go by without recognizing the most adorable pioneer day birthday boy ever!!

(for some strange reason my pictures won't upload... cute photo coming later!!)

Larson gets the whole town out to celebrate his birthday!! We had lunch with G'ma B. and aunts, uncles and cousins, then did a little birthday shopping and later lit off fireworks! What a great way to spend the day!

Pioneer Day Part 2

2009-08-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

Foot races are always part of the fun tradition of Pioneer Day. Naomi was working so it was just Austen and Larson having the fun.

Notice Larson has his lucky feather in his hand. (it's actually from his headband from the parade) :)

Austen had a slippery start, but still made a good showing!!

Pioneer Day Celebration!

2009-08-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

Larson (aka "birthday boy") is the only one left in this family that can ride in the primary children's July 24th parade. The leaders told them to dress up like their ancestors that crossed the plains.

We have been having many discussions about Dad's indian heritage (Cherokee) so Larson decided that he would dress up as one of his ancestors... the indians.

That lead to a great story about how the Toquer indians really did help many of our other ancestors in settling our little valley.

Larson loved being different and I think many of the parade watchers enjoyed the variety as well.

The Johnson Reunion

2009-08-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

This year's reunion was held at Crytal Springs. It is a natural hot spring with pools, jacuzzi's, and water slides. We camped, ate, swam and had a blast! Here are a few of the highlights. Thanks to Kristi and Paul for fun fun time! The family videos were especially entertaining!

Cut... then Promoted!

2009-08-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

This week was volleyball tryouts for the highschool volleyball team. Naomi was a little bit nervous, but felt fairly confident that she would at least make the freshman team. There were a lot of girls trying out and that always means nothing is for sure. She worked hard and hustled. She anxiously waited all afternoon until the list was posted at 5:00 p.m. Holding her breath, she walked up to the door then turned and smiled. She had made it through the first round.

She headed back for the second day of tryouts with renewed confidence. She knew that she could make this team. She served, she passed, she hit, she hustled, she sweat, and then she had to wait.

Later that afternoon Mom gets a call from Coach. He wants to move Naomi up to the Varsity gym so that she can progress and learn faster, but is she ready for it? Can she handle it? After consulting with her big sister Tia, we decide to encourage her to take on the challenge and give it her very best shot.

In the mean time, big brother was at the highschool doing senior stuff and ran into Coach. He had the final list in his hand and was talking about Naomi to Presten, saying that he just didn't know if she was ready for the challenge, then crossed Naomi's name off the list in his hand. Presten started to feel bad and concerned for his little sis, until he realized that by crossing her name off the list it meant that Coach was promoting her to the Varsity gym. Whew!!!!!

So we went down to "the door" to see the list. On a list of seventeen girls Naomi's was the ONLY one crossed off. It almost looks like they changed their mind and cut her after all.

Good thing that we knew she was promoted!! That could've been a whole box of kleenex and several chocolate bars just to repair the self image. :)

Tia's Dream House

2009-08-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Earlier this spring I was on a volleyball trip up north with Tia. We stopped in on 4th South at the CNG gas station and next door was this amazing house. Tia fell in love with it. She and grandma J. went over to explore and got "caught" by the security guard. He told them that they have homeless people and vandals trying to get in all the time. He told her that she could go ahead and take pictures though. We love the style. We have fun making up stories about how our lives would be if we lived in that house.

This past summer Tia found herself once again at the Fisher Mansion. She wandered over to dream and take photos. Low and behold someone was inside and the door was open. She carefully walked up the steps and nervously called out if anyone was there. A friendly face greeted her and told her that there was an architectural class that was studying it and they were going to refurbish it and put it to good use! Tia was surprised and delighted when the friendly face invited her to look around and take photos! Who knows someday, Tia might be found sipping lemonade on the porch of her very own Fisher Mansion!

My Bow tie Boys!

2009-06-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

For the past year or so, Larson has taken to wearing this hideous bow tie that actually came from the dress up box. He is cute and adorable and can totally get away with wearing it. Everyone just smiles. You know that they are thinking.... "Clearly he dressed himself today, what mother would let her son wear that awful looking bow tie to church?"

I actually love it. Mostly because he has the biggest grin on his face and feels so handsome when he is all dressed up.

A few weeks ago, Bro. Thompson brought over a bag filled with the skinny bow ties that he used to wear in his younger days! Needless to say Larson was thrilled beyond comprehension. Bro. Thompson jokingly told him that he expected to see all the Beatty boys wearing them on Sunday.

Can you believe it? We actually convinced all of them to wear one to church on Sunday... even Presten!!! It was actually really fun to see them sorting through the bag to find just the right one to go with their outfit. (Even if the outfit was black pants and a white shirt. :))

Bro. Thompson was delighted!

We had a priest and a deacon that day wearing bow ties as well as a dad and best of all....

an 8 year old beaming from ear to ear!

Things are settling down... a bit!!!

2009-06-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

Since the last post... much has happened! I will try to catch you up!

Ashli got married to a great guy.. Josh! Isn't it crazy how life is so backwards and inside out sometimes. The last few years I have been struggling to deal with the fact that my kids are growing up and leaving our home. The home is different and the table is smaller. Now I turn around and my family is growing and the table needs the leaf put back in!!! Isn't family wonderful!

Presten had an amazing track year! He was the region champ in the 100 meter, long jump, medley relay race, and 2nd in the 200 meter. The team also won the region championship. We went to the state meet at BYU and he did well there also. State champ in the long jump, medley relay team, and..... the team took the STATE TITLE!!!! He was so happy to be a part of that!

Naomi won all kinds of awards for academics including top ten in the national testing in 7 areas. Plus she was inducted into the Junior National Honor Society. She finished up volleyball by placing second in the intermountain volleyball tourney with her team in May.

Austen is still going like gang busters. He is currently preparing to participate in the Utah Summer Games with his soccer team. He is also preparing for toe surgery in July. If he ever grows into his feet he will be towering above us all (he has already passed me and he's only 12).

Larson is non stop energy. He wants to swim EVERYDAY!! Right now he likes spending time on his new bike, playing baseball, and this week his dad taught him how to pan for gold. He was so excited to see those little gold flecks in his pan. What a thrill!

Rick is getting stronger and better every day and I am so grateful for the technology and knowledge we have in this day and age. He has such a great attitude and just keeps on moving on and smiling along the way. The garden has been great therapy too.

Tia is working part time in Springdale, and really likes working with the many different types of people who come to visit (except the grumpy, cranky ones :)) She spends nearly every free minute with the singles ward and friends. She is also taking more and more photos and getting really really good at it!

My life is crazy!

2009-04-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the table... wedding plans are in full swing. Naomi and I went to the Spendlove last weekend and spent over 20 man (and woman :)hours making the invitations. The Spendlove family were such troopers to give up time and sleeping quarters so that we could accomplish the great task. Thank you!

Now on to addressing, stamping and sending!

Loni was down right amazing in her skills of helping me find a dress.

She was just short of "faster than a speeding bullet and leaping tall buildings!!"

We are busy, but so blessed to have such awesome family and friends helping us out!

A big thanks to all!!!

Hurry and Catch Up!

2009-02-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

So I know it's been awhile since I posted. Thought that I would bring you up to speed! I have not been sitting around being idol... no pun intended! I have been busy with the preparations and putting on of the Annual Hurricane Idol Fundraiser. It is a ton of work, but so worth it. We were able to raise just over $4,000 for the HHS Grad Night committee to use for the seniors. My family is so incredibly supportive... especially Rick. They have to endure wimpy or no dinners, dirty laundry and house as well as a mom who is psycho and on edge for several weeks. But it's all good and.... it's all over!!!!

Meanwhile stay tuned to the real American Idol and cheer on our own Hurricane girl--

Taylor Viafanua!

Also wanted to thank all of you who contributed to Naomi's temple can. They finally got to seal them up this week. She was so excited to put something in from so many of her loved ones. They had to have one of the leaders help her get it all in because she had so much. (If you happened to miss getting your letter to Naomi, please still send it!!! We are putting together a supplement can of the things that just couldn't get in. Lucky girl! She'll have two cans to open!

My days are spent being a wife, mom, piano teacher, volunteer, book keeper and maid. That's enough for now!!! But life is good and I am so happy!

Here are a few photos of past weeks! Enjoy!

Naomi got a rag quilt from g'ma for her birthday!

Presten played this amazing sax solo by ear for the sweethearts dinner show!

Naomi turned 14 and went to her first stake dance.

She said it was soooo fun!

Air "Soft"???

2009-01-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

School is out for the day and Austen called a bunch of friends to head up the canyon and have a little air soft capture the flag game. They started to arrive and the house was a buzz with boys in camo and protective gear.

(Naomi and I stood snickering outside the door at the way they were all trying to get each others attention and everyone talking at the same time:))

They left here marching down the street and heading to the trail head that leads up the wash by our house. They were energetic and spirited and excited to have some fun.

Three hours later they show up at the house thirsty, thirsty, thirsty, tired and talking about the "war wounds".

The more I heard I started wondering.... just how soft is air soft?

They didn't care... the more welts, bruises, burns, etc. the better.

The bonus was... I told them to aim at tummys and bums when they left and when they returned they were talking about getting shot in the bum too many times!!!!!!

(I didn't want to see those war wounds!! :)

They are already planning the next get together. They just need time for the wounds to heal and round up some more ammo.

Boys!!!!!!

If it isn't broken...

2009-01-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

I pride myself on being a very independent girl (get it from my mom)! I am not afraid to delve into fixing things by myself. I have been overwelmed as of lately, with broken things and all of them are way over my head in the repair category! I should probably knock on wood as I post this... so as to ward off any future breakages!

To start the year off right, my sink got majorly plugged and my handy dandy repair man (a.k.a. "Honey") finally ended up on the roof with the hose. Happily the sink was unplugged fairly quickly! Unhappily the nozzle thing on the end of the hose "broke" off in the outlet pipe and we now have to pay someone to come and take care of it.

Right before Christmas I get a call from the Sports trainer at the highschool. I immediately thought... "great! Presten has pulled his muscle again or sprained his ankle". I was surprised when he told me that Presten had broken off one of his front teeth at basketball practice. It was cracked right across the middle and looked terrible. Happily... we have a "magical, miracle worker" dentist who did an amazing job putting the tooth back on and you can't even tell where it was broken. (Also happily... the trainer had this little jar called "save a tooth" and it sure did!!!)

The first week back to school, Presten agreed to drive Naomi up to the Middle School to save me one more morning trip across town. He called me from 2 blocks away saying that his car would no longer go forward. (That would be a problem!) So I ended up making that extra morning trip, then and now every morning. Happily... we were able to get the car home so it can sit in the driveway and annoy me!

It's a new year and I am ready to get in and get Christmas put away and do some heavy duty cleaning out and organizing. The vacuum chose to give out. Normally this is something I am not afraid to jump into and figure out, but a broken latch and lack of electronically things has hindered me. I had to send that to a repair shop 3 hours away. Sadly... the cleaning bug has been replaced by other things. Happily... I still have my good ol reliable Rainbow vacuum to get by with.

Then yesterday I decide to really get after some laundry. I went to change it around, and the dryer is still running at it's same time on the timer and the clothes are wet! AAGGHH! My poor handy dandy repair man (a.k.a. "Honey") doesn't even know about this one yet. Happily... I can take the clothes over to Mom's to dry and he won't have to know for a while! :)

Gotta hurry and post this before something else breaks!

Happily... Life is still good!

Stepping into the New Year!

2009-01-05T09:10:00.000-08:00

We had a spontaneous get together for New Years! The McCoy family joined some of the Beatty family for chili, cornbread and games! It was a fun and silly time. The kids enjoyed themselves and the adults got in a game or two of their own.

(We didn't do too well with "Totally 80's Trivial Pursuit")

Papa McCoy was especially happy with the idea of celebrating a New York New Year at 10 p.m.

Turns out we like each other so much that most of us stayed up until midnight anyway!

My favorite part was getting this photo of all the shoes piled at my back door. I am so blessed to have such awesome family all around me.

For those of you who were not here... let's work toward getting together in this coming year and celebrating the gift of family and friends!

Mama has a melt down!!

2008-12-29T13:50:00.000-08:00

I was busy, busy, busy with last minute Christmas preparations. It snowed and they cancelled school (can you believe it?). So instead of doing what I needed to do, I did what I wanted to do and that was play in the snow with the kids.

We made a snow family with a mama, papa and 6 little ones! Of course by the next afternoon it was melting rapidly and the mama had a melt down. I almost followed her because there was so much to do, but life is just too short to worry about meltdowns!

So I just put my smile on and kept going. Turns out that there really wasn't anything to worry about after all...everything turned out fabulously!

What a wonderful holiday we have had.

Hope yours was as well!

Don't worry be happy!

What the heck is a tag?

2008-11-19T09:46:00.000-08:00

Okay this is a new one on me! Tia tagged me and I really hope that I am doing this right or I will feel sooooo stupid!

This is the fourth photo in my fourth folder! (say that 10 times fast) :)

Batter Up!!

Larson played machine pitch this year and it was really fun to watch him get into it so much! He could play just about every position and really got frustrated when the new comers to baseball wouldn't move, throw or catch fast enough! He is such a happy kid and I really love having him around!

Naomi runs the Butch Cassidy 10K

2008-11-17T08:40:00.000-08:00

Naomi has tenacity. She had to look that up, then decided that she liked the word. I used it the other morning at 5:45 when I was struggling to keep up as I rode the bike and she ran 3 miles.

It all started about a month ago when one of her soccer playing friends commented on how volleyball players weren't really in that great of shape, because volleyball doesn't require much running. Naomi argued with her about how hard they work and the amount of exertion that is put forth, both in practice and games. But to no avail.

Another friend who didn't make the volleyball team, decided to get into better shape for the next tryouts and decided to run a 10K. She invited Naomi to do it with her. Naomi began training and thought that this would be a great way to show her soccer friend that she was indeed in as good if not better shape than the soccer players! She even invited the soccer friend to participate with her in the 10K. The friend suddenly had something else scheduled for that same day. Hmmmm????

Naomi was diligent in her running and really came to like it.

The day of the race came. It was a chilly morning. Over six hundred participants started in Springdale and ran to the small town of Grafton. (This is well known as one of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids hideouts) Most of the course is on a dirt road, up and down hills.

I waited anxiously at the finish line. Naomi hadn't ever ran the whole 10K at one time. I was nervous, was she okay? could she really make it? could she do it without me riding a bike with her? (okay that was a silly thought, because I was always lagging behind)

Pretty soon, here she came down the dusty dirt road. She was still running and had the biggest smile on her face. She was so excited! She had done it! And then she found out..... she was first in her division! That was the icing on the cake!

Needless to say, she took that medal to school the next week and bragged it up to her friend. The friend didn't have much to say, but Naomi knew that she had proven something to herself... she really is in shape. She didn't need a 10K to prove it, you can see it when she plays volleyball!

Way to go Naomi!!

What I've learned!

2008-10-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

It really isn't fun to "Blog Blitz". I think the anticipation is the key! You anticipate an "occasional" post from me (and you know it tends to be more sporadic than occasional) and I anticipate an occasional comment from you. It works best that way! I guess I will just have to try to keep up on the blogging. It is still a fun way to keep up on all that is happening! Thanks for being good sports with my blogging lesson!

Warm Springs... Again!

2008-10-28T19:37:00.003-07:00

We love this place!!!! We invited some families to join us this time. Everyone had a friend, including mom and dad! We thought that there was going to be around 600 other people there, so we decided to go in the morning, have lunch then leave when the crowds arrived. They never came and we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

The teens played water basketball for a solid two hours, then we ate, played volleyball, ultimate frisbee, explored and swam some more! It was delightful.

Thanks to the Spendloves, Heatons, Fishers, and others who joined us!!

What are you doing for Spring Break?

Rototilling

2008-10-28T19:37:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned before, we are doing some super duper remodeling of the backyard! (Don't even get Rick started on it... it just gets him all worked up). We had a rototiller break down, so Rick rented one for the day and he a Presten went at it like gangbusters. I think if the truth be told they were really having fun with a Big Boy Toy!

Getting Wood

2008-10-28T19:36:00.002-07:00

We have been trying to get the whole family to go to the cabin so that we could enjoy the beautiful fall colors and also to clear some of the dead trees nearby, but the kids are so busy with school and "such", they can't go so Rick took the day off and we went with his mom and dad.

The boys did the cutting and the girls did the loading. We didn't do too badly either. Three loads in about 2 hours.

We ate a little bit of lunch then headed back down the mountain and got home right when the kids were coming home from school.

Now the kids get to do the splitting and the stacking!

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-28T19:36:00.001-07:00

We just held the traditional carving of the pumpkin family home evening with Uncle Trevor and Aunt Kim.

The kids all had their own pumpkins this year instead of buddying up. I think they all did a great job. There was lots of laughs, food, and pumpkins!

Presten's room

2008-10-28T19:35:00.003-07:00

Now that Tia has moved out, the traditional room shuffle has begun. Presten decided to move into her room, but refused to deal with purple walls and yellow daisys.

Enter mom (and grandma Johnson) ... we spent the better part of two weeks scrapping paint off the walls, retexturing, priming, and painting.

We were smarter this time and painted the walls white (Presten wanted black and red... a Tiger room!). I did consent to paint one wall red. That was a trick... every sample we tried was either pink or orange. Presten was happy when we finally go it RED! Then I took an idea Denise sent to my college girl for using contact paper.

I just finished painting the contact paper stripes and got them up. They really helped to break up all of the white ( I love color!)

We still aren't done, but he's moved in and we'll keep working toward accessories and bedding in the future.

I think Presten is pretty happy about it.

Presten's Goal Wall!

Larson's does his own hair!

2008-10-28T19:34:00.002-07:00

Larson has started doing his own hair in the morning. The funny thing is.... he gives each hair do a name. I have to admit he gets pretty creative on both the names and the style. Here's a small sample...

This one is... speed cruizer

other style names include: cockroach, frog legs, electrified, and praying mantis. The frog legs is my favorite because he makes two leg type things come down on his forehead. It's hilarious!

TTTIIIIMMMBBBEEERRR!!!

2008-10-28T19:34:00.001-07:00

The cold weather is fast approaching and we really enjoy having a fire in the fireplace instead of using our gas heaters ,so we have been going up to the cabin and cutting down the dead trees around it so they won't fall on the cabin with all of the snow fall. We were finally able to get Presten to go with us (it goes so much faster with two men using chainsaws).

It was his first time to "fell" a tree and he was nervous (he didn't want it to fall on anything or harm anyone), but he was also very excited. (i.e. power saw, adrenalin, testosterone)

It was just the boys and I and we got 3 loads of wood. They are good workers! Austen's main goal for the day was to get as dirty as possible, so he really got into hauling the wood to the trailer. Larson's main goal for the day was to ask us what time it was every 2 minutes.:)

Eventually Presten's saw quit working, so Rick cut our pieces bigger (about 4-6 feet) and Austen and I were having a heck of a time lifting them into the truck. Presten took pity on us (we probably looked pathetic trying to lift them) and came over and just lifted the whole piece by himself. His new name is Hercules.

He kept asking me what I was going to do when he no longer lived at home. I told him I would pay him money to come home and help me! Of course by then Austen and Larson will be grown and then all three of them can pick up the pieces and load them while I sit back and drink lemonade and marvel at their strength!

Backyard S'mores

2008-10-28T19:33:00.003-07:00

We have been doing some major overhauling on the backyard. Part of that has been cutting down trees and burning the stumps. One day we set the stumps on fire and then waited for some good coals, nothing like some yummy smores in your own backyard!

On our way to State!!??

2008-10-28T19:33:00.001-07:00

The Tigers Football team is doing awesome. We enter our first round of play-offs this weekend. They are a bunch of dedicated and fun guys who have a dream of a state championship. It is going to be fun to follow them as they work to achieve their dream. We'll keep you posted on their progress toward a state football championship!!

Ballgames Galore!

2008-10-28T19:32:00.001-07:00

(I love how Austen is resting his arm on the helmet of his teammate!)

If you can believe it... our family attended six different games in six days! Normally we don't do any extracurricular activities on Monday, but it was Austen's playoff game, so we held our family home evening activity at the stadium!! Austen caught the first TD of the night and had an awesome defensive tackle later. He's really getting the hang of blocking for the running backs too!

The next two nights were spent watching Larson play some awesome defense in the flag football league. Boy is he speedy! Next was a couple nights of football for Presten. He plays JV and Varsity, so that means two seperate nights of games! He does a great job. On the Friday night game we even got to be on the Fox News TV show. The helicopter flew in and there was all kinds of hoopla for the sports guy! It just made the game all the more fun to watch. The JV team ended their season undefeated. (more on the Varsity later).

Then on Saturday we caught part of Naomi's games as she battled for the border-league championship. Volleyball is pretty fun to watch, and she did fabulous! Whew! Six days of games! Guess what? I loved every minute of it!

Fireplace Therapy

2008-10-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

We had a bit of cold weather sneek up on us a week ago. Rick was just waiting for me to give him permission to build a fire in the stove insert that we bought last winter. Well, I gave him the okay one night after sitting outside all afternoon (probably at a ballgame). It was so wonderful!!! We all just congregated in the living room and sat watching the fire.

It reminds me of the words John Denver sang on Grandma's Feather bed...

(except the spit and chew part) :)

"After supper we'd sit around the fire

The old folks'd spit and chew

Pa would talk about the farm and the war

And granny'd sing a ballad or two

I'd sit and listen and watch the fire

Til the cobwebs filled my head.....

That's exactly the feeling you get when you sit and stare at the fire. Rick loves to tell people about his new therapy program... build a fire and then sit and stare at it until you fall asleep on the couch. I love to watch him when he falls asleep there all relaxed! The kids are especially excited to have a fire to wake up to in the morning. Unfortunately the cold spell passed and we're back to days in the 80's. So the fire therapy has been postponed for a few more weeks! But we're anxiously awaiting the nights of therapy again.

BEWARE!!! Blogging Blitz about to Begin

2008-10-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

I have been saving up on the blogs. Quite frankly life has been rather hectic these last few weeks. So I took time today to download photos from my camera and made a folder just for photos to post about. So watch out, I'm going to throw them at you all in one clump. Check back often to make sure that you don't miss any! Happy reading! (Did I get enough B's in the title?)

One Less Teenager In The House!!

2008-10-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today was another milestone in our house. We have one less teen in the house. Ashli turned 20 years old today. It is amazing to me how young that seems. I guess it's because I'm getting older. (I'm also in denial that any of my children could possibly be that old.) We don't really get to see Ashli much these days, but let me fill you in on what a great young lady she has become.

She is currently in her second year of college and doing fantastic. She loves her Biology class as well as sign language. She is a Presidential Ambassador and gets to meet new people and continue to develop her leadership skills. She is currently pursuing a degree in Radiation Therapy.

Ashli is a very talented musician. Her passion is to compose music and she is good at it. She looks forward to coming home so she can play the piano. She is AMAZING!

Ashli has great qualities. She is incredibly friendly and loves to help others. She has a strong desire to succeed and has the Beatty family spirit of competition. She sets high goals and shows great determination as she strives to reach them.

She is such a ray of sunshine in our family and we're so grateful she's ours!

Happy Birthday Ashli!!

My Table is FULL!

2008-10-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not talking about food. I'm talking about people. It was general conference weekend, tradionally we go to the cabin on Kolob and spend the day listening to conference. The rain put a damper on our plans and we didn't end up going. Tia still came down to be with us, she had a blast taking photos in the rain. (She is getting really good!) Sunday morning came and the kids were sleeping in. Rick and I sat there in the morning silence and both commented on how much we wished that Ashli would've come home to be with us for the weekend. (It's so hard when your kids grow up and aren't around for all of life's little traditions). As I was busy with breakfast in the kitchen, who should be standing at the door.... it was ASHLI!!!!! She must have heard our hearts calling for her to come home.

The most thrilling part of the day was when we all sat down to the table for lunch. Yes, we put the leaf back in and every seat was filled! (see Something is Missing post) Just like the good ole' days. We ate and laughed and visited. And just like old times Dad told a story and kept us all on the edge of our seats as he shared the skill required to sneek up on a deer while bow hunting! Hilarious!

It was awesome!!! My table was full..... with the people I love the most in this world.

Hope your table is full!

Prince Charming goes to Homecoming

2008-09-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist posting photos of Presten looking very sharp for his homecoming date! They played olympics for the day-date, and Presten and Breann nearly swept it all, from volleyball to foosball and even guitar hero. Later that evening they got dressed up and all the parents met for a big photo shoot. Don't they look cute? Breann was most excited about her new hot pink shoes. Presten wears pink well too don't you think?

Growin up to be like Grandpa

2008-09-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

So it was spirit week at the intermediate school this week, and one of the dress up days was career day. The kids all dress up in an outfit that represents what they want to be when they grow up. Most of Austen's friends were going to wear their football jerseys. Austen didn't want to do that because he thought "how likely is it that they will be pro football players"? After a few ideas tossed around, someone said how about a rancher. This was it! Austen loves to go the ranch with Grandpa Beatty. He looks forward to round ups and just hanging around all those great cowboys! So we started putting together a costume. He had the boots (Grandpa had just given them to him), he had the levis, belt and felt cowboy hat. The look was complete! The next morning Austen came downstairs all decked out in his costume looking pretty proud of his choice of careers. I kept hearing this jingling sound. I finally noticed a big set of keys fastened to Austen beltloop. I asked him about it and he said... "Grandpa always has a big set of keys fastened to his belt and they clink when he walks." Austen had even gone to the trouble of putting them on a fastner like Grandpa so he could mimick the way he takes his keys off to open a gate or door.

Ain't nothing better than being like your Grandpa... a true american rancher!

Something is Missing!

2008-09-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

Look closely at this table... what is missing? If you were a regular guest at this table you would instantly know that it is smaller. It was almost a reverent moment for me as we removed the leaf from our large family table because without the extra two seats filled it makes it a little tricky to practice the "please pass" rule. It was like missing a few links in our assembly line. Plus the silliness that happened here, the discussions about the gospel, or world events, or what they learned at school that day. I know it seems a silly thing to cry over, but I did shed a few tears only because my family is slowly leaving and it's two less people joining in on the discussion of the day.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want it any other way. I am delighted that my two oldest have spread their wings and are having the greatest adventure. BUT... our home just isn't the same without their laughter, smiles, and fun. I miss them.

Isn't it amazing how our lifes run in cycles? I am having a bit of a challenge dealing with the new cycle, but I'll adapt and about that time it will be time for a different cycle to come around.

Cherish your little families, especially around the table!

Watch Children Playing like Monkeys

2008-06-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to the mountain a few weeks ago, just me and the younger 3. We saw this sign and got the giggles.

Larson is a monkey somtimes, but always such a trooper. We take him with us wherever we go, with whoever is doing something. Last week he hung out at the summer games, and had a great time. He played football with Ashli, took photos with Tia, cheered Presten on in every race, and ate all the treats he could find. He is such a happy and adventureous kid. He is our Monkey who is always playing!

Naomi the Homemaker

2008-06-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Naomi decided that we were not going to buy any store bread for the entire summer. She made 4 loaves of homemade bread thinking that it would last the entire week. She didn't remember the fact that 1. We LOVE homemade bread, 2. Presten's new favorite snack is two peanut butter and honey sandwiches before football and two sandwiches after football!!! There is no way that 4 loaves was going to make it through the week. She was pretty posessive of that bread, but also really happy that it was so well loved. And NO it didn't make through one week.

The next week she thought... okay I'm making bread, might as well make a bunch of it to last at least the week. She made 12 loaves of bread. It took all day! She was very happy with herself, and magically the homemade bread novelty has worn off and the kids aren't consuming it quite as quickly!

In keeping with her new found homemaking skills Naomi also attempted pickled beets. She did not have to fight off family members from this one. In fact Tia left the house in protest of the stinky smell (plus she hates pickled beets). Naomi is becoming quite the little baker, but still enjoys making a batch of "cow pies" that we all love! She now wants to try a few new recipes every week. Yeah! I can leave the kitchen!

Summer Games Medalist

2008-06-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

Austen, Ashli and Presten all competed in the Summer Games!

Ashli competed in the javelin and did really great considering she hasn't thrown for over a year. She is getting geared up to throw for her school next year. She took the gold in her division. Way to go Ashli!

Presten competed in several running and field events ( the 100 meter, 200 meter, and the long jump). He also got invited by some other guys from up north to be in the 4X100 meter relay. He took the gold in each event! He is coming along really nicely with his racing as well as jumping and looks forward to helping the track team next spring! Keep it up Presten!

Austen's soccer team played and fought hard to earn the bronze medal this year. They are getting better and stronger every year. I'm sure the gold is on it's way for this group of hard fighting soccer players. Keep it up Austen!

Mom and Dad celebrate 54 years!

2008-06-10T14:46:00.001-07:00

Mom and Dad Beatty celebrated 54 years of marriage. Paulette and Eva made plans to surprise them on this special day. They got 54 balloons and wrote the many memories of the past 54 years, including birthdays of grandkids, wedding days, camping, Kolob, hunting trips, Mabel, Bandit, boats, friends, and many more. The balloons were delivered while they were on the mountain so they came home to a surprise. So many people have been blessed because these two people fell in love. Happy Anniversary!

Ashli does the Hula

2008-05-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

I convinced Ashli to move home for part of the summer. We've missed her. She has brought her contagious spirit back home and the little ones are so excited. She had a great, but trying first year of college and still can't wait to return in the Fall. She jumped into college with both feet and ended up joining the Hip Hop Dance Team and then later she switched to the Polynesian club. All while fulfilling her Presidential Ambassador responsibilities and school work. We went to see the year end Luau and she did fantastic. She made lots of friends and is enjoying the friendship of some of her returning missionary friends as well. She is an amazing young lady with a strong determination to do good, learn new things and achieve her dreams.

Moving on in Life

2008-05-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Tia has reached a great milestone in her life! Highschool graduation! She was so busy with the end of the year activities and planning graduation with the other class officers. She is working at the movie theatre and really loves that job, but is also hoping to find something in Cedar so she can get moved up there and settled in for her first year of school. She is such an amazing girl. Very independant and responsible. Mom is really going to miss having her around. As a special surprise she got a new car for graduation. She was delighted and has already taken her first road trip to BYU for EFY. She is definetly still moving on in her life!

Track star and Rebel

2008-05-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Presten has had an amazing two months. He is only a sophomore and really doing great things with his track team. He broke all of his own personal goals and was able to be on the team that broke the school record in the 1600 medley relay. They were so determined to break the state record when they went to state that as a sign of team dedication, they all got mohawks. It took all of the parents by surprise, but they are all such good boys we couldn't get mad. They did end up breaking the state record, unfortunately two other teams were ahead of them! He had a great season and hopes to continue to improve! Academically he earned several awards at the end of the year in English and Human Biology as well as being selected to be in the Leadership Academy and playing the oboe to accompany the choir at graduation. Now his main objective is to find a job where he can make big bucks fast during the summer so he will have enough cash for all of his "fun" during school.

Naomi serves it up!

2008-05-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

Naomi's club volleyball team played for the championship. They did so awesome! Naomi was playing a new position along with her defensive spot. She was a little nervous, but once she settled down, she was amazing. She had some awesome digs and hits. Several times she was up to serve when the game was on the line and she did so well. All of you who supported her with the serve-a-thon early this year would've been proud. Naomi served up a storm and had no problem hitting serve after serve over the net for her team. She has an amazing attitude and really tries hard to learn new techniques and skills. This little group of girls are going to do really great in the coming years.

Austen the Keeper

2008-05-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

Austen is the most amazing soccer player! He thrives on pressure and intense situations. Mom on the other hand is a basket case in the stands whenever he is in goal. He has learned some amazing skills. In one game he was given the penalty kick from 30 yards out (twice) and slammed the ball into the net both times to score for his team. Then in the second half he was playing keeper and had some downright amazing saves. After one particularly hard fought game, the coach of the other team came over to tell Austen how outstanding he had played and that he hadn't seen too many goalies with his kind of skills at this age. I attribute some of those skills to watching countless hours of his older sister as she too demonstrated amazing skills. Austen is a great team player and a good leader on the field. He loves the game and it shows when he plays.

Larson's got first!

2008-05-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is Larson's first year of machine pitch. He loves to play and sometimes thinks that the action is a little slow. His favorite positions are first base and catcher. Notice these are the two positions with the ball in play every time! I especially love to see his toothless smile every time he gets a great hit or makes an awesome play.

I'm Back!!

2008-05-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

The past two months have been cram packed with adventure. It is now the first week of summer and I find a little more time on my hands so I can catch you up on the last few months. The one single item that has consumed my life and caused my family much neglect is the putting together of the 2008 Senior DVD. I have looked at, editted, fixed, tweeked, and compiled over 5000 photos and video clips for the class of 2008. We had a rough start and a crazy ending, but it all turned out good and the goal was reached. Now the seniors have a great photo memory of their years in highschool. Now my family can have clean laundry and home cooked meals again!! A special thanks to my sweet husband and his neverending patience for my "civic volunteer projects". He has been so supportive and encouraging. The kids have been total troopers so I will have to make it up to them this summer with some fantastic outing and lots of treats!

Mom's New Floor

2008-03-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

Mom wanted me to send a photo of her newly refinished entry floor. Isn't it beautiful? She didn't want the "Vanna-photo" of her, but she looks so cute I couldn't resist.

Dad's Headstone finally in place

2008-03-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

Mom took me up to the cemetary the other day and we saw Dad's headstone. It was so beautiful and a great tribute to our loving Dad. It will be one year soon and we are so happy to have the headstone finally in place. Isn't it awesome?

The Sky is the Limit

2008-03-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Presten turned 16 yesterday! You would think that he would be anxious to try out his new car key ring and do some road driving... instead he did a little flying. A guy that Rick knows has built a jet flight simulator and is getting ready to ship it off. Presten was invited to come and try it out. Presten has had previous flight experience in a live environment, but this was stepping it up a notch to the jet level and it was cool. Rick had tried the simulator and did well until he had to land rather abruptly on the tricky St. George air strip (it's on top of a mountain). Needless to say... he crashed. Presten had a smooth take off and took us on a journey to Hurricane, Zion, Kolob and back to St. George with a nice SAFE landing. He thought it all was pretty sweet and said that if we wanted to make the simulator his next computer game we could. Ha Ha, those things are your average $30.00 Walmart special!! Nevertheless, Presten had a great flight and who knows what will be next for this young pilot. Hopefully he can keep his head out of the clouds when he is driving down the road! Stay off the sidewalks!

First Blogging Day!

2008-03-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone kept telling me how easy this was and how fun it would be to keep in touch. Here I am! Wow, so much to learn but what a fun adventure ahead!