Jasnchell Plus 6

LOVE.

2012-02-09T15:39:00.002-07:00

News flash: we are officially homeschooling all six kids now. It's pretty crazy. This morning I was telling Sienna to finish up her numbers and come over to start something else, and she informed me "I haven't even started my numbers, these are Jace's". So I looked over at Jace and she replied "Yeah, cuz I don't know how to do them, only the 1s." Sisterly love.

Summer days....or, you know, January

2012-01-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

I know these are out of focus... I was trying to use my good lens on a camera it is not really compatible with, and I'm not so good at the manual focus. Ooops. Oh well. Here are my littles playing outside in the middle of January with the sun shining. Mmmmm.

Braum's

2012-01-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

One of the big chains out here is called "Braums". We had never heard of it either. But, you can't drive more than 2 miles without coming across at least one or two of them. They have pretty yummy icecream. They make pretty good hamburgers. And they have a little grocery store in the restaurant, which is cool. My kids are obsessed with it.

Birthday Party, yes please.

2012-01-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

Jason has been able to make some new friends at work, and Silvano is one of our favorites. He's just a great guy, and the fact that he used to own a restaurant and makes the most amazing mexican food on the planet does not work against him. He's made tacos for us a few times since we met him, and they are always to die for. He has the nicest wife named Marisol, and 3 kids. This month it was Emely and Kevin's birthdays, so we were lucky enough to go over for dinner and a party. It was a lot of fun, the food was great, the company was awesome, and the kids had a blast. Happy birthday you two!

There were cheetos involved.

Something I love about Oklahoma

2012-01-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with the weather we have had in Oklahoma this winter. Now, I know, usually they have a few ice storms and such, but this year it has just been beautiful! We have had a few days dip down into the 30s and 40s, but generally, if that happens, the next week it has been back up in the 60s and even 70s. I mean, 70 degrees in January??? What is not to love about that?

2012

2012-01-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

Looking back over 2011, I can honestly say this has been one of the hardest and best years for our family. We dealt with severe financial stress due to the economic downturn killing the construction industry in Utah. We were on the brink of foreclosure.... more than once. We had to spend a few months apart from dad again. We packed up and moved across the country. This is the first time in our 15 year marriage that we haven't lived in Utah. With all of this though, it has still been one of the best years of our lives. We are a closer family than we have ever been....something about leaving all our other friends, family, and neighbors behind....we are experiencing the great joy that comes from knowing that you have followed the path the Lord is laying out for you, instead of the path you had planned on. (Yeah, that's right, Oklahoma wasn't exactly at the top of our "things to do, places to live" list.) We are blessed to live in a home that fits our family very well, we all have space. We are blessed to have started homeschooling again. It has been a little rough getting into the swing of it, but I feel like it is finally starting to come together. We are blessed to have great neighbors, Jack and Marcia, and we are blessed to live in a fantastic ward and have amazing callings to serve in that ward. All in all, we are so blessed to start 2012 together as a family, healthy and happy. Here's to another year of learning, growing, living, loving, and finding joy in the journey.

Christmas

2011-12-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

Christmas morning dawned bright and early in the Perry household. It was a Sunday. I love celebrating Christmas on a Sunday, when you get to go to church and be reminded the true reason for the season. This Christmas was peaceful and enjoyable. We had the kids fooled thinking we accidentally bought xbox 360 games instead of wii games, and then at the end we had them open the new xbox 360 and kinect (which, with a little black friday legwork we ended up getting for FREE), and all was right with the world once again. Love these kids, their simple wants, and their grateful spirits.

Quilts

2011-12-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

When Rae and Jaxson were the only two kids we had I got very ambitious and made them both quilts for Christmas. They still sleep with those quilts....even though they have seriously outgrown them. Well, I don't know what I was thinking, (actually, I was thinking all my kids would be in school every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas and I could sew while they were gone, not realizing that I would be homeschooling, leaving me no time to sew in secret) but I decided this was the year to sew quilts for all six yahoos. I made twin size quilts for each of them. It was a ton of work, but so fun to give to them on Christmas morning. Don't ask me how it happened, but they didn't have a clue. When I get a good camera again I'll take pictures of the rest, but here is the quilt I made for Jace, and Sienna's is nearly identical.

A Little BBall

2011-12-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

When soccer season ended, basketball season began. Katauna and Teegan both played basketball this year, and for having no experience in that sport, I was pretty dang impressed.

Musical Ability

2011-12-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

Along with mad basketball and soccer skills, Teegan and Katauna have also decided to try their hands in the musical field. For the Christmas concert Katauna played the violin and sang, and teegan played the recorder and sang. I'm pretty impressed how much they have learned in a short time. And they are pretty sharp looking too. (And I went to this concert on my birthday. Yeah, I'm cool like that.)

Tis the Season

2011-12-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to start earlier than usual on our Christmas spirit, so we put the tree up during the first week of December. I think that is a record for us. In our last house, we didn't have a lot of space for a tree, so we bought this cute little skinny tree and it was perfect. Now that we have more room, it looks like a really skinny little tree. But, it still has lights and makes it feel like Christmas, and that's its job!

Much to be thankful for

2011-11-30T16:34:00.001-07:00

I was planning on a little bit of a sad thanksgiving this year. I left Utah the night before to fly back home. I knew my whole extended family would be gathered together the next day celebrating and feasting. I had thought that we would have a couple sad little dishes and a quiet evening. Then, while I was in Utah, Jason decided that it would be fun to have the single guys at work come over, since most of them don't have family close by. Dalan and Kari helped us tackle the food, and we ended up with 24 people here for Thanksgiving. It was a great evening. We have so much to be grateful for, but most important we are glad the Lord has lead us to where we are, even if it is not always easy to understand why.

Wish Granted

2011-11-27T16:23:00.001-07:00

When we moved away from Utah and left our Stephi there with Grandma and Grandpa, I was hoping she would get engaged sooner rather than later, giving me a reason to come back and visit. Well, she went and did just that! Luckily for me, being a photographer, I got to go home twice...once for engagement pics, and once for the wedding. We got pretty lucky with the weather, considering her wedding was two days before Thanksgiving. She made the most beautiful bride, and he's a lucky guy. Rae was a bridesmaid, so she had to come with me, and she was seriously bummed out about it too, because she hasn't missed anyone in Utah at all.

Geography? Economics?

2011-11-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

As this has become a regular part of our homeschool afternoon, we are trying to figure out a way to call it school. Any suggestions?

School at Home

2011-11-04T16:19:00.000-06:00

Yes. Homeschool. I know I know, I thought I would never do it again either. But when your teenager comes to you and expresses that they don't like being at school with the foul language and filthy stories and violence, what do you do? You pull them out and start homeschooling them. Rae and Jax will be homeschooled as long as we live in OK, and I will probably pull Teegan out next year instead of sending him to the middle school. I'm actually really excited, although nervous at the same time. I really like my kids, and I really like hanging with them, so hopefully it will be a great success.Our home school shelves.

Since Jaxson wants to learn piano, we finally justified buying ourselves a keyboard to learn on. Yay!

Halloween OK Style

2011-11-01T16:03:00.000-06:00

We decided this year to go back to our old halloween traditions. Instead of trick or treating, we had a night at home, eating fondue and watching a slightly scary movie. We like this better, it felt good to get back to it. There was also a halloween party at the church the night before halloween and that was a blast.

Dallas

2011-10-31T15:53:00.000-06:00

When Shelley and her fam came to visit in August, we decided we wanted to have a girl's weekend. At first we were unsure if two mothers of six could actually make something like that happen, but then we just decided we had to do it and make it happen. As it turns out, we are both married to super incredible guys who love us and were amazingly supportive and helpful. (That's required when you have 6 kids and no family nearby and you want to leave them for the weekend.)

So, we decided to meet in Dallas, which is about the half way point for each of us. I went a few hours early and was able to run over to Fort Worth and have lunch and spend a couple hours with my friend Jamie, who I hadn't seen in quite a while. It was fun to see her and get to see her house and visit with her and her hubs.

Shelley and I got a hotel room for 2 nights and we pretty much just hung out. We went to the mall, went out to eat, did some shopping. We saw a movie in a dine-in theater, which was just about the coolest thing ever. And we talked. Talked. Talked. Well, mostly I talked and Shelley listened. We're perfect for each other like that. ;)

It was a fantastic weekend and I'm so glad we made it happen. (Thanks Jason and Mike!) We decided we should try to do it at least twice a year while we live this close to each other. There are not many friends in this world like Shelley, and it is so good to be back in touch on a more regular basis.

Sunday we went to church in a Dallas ward, before each heading home. The only bad part of the weekend was that I had a migraine the whole time... but even with that going on, it was still one of my favorite weekends in a long time. Love you friend.

Surprise Visit!!!

2011-10-29T16:53:00.000-06:00

Out of the blue grandpa Gleason called and asked what time we had church. I told him, and he was concerned it might conflict with the time their flight came in to Oklahoma City! We didn't even know they were planning a trip, but they were headed to Nauvoo, and decided to come to OKC for a couple days to spend some time with the Perry clan. We loved every second they were here!!! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for taking a trip out here to see us, and a huge thanks to Grandpa for all the work he did while he was here! You guys rock.

Steve is 11

2011-10-14T15:47:00.000-06:00

Did you know that we call Teegan Steve? Because we do. Why do we call him Steve? Well, he just is Steve. If you don't understand that Teegan is Steve, there is not much I can say to help you. Teegan is the quietest kid we own, the sneakiest kid we own, and by far the funniest kid we own. He doesn't say much, but when he says something, you can bet it will probably make you laugh so hard you will cry.
He wanted a donut cake.
He got it.

Pretending to blow out the non existent candles. Because Steve is just cool like that.

Stake Dances!!

2011-10-08T14:20:00.001-06:00

Really this post has nothing to do with stake dances, but since Rae is now 14 she can now go to stake dances, and since that is all we have heard about in our house for MONTHS, I figured it was a fitting title. What can I say about Rae? She is the perfect daughter. If every mother had a daughter like this, it would be heaven on earth. That about sums it up.

Something sad has happened at the Perry house. My camera had to go into the shop. So, beginning with this post, the next several weeks will be pictures taken on my phone. Blah. But, better than nothing, right?

The Soccer Never Ends

2011-10-03T16:16:00.000-06:00

You might think that moving halfway across the country and leaving all our old schools, friends, and teams behind might put a damper on the soccer scene. You would be wrong. As soon as they were able to, Teegan and Tauna got involved in their school's soccer club. Good thing I've always been a soccer fan.

Outdoor Festival

2011-09-28T16:07:00.004-06:00

Dad heard an advertisement for an outdoor festival one weekend, so we decided to load up the kids and take a drive. It was pretty cool. There were tents set up for all sorts of different things, and booths about everything outdoor you could think of. There was a big boy scouts area that had a ropes course and dutch oven cooking. Teegan even won himself a new bow. The food was overpriced and not that tasty, but it was a great day outdoors with lots of good exercise and fun things to see.

Not a skateboard.

2011-09-17T15:06:00.000-06:00

When I was 15 I was so in love with this boy from my neighborhood. He was so cute. And he was a skater. I mean, he was a clean cut skater, but he was still a skater. So I decided I must learn to skateboard. And I did. And I wasn't half bad. After we got all the kids ripsticks for their various birthdays last year, I thought I'd be able to teach them a thing or two. But, uh, I just gotta say, ripsticks are not the same things as skateboards. Basically, I have no skills.

We'll leave out the pictures of me falling on my you know what.

Jace is 3.

2011-09-12T14:15:00.000-06:00

I could have washed her face and her feet before I started taking pictures... but hey, this is real life. Jace is 3 years old. Sniff, sniff, I just don't know how this has happened so fast. My last baby. She's not a baby anymore. She is such a joy and holds such a sweet spot in my heart. I LOVE HER. She is also pretty dang smart, which is just a bonus. She got a bike this year too.

Bangs.

2011-08-22T14:13:00.000-06:00

Sienna had the great idea to cut herself some bangs. So, her very first haircut of her life was given to her by herself. After that, I took her to Kiauna to fix it, and I gotta say, I think the final haircut is a keeper.

First Day of School

2011-08-17T14:10:00.000-06:00

The obligatory first day of school photos. Rae and Jaxson are attending Western Oaks Middle School, as an 8th and 7th grader, respectively. Teegan is in 5th grade and Katauna is in 4th, and they are both going to Lake Park Elementary.

The Oklahoma City Bombing

2011-08-15T18:01:00.000-06:00

When I was a senior in highschool I decided to ditch school. One time. For real, I only ever ditched one time. My bff Shelley and I were going to go to the beach. Her parents were going to be gone all day, so she played sick.... and then I was coming over to her house after seminary. Well.... it totally backfired. Since she was "sick", her parents told the regular sitter they wouldn't be bringing the kids over, and they left the little kids with Shelley. So, instead of going to the beach that day, the one time I ditched, we stayed at Shelley's house and watched her brothers and sisters.

There is a point to this story. That morning, while watching TV, an announcement came across the screen about the OK City bombing. I'll always remember standing in her living room watching it.

Just a couple weeks after we moved here to OK, Shelley and her family came for a visit. (They live in Houston now). She has a gorgeous family of 6 kids. It was a houseful, and so fun. While they were in town we went to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial together with all our kids.

It was such a fun couple of days and I'm so glad they came. There is nothing in the world like a best friend and Shelley has been mine for 18 years! Love you Shell.

Sienna is 4.

2011-08-10T13:36:00.000-06:00

The little Nenna bug is 4 years old. I can't describe how happy we are to have her in our family. A better surprise there has never been. She is a joy and a sparkle in our lives. This year she got her first bike.... since our driveway is like half a mile long.

She let Jace help with the presents. They mostly love eachother.

We hid her bike in her room and then surprised her once she thought she was all done.

BFFS

2011-08-03T14:01:00.000-06:00

When we found out we were moving, we knew we didn't have a lot of time. One thing I wanted to do for sure was a photo shoot with Rae and her best friend Lizzy. We love Lizzy so much and are so glad they are such close friends! We hope they never quit being bffs.

An unplanned new beginning.

2011-07-15T17:54:00.000-06:00

We decided to save as much money as possible and make the move in two days instead of three... only getting a hotel for one night. Things went really really well. Well, except for the alternator going out on the suburban in the middle of nowhere. Lucky for us we have a super handy dad, and even luckier...the small town we were close to had an auto parts store, and luckier still, they had one alternator for our 99 GMC Suburban in stock. Phew. A few hour delay and we were back on the road. I will say for the record that being towed behind a massive moving truck was one of the most frightening experiences of my life and I never want to do it again. The end.

Our new home. We had no idea what to expect. It's older, it has funky wallpaper, but for now, it's home.

Back of the house.

Oh, did I mention we live on a lush ACRE? Well, we do.

Moving Day

2011-07-15T17:41:00.000-06:00

I think we all hoped deep down that this day might not ever come.... but it did. And it actually came really fast. Dad flew home 3 days before we moved, so that he could go to the 4th of July BBQ at Grandma and Grandpa's with us... and so that he could help us load up the truck. We had spent the whole week packing and cleaning the house, with the help of Grandma and Aunt Debra (life savers.) By the time dad got home, all that was left was throwing it in the truck.

Last night in our Saratoga Springs home.

Thanks to Aunt Debra for coming and helping us load up the truck. She went above and beyond for this move.

Stephanie came and lived with us while dad was out of town this summer. So, not only were we leaving our home, we were leaving behind a member of our family. We are going to miss miss miss her, and hope she gets married to one of the dozens of guys chasing her soon, so we have a good reason to come back for a visit.

It was a super hot day, and I think I lost a couple pounds sweating. (Not complaining.) Thanks Lauren for all your help.... especially feeding us all. You are the bomb and I will miss you a million times a million.

My first surprise party ever.

2011-07-02T17:33:00.001-06:00

I've always been one of these girls that hopes someone will throw her a surprise party. But I know no one ever will, because I hope they will. You know how this works. Well, someone finally did it. And not only that, I was actually and completely surprised. She played it off so well, let me pick the restaurant without even giving me any suggestions, stalled our arrival by dropping off a redbox and taking the route with construction. When I walked in and saw all these friends from my ward, I was baffled. And then I cried. It wasn't pretty. And then I think I punched her, because I looked like crap.

Yeah, she might hate me for this, but she threw me a surprise party without even hinting that I might want to look decent..... so, she gets her picture on my blog. Love you Sherian!

BBQ

2011-07-02T17:30:00.001-06:00

One of the things I will miss the most is the BBQs that we have at Grandma and Grandpa's house all summer long. I almost never take any pictures because I am so busy enjoying myself that I don't think to get the camera. But here is one quick shot I took at some point. Let's just say that Klark is fitting right in. Good job Ashley.

Her Bum

2011-07-02T17:29:00.000-06:00

Sienna brought this to me today and announced "Look mom! Her can see her bum!"

Friends we will miss.

2011-07-01T17:24:00.001-06:00

Thinking about leaving Utah for Oklahoma has not been easy. In fact, it has been hard. So hard that I don't want to talk about it, so I'm not going to. We know it is where the Lord wants us, and we'll just leave it at that. But I just have to say that I think my girls are going to miss their friend Kyler almost as much as I will miss his mom. Almost.

A new family campout

2011-07-01T16:59:00.000-06:00

We aren't going to be able to make it to the Perry family campout this year. The commute from Oklahoma City is just going to be a little too much. But, luckily for us, the Gleason family finally decided to start holding a Gleason family campout each summer! We wish dad could have been there with us, but we loaded up the trailer and headed up the mountains for some fun with our Gleason cousins. It wasn't that far from home, but surprisingly gorgeous and uncrowded. It was a fantastic couple of days and we hope the tradition will continue.

She took a little spill. Twice. Within about 30 seconds. It was hilarious. She didn't think so.

Ordination

2011-06-16T16:53:00.000-06:00

Thanks to our incredible bishop and a little fudging of the rules, the ward sustained Jaxson as a deacon the day before his twelfth birthday. So, Jason was able to ordain him while he was in town for 1 day to pick up the van and drive it back out to Oklahoma. It was a sweet experience that I hope he will always remember.

So glad the Spackmans were able to come and bring their boys to witness this special occasion. I know more of my family would have come, but I am lame and didn't realize it was something you can invite people to until Debra mentioned it the day before. Oops.

Our very own Deacon

2011-06-15T16:47:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not, Jaxson turned 12. He is no longer in primary, but a deacon. It's crazy for me to think about. I still remember the day he was born, not breathing, with a huge head. And how fat he got in the first couple months, leading to his nick name of "Bubba". He is a joy in our family, one of the smartest kids I know, and the best big brother to the little girls that I could ever hope for. Love you Jax. For his birthday we went to Jack and Jill's, had pizza, and played a couple rounds of lazer tag. It was super fun, and hardly any work for the mom, so what more could you ask for?

News

2011-06-10T16:46:00.000-06:00

We are moving to Oklahoma.

Summer Filth....er.... Fun.

2011-06-09T16:41:00.000-06:00

There are times that your kids make messes that require discipline, teaching, maybe a little yelling. And then there are times when your kids make messes that require nothing more than grabbing the camera and clicking away. This was one of those times.

Activity Days

2011-06-07T16:34:00.000-06:00

In Katauna's AD group they made their own modest skirts, and then had a talent show to show them off. It was a lovely evening with my tauna wauna.

Last Day of School

2011-06-04T16:38:00.000-06:00

Getting ready for summer is always a ton of fun for the yahoos. I mean, let's face it, there isn't actually any learning going on during the last few weeks, right? On the last day of school the elementary kids put on a big outdoor music show... including a performance of "thriller" by the sixth graders. I could have cropped these down to make it easier to see my kids, but hey, that would require more effort on my part and less on yours. Not really my priority.

Easter

2011-05-07T12:11:00.000-06:00

Easter this year was a much more mellow affair. We stayed here in Utah and had easter morning at home, and then headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a little egg hunt. We were really glad that dad could be here. We found out a week before Easter that he was going to be leaving us for the summer again. Work in Utah has dried right up, and it's been pretty hard to keep an income coming in. Dave got a lead on a job in Oklahoma that is a 2 year job. We were going to pass on it, because we don't want to move, especially that far away from family, but then Dave said dad could just go for the summer. So after the egg hunt at grandma's I drove dad over to Dave's house and he, Dave, and Dalan headed to Oklahoma. We don't know how often he will be able to visit, if at all, and it breaks our hearts to be without him for another summer. It breaks his heart to, to miss all the soccer and summer fun with the yahoos. But, he has always done what he needs to to take care of our family, and this year will be no exception. We miss him already!

The Ball

2011-05-03T12:03:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I feel like our lives revolve around something, and I don't mean the sun. Our lives revolve around a much smaller orb in the spring and summer. A soccer ball. As soon as we got back from St. George, soccer was in full swing again. Rae is playing for the Rage again this year, and although they are short on "W"s, it is still a lot of fun to watch them play their hearts out. They have improved a lot from last year, and they have a good sized crowd out for every game, just waiting for a chance to celebrate!

Reception Fun

2011-05-01T16:14:00.002-06:00

I just stumbled across these pictures from Ashley's reception. (Yes, that is how organized my photos are. There is stumbling involved.) Just thought I'd throw them on here. Katauna and Rae were both involved in helping the reception run, and Grandma made them their own aprons. It was a super fun night.

Cove Fort

2011-04-18T11:58:00.003-06:00

On our way home from St. George we decided to stop in at Cedar Fort and take a break from the road. If you have never been to cedar fort, we highly recommend it. It is a great dose of history, and it was a lot of fun. The missionaries there are so nice and helpful, and chatty. :)

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We can be together forever

2011-04-18T11:52:00.000-06:00

After Jaxson's final game of soccer was over we decided to do a little sight seeing. We drove over and walked around the Manti temple. Every temple makes me smile. It is just such a great feeling to be together with family near a house of the Lord. We took a few pictures there, and then put the camera away for the day. After the temple we went up to a house of one of Jaxson's teammates and had a dinner party. It was fun to get to know everyone a little better, since Jax is one of the new guys on the team. Sunday we tried to go to church..... but the ward we visited was PACKED. They were getting a new bishop that day, and combined with the hundreds of out of towners that were down there for sporting tournaments, there was standing room only. We decided to go visit the temple again and spent a couple hours in the visitor's center with the missionaries. It was a great sunday!

Soccer, Rain, and St George

2011-04-18T11:13:00.000-06:00

We were so excited to go down to St. George last month for a chance to watch Jaxson play soccer with his new team the Thunder. We rented a little condo for the weekend, which turned out perfect, it was very close to the stadium, and it had a full kitchen so we were able to eat in and save some moolah. They played 3 games, and then they were out, but we still had a great time and made a fun weekend out of it. It rained and it was chilly. But the best part was just hanging out together, having movie nights and eating popcorn, and seeing a new place.

Does she look like she's turning into a teenager?

Jaxson, putting on the speed. That is his coach Randon in the background. He is an amazing soccer coach and we feel lucky that Jax is on his team.

Rae was feeling kinda lonely, so she made herself a friend out of a camp chair, a soccer shirt, and a soccer ball for the head. Yeah, she's cool like that.

Baby Sister

2011-04-07T11:06:00.000-06:00

The last few months have been pretty big months for the Gleason Family, and we have been pretty excited to be able to see so much family so often! On March 12 my baby sister Ashley got married, so it was great to have Sherri and Karen in town again, and to have a chance to see everyone and spend some time together, chaotic as it may have been. Ashley found herself a good guy and I hope he makes her as happy as Jason has made me for the past 14 years!!! I was privileged to be able to be the photographer for their wedding, and it was a special day I will never forget.

The Whole Fam Damily

2011-03-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

While the whole family was in town for Darren's farewell, we decided to take some family pictures. There was no good reason for this, it's not like we were afraid that he wouldn't ever come back or anything ;o). We just thought, since we are all here, nothing to do, kinda dressed in coordinating colors, why not go out and take some pictures? I provided the camera and my sweet Jason provided the skill. It was freezing cold. And we all look a little pale at the beginning, getting progressively pinker and pinker as it goes along.

In this picture the guys were sitting on a bench that was covered with ice. They all had wet bums for the rest of the shoot.

This same shot was taken in a studio before David left on his mission. Darren was only 10 or so and Ashley was tiny. (Not that that has changed much).
These are my siblings, in order of age, from left to right: Sherri, Debra, Me, Ryan, (Mark would be here), David, Karen, Amber, Ashley, and Darren. Love them.

Baby Brother

2011-03-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

Not long after the trip to Cali, everyone met again in Utah. We had a big occasion to celebrate! My baby brother Darren was getting ready to leave on his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was called to serve in the Paraguay, Asuncion misison. He left in January and will be gone for 2 years. We are all so proud of him and his decision to serve, and keeping himself worthy to serve. He is going to be an incredible missionary. These pictures were taken at the Stake Center the night he was set apart, and the bottom picture was taken at lunch at Tucano's just an hour or so before he entered the Missionary Training Center. We are going to miss him!

The Last Pictures From Cali

2011-03-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I totally forgot to post these. The day we went to the Zoo, we then headed into Old Sacramento so I could take family pictures for the Carlson family. Old Sacramento is really cool with lots of neat shops and old buildings. Here are just a few pictures we took while walking around.

Another Day in San Fran

2011-02-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

We decided that one day was simply not going to be enough time in San Francisco, so we got a hotel and stayed the night. The next day we woke up and headed down to China Town. China town is one of Jason's favorite parts of San Fran, since he speaks Chinese. We went through a lot of the shops, got some chinese rolls, and did a lot of walking. After China town we headed out to the beach. Most of the kids have never been to a beach before. It was gorgeous, and, obviously, freezing. Not often you see kids at the beach wading out into the water with their pants rolled up and winter coats on. They just couldn't resist. A wave came in and toppled 3 of them, so we had a wardrobe change in the car after this experience. We took a drive through Golden Gate park, and had lunch on Haight street. We drove to Reno and stayed the night, and then headed home the next day. It was a great vacation, and I hope we remember it for long time.

SAN FRAN

2011-02-10T12:09:00.002-07:00

After the wedding, reception, and family Christmas party were over, we decided to spend our last day in San Francisco. The kids have never been there, and we thought it would make it more of a vacation. It was a lot of fun. Uncle David and Aunt Sha and their kids met us there, and we spent the day together. We saw the golden gate bridge, hung out on Pier 39, ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, saw the sea lions, and walked. A lot. We really liked the street performers and stopped to watch quite a few acts. I hope it is something the kids will remember for a long time.

Gleason Family Christmas

2011-02-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Because we were all going to California for the wedding, the Gleason family decided to postpone our annual Christmas party until we were there, so the Carlsons and Duffins could be there. This year we went without the usual gift exchange, as money is so tight for most of us. However, we did, of course, have a ton of food, and a white elephant gift exchange for the kids, and one for the adults. A fun time was had by all, and I was especially proud of my "brief" case, with a special treat inside. Always fun to get the Gleason's together.

Aunt Ashley and Jace Face, plumb tuckered out.

The Reason

2011-02-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

The whole reason for the trip was this girl right here. Kimberly Marie. She is the first niece on either side of our family to get married, so it was a big occasion we wanted to celebrate. She also got married on Mom and Dad's anniversary, so that was a special treat. Here are a few pictures of the gorgeous bride, the handsome groom, and some of the family.

It was a very touching reception. Thanks for illustrating, uncle Ryan.

Hotels

2011-01-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

Every kid knows that the best part of traveling is staying in a hotel. We had so much fun in California, staying in hotels. We booked a couple rooms at the HoJo, which was so fun because so much of our family booked the same hotel. Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Karen, Uncle David's Family, Uncle Ryan's family. It was a blast, and we got to go swimming with them and have a good time hanging out. The kids got to stay up late playing games with their cousins. And mom and dad got to hang out with the other grown ups. Didn't take very many pictures at the hotel, but here are a few sleeping shots.

Yes, she fell asleep working on the puzzle.

Sacramento Zoo

2011-01-20T15:59:00.004-07:00

During our week in Sacramento, we spent a day out at the zoo. It's a pretty small zoo, but it was still fun. Jace's favorite part was the crocodile. I don't know what Sienna's favorite part was, but I know what her least favorite was: the monkeys. We had a pretty ornery monkey put on a, cough cough, very disgusting and hilarious show for us. Let's just say it involved something being flung at the glass right in front of us. It was a fun time, the first time for the littles to go to a zoo. Wish it were a little warmer that day, but we survived. After the zoo we had a cold picnic lunch in the park and played tag. Then we went into Old Sac and browsed around and bought candy. We also had a diaper blowout and mad dash to baby gap, but we won't talk about that.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-20T15:11:00.007-07:00

Christmas this year was a smaller affair than usual. We were leaving the morning after Christmas for a week in northern California. We asked the kids a few months back if they would prefer Christmas presents or a trip to Cali this year and the vote was unanimous. So, Santa came and filled their stockings and brought them books like every year. But, they didn't get any presents from mom and dad this year except their pjs. (And the trafalga passes we got 3 months ago!). Even still, Christmas was so nice. On Christmas Eve we went over to the Ellison's for dinner and games and it was a ton of fun. And then Christmas Day it was just us. Nice and semi-quiet. And then packing for the trip that evening. I love my kids and I'm so grateful for this time of year when we can be reminded that it's better to give than receive. And I love my Savior and appreciate this time of year when I am reminded of His humble birth. Merry Christmas to all my friends and family!

Perry Family Christmas 2010

2011-01-07T10:19:00.007-07:00

Perry Family Christmas was held on the second weekend in December again this year. We went up to the Albion Bed and Breakfast for 2 days of family, food and fun. We actually went up a day early and spent the day skiing on Pomerelle.

It was a great day and everyone had a blast. I only went down the slope a couple times, I've been having some back trouble, so I spent most of my time in the lodge with the littles, and taking pictures (which is almost as much fun as skiing anyway!)

The littles were pretty good, and went through a lot of ho cho.

Luckily for us it was a perfect day for skiing, and the resort was practically empty again. It was loverly. We were also super lucky to have some of our best friends join us up the moutain.

Casey and Tanya.
3 of their 5 yahoos came up and boarded. It was fun for Rae to have a boarding partner.

After the day on the slopes we headed back down to Albion and settled in for the weekend. There was a ton of food, lots of games, and a good deal of relaxing. I got to do 3 photo shoots on Saturday, Coltyn's senior pictures, the Campbell's and the Pruett's. It was divine, if a little chilly.

The gift exchange was a ton of fun, I was so excited to give Kari her quilt and photo, and the kids were excited to give presents to their cousins. Sienna took on the role of official helper, she helped every person open their presents and was so excited for them. We look forward to the Perry Family Christmas event all year and it never disappoints. We love going to Albion, but may be choosing a different venue for next year.
We still didn't quite get everyone in the picture. Ira was gone, and Brett and Coltyn too. Julie??? Where are you? I know you weren't gone yet! The crew continues to grow. I wonder if we will add anyone before next year?

Help Yourselves.

2010-12-18T11:32:00.002-07:00

Apparently they did.

One More Birthday.

2010-12-18T10:57:00.003-07:00

I always breathe a little sigh of relief after October 12 comes and goes. Those 4 birthdays in 3 months are a little bit of a stretch sometimes. Teegan Lee just turned 10. He was born in Salem, UT in the morning of Oct 12 in the year 2000. (It will always be easy to remember how old he is.) His mom, dad, grandma gleason and Aunt Jayla were on his birth, as well as mom's midwives Helen and Clair. Teegan was a perfectly content and very quiet little baby, and he has remained so all these 10 years. He is by far the quietest kid in the family. Teegan has an amazing sense of humor though, and his brain is always thinking like crazy. He would much rather be using his brain than his hands (as evidenced by the messy room and the 7 hours it takes to do the dishes). He is a great kid and I love hanging out with him.

The non-cake cake idea stuck. I'm pretty bummed out about it.

Teenager.

2010-12-18T10:47:00.003-07:00

Yeah, I pretty much can't believe it either. Rae is a teenager. She is a joy in our lives, and the best kid anyone could ask for. She is a good friend, and she always tries very very hard to choose the right. I love her so much, and couldn't have wished for an "oldest" child to be any better, she is such a good example to the other yahoos. We are so proud of her. For her bday Rae had her best friend Lizzy come over for presents and "cake". They've been friends for 5 years now, and we adore Lizzy. Thanks for coming over. We bought Rae a desk for her birthday, that we were going to refinish for her. (As of this writing, the refinishing has been scrapped and dad is just going to build her a new one lol).

Yes, her cake is made of "oatmeal pies". It's what she wanted. And who am I to insist on conventional cake? I mean, I really wanted to spend a few extra hours making and frosting a cake, but the birthday girl should have what she wants, right?

BFFS

Better Late Than Never

2010-12-18T10:39:00.002-07:00

Someday these two little girls will read this and know that they celebrated their birthdays really really late one year because mom just couldn't pull it together. But, luckily for me, this year they were too young to be disappointed. We celebrated Sienna and Jace's birthdays at the end of September. (Sienna's is Aug. 3 and Jace's is Sept. 9) They got some dress-up stuff and puzzles. We sure love these two little cabooses in our family. Can't imagine our family without them.

Early Christmas

2010-12-18T10:37:00.001-07:00

Trafalga had a pretty good deal going on season passes. It's a year at Trafalga, the summer season at seven peaks, all the owlz games and all the flash games. They were only on sale in September, so we bought them for the kids for Christmas. But, we didn't want to not use them for the next 3 months, so we gave the kids their Christmas present early. (Now I'm wishing we'd waited, since we've only used them once.) Anyway, right after we bought them, we went to Trafalga for an evening of family fun. It was a blast. Everyone had fun except Sienna, who was inexplicably afraid of every ride. Hope she grows out of that!

Junior Photographers

2010-11-29T17:57:00.003-07:00

These are pictures that I found a little while ago on our "old" camera. The kids have been using it for a while (mainly Rae) and we were giving the camera to some of our most favorite people, so I took the card out to clear it. Much to my surprise there were some really fun pictures on there, and I'm glad I found them before giving away the card. Isn't Rae a good photographer?

Teegan at soccer.

Teegan and Jaxson. Synchronized flipping.
Not so limber.

So limber.

Amazingly also limber. Who took this picture?

Little Flipper.

Big Flipper.

That looks like it's gonna hurt.

My baby. :'(
Getting artistic.
Jaxson and Jace.
Sienna. Wassup.
Great colors.
Crazy kids.
And of course a picture of converse. I mean, Rae was the photographer after all.

Four.

2010-11-21T18:50:00.002-07:00

This year in addition to Rae and Jaxson on the field, Teegan and Tauna played soccer as well. They played city league, and were (luckily) on the same team. Also (super luckily) all their games were played on the field in our backyard, which was a necessity when driving Rae and Jax all over Utah County and beyond. All four kids played on Saturdays. Hectic but super fun.

Haircuts

2010-11-19T18:46:00.002-07:00

It was time once again for our big girls to chop off their gorgeous locks. I didn't get before pictures, but here are the afters.Katauna didn't cut too much off. She needs her hair trimmed quite frequently, it gets very scraggly. We went and saw my friend Kiauna, she does a fabulous job.

I love this cut on Rae. Best part of this haircut is that she can wash it and let it air dry and it looks dang cute. My kind of cut. (And yes, braces are in the near future. Sad.)

fascination

2010-11-17T18:40:00.003-07:00

At what age do we forget to be fascinated by small things? Take for example this snail.

Our little girls came in the house one morning so excited to show us what we had in our backyard.

They proceeded to watch it (and so did we) for quite a looooong time. Long enough for it to move across our whole patio. (Okay, Jason and I bailed before it made 1/4 of it's journey.)

I really hope I never ever forget the excitement and enthusiasm of my littles.

What would we do without them?

And then there was More Camping

2010-10-13T17:31:00.002-06:00

So, the weekend following campout we loaded back up and headed back in. It was a shorter campout, just a couple days, but it was a lot of fun. It was nice because our tent spots were already flat, we knew right where everything needed to go, and the company was fantastic. I was so glad my brother Ryan and his wife Jocelyn were able to join us for a couple days. Wish we camped with them more often. It was so laid back, with nothing planned. Just the way I like it. We brought the washers which are always a hit. Please click on this picture, and then zoom in so you can get the full effect of Cody's washer enjoyment.

Cody built a dirt ramp in the middle of the road and the kids had a blast jumping their bikes off of it. Cole was definitely the most daring, being the first to jump over his dad. Or does that make Cody daring? Jaxson and Teegan followed by jumping over their dad. Then Cole went for the big one, jumping over Rae and Cody side by side. Something caused him to hesitate, and there was a major wipe-out. A bloody head and a few minutes later he was back at it. The big boys had work detail on Friday and were able to get it all done before Ryan and Jocelyn came. Saturday was nice and relaxing.

Sunday morning Cody took the kids a mile up the canyon and set up a rock-climb for them. Jason and I showed up just as they were finishing, so we watched Rae and Jaxson, and then we each took a turn along with Ryan and Cody. It was a lot of fun. (For me, it was a lot of fun watching, not climbing, as I am deathly afraid of heights. It took me 20 minutes to get 6 feet off the ground, and that was it for me. I was terrified.) Jason and I are thinking about investing in some rock climbing gear, so it can become one of our family activities. The kids really loved it. On the way home we stopped and checked out the Yost Cemetery and also a few old abondoned houses. It was a great weekend, wish we had a few more months of summer left.

Perry Family Campout 2010

2010-10-13T13:28:00.015-06:00

Oh I have put this off and put this off for so long! Campout was held the beginning of August this year. I came home from campout with over 800 pictures on my camera. Yes, I like my camera. I have just procrastinated pulling them all off and weeding through them. And then I procrastinated this post because there are so many pictures! But, finally, here it is. Campout this year was great. It is so much fun to get together with the Perry clan. It is a hardship and a sacrifice for everyone to be able to take time off of work and out of their lives to get together every summer, but it is amazing that everyone just makes it happen. I put the pictures in groups and I'll just narrate left-right and top-bottom.

We decided to go for a full week this year, planning to get up there a day or two ahead of everyone else. Things don't always go according to plan. We left our house a little later than we had hoped, but still thought we would have time. We drove through quite a rain storm and started thinking maybe it would be too wet to set up, but the closer we got, the more we thought it was probably do-able. We drove on through Yost and up to the gate. (We have to cross over private property -with the owners permission, of course- in order to reach our camp spot.) Wouldn't you know it the gate was locked. It was pretty irritating, but we turned around and headed up towards the cabin, thinking if we hurried, mom and dad could direct us in how to get the key and we could still make it back in time. Well, as you can see in the first 3 pictures, we did not even make it up the hill to the cabin. It was so muddy and wet, we were flat out stuck. (Our 4wheel drive is out.) So, we ended up spending monday night at the cabin with mom and dad, after finding out the key was hidden right next to the gate. Once we finally got up there on tuesday, it was an incredible week. Lots of sleeping, tree climbing, etc. Sienna shot the .22 for the first time and we all just lounged around after getting camp set up.

All the kids had a blast fishing, and they did it all on their own, which meant Jason got to relax a little more than usual. Everyone caught something, even though they weren't much to brag about. We built a really good swim/bath hole. The water was super freezing, but it was still nice to be able to take a dip and de-grime every day. And wash our hair. The little girls were spoiled and took baths in the big bucket filled with water warmed on the campstove.

Once all the cousins arrived it got so fun. The boys went paintballing, Sienna and Aidan were inseperable and played in the creek most of the day, and we had a kid white-elephant exchange and auction this year. The middle picture on the left is Sienna showing her boo-boo. She got bit by one of the camp dogs, it bled like a - well I don't know, but it bled a lot. She was pretty freaked out, and that worried us because she has always loved dogs. By the end of the week she was back to holding and petting all the dogs - except Jack, the biter. She doesn't seem to have any permanent psychological damage. Phew. Katauna and her girl cousins put on a pajama modeling show, and a little talent show. I don't have any pictures but Jason and I and the other grown ups were able to do quite a bit of shooting too.

There was a work detail that got started that week, replacing the fence for the owner of the private land we cross. It was too much work to finish in one day, so we decided to go camping again the next weekend. Those pictures to follow.
We missed our Rae girl who was at her first year of girl's camp, but glad that she was able to have a great time and some awesome spiritual experiences. Can't wait for next year, we are already planning our white elephants and auction items.

One more first day of school.

2010-10-10T09:19:00.003-06:00

Because of a change in work conditions, we are not able to work at home anymore. So, we have to go into Lindon every day to work. Since none of us want to put our kids in day care we came up with a great plan. Jason spent a couple days down at the shop framing and sheetrocking in the loft, and hanging a door. My dad painted and we put down linoleum and carpet and decked it out like a school room. Now we bring our kids to work with us everyday and they get 4 hours of pre-school. Their teacher "Miss Milla" (Camilla Cook, Amber's sister in law) is amazing and they love her. It is awesome to get some good uninterrupted hours of work done, while knowing they are only 20 feet away, and in great hands. It's been a great fix. My girls love school and ask every morning if they are going to see Miss Milla. This is their first day of "school".

My babies.

Jace idolizes her big sister.

First Day of School 2010

2010-10-07T15:32:00.004-06:00

So this year Jaxson is in 6th grade, Teegan is in 4th and Katauna is in 3rd. It blows me away to think that if we hadn't had our two little cabooses my BABY would be in 3rd Grade. Insane. Jaxson's teacher is Mr. Bilbao, Teegan's is Ms. Card, and Katauna's is Ms. Millsap. All the kids love their teachers and Tee and Tauna assure me that they are doing much better at turning in their homework. I guess we'll see for sure once report cards come out.Katauna(8) Jaxson (11) and Teegan (9)

Vista Heights

2010-08-26T01:10:00.000-06:00

Rae started school a day before everyone else this year on August 24. She started early because Vista Heights (her new school) had 7th grade orientation. She is in 7th grade. She is in 7th grade. Weird. She catches the bus at 8:00 and doesn't get back until 3:15. She loved her first day and is excited for Jr. High.

She bought her own back to school clothes this year.

My favorite pair of converse she owns.

Aggravation

2010-08-25T17:02:00.005-06:00

It never fails. Never. When I finally bring myself around to the fact that my floor MUST be mopped. When I finally get my butt in gear and get the mop out. When I finally get the satisfaction that comes from a sparkling clean kitchen floor. It is inevitable that within 24 hours something like this will happen.

I love being a mom.

BBQ in the backyard

2010-07-20T05:58:00.000-06:00

For activity days last week Jailyn (the other leader) and I hosted a BBQ in our backyards. Actually, it pretty much stayed in her backyard. Jace and Sienna came and hung out with all the 10 and 11 year old girls, and of course Kyler. It was super super hot.

The mark on her forehead surrounded by a bruise, that is the battle wound left over from July 5th. Thanks Uncle Jon. ;)

The pictures I took before they ate turned out blurry, but I promise they did have clean faces before they ate!

Soccer Soccer and more Soccer

2010-07-19T05:53:00.000-06:00

Jaxson had a soccer tournament last week. It was 3 days long in Salt Lake. They won their first three games, but lost their fourth, putting them at third I think. It was a lot of driving and a lot of HOT, but it was fun to watch Jax play, his coach actually played him quite a bit. Here are just a couple pictures I took the first day.
Jaxson making a move.

Sienna and Jace just wanted to play at the park the whole time. Thank goodness Katauna was there to take them and watch them so I could watch the game.

No words.

Fourth of July

2010-07-18T17:42:00.003-06:00

TThis year for the fourth of July we missed Jason. Also, the fourth was on Sunday, which is just weird. So, on Monday the 5th of July we went to Grandma and Grandpa Gleason's house for a BBQ. All the Utah Gleason's were there except for Amber and Nat, and Jason. It was a lot of fun, and I didn't take very many pictures because I was too involved playing Kubb, and Balderdash, and of course pigging out. I took a few pictures of the kids before everyone else showed up.

I have absolutely no idea why the grump face from Jace. Maybe it was premonition. A few hours later she was hit in the head with a block of wood and it bled like crazy. You'll be able to see the mark it left in future posts.

All six of the yahoos. I can't believe how big they are all getting.

And I had to include this picture of Ashley just because she's so dang cute. The kids are super excited that she is going to come babysit them later this month for a few days. And so is mom.

Utah County Rage

2010-07-16T14:47:00.001-06:00

Jaxson's team had their first "friendly" scrimmage a couple weeks ago. Jaxson has joined a team that has been together a few years, so while he will be doing a lot of this standing on the sidelines while he learns a few things, the reason they wanted him on the team can be seen below.

Jaxson is on the left.

He's got wheels.

Love, Chell Designs

2010-07-13T14:44:00.001-06:00

If you haven't had a chance to see my new website, hop on over there and check it out. It is a labor of love and will always be in progress. If you know anyone who needs anything designed, point them in my direction. :)

www.lovechelldesigns.com

Rexburg

2010-07-11T14:36:00.000-06:00

On the way home from our little campout we decided to take a drive down memory lane. I haven't been back to Rexburg since leaving Ricks College in 1996 to run off and marry my prince charming. It has definitely changed a lot in the last 13 years, mostly due to the college becoming a 4-year university instead of 2-yr. Rexburg itself has stayed mostly the same, but the school has changed a lot. We drove around and showed the kids where dad used to live, and where mom used to live, and where we used to go to classes, and the gardens where we took our engagement photos. A lot of memories wrapped up in that little city. We were also able to see the Rexburg temple for the first time.

I took this picture from the car while driving by. The sky was beautiful that day. I loved the opportunity to relive some 13 year old memories, and add a new memory of showing our past to our kiddos. I hope when they have been married 13 years, they will have amazing memories, but even more important, I hope they have an amazing present filled with family and love and forever like we do.

Multipurpose Camping Trip

2010-07-10T14:03:00.007-06:00

The end of the week that dad was in town was a whirlwind of fun. Busy busy busy. We planned a 4-day camping trip... but the closer and closer it got, the more our plans changed. We ended up only camping one night, but it was still a great trip. A lot of driving, hanging out, eating junk food, and of course absolutely no arguing from the kids. ;o)

Our first stop was in Burley. Well, actually, our first stop was at a gas station just off the freeway to meet up with Casey and Tanya and get my new camera!! I found a new camera on KSL a while back, the lady who was selling it lives in Heyburn, so Casey and Tanya picked it up for me and had been holding it. I was super antsy to get it, and have not been disappointed. This picture I took in B&W, leaning out the car window at about 60mph. I played with the camera all weekend, and realized I have a ton to learn about it. After that we headed over to Kevin and Michelle's house. We had a bbq with some of Jason's family, for Sammy's birthday. We spent the night at Kevin's and then the next day headed out to Victor.

On the way to Victor we passed through this beautiful homestead tucked away in a tiny valley. If you ever want to know what our dream spot for our dream house looks like, this is it.
We arrived in Victor around 4pm at Jayla and Cody's house. Jayla took us on the tour of Driggs and we did a little shopping. We also were able to unload a large portion of our cargo at Jayla's includiing a swing, two carseats, and a cradle. Jayla was getting ready to have her third baby. It was supposed to be pretty cold that night, so instead of camping, we just bunked out at the Campbells. The kids had a sleepover in Jayla's living room and mom and dad slept out in the camper after playing Pirate's Dice with Jayla and Cody for a few hours. I lost every game.

Friday we finally headed out to the campground. It was not our usual type of camping (read: very crowded) but it was still a lot of fun. We all went swimming on Friday in the hot pool, and we were able to stay until about 2pm on Saturday. Here are a few shots around the campfire.

So serious Jason. We had, cough, cough, some fairly wet fire wood, it was pretty much a full time job to keep the fire going, and Jason and Cody switched off taking turns.

Here is half the group.. from left: Teegan, Cole, Sienna, Jayla&baby-to-be, Katauna, Rae and Jace.

The other half of the group, Cody on the left and then Jason. Somehow Jaxson wasn't in the circle, and I of course was behind the camera.

I love so many things about camping, but I must admit one of my favorite things is dirty little faces. Jace did not disappoint.

Rae roasting some mallows.

Rylee Mae eating some mallows.

One of the other dirty faces I love. She became a pro at building s'mores.

Teegan has such a great smile.

The next day we had watermelon for lunch, and the dads and kids got into a killer water fight to cool down. Here is Tauna chowing down.

Jaxson eating his lunch while avoiding the water as well as he could.

This is my attempt at a seventies look. As you can see, Jason did not escape the water completely. It was so funny to see Nenna chasing him down with a bowl of water so excited to get him. He just couldn't resist letting her win. It was a great weekend, and if Jason hadn't had to fly out the next morning we would have stayed another night. We've missed camping the last few years.

How do these things happen?

2010-06-26T18:51:00.000-06:00

In a house containing a father, mother, and 4 big kids.... how do things like this occur without anyone taking notice? Yes, it's red.

Yes, it's permanent.

Yes, that's travertine.

After a combined effort involving both parents and 2 of the big kids, and a pack of Magic Erasers, it is no longer red, but a soft pink that we hope will one day fade. I don't remember the big kids being quite so exasperating. Is that because they weren't, or just because I don't remember?

Jaxson's 11th Birthday

2010-06-24T16:39:00.000-06:00

On June 13th Jaxson turned 11. Dad got home the day before, so he was here to celebrate for the first time in 3 years. I can't believe Jaxson is already 11. He is such a good kid. One of my favorite attributes of Jaxson is how much he loves people. He is the best big brother to the two littles, always helping them and spending time with them. He is super talented... not just singing, but his is a rockin soccer player. It will be fun to watch him grow this year. He is now in 11 year old scouts... earning his Arrow of Light on the last possible day. Phew!
For his birthday Jaxson got a new soccer ball, shin guards, some soccer clothes, Fablehaven 5, and a new set of scriptures which he WILL NOT lose. I didn't wrap anything, because he saw it all in the car. I don't have the faintest idea who left it there.

Blowing out the candles... I wonder what he's wishing for?

Sienna just walked up to me as I was posting this and the following discussion ensued:
S: That's Jaxson's birthday cake?
M: Uh-huh.
S: That you made it? And me?
M: Yep that's right.
S: And us?

I had completely forgotten that Sienna helped me with the cake, but she did. She added all the cocoa, and some of the other dry ingredients and then she held the beaters as I added the wet stuff. I know, you think I'm going to say that having a 2 year old's help is the reason the cake turned out looking so bad. But, well, it's just not so. I happen to have a talent for sad looking cakes. But it tasted divine.
Happy birthday Bubba, I hope you have a great year. We sure do love you.

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home...

2010-06-22T18:34:00.002-06:00

After three weeks apart, it was wonderful to have our dad back home again! I got sick the day before he flew in, and still had a lingering headache, so my brother, Ryan the Great, picked up Jason at the airport and brought him home to us. Needless to say he was smothered with love from that moment until he left again. We sure missed him.

Our dad's the greatest dad...

Day Camp

2010-06-16T18:23:00.000-06:00

Katauna got to go to Jeremiah Johnson day camp this year for Activity Days. And, lucky me, since I am one of the Activity Days Leaders, I got to go as well. It really was pretty neat and the girls had a lot of fun. We had 21 girls in our group, so it was a full time job just making sure we didn't lose anyone, making runs to the bathroom, etc. But I did get a chance to shoot a few pictures of my girl.

The first station was archery.

Next they moved on to bb guns. Katauna hit the can 3 times!

On to the boats, and then some rockets and some crafts. It was a hot day (thankfully) and our group leader Zach was a lot of fun. It was nice to be able to be there with Katauna Wauna and watch her interact with the other girls. I don't know if I'll still be the leader when she makes it into the older age group, so I was glad to have at least one activity with her.

Grandpa's 60th birthday!

2010-06-14T17:39:00.000-06:00

I can't believe my dad is this OLD. It's funny really, I used to think 40 was old, but now that I'm only a few years away from it, it doesn't seem too old at all. The more I think about it, I don't really think 60 is that old either. I think we all pretty much stay the same age in our minds. (For me that age is 19.) Anyway, back on topic. We went up to Dad's house for his birthday party. It was fun to hang out with everyone. My dad is 60 years old (as of June 5). He has been married just over 38 years. He has 10 kids, and 28 grandkids, with one on the way (grandkid, that is).

Dad got an iPad for his birthday. I covet.

You can see at the bottom of the cake, that by the time we got all 60 candles lit, the first few had pretty much melted completely.

Unrelated picture alert: as we were leaving the party, my sister stuck Jace up here on the ledge. I tell you that girl has no fear.

Memorial Day at the Gleason's

2010-06-12T17:25:00.001-06:00

We weren't sure if we were going to have a BBQ at Grandma and Grandpa Gleason's house for Memorial day this year, because it was just a few weeks after Grandpa's surgery to have his prostate removed. But, his recovery has been phenomenal, so they said "why not?" I love summer for so many reasons, not the least of which is the numerous BBQs with family. The picture taking was scarce, because , well, I just got involved with family, food, games, etc, and didn't even think about taking more than this. Oh well. It was a beautiful day, and a lot of fun.

The kids playing a little "lightning".

Teegan is a great shot with a basketball.

I think he has a career ahead of him.

We left in such a rush, we didn't take time to grab swimsuits for the two little peanuts.

They didn't seem to mind. Hope everyone had a beautiful Memorial Day and spent some time thinking of your loved ones who aren't here now. Jason and my thoughts went out to grandparents and others, but especially to our brothers, Scott and Mark. Can't wait to see you guys again.

Choir Concert

2010-06-10T16:23:00.000-06:00

Jaxson was in choir this year and we got to see him perform during the last week of school. Jason was leaving town that day, so he actually went to the 9AM performance with the school kids. I went that evening for the parent's show. Jax had to get up early a few days a week and be at school for choir practice. He paid for it himself and really enjoyed it. Jaxson has actually got a beautiful voice, and I'm excited that he loves to sing!

The pictures are sub par, but the concert was great. They did some really fun numbers.

Salt Lake Bees

2010-06-06T16:01:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago a friend of Jason's gave us Bees tickets. The kids had never been to a baseball game so we made a night of it.
We drove up to Sandy and then hopped on Trax which took us right to the ballpark.

It was the first time the kids had ever been on a train, so that was an adventure in and of itself.

What a crew we have become. When I see pictures like this I just can't believe our family is this huge!

Jace playing a little game of.....

peek-a-boo!

We had great seats right along the third base line, pretty close to home plate, so we could see all the action really well. (Good thing since I forgot my glasses!)

Rae took the camera for a few minutes and I ended up with dozens of pictures of this guy. Who is he? I don't know. All that matters is that he is number 32, Rae's favorite number in the whole world. Don't ask me why.

Sienna was terrified of the Bee, but Jace had no fear, and gave him a high five.

All in all a great night at the ballpark, with beautiful weather and great seats.. and best of all, the Bees won! (Thanks for the tickets Rick!)

Soccer Tryouts

2010-06-02T15:47:00.000-06:00

Just after the season finished off, the Rage were conducting tryouts again. Jaxson has been practicing with his friend Noah's team all year, even though he wasn't on the team. A few weeks ago the coach came over to our house and insisted that I allow Jax to try out this year. He said "I can't teach kids that kind of speed" (Taking after Rae). So Rae and Jaxson both went to tryouts this year. Katauna wanted to play too, but I'm trying to wrap my head around 2 kids playing soccer all year, I'm not ready for three or four. Tryouts were held on two consecutive Saturdays. Jaxson's coach told me he would probably need to spend the first year on the "B"
team while he learned some skills, but after tryouts he actually made it onto the
"A" team. His team plays AAA, whatever that means. I'm pretty excited for him. He has practice all summer, 5 days a week for 2 hours every morning. Whew!

I took a couple pictures at tryouts.

He looked pretty good out there, considering most of the boys on the team have been playing together for 5 years.

As for Rae, we are pretty excited to get a few new girls on her team this year, but we are especially thrilled to get a new coach. It will be fun to see the girls learn some new things and hopefully win a few games this year. Her coach seems really nice, and very qualified. They play Division, and they only practice once a week for about an hour. Since Rae is hoping to play in high school, she goes to Jaxson's practice with him a few times a week to learn some mad skills. It will be a fun fall and spring watching these two, and it will for sure keep us all busy!

Jump Team

2010-05-28T15:41:00.000-06:00

This year McKyla was part of Jump Team. The sixth graders who want to can join. You have to be able to perform to a certain level in order to be allowed to travel with the team. They take days off school and take the bus to other schools and perform. She practiced twice a week after school. At the end of the year they did a show for the parents, it was pretty neat. A lot of time and practicing went into it, and it was a lot of fun for "Rae" as she likes to be called now.

This is the whole Jump Team.

Rae getting ready for her turn.

It was easy to keep track of her, she is the one in the turquoise converse high tops.

This was Rae's smaller group.

It was a really fun activity for her to be involved in. Why didn't they have stuff like that when I was a kid?

Too Terribly Quiet.

2010-05-21T15:36:00.000-06:00

Sometimes around here, if I get busy working on the computer and the big kids are out and about, things will get very very quiet. Sometimes, things will be quiet for a long time. And at those times a little voice whispers in my head and says "It's been quiet for a long time, don't you think you should look into that?" And I don't reply, because I don't talk to myself. But I do get up and look into it. And sometimes I find things like this. I love toddlers.

Hope of America - Take 2

2010-05-15T11:30:00.000-06:00

I know I already did a Hope of America Post on this blog. It was a year ago. I was able to go last year and it was super rad. This year, Jason got to go and he took all 4 big kids with him. I stayed home with the babes. And this year, it wasn't Kyla in a white shirt singing in the flag, it was Jaxson in a red shirt. It is really an awesome show.

Here is a picture of the entire flag made up of fifth graders. It is fairly awe-inspiring.

Here is a close-up of Jaxson during one of the songs.

Jaxson the gangsta.

I remember this being my favorite part, when the lights are off and the flashlights dance around in unison. So pretty.

McKyla, Katauna, Teegan and Jaxson. (Ky found those glasses in the park. They don't have lenses. She wears them nonstop.)

Please stop growing. Now.

2010-05-13T11:28:00.002-06:00

Sienna will be 3 in 3 months. Which means Jace will be 2 in 4 months. Can someone please tell me how to slow it down? Please?

BBQ at Dalan's House

2010-05-10T11:19:00.001-06:00

Dalan and Kari were lucky enough to be able to buy a house a couple months ago! They live out here in Saratoga Springs, a few minutes south of us. They have a huge fenced-in backyard, perfect for family BBQs. A few weeks ago, even though it technically wasn't really warm, we were able to get together with Dalan and Kari, Jayla and Cody, Ryan and Jocelyn, Tyler and Ashley, and Nate Dog, with their families to kick off the summer. Now as I sit here a few weeks later, I'm wondering where summer is? Shouldn't it be here? It's 49 degrees today! Anyway it was a lot of fun, with great food, croquet, washers, lots of kids and great conversation. I'm really glad my brother Ryan is friends with my in-laws, it was so fun to be able to hang with him and his family too.

Cody, Nate and Jason, setting up for a wicked croquet match.

Teegan playing washers.

Jaxson picking...er, I mean, scratching his nose. Look at the size of their backyard. So fun.
My, almost, teenager. Can't believe it.

Webelo

2010-05-07T11:10:00.003-06:00

Congrats to Jaxson on getting his Webelo. No thanks at all to me. I remember being a webelo leader a few years ago, and sometimes getting frustrated with the "deadbeat" parents who didn't do much to help their boys progress in scouts. I beg forgiveness as I am now a deadbeat mom. I'm really proud of my boys and thankful to their leaders for all their hard work. Great Job Jax!

Soccer Season Closing Down

2010-05-06T11:01:00.003-06:00

As sad as it may seem, soccer season has come to a close. McKyla's second to last game was played in Payson on what threatened to be a horrible weather day, but actually turned out to be quite lovely. We took all the kids, including Coleoleo. McKyla is a lot of fun to watch out there on the field. She is extremely fast, and has just continued to get better and better on her foot work and control this year. I've enjoyed going out to a couple games each week and will miss it during the off-season.

Cole giving Sienna piggy-back rides.

Sometimes I just have a hard time accepting the fact that my baby is this old. And yes, this is what her hair almost always looks like. I do it in the morning, and by afternoon (who am I kidding-within an hour) it looks like this again. Some days I just give up.

She knew I was taking pictures of her and refused to look my direction, she thought she was quite hilarious.

Crazy Face I want to kiss.

2010-04-27T18:26:00.002-06:00

If you ever ask Sienna to smile, this is what you get. Her nursery leader told me they were taking pictures of all the kids the other day, and all the leaders were cracking up because every time they said "smile" this is what they got.

Such a cheezer.

Don't know what we would do without her, and I hope she never stops doing her scrunch face.

Brrrrr. Is it almost May?

2010-04-22T18:22:00.002-06:00

You would never guess it but yesterday afternoon I was playing tennis in shorts and a t-shirt. And I was sweating.

And then today we have this freak hail storm out of nowhere.

It hailed for more than 15 minutes. Gotta love Utah weather. Do you? I don't.

The hailstones were pretty big, I would say some quarter size. It took over 4 hours for it to all melt off. Sienna loved it.