kids and us

1st Family Reunion

2010-07-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

We rented an old school house that has been converted to an inn just outside of Lava Hot Springs for a few days. All of the kids were there for at least part of the time. We tubed the river, went to the pool, played games and roasted marshmallows. Arianne and Beth did a great job of planning the food and snacks.

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Great Grandfathers Art Work

2010-06-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

My mom had these chalked pictures drawn by my great grandfather. They were torn and she thought about throwing them away. I had them framed and hung them up in my family room. Everyone loves them-Thanks Walter Wilson for drawing them for us to enjoy!

2010 Graduations

2010-06-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Journey graduated from 6th grade and was awarded a principal academic award.

Way to go Journey!

Jimmy graduated from high school and will be going to Weber State for a year!

More Birthdays

2010-06-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Maren is offically a teenager now. Happy 13th Birthday to you! Jimmy is now 18! Party on

Hey it's your Birthday!

2010-05-06T20:44:00.001-07:00

Had a great family dinner with Mike's famous grilled chicken to celebrate Michael's, Arianne's and Dustin's birthdays. Happy Birthday to all 3 of you! Love you

Spring Break Fun

2010-04-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Weekend Fun

2010-04-05T14:28:00.001-07:00

Rachelle brought her roommate YonSu to visit us for the weekend.
She was a little overwhelmed by our numbers.
Thanks for coming and putting up with our craziness!

Spring break

2010-04-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Jumpin on the tramp at Mamah and Popi's house

2010-03-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

Turning the BIG 25

2010-03-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN

Big Screen T.V.

2010-03-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

Jimmy and Ryan "watching" the big screen T.V. Guess they didn't want to miss anything?!?!

Flat Stanley

2010-03-08T08:27:00.000-08:00

Madison sent us Flat Stanley from her second grade class for a visit. He played in the snow and help Jerica blow out her birthday candles before returning to the warm sunshine.
Thanks Madison.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

2010-02-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

We had the traditional Valentines Day fancy dinner for all that showed up that day. The highlight were the chocolate covered strawberries and the cream cheese filled strawberries. Although no one smirked at the rolls, roast, potatoes, carrots, salad, and mock chocolate mousse. Yum Yum!

DUDE!

2010-02-24T16:33:00.000-08:00

Daniel's job has some perks; cool hats and interesting shirts. Boston is the perfect model. Ryan had to work hard to get him to keep that hat on long enough for a picture.

GO SAINTS!!!

2010-02-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

Mike covered all the bases by wearing his Colts shirt and his Saints hat.
He didn't take his eyes of the big screen for a second.

Too much excitement for some; they had to take naps between plays.

Fill up that football plate, cuz we have plenty of food!

2010-01-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

Last year for Christmas Mike got a sound bar and sub-woofer for HIS flat screen that hangs over the fireplace. I told this year for Christmas I wanted all the wires that have been hanging down the wall to go away. So he got with his contractor friend and we now have a beautiful custom fireplace mantle and no wires showing!!!

Love it, love it, love it! Love it even more now that the construction mess is done. Never really had to dust my Christmas tree ornaments and presents before. But, it was a little sacrifice for such a nice outcome. Thanks Travis.

'09 Christmas Dance Revue

2010-01-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

Bowling '09

2010-01-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

We should start our own league! Dustin is sporting the team uniforms with the rolled up pants. Boston and Rachelle will give us all pointers about proper form. Although Jimmy and Ryan V. win the contest for double bowling and belly slide bowling!

New Christmas Pajamas!

2010-01-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

Boston seems pretty excited about his new Christmas PJ's!

GINGERBREAD HOUSES

2009-12-26T14:26:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Las Vegas Christmas Train Ride

2009-12-08T17:22:00.000-08:00

The kids were all smiles seeing Santa on the train ride. Check out Maren and Chris they had a ball!
Boston was so excited he could hardly stand it.

2009-11-10T18:56:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Beth and Justin on another beautiful child. Justin Michael Hansen was born on November 7, 2009. I loved making a quick run to play with the kids and hold the new little one.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

Annual Pumkin Carving Festival

2009-10-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

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Spud

2009-10-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Chris had this aluminum foil from his science class project and was messing around one evening. I said he looked like rocket man or the man in the iron mask. Mike said,"some kids grow up to doctors or lawyers, our son is a baked potato".

It isn't Halloween yet guys!!

2009-10-18T18:48:00.001-07:00

Kids were bored one afternoon while Rachelle was here so they got into the dress up clothes and this is what we got! Glad they had so much fun.

Fall Days

2009-10-18T18:44:00.001-07:00

During fall break we took the kids for a hike up waterfall canyon. It was beautiful with all the fall leaves. The kids loved it and were like mountain goats climbing on the rocks around the waterfall. Chris taught us how to whistle with acorn shells.

Birthday Bash

2009-09-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

Boston you are the man! Look at him eat the cake at his first birthday!

Journey turned 11 and Christopher turned 14.

Summer Events

2009-08-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

It has been a GREAT summer!!!!

This summer we have celebrated birthday after birthday. A favorite is always homemade ice cream, especially when you have big boys to turn the crank on the old timer ice cream maker. Several of the neighbors came by to investigate the happenings and joined us for the spoils.

We also celebrated my dad's 70th birthday. Happy Birthday DAD!

We finally completed another HUGE summer project by getting the trampoline in the ground. Both Mike and I spent many hot, long hours digging. But the kids are loving it as you can see.

I have had a great summer being a Grandma or Mamah as I am known. I got to spend a few days in Vegas and tended Madison, Jordan and Joshua while Beth and Justin took a little time away to celebrate their anniversary. We had fun playing and swimming. I also got to tend Boston while Arianne and Dustin took time to celebrate their anniversary as well. Pretty smart that they all got married in the summer so I can tend. Boston loved the little pool. Chris and Maren couldn't resist trying out their new swim goggles!

Rachelle is off to Cedar City working for the Utah Shakespearean Festival for the summer. She will be attending SUU in the fall. Me and my friend Marla went to visit her for a weekend and see three of the plays. We had a great time.

Maren has excitedly taken over Rachelle's larger room and redecorated.

Our FUN Vacation

2009-08-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

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so much to do so little time. . . .

2009-07-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

And this is just the month of May!! I should add that we also celebrated 6 birthdays, I filled out 56 report cards and packed up my classroom for the end of school. No wonder I was so tired.
Here is the run down:

Here we all are hanging out after Rachelle graduation from Weber High.

Rachelle and her BFF, Rissa

Rachelle got a full ride scholarchip to Southern Utah University. She is there now working for the Utah Shakesperian Festival for the summer. Yes, we do miss you already:)

Maren graduated from 6th grade and will be attending the jr high this next year. At graduation she was awarded the President's Education Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement. Way to be cute and smart too!

She is now in young womens- woohoo!

This year Christopher was awarded a certificate from the Utah State Board of Education for Outstanding Performance on the Iowa Tests in Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Total Composite. Great job, Chris!!

Some how amongst all this I flew to California with my brother Ron to attend my uncle Doug Burts funeral. It was so great to see my cousins. Some of them I have not seen in over 10 years. I had a doll that had belonged to my Aunt Marilyn when she was a little girl. During a couple of late nights I finished sewing her a new body repaired her clothes and put her all back together. I gave it to her after the funeral and she was so cute and started to cry over her "Baby Betsy" doll. She held on to it the rest of the luncheon. It was well worth a few hours of lost sleep.

Joshua and Jordan know their mom's cakes are not only beautiful but yummy too!

We also had a wedding in May. Here is Mr. and Mrs. Phil and Chelsea Vause as they step out of the Draper Temple. It was such a great day. Beth did their wedding cake, it was amazing as usual. Thanks to Beth and Arianne for helping with the luncheon we could not have pulle dit off with out you .

Chris and Maren had their end of year piano recital. Here they are with their patient and wonderful teacher Marla Bailey.

The month of May was full of the end of school-year activities. Maren's class wrote an opera and she was the star-as the baby, she saved the family that had gotten trapped inside their TV. Way to monopolize the remote!!! She does that at home too!

Daddy Daughter

2009-04-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Maren had an 80's style Daddy Daughter activity for achievement days. She could hardly believe that people really dressed like that! Love the BIG bangs and glasses!!!!!

6th Grade 50's Dance

2009-04-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Maren has had a busy month. The sixth grade learned the swing, the waltz and several line dances. They had a big party all dressed in 50's style. Go Maren go! There was even an Elvis spotting!

Maren and all her cute friends. Savanna, Meredith, Jayna, and Kate.

Love those poodle skirts!

It's My Birthday- Surprise!

2009-04-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

I want to start out by saying I hate birthdays, not all birthdays just mine. Birthdays are a reminder that I can't stop the aging clock and it's all down hill from here.

Beth, Justin and the kids came up to spend their spring break with us. Jordan started off my day by telling me that I was turning a really big number but that in 4 years I would really be old. So I decided it was time to head out the door and go to work!

My wonderful husband helped my day by having this incredible bouquet of flowers sent to me at work. He always remembers to include some of my favorite flowers, lilies and tulips. My entire dining room smells wonderful.

I had no clue that there were even more surprises instore because Mike, Beth, Arianne, Rachelle had been cooking up a surprise party. I can't believe they got away with it!

Beth spent her days baking one of her amazing cakes then hurriedly cleaning up all the evidence before I got home from work. It tasted as good as it looked.
While Mike and I took little Joshua for a lazy stroll up the street the house was descended upon by my parents, my brothers and their wives, almost all of our kids, and several neighbor families all with food. We had a great buffet for dinner, laughter and fun.
Arianne and Rachelle had gathered some pictures of me growing up and made a DVD that was running on the big screen the entire evening. I can't believe all the work and secrets that went into the evening. I LOVE ALL YOU GUYS, THANKS!

2009-04-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

A fun Sunday afternoon in our backyard.

2009-04-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

Christopher and Maren have discovered the art of kite flying in the breezy Utah spring weather.

2009-03-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

Rachelle has SKILLS! She won first place in Nurse Assisting in the Skills USA state competition. GO Rachelle!!

2009-03-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

Christopher was in the paper because he is awesome! (and made honor roll!)

2009-03-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Rachelle and her date D.J. going to senior prom. She looked like Audrey Hepburn from "My Fair Lady"- so incredibly elegant.

2009-03-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

Jimmy and Megan at Prom. Check out her flowers, I did them!!

Jimmy dressed to the nines

2009-03-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

Jimmy's prom is today. He came over last night to show off his tux. The group is taking the girls clay pigeon shooting so he had to come get a gun. James Bondish don't ya think?

Draper Temple

2009-03-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday afternoon we took some of the kids to the Draper temple open house. From the time I left work until we got back home was 6 1/2 hours. We had no idea that the tour set up was so involved. We thought that a Wednesday afternoon would be less crowded. We were wrong, it was packed. It is wonderful yet hard to believe that so many people are interested in seeing the Temple. The Temple was beautiful and the spirit was so peaceful. The kids asked amazing questions and we had a great time. Phil and Chelsea's wedding will be here in May. We sent Chelsea a text telling her how pretty the bride room is. She was so excited about it.

2009-03-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

Chris and Maren decided we didn't have enough kids in the family, so meet "Joe".

Dr. Seuss Update

2009-03-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

Maren won first place in the Dr. Seuss cake decorating contest. Way to go Maren!!
This is Maren and our wonderful librarian at Lomond View Elementary, Virginia Miller, who arranged for all the Dr. Seuss Day activities.

2009-03-01T18:46:00.000-08:00

Maren made a cake for the school Dr. Seuss cake contest. Anyone want green eggs and ham? We will find out tomorrow if she has won a prize. Cross your fingers, Sam I Am!

2009-03-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Sunday with most of our crew. The weather was warm enough for Mike to break out the grill and make some of his famous chicken. Arianne and Dustin came up and made us oreo truffles. They were to die for.

We Have A BLOG

2009-02-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

Wow, this trying to keep up with technology is really taxing my brain. We love watching everyone's lives via their blogs and thought we would love to share what we are doing with all of you. Be patient with me as I learn all the ins and outs of blogging.