#30

Somehow, Nick and Ashley started using a horrible teenage word this year that their mother just hates and threatens to wash their mouth out with soap! Usually they call each other it when they are being annoying, it is just awful and I think they get a kick out of seeing mom go a little "motto italiano" (crazy italian) but after watching nick play football, I couldn't help take this picture! If that is not a "ButtSack" I don't know what is! (nick is #30)

Sand Dunes

1st campout with Varsity Scouts at the Sand Dunes! Nick had lots of fun!

Homecoming 2010

Ashley had lots of fun at homecoming....she was asked by two different boys in about 10 minutes of each other and had to choose which was very stressful for her...she ended up choosing the one who asked her by playing a song on his guitar! We found a dress on the clearance rack and spent more time searching for shoes then we did the dress!

Matt and Ashley at the dance, looks like they had crazy fun!

Rodeo Video

American Fork 37th Ward Rodeo!

Amazing ward activity, last night was the hay ride, square dancing, and dutch oven cook off! Today we started with a 5k run, and then a parade...here is a picture of Jackson and emma in the parade! (emma's activity day group was "I love NY")

Then the rodeo began.... here is lily getting ready for the chicken run (ages 7 and under) lily got into the arena but then "chickened out"

Here is emma doing the chicken run (ages 8 and up) she has green shorts and yankee shirt on.

Youth of the ward participated in the "Cash Cow" (chased a big cow around with dollar bills taped to her) Nick showed his texan colors and cornered the cow and then she turned on him and he almost got trampled on! he managed to grab some cash though!




Next was the Mutton Bustin' which emma was amazing! First to be brave enough to do it and second she rode that sheep for about 9 seconds, got first place! Go Emma!

Jack was next and he got on a very fiesty calf....he lasted about 1 second and got tossed and then stepped on...his ride was to fast for us to get a picture but we got a before and after!

Kenny even got asked to be on one of the milking teams, they had to lasso the cow and then hold them still so they could be milked! he looks a little out of place!

Lily with the goats

Lily bobbing for apples!

It was all too much fun, greatest ward activity ever and they do it every year! can't wait for next year!

New House

Our House

Up the Street view is Mt Timpanogos

Our view from the front you can see the spire of the temple!

Our view off the balcony is very pretty, we look over a horse ranch. Only bad thing is we seem to have lots of flies!

We made it to Utah....pretty easy car ride with only three kids....it has been along time since we traveled with less than 5 kids!

Trek-The weekend we moved our stake was taking the youth on a pioneer trek to Martin's Cove in Wyoming. When I heard this I knew Ashley and Nick had to go...not really wanting to go because they did not know anyone...I finally said "you have to go." Ashley felt a little better after going to church the Sunday before, and Nick is pretty good about rolling with the punches so off they went to trek. Needless to say they had a great time, the youth of our new ward are amazing and of course how could you not feel the spirit in that sacred place! When they got home late Saturday Night we picked them up and they could not stop talking about how much fun they had!

New Ward-We have felt very welcomed here in American Fork 37th ward, the youth are amazing which only reflects on the families in this ward. It has a wide range of members of all ages which I love, and we are looking forward to our ward Rodeo in a couple of weeks. You get to know people in your ward alot faster here in Utah because they all live on your streeet!~Ashley has already given a talk!

House- I love our house, kenny did a good job picking it out. It is a little smaller but we have made it work and are very grateful to be together again after 3 months apart. Mt.Timponogas Temple is around the corner, it sits on a little hill so when you drive toward our house it looks like you are driving to the temple, my kids see the temple daily and I love that! What a great reminder for them...I am very close to schools, and walmart and of course church is around the corner.

High School-Mascot is the Cavemen! Nick couldn't be happier about that he already lives like one! He is playing football, right now he is playing middle linebacker and is exhausted everyday with two practices!(mom's stragedy) Their motto is "defend the cave!" He is very happily surprised there is lot's of cute girls here in Utah. Ashley is looking forward to starting her Senior year and her social life is very busy hanging out with girls from gym...she has found there is lots of fun stuff to do here and utah is a great treat place!(snow cones everywhere)

Elementary School-jackson and emma are excited about school just registered them and they got a tour of their school...there is a park close enough for them to go and play at and they are always there playing with neighbor kids. Jackson and nick's new thing is a long board! very popular here in Utah.

Visitors Welcome

We have only lived here for a few weeks and have already seen so many of our friends and family it is wonderful! First our great friend Susie came to visit us who we love and is just amazing...Then we got a few hours with one of our favorite families the Sorensen's...so fun to see them and catch up....and then my sister Katie came up with her family for a week and we had so much fun! My sister Tracey's family came up and spent the day with us, she was at home taking care of Grandma but so fun to see Russ, Ian and Sierra!

Katie and Ashley

Cousins on the balcony having dinner!

Cousins ready for church!

Everyone just adored baby Shane, who is just about the cutest little boy we have seen in longgggg time!

Orem Owls

It just does not feel like home until we adopt a hometown baseball team as our own and this one was special because we got to enjoy it with so many of our extended family!

Orem Owls

Follett Family Cousins

Justin, biggest baseball fan ever!

Lily and Hailey being all Hollywood!

The Cannons

The Bradys

Adam (Kenny's little buddy)

Hailey and Lily

More Summer Fun!

Ashley went with about 5 girls from church to our friend's lake house for the weekend, had lots of fun wake boarding, on sea doos, hanging out!

Nick had lots of fun at EFY with Joe...don't know why he didn't bring back any pictures with Joe in them?

Nick and Joe at a Eagle Court of Honor...always goofing off!

Jackson made Tenderfoot this summer, He says Bro. Law is the coolest scout leader ever!

Jackson and 11 year old scouts

Lily always so cute!

Ashley's last year of girls camp! (3rd from left on back row)

Nick's newest injury! HYPHEMA

HYPHEMA-Blood in the front of the eye usually caused by trauma to the eye.

Nick's injury occurred while playing Ping Pong with his best friend Joe....Joe must have a wicked serve to hit the ping pong ball so fast and hard that Nick had no time to react and the ball hit him square in the eye, causing a great deal of pain and total loss of vision(because blood had filled up in front of his eye his one eye was way darker than the other).....after spending 6 hours in 2 different ER's and coming home with a not so cool eye patch and way cool old man glasses, Nick was digosed with HYPHEMA....the Opthomolgist met us at his office on Saturday and said in twenty years of practice he had never heard of this injury happening with a ping pong ball....so unusual he wanted to publish it! Normal eye pressure is about a 12-15, Nick's was at 38 in the office....He was given about 5 different eye drops to use and was told he had to be on bed rest for 7-10 days because any sudden movement could cause further damage to eye.(blood getting into retina) Total bummer for Nick because he had to miss High Adventure! Total Bummer for me because i was stuck with cleaning pool and mowing lawn! Nick was a great patient and had a very good outlook on his bed rest! Of course what teenage boy would not just love to sit on couch all day and watch tv while your mom mowed the lawn!