Happy Birthday Nicole!

I know I am a week late in wishing Nicole a Happy Birthday, but as saying goes, "better late than never," right?!? So, Happy Birthday! I hope you had a great day. I know I don't see you much, but know I love ya and think you are great. 

When we were little whenever Nicole came to visit Grandma, I got to stay too. My picture books are full of pictures of the two of us. The picture above is my favorite! It shows just how inseparable we really were! At Grandma's house there was a lot of memories made, here are just a few... 

1. Riding the big wheels.

2. Jumping on the tramp.

3. Sitting in the ditch or swimming in Grandma's hot tub.

4. Walking to the Merc for Sixlets.

5. Going to Hatch in the summer for a week. 

6. Getting Cabbage Patch dolls on Christmas Eve. 

Good Times!! 

Just a Note

I know I don't do many posts without pictures, but because this is our family history I need to write a few things down...

 

Sunday was a wonderful day. It was our wards Primary Program. I think it is my favorite sacrament meeting of the whole year. I even loved it when I didn't have primary children of my own. Now that I do have children up on the stand singing and saying parts, it has a lot deeper meaning to me. Gavin and I were talking and said the program is really touching no matter what, but when it your son up on the stand singing, "I am a Child of God," Called to Serve," etc. it really touches your heart. 

Landon memorized his little part and did great saying it in front of everyone. He sang all the songs and knew most of the words. It made me so happy to know, he is learning about the simple plan our Heavenly Father has for him through song. He and Preston both love to sing the primary songs, they are always singing them in the car, in the bath, wherever, they both like to sing. 

Preston is a Sunbeam this year and their little class got to sing, "I hope They Call Me on a Mission." It was really cute, they had each of them a missionary badge to wear, Preston chose to wear his dad's missionary badge and was very proud of it. It is my hope for Preston that he does choose to serve a mission someday.  

After the program we (Me, Gavin, Mom and Dad) went to sunday school and Brother Bray gave a great lesson, like Gavin said he really teaches from the heart. Then Mom and I went to RS. Sister Murray gave the lesson on letter writing. We read letters Joseph Smith wrote to Emma which was really touching. Everyone was discussing writing letters to military men and women, missionaries, the sick.... Then Mom commented that in the scriptures it commands us to write to those imprisoned. It touched us all, Nancy then read a letter that was written to her. It was at a time in her life when she was going through a lot. The letters she received helped her make it through. She then commented that my Aunt Melanie has a real talent for this, Melanie is always writing notes, her notes always make me feel so good.  So, I have made a  resolution. I am going to be more like Melanie and write those notes and letters, I am going to let the people I love know how much I do love them and how their lives enrich mine. It is amazing what Just a Note can do! 

Goodbye Trailer

We have been trying to sell our horse trailer for a few months now. Back in July I posted the trailer on a few websites and when I got phone calls about it I have to admit I wasn't ready to sell. I guess I just know how much fun my little boys have in that trailer. Well all the ads expired and I didn't renew them. Last week Gavin and I decided that it was best for us to sell it, and this time I was ready to let go. I told Gavin I am going to post the ads and by the end of the week the trailer will be gone! He didn't believe me, but low and behold it happened. (Just goes to show if you pay your tithing, attend the temple and have faith, the Lord will bless you.) It was crazy this time when I posted it on the website I had a bunch of emails asking me questions about it. 

Friday night I got a phone call at about 6:00 pm from a mother and her daughter. They were super excited about the trailer and I knew they were going to buy it. They wanted to leave there home in Phoenix at 3:00 am and pick it up on Saturday morning, but the bank wasn't open on Saturday so they came Sunday and drove back Monday morning. Gavin and I got it all cleaned up and ready over the weekend for them. They turned out to be the really nice people. I am so happy our trailer is going to have a good home where someone will use it and take care of it. 

Gavin wasn't as excited to sell it as I was, but he knew it was the right thing to do. With the economy being so unstable, we are trying to follow the prophet and get out of debt the best we can. I feel a huge burden lifted off my shoulders and I know Gavin does too. 

The picture above is the May family, Grandma, Mom, Barrel racer (who the trailer is for),  Cha Cha (4 year old that turned into Preston's friend) and the dog Zoey (is in the truck). It turned out to be a long trip home for them, there truck wasn't running the best so they didn't get back to Phoenix until Midnight. They wrote me a note this morning and said they love the trailer and loved spending a the short time they did with us. We loved them too. Isn't it funny how everything works out.  

 

True Blue Jazz Fans!

I can't believe the Jazz season has all ready begun. Most of you probably know that my husband is the ULTIMATE Jazz fan, but for those of you who don't he is a TRUE BLUE FAN!!  To put this into perspective let me tell you about our conversation back in the first of October... Forgotten Carol tickets were going on sale and I asked Gavin what day he wanted to go. He went straight to the computer got on the internet and looked up the Jazz schedule and said "I want to go on Thursday because the Jazz play on Wednesday night." I hadn't even thought about the Jazz in months, but not Gav he was all ready planning his life around them! Now I know right where my husband will be (in our living room, sometimes yelling at our TV) for 82 games until the middle of April. Trust me he won't miss hardly a game and he watches ALL 4 quarters, through thick and thin he loves those Jazz!  

Last night when the Jazz came on all the boys (Landon, Preston and Jake) in our house ran to their rooms grabbed their jersey's and started playing some hoop. Most normal families have hutches, or nice pictures hanging on their walls. Not us, we have a mini basketball hoop in our living room/kitchen, and when the Jazz are playing we have a few ballers of our own having a grudge match. Someday I'll have a nice hutch where that hoop is, but for now I kind of like watching our own little basketball team. 

When the Stars are Lined Up...

Yesterday will be a day that goes down in history for the our family. It started out with Landon's  flag football game which he WON 28-2. Next came Preston's soccer game he scored 7 goals and they WON the game. Then we headed to New Harmony for a big party/roping to celebrate the completion of the Diamond H Ranch indoor facility. They had tons of activities for the kids and lots of great food and games to play. Their were kids booths where Landon and Preston WON lots of prized and a cake walk where Preston WON a cute bunt cake and Bingo where I WON a bath gift set. Landon WON the goat tail and got a t-shirt and placed second in the boot race and got a giant candy bar. They had a bounce house which Landon and Preston jumped in forever. I must say that Diamond H Ranch knows how to throw a party, we came home with all our prizes, yummy carmel apples, a family picture (that is posted above) and were sick to our stomachs because we had eaten Hamburgers, salads, fudge, cookies, pumpkin rolls, funnel cakes, sno cones and cotton candy... Then after the party they had a $10 cowboy draw pot team roping. Gavin hadn't roped since the 24th of July. So you could say he was a little rusty! He entered a few times and ended up with High Call and WON the roping! He won $350 and a nice Diamond H coat. 

Can you see a pattern here... On the way home we were talking about everything everyone had WON that day and Gavin said now if the Jazz win tonight it will be just like Christmas! Well guess what the Jazz WON, BYU WON, & USC WON! So it was almost better than Christmas in Gavin's eyes! 

So like my Dad always says... When the stars are lined up, be entered!! We were and it was a great day. Good Times!! 

Here are a few pictures from the party... 

How about that flower hat?!? 

Addie loves riding the horse, she is like her older brother Landon (when he was a baby) always wanting to hold the reins. 

Gettin' a skull painted. 

Now here is a classic Preston picture a Sno Cone in one hand and Hot Chocolate in the other. He would drink some Hot Chocolate and then have a little Sno Cone. Quite the mixture! :) 

The arena had the best dirt for building sand castles. In the background you can see Preston made himself a fort out of dirt. 

Thank you Diamond H Arena you really do have "One Sweet Ride" like your logo says!

2 Football Players and a Flower

How much candy can 2 little football players and a flower collect in one halloween? A LOT!! Halloween this year was a lot of fun and we had some dang cute trick or treaters, if I do say so myself! :) 

Halloween actually started on Thursday for Preston, as you can see his preschool class had their annual party. All the kids looked so cute. Preston was excited to wear his costume. He felt pretty cool because he got to put his uniform  on a day before his brother! Sibling rivalry, gotta love it! 
Friday morning we got up early and Landon got ready to wear his costume to school. They had a parade with all the students and teachers. It was really cute. I hadn't ever been to a school parade before, I thought it was great to see all the different costumes and kids. Landon was happy to see us, but I guess in kindergarten it isn't cool to wave to your parents so he just grinned from ear to ear!  This is a picture with his teacher... one of the 3 little pigs! She is a great teacher, and Landon just loves her. 

In the afternoon we went trick or treating at the high school with Tara and Stephanie. The kids made a haul, I swear their bags were almost full by the time we left. 

In the evening the ward had a party. This is a picture of Stephanie and I at the party with our little flower and cheerleader!  All the houses in one of the circles had different treats, homemade root beer, popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, chili, spook ally... the list goes on and on. Everyone else in the ward brought bowls of candy and the kids "trunk or treated" up and down the street. It was good except my kids had never done a trunk or treat before so they didn't dare just walk up to people and ask for candy. They wanted to go knock on doors, so later we took them to a few houses and let them do the traditional trick or treating. They wore out quick, thank goodness! Halloween was great and everyone got lots of loot and had a blast! 

Now for my story about the "Aliens" that showed up at our door on halloween night...

It was a little after 9:00 p.m. and we were just coming home from visiting my Grandpa and Grandma Bowler. As we pulled in the driveway we could see these two people walking out of our house. We didn't know who it was, so Gavin rolled down the car window. These two people dressed up like white trash Grandparents came walking up to our door. I must say their outfits were sweet, the Grandma had a noise ring, a hat that said I love Bingo, and a sweet bright purple jogging outfit. The Grandpa had on some army pants, and a hoodie. I could not figure out who they were, Gavin and I were just laughing and laughing. The boys in the backseat didn't think it was so funny. They didn't say anything the whole time while these two people were shaking their butts and looking at us, without saying a word. 

Well after a minute or two they just left and ran down the street. As Gavin pulled into the garage and got Preston out of the car, he said "Dad those were FREAKING ALIENS!" Then he ran in the house and locked the door behind him. He was not going to let those "aliens" come in our house ever again! After doing a little thinking Gavin and I thought we knew who it was, so we jumped in the car and drove around for a little while to see if we could catch them. We never did find them, but were were right about who it was. If you want to see who these crazy old grandparents were then click here and you can see a picture of these funny halloween people!(You might have to scroll down a little bit to see them dressed up in their costumes.) Anyway thanks white trash grandparents, you made our halloween memorable! It was great!! 

 

Halloween Fun!

This week has been jam packed with fun Halloween activities. We had our annual pumpkin carve and we even frosted a few pumpkin cookies. Here are a some pictures... 

This was the first year Landon carved his pumpkin almost all by himself. He chose his picture (spooky alien), dug out all the seed and even cut most of it out. I was really proud of how careful he tried to be and patient he is becoming. 

Preston dug out a few seeds, and then talked Grandpa Randy into cutting out his ghost for him. His short little attention span couldn't last through all the cutting , so he would check on Grandpa once in awhile. Mostly he played ball with Kason. Thanks Grandpa for helping him.

 

Landon wasn't to sure about all that slim on his hands!

For FHE this week we iced pumpkin shaped sugar cookies. I don't know if anyone could taste their cookie from all the candies on it, but they did have a masterpiece of candy corns and M&M's! Yummy!! ;0)

Stay tuned for two Football Players a Flower... and a visit from some "freakin' aliens!"