Spring Snow

The kids all got snow gear for Christmas this last year. The only problem was, it never really snowed to use it! Finally in late March it Snowed! We decided we had better jump on the chance and head to Pine Valley to play in it. It was a fun afternoon. We couldn't find a hill to sled down, but we had a good time throwing snow balls, making angels and eating icicles. :)

Snow Canyon

Spring Break is always one of my favorite weeks. It seemed leading up to it we all had a little Spring Fever! It was nice to have a week to sleep in, enjoy the weather, and play with friends. The boys got to spend the night at Jadon's in his new tree house which was a real treat too! We weren't able to go anywhere since the boys were going to be playing baseball in the March Madness Tournament so instead we took a day and went to Snow Canyon. 

It was fun to go on a little hike. I think that is the first hike, we have taken as a family. We need to do it more often, it was great.

We played in the Sand Dunes. Carlee hated the sand on her toes! I thought she would love it, nope she sat there with her toes up and then wanted on the blanket as soon as possible. She is a funny girl! Addie and the boys loved digging and running around. The weather was beautiful. Couldn't have asked for a nicer day. We had a picnic lunch and then headed home. Our own little getaway just minutes away from our home. Good Times!

Tea for Three

{January 25th, 2012}

Addie had been wanting to have a Tea Party for awhile. We finally planned it! It was low key and just basically a play date. She invited her best two little friends and we had Tea for Three (plus Carlee!) It was fun to see them be total girls! I wanted to take a picture of each of them but Kate was not having it, so Sadie, Addie and Carlee is all I got. They lifted their pinkies when they drank their "Tea" (really water) and loved all the finger foods we had rounded up from the pantry. Girls are so much fun!

Bar 10 Ranch

{July 9th and 10th}

Gavin took his Teacher's in Young Men's to the Bar 10 ranch this summer for their high adventure trip. I was jealous of all the boys going, because there is a special place in my heart for the Bar 10 Ranch. When Gavin and I first started dating, he took me there. It was so much fun. His lifelong best friend Gavin Heaton owned it, so we could just go hangout at the ranch.  Later Gavin married one of my lifelong friends Andrea and now they run the ranch together along with their 3 soon to be 4 children. Gavin and I hadn't been back to the Bar 10 in over 10 years. Can't believe we are that busy, that we hadn't been there for that long!  Anyway... On the day Gavin was suppose to be coming home, I got a phone call from him. (Mind you, the Bar 10 is in the middle of nowhere and the only phone that works is a satalite phone that is only for emergencies!) He said, Pack your bags, I'll be home to drop the scouts off and we are coming back with the kids tonight. I was so excited I was going to the Bar 10, and that my kids got to see it too! I love last minute trips the best! 

We had such a great time! It was just like I remembered with a few upgrades and addition's of course. ;) Preston loved the snakes, lizards and rodent's. Addie loved the Bar 10 show and watching Hailee (Gavin and Andrea's daughter) perform. I loved the food, it was the same meals as last time and still just as good! :) Landon loved the Helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon, what a treat for my kids to experience. 

We came home in a summer down pour. The Arizona Strip can flood in a hurry! There were a few times I was biting my nails, but we made it. Preston had brought a little canteen full of water. It had been spilled and a pain in the you know what... the whole time. When we were just about stuck in mud up to our eyeballs Preston said, "Well, it's a good thing I brought the canteen, now at least we'll have water tonight while we wait for someone to come get us, and if we run out of that, we can always walk out there and drink from a barrel cactus!" Gavin and I cracked up! Especially since there was plenty of water running right down the side of the dirt road we were on, too much water was the problem! It definitely lightened the mood for the rest of the nerve wracking drive home.  Gotta love Pres! :) 

Thank you Gavin and Andrea for a fun spur of the moment trip to the Bar 10. I hope it doesn't take us another 10 years to get back! :)

Moment's Notice

This summer has had a lot of "Moment's Notice" adventures. In fact we just got back from one this weekend. If I was caught up on this beautiful blog I would be telling you about it, but I'm not, so you will just have to wait. :) Luckily you get to hear about our first "Spur of the Moment" trip to the Manti Pageant.

On June 16th Landon received an invitation to play with the Marshall's the next day in a tournament. We decided to take him up for the day to play. What else do we have to do on a Friday? Right?! :) It was fun day hanging out with friends and being at the ball field. The Marshall's won the first and lost the second so we were done earlier than we had planned. We were on the road heading home and as we were passing through Nephi on a "Moment's Notice" we took the exit and that headed to Manti. We decided to go watch the Manti Pageant. I had never been and Gavin knew I had always wanted to see it, so we were on our way! Dennis and Jake were in Richfield at a ball tournament so they met us there. It was a great production. I left with a feeling of gratitude for those who came before and a stronger testimony of Jesus Christ my Savior. I am really glad we went. Preston loved the 2,000 Stripling Warriors and Addie loved seeing Christ with the children. She even stayed awake through the whole thing. Landon on the other hand asleep on Jake's lap right at the beginning. Baseball must have worn him out! :) When we pulled into our garage at 2:30 am Gavin and I felt like we had been run over by a truck, but it was worth it! We decided if we go again, we will for sure find a hotel and bring some bug spray!

Manti = Mosquito's! If you know what I mean... :)

Backyard Camp Out

This year we made a Summer Bucket List...

Do you see the first item on it?

6/15/2011         

Check! Sleep in a Tent...done! 

I have never had a backyard camp out before, but I will be doing it again for sure! We BBQ'd and ate dinner outside (then I took the dishes and washed them inside!)  We roasted marshmallows  and made perfect (with the microwave inside) smores!  Gavin told a Ghost story (while Carlee was inside sleeping in her crib!) that even made me jump. Then we (Gavin took one for the team and went inside to listen for Carlee ;)) all went to sleep. Next year I will be the one inside and Gavin will be in the tent listening to the neighbor's A/C unit! The next morning, I ran inside and got the milk and cereal. No cooler's with melting ice needed! :) 

See, backyard camp out's are fantastic!

The kids even found a frog. A perfect find, for our nature night! They caught him and with that we were able to not only check off, sleep in a tent, but catch frogs and make smores! 

The bucket list is going to be great this summer, I can feel it!

Sledding

Santa brought the boys sleds for Christmas, so on New Year's Eve we headed up to Pine Valley to go sledding. The boys had a ton of fun. Landon got to be really good and the sleds worked great. We only had one accident. Preston got plowed from someone coming down the hill while they were walking up the hill the very first time. Gavin thought he was going to have a concussion, but he popped up and was fine. Nothing was stopping him from trying out his new sled!  I stayed in the car most of the time with Carlee, but at the end I even went down once! The weather was beautiful, blue skies and no wind. We couldn't have asked for a better day. Good Times, Good times!

Great Weekend

The Dixie Roundup was fun again this year. The Military Helicopter was probably everyone's favorite part of the show. It is always fun to see family and friends at the Rodeo!

Preston had the First Grade Rodeo at school and they asked us to help. Since Gavin had to be in Las Vegas, Dad got the job! We showed the kids how to rope the Dummy and then let them all try it themselves. It was funny to watch how difficult it is to swing a rope when you have never done it before! Thanks Dad for your help. You are the best!

 On Friday night we skipped the Rodeo and went to the Warrior game instead. Addie was in the Cheer Clinic this year and was so excited to perform at half time. I made her some bows to wear, and before we even got in the game she had lost one.. I was sick. We looked and looked but couldn't find it. Oh well, she still looked cute! (Come to find out it was in the backseat of the car, bummer.) When we got down on the track she was so excited to find Sadie and be with all the other girls.  She was totally in her element the whole time, she even did a little of the dance, a few counts late, but she did it! I love my little cheerleader!

We went over to the end of the rodeo to show my mom and dad her outfit, they were glad we came and  the boys got to see their favorite part of the rodeo, the Bull Riding! I just can't miss that rodeo, even if I am two hours late!

Saturday Landon had a football game in Cedar, they lost by a touchdown. It was a good game and the boys played really hard, just came up short. I liked what Landon said in the car after the game. "If we see them in the playoffs, they are going DOWN!" Now that is the kind of attitude I like! How does that saying go? "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the saddle!"

We made it home just in time for the last night of the Rodeo.  It was a fun, crazy weekend, the kind I love. Good Times, Good Times!!

Zion's

On the Saturday morning of Memorial Day Weekend, I woke up and realized we had nothing on the schedule to do. That was amazing.. Gavin was out moving cattle with his dad, so we hadn't planned anything. I happened to call Katie (Gavin's mom) and she was headed to Zion's for the weekend with Bradi and her family. She invited us to come along for the day, so we loaded up and headed to Zion. It was a fun day all on the spur of the moment! We hike to the Lower Emerald Pool which turned out to be a puddle, so we kept going to the Middle Emerald Pool and that turned out to be water running over rocks. The kids got all wet which was fun until they slipped... then we hiked back. I had never taken my kids to Zion, and after being there for the day I know I need to take them back. It was a great day filled with the beauty of the earth, exercise, not to much fighting or crying, and lots of smiles.  

A Warm Day!

We haven't had many warm days this Spring. It has been really weird weather.  We have been waiting everyday since Easter to try on our new suits. Finally on the 4th of May it was warm enough to head to the water walk and Preston didn't have Kindergarten. It was a perfect afternoon. Thanks Bradi for calling! This was way better than doing the laundry.

Field Day

Field Day is always a school day we look forward to at our house. Both boys did great! I don't know where they got their hops from, but both won 1st place in the Broad Jump! Way to go boys. 

SNOW Much Fun!

Our "snow gear" needs a little help... we still had a great time, even if it was short!

Vegas Baby!

On the 5th we took a spur of the moment trip to Vegas with the Terry's! It was a blast. We shopped, ate and shopped some more! The guys got a little tired of the shopping and found a football game to watch while we finished. It was a much needed break for Gavin and I. It was so nice to laugh and visit with Dave and Gretchen without the interruptions we usually have. I stole these picture off Gretchen's blog (Thanks Gretch! Can't wait to go again!)

Deer Camp

Deer Camp was this last weekend, it was great. We stayed in a tent at Cougar pass and had loads of fun! Thankfully Addie stayed home with Grandma Gai (and Bradi too) and was treated like the Princess that she thinks she is! I missed her, but was glad she was where I knew she was clean. As for the rest of us clean was not even in our vocabulary this weekend!

Here are a few memories:

• The drive out was beautiful. I loved the all fall colors, the bright read oak and the golden Quaking Aspen were my favorite.
• Gavin and his A+ driving skills. He drove us to our camp without a hitch, even when it was narrow switchbacks with a cliff on one side. Augh! I just closed my eyes and prayed, then after I noticed my palms were sweating. I am not much for heights.
• We passed all this beautiful "Deer Country" as Dennis would call it. Only to camp in the middle of burned down Cedar Trees. Still wondering about that one....
• Our tent, it was great! First time we have used it since we purchased it 7 1/2 years ago. The little boys are already planing our next camping trip for the spring, it really was fun!
• Garrett's Dutch Oven Potatoes and the Squirrel Pi$* Sagebrush Steaks (excuse the language had to be completely accurate!) It is a long story but the pan to cook with was left home. We found a grate left from previous campers on the ground and used it. It's amazing what you'll eat when your hungry! They tasted pretty good too, Outback might want to check into this new idea, and put it on the menu!
• The wind on the first night was fierce. We didn't get to have a fire, so everyone was in their tents by 8:30. Because it was so early, Preston put on a little dance show complete with flashlight strobe lights! Have I ever said how much I love that kid?!
• The lack of Deer and the unbelievable amount of hunters.
• Dad, Ryon and Lex showing up! It made my day!
• Puzzles, books, pretzels, jerky and good visits with Aubrey.
• Jake and his Boy Scout fire building. Dennis and his throw fuel on it way to build a fire.
• Stories and marshmallows.
• Dr. Pepper
• Dirt in my nails.
• Ryon fixing the flat. Glad the mechanics showed up!
• Dad and his many stories, we decided he really loves to hunt and that alone made it so fun!
• Shooting the twenty two.
• And best of all, the shower I took when I got home!

Good Times, Good Times!

Swiss Days

After the game we went to lunch and then to Swiss Days for a bit. The boys loved the Car Show. I don't think they had ever been to one before and they couldn't get over all the Corvettes! It was great because they are always looking for Corvettes and Lamborghini's as we drive. So to see that many Corvette's all in one place was pretty cool for two little boys! Ryon and Lex put the Buick in the car show and that was good because at least the boys could touch one car! I must have said "Don't Touch" 50 times while we were there! They picked their favorite car for a picture, yep shocking... a Corvette!

After we left the Car Show we headed to the City building to check out the kids booths. They had a great time playing all the $.50 booths and won a lot of junk I have all ready thrown away without their knowing! a lot of great prizes! Good Times! :)

Bowler Reunion

Ingredients to make a great family reunion:

• Meet in Gunlock at the park.
• Have LOTS of Good Food.
• Must have a Fun Family!
• Silent auction's are always an added bonus.
• Have a chart of every family member. It is a great way for all to feel connected. :)
• Keep things, short and sweet.
• You will also need a few "visitor's." (Kind of like in Wedding Crashers, they will keep everybody on their toes!)

Thanks Josh and JC for being our "visitor's" we will adopt you as family anytime! Can't wait until the next Francis and Anne Bowler family reunion. It is always a treat to attend!

Cubs Camp

The boys were able to attend the BYU Cubs Basketball Camp. It was held the first week in June. Originally we had only signed up Landon, but when we got there realized that 5 year olds could attend. We quickly signed Preston up. He was thrilled to say the least! (So were his parents, who would not have to entertain him for 3 hours a day while his brother was playing b-ball!) He was in his flip-flops so he had to start the camp with those while we ran to the hotel and picked up his basketball shoes, luckily we had packed them. He had on some soft shorts with pockets and by the end of day we took note that he desperately need basketball shorts WITHOUT pockets! His hands were in those pockets the whole time! How can you dribble with your hands in there?! Ask Preston he can tell you!  

The camp was a success Landon was able to win the Cougar Award on the first day, and Preston won the Hustle Award on the last day. It is amazing what he can do when his hands are out of those pockets! Way to go boys! 

Had to add a little ode to Budget 8! This is the Hotel we stayed at, it was right next to Cougar Stadium and walking distance from the camp. It had to have been the smallest room known to mankind! The bathroom was so small that two people couldn't be in it at the same time with the door shut. The toilet wouldn't flush half the time and the crib... well look at the picture below. The only plus was the pool was open 24 hours a day, and it was right next to Dairy Queen. We all had ice cream everyday. Well, that might not be a plus for the mother! ;o) 

See the picture of the kids? Yes this is how we felt about Budget 8 when we were finished! I will take the blame. Gavin wanted a better room, but I was trying to go economy. Note to self: Next time it might be worth the extra 30 bucks a night! Oh the memories... Good Times! 

Weekend Visitors

Over the long weekend we were lucky enough to have a few visitors! Josh and JC Raney and their friend Joe who are all going to BYU came and stayed with us. They are great guys and we had a lot of fun. The reason they came was because it is so much warmer here than in Provo. They actually wanted to go outside and tan! It was only 60 degrees and finally decided it wouldn't work! Thanks boys for staying with us, our kids love you! Good Times!! 

gIrLS NiGhT oUT!!

On Thursday, the girls got together, and it was a much needed break from our daily lives! Allie was in town so we decided to hang out. It was SO fun. I almost felt like I was 16 again.. just for a few hours! We had Cafe Rio, yummy dessert and played the game Quelf. Oh my HECK, the game is hilarious! I have played it 4 or 5 times and have laughed so hard I have cried every time.  

The greatest thing about the night was, we made some new memories together! Instead of just remembering the past, we have fun new memories that I won't ever forget! You girls are awesome, Thanks for a fun night, I love you all!! 

gOOd TImES!! 

New Year's Eve...Gunlock Style!

Only in Gunlock can you drive the Fire Engine up and down the main "drag" to welcome in the New Year! The kids loved it, they would have rode it for hours except, it was a bit chilly.  Thanks everyone for a great New Year's Eve!