Christmas 2009!

We had a nice Christmas this year. The kids loved their gifts and we had a great time with our family. Christmas Eve we did the usual bingo game with the Colemans and Christmas day we had dinner and played games at Grandma & Grandpa Kurtz's house.

Winter Wonderland?

We had our first big storm of the season. I'm not sure I'm ready for the cold, but the kids love it. When I got to school the other morning it was 4 degrees!! Too cold for me! Jarrin loves playing in the snow. As soon as he got home from school, he had to go out back and make tracks and knock snow off of all the trees.

Christmas Festival

Saturday was the Christmas festival at the middle school. Austin played his saxophone with the 8th grade band. They played several Christmas songs that sounded great! McKenna performed with her clogging group. They are always a big hit whenever they dance. I was there most of the day at the booth the American Cancer Society sponsored to help people become aware of the Relay for Life to help raise money for cancer research.

Merry Christmas!

This is our Christmas card picture this year! We had a family picture taken, but it didn't turn out very well. So I took this picture in front of our Christmas tree. I think it turned out cute!

Jarrin Earns his T-shirt!

Jarrin earned his Accelerated Reading t-shirt! He is loving reading, especially Magic Treehouse books!

Halloween

Since we just had japanese visitors, we thought we'd go with a japanese theme for Halloween. Mc was a Geisha and Jarrin a Ninja! They had a great time this year. Mc went with Briana and Erika trick or treating and to the spook alley. Jarrin stayed with us and went to the trunk or treat and went to a bunch of houses. Austin went to Ty's house and played video games.

Japanese Visitors

The japanese kids from Kakamigahara City came to visit this weekend. We were a host family for a 14 year old boy named Shun Samuka. He is from the same city that Austin and Darrin visited last April. It was his first time to America and he was fascinated with everything. He took pictures of the red hills, the stars in the sky, and each one of our cats. We taught him how to make sugar cookies, and carve pumpkins, which he really enjoyed.




The last night they were here there was a reception for them at Kanab Middle School. Xpress sang for them, and McKenna's clogging group danced. The japanese students performed a traditional dance. We also exchanged gifts with each other. Shun really liked the Jello that was served for dessert. They don't have Jello in Japan, so I ran to the store afterwards and got some Jello for him to take home. We had a great time and the kids are always so much fun. We are looking forward to next year's visit.

Deer Hunt!

Austin shot his first deer this year. They had been hunting all weekend and were able to shoot two on the third morning.

Jarrin spent his time digging for hidden treasure.

Darrin and Austin are back from a long hunting day.

This is the shot at a deer that I got! These deer came through our camp two nights in a row.

Homecoming

McKenna's dance team helped with the pre-game show. They had to let helium ballons go after the national anthem. They were really nervous and excited to be a part of the show. Jarrin also go in on the action! He performed with his gymnastics class for the pre-game show also. The game wasn't as exciting, the Cowboys lost 41-6.

The Circus!!!

We traveled up to Salt Lake this weekend to take the kids to the Ringling Bros. Circus. Jarrin has been dying to go to the circus ever since his kindergarten circus. We went up Friday and went out to dinner. We got up Saturday morning and had breakfast and did some shopping. We went to the Gateway and shopped around. They had a really fun Halloween store that we spent a lot of time in. Jarrin was just a little bit scared of all the freaky decorations they had. He is not a huge fan of scary stuff. The circus was at the Energy Solutions Arena, so we just walked over after shopping. A half hour before the show starts you can go down on the performance floor and see the animals and clowns close up. Jarrin really enjoyed it, and even the older two did too. They had been complaining for having to go! Jarrin's favorite acts were the cannon and the people who walked upside down on the ceiling. He kept asking me, "How are they doing that?".

We thought we might enroll him!

As long as Austin has popcorn he's happy!

Labor Day

On Sunday we took a drive out to the Sand Dunes to start looking for good camping spots for the hunt. Jarrin had to get out and play in the sand of course!






Monday we took a drive up Johnson Canyon into Cannonville. It was a beautiful drive except for when the kids were annoying each other in the backseat. We stopped at the Tropic Ditch Trail on the way back. It takes you up to a small waterfall and a mossy cave. Jarrin said the trail was not that "challenging." When we were done hiking we stopped at the Bryce Pines to eat.

It was a steep hike up to this cut out in the rock.

On the top is the mossy cave and the bottom is Jarrin posing in front of the waterfall.

Western Legends

McKenna's clogging group performed at Western Legends. They did a great job! There was a huge crowd there to watch them perform. Before she danced we walked around to all the booths and watched the parade. By the time she was done performing we were all ready to get out of there. It must be about 100 degrees today! Jarrin gets really ornery in the heat, which doesn't make things very fun. He was glad to get back to an air-conditioned house and so was I.

Jarrin playing on the big slides at Western Legends

Austin's Eagle Scout Project

Today is the last day of Austin's Eagle Scout Project. He has been in charge of the set up and take down of all the tables, chairs, benches, and picnic table during Western Legends. What a job!! He has done a really good job of getting everything organized. It's been hard to not jump in and do it for him, but he's done great. Tonight will be the bulk of the work; taking everything down, but it will be nice to have it over!

First Day of School!

Today was our first day of school. Jarrin is in Mrs. Glazier's 1st grade class. McKenna is in Mrs. Hamblin's 5th grade, and Austin is in the 8th grade! I'm getting old! It is great to have all the kids in school all day now. I also started a new grade. I teach the sixth grade now. It was a great day and we are all exhausted.

They really were excited about school. I don't know why they look like this?! I think McKenna was embarrassed to have her picture taken at school in front of her friends.

Too Bad we can't Hunt in our Backyard!

This buck was in our backyard this morning! Darrin saw it, then went to get the camera and the kids. He went out to snap this photo and it never budged. Darrin and Austin both have tags this year. Too bad they can't just stay home and sit on the back deck and shoot this one!

Lake Powell Trip

We went to Lake Powell for a relaxing two day break! The weather was sunny and beautiful the whole time and the water was warm! We got there Sunday night set up our camp and did a little shopping to get ready for the next day. My Mom & Dad were camping out on the lake in their boat and we took our trailer and camped in the campground just above the boat docks. We enjoyed having our shower and AC every night! We met them the next morning at the dock and went and played at a beach across the lake. McKenna & Austin tried skiing and knee boarding. They both were able to get up for a few seconds. I thought they did great for their first time trying. Jarrin swam and swam and swam and played in the mud. He told me that morning that he didn't want to swim just ride on the boat. When he kept swimming I asked why he was swimming because he said he didn't want to. He said, "I don't want to swim, but this place just makes me." He is such a funny kid. The second day we took a boat ride around Lone Rock, over to the dam and around Castle Rock. Then we went back to the beach and the kids tried skiing again and played in the water. Jarrin also got to feed some duck. They loved the Cheez-its he was giving them.







Jarrin playing in the water because that place made him do it!





Austin & McKenna learning to ski. They were both able to get up!



The kids loved playing on the jet skis.