Summer Re-cap

I had been thinking that with the coming of summer, I should have been able to write several blog posts, update everyone’s pictures and activities, but some how the time just got away from me…

End of May & June

The week school got out Chloe, Darby and Sadie went to their Dad’s for Memorial Day weekend. They got back on Tuesday, and Wednesday after work, all 8 of us piled in for the annual Allred family fishing trip. We got back late Sunday night. Tuesday Grant, Hayley and Zack flew out to spend 2 months with their Mom. Wednesday, I took Chloe to get her Drivers license, and went to girls’ camp. (In the mean time Chloe, Darby and Sadie had Stadium of Fire practice every day. ~ Thank heavens Chloe could drive.) The week after girls’ camp, was scout camp, and Ryan was gone for a couple of nights. The following week was Youth Conference AND Father’s Day. (All the while the 3 girls have Stadium of Fire practice Mon – Fri.) The following weekend we did not have any plans, so we went fishing at Navajo Lake and hiked up to Cascade Falls.

July

The first weekend was STADIUM OF FIRE. The reason it is capitalized is that while the girls were preparing/practicing, it is truly all encompassing; time, gas, energy, etc. They did a great job and had good time. Carrie Underwood was the headliner and put on a great show. Grandma Nene came to see the girls perform and to spend some time with Grandma Pickett and us. We then had one weekend without any plans. Then the weekend of July 24^th. Ryan and I were on our Ward Committee. We were Pioneers in the parade, and then in charge of Balloon both for the remainder of the day. And, because we hadn’t done anything that day, we took off with the boat and the 4-wheeler and went up to Kolob to fish, play and spend the night with Kent and Shelley (Ryan’s uncle & aunt) at their cabin. Monday Chloe left to go up North to spend a few days with Bonnie’s family, then go to visit her Dad.

August

The first weekend of August/end of July, Ryan and I took off with Rollo (our dog) Friday night and drove to Bullion Creek. (A favorite place of Ryan’s from his childhood.) We spent Saturday morning fishing in the stream. Around noon it started to rain, then after threatening for a while it really started coming down. We tried to wait it out, but after being completely soaked, I was done! We wandered back to the Tahoe, drenched and muddy. We drove up to Bonnie and Jeff’s house. Sunday we picked up the girls from their Dad’s and headed home. The following Saturday we picked grant, Hayley and Zack up at the airport in Vegas. We went to Stake conference Sunday, then Ryan and I took off for Mesquite because our 2^nd Anniversary was Monday. We couldn’t swim because of a MASSIVE lightning and thunder storm. Monday we relaxed, drove back to St. George, took in the historical sites, went for a nice long drive, then ended the evening with TARZAN at Tuacahn. Wednesday school started and life hasn’t slowed since…

September

Last weekend we, (minus Chloe) went to the Safford/Thatcher area for Grandma Ellen’s (Allred) funeral. It is always nice to get together with family. We got to meet the newest addition to the family, Deija.

Well, there is my summer re-cap… pics to come… sometime!

No point

There is no point in trying to catch up, in doing so, I fall further behind... So here are a few (very few) pics of what we've been up to lately.

Darby & Sadie were both in the school talent show

Zack was a bell ringer in the 3rd GradeProgram

Chloe's end-of-year Choir concert

Kenny & Rachel's Wedding

Draper Temple - WOW!

Ryan & I after the ceremony!

I went with Darby on the 5th Grade field trip to Zion National park

That early days of our garden

Dance Pictures

Elementary Choirs at Tuacahn.

Month Over?!?! Ahhh!

I could not believe March had come, and now,it's GONE...
The past month has been a whirlwind of activity and no slow-down is in sight for April.
From now until Mid-May (and the past couple of weeks) we have 4 scheduled soccer games. Hayley, Darby, Zack & Sadie all play on different teams, on different fields, and at different times. (There are a couple of games at the same times, but for the most part, they are spread out over the course of the day on Saturday.) Subsequently, our Saturdays are booked.
In addition to the Soccer games, we have a few weekends like the last one, where we also have dance competitions, dance pictures, scouting events, choir concerts, etc.

For example; last Saturday, I got up before 7 a.m. to get myself ready, before waking up the girls to get ready for dance competition. Chloe and I curled and teased Darby and Sadie's hair until almost 9. When I took Chloe over to the high school to work at the track meet. I took Darby & Sadie to their dance competition a little after 9. In the mean time Ryan was taking Hayley to her soccer game, buying oranges and cutting them up for her half-time treat, watching her game, buying after-game treats for and taking Zack to play his soccer game. A little after 1p.m. Sadie was done with her part of the dance competition, so on my way to take her home, I picked up Chloe from the high school, took Darby to change into her next costume and She and I went back to the dance competition. Then while Darby and I were gone, Ryan had the kids that were home work on chores, went to help one of his home teaching families with some things and took Hayley to a birthday party... As soon as Darby's dance was over, she and I raced home to change her clothes for her soccer game at 5. Following her game, we raced home again to change her clothes to go baby-sitting. Then Ryan and I took Sadie to buy an Easter dress, because she was the only girl that didn't have one for Sunday.

So, I'm a blog slacker, but, it's really only because when something has to give, it usually is a little time to myself.

I had better think of something!

Well, I am seriously going to try to write something regularly, even if it is the same old stuff. Because I don't want to have to wait for BIG things to happen to compel me to write.

Yesterday, Darby and Sadie were headed home from a visit with their Dad for Spring Break, and ended up right in the middle of a 15+ car pile-up on I-15 only about 20 miles from home.
Jason had sent me a message about 8:30a.m. that he was just leaving with the girls to bring them home. I asked him to let me know when they were close so I could take my lunch about the time the girls got home. Around 12:20 p.m. I saw that Jason was calling, and my initial thought was, "Wow, they made good time." Then Jason proceeded to tell me they had been in an accident and they were all ok, but they were pinned in the car.
The next little while was tense, and frightening. My friend, Carol drove me as close to the accident site as she could, then we waited for the Highway Patrol dispatch to call me to come get the girls.
It was horrible sitting, waiting, knowing the girls wanted me to get them, and I desperately wanted to see them and know for myself, they were ok, but I couldn't.
Ryan left work early and came to all of our rescues. He drove me North past the incident, then we turned around and drove as close as we could in the emergency lane. After that I got out of the car and ran up to where the girls were sitting in a fire truck staying warm.

This was the VERY welcome sight I saw when I got there.







These are pictures of the scene as it was being cleaned up, and of the car they were riding in.

Blogger's Block

I have had a hard time finding anything note-worthy to blog about.
It seems that most of my posts consist of much the same-ness. We are crazy busy with 6 kids going all different directions...
I got to about the middle of January and realized that I had 10 days of vacation that I was going to lose, if I didn't use it. So, I have been taking every Monday off. It has been nice I have had a few days to myself and a couple of days of with the kids, that I would have otherwise been working. I have gone to the temple, eaten lunch with Ryan, had lunch with Brenda and my parents. Honestly, I have felt a little self-indulgent. (And, I still have 5 more Mondays off!) It will be a big-time downer when I have to work 5 days a week again.
Valentine's Day was yesterday, and we had a great weekend! We missed Darby & Sadie they went to their Dad's for the long weekend. But, Chloe spent 3 straight days singing for the choir fundraiser, Singing Valentines. So she hung out with the rest of us here.
Saturday Ryan and I went to the movie "Valentine's Day" and out for dinner. Sunday we had dinner here and Grandpa & Grandma Bracken came over. It was nice, small in comparison to our usual Sunday dinner crowd, but very nice.
Today is President's Day and it is a beautiful day! All of the kids are outside even Chloe. It is just one of those days when I am glad I live here.

New Year... New Do

Both Darby & Sadie got new looks for 2010.
Darby cut off almost 24" and Sadie nearly 10"