Expecting

Just wanted to see who checks our blog. We are going to have a Baby in April. We are excited and old!

Back to School... and REALITY

Here are our First Day of School, walking out the door pictures...












School started over a week ago, the craziness of life with 6 kids has resumed.

Only 5 of the 6 are in school currently. But, we are still plenty busy!

Chloe graduated from high school this year and is workling and saving up to get back into college next semester.

Grant is in 9th Grade and Hayley is in 8th Grade at the middle school. Darby is in 7th Grade at the intermediate school. Zack is in 5th Grade and Sadie is in 4th Grade at the elementary school.

Besides school, we have Dance, Musicals, Scouts, Young Women's, Activity Days, etc. etc. etc.

It begins again...

Today I got my first call of the 2011-2012 school year.
The kids aren't in school yet, but I missed something on Darby's registration, and sure enough the ID on my phone pops up, "Fossil Ridge." It seems that almost daily, well at least weekly, one of the kids' schools' pops up on caller ID for forgotten assignments, forgotten lunches, sick little ones, injured little ones, the list goes on and on.
I'm not sure I'm ready for the new school year, busy schedules, dance, scouts, etc. but it's coming anyway.
August 15th, 6:00 a.m. here we go again!

Weekend...

This past weekend was GREAT! We did not go anywhere, we did not do anything spectacular, but it was nonetheless fabulous! I think Ryan and I spent almost every hour together sans the Relief Society/Priesthood block of church meetings.
The few weeks we get every summer to be 'newlyweds' are so much fun, and so needed.
Most couples starting out have time alone together, to get to know each other, adjust to each others idiosyncrasies, and get to know their children one-by-one, etc. But, as a newly married couple with 6 kids, there wasn't time for any of that. Subsequently, I enjoy any time to have Ryan all to myself. As much as I love the kiddos, I treasure time with Ryan alone.
Weekends like this past one help me remember why we signed up for all the craziness.

And you thought I had died...

I had been toying with the idea of bagging the blog thing altogether, but I was kindly reminded that people really liked to keep up with out little 'Brady Bunch' family and see pictures, etc.

So, here are a couple of pictures and a little narrative of the past weekend.
We had the first ever Silas & Nellie Party this past weekend, it was a HUGE SUCCESS!

It was great to see Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and all the little ones and not-so little ones.

These are the Grand children and spouses,











and, these are the Great-Grand-kids and Great-Great-Grand-Kids That were there Saturday after dinner.














It was SUCH a good time! The kids all had fun together.
Overall it really couldn't have been much better!

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.