Not quite Barnimum and Bailey, but almost!

Since I have been so awful about blogging, and for some reason I'm bloggin again, I'm having a flash back to last summer. It was August, just 2010!
Well, to get on with it, across the street from our house, if you didn't know, is a park, it is a designated baseball park, it has two baseball fiels, which they take immaculate care of, (of which we are not allowed in) and a little playground, that we enjoy, along with a few patches of grass, well last year, there was this teenage boy who wanted to join the circus, and he decided to practice at our park, between two trees, he would attach this.


Well, he was quite entertaining. Every time he would come, all of the neighborhood kids were enthralled (almost as much as me). Well the Stathis family happened to be visiting one day, when this boy came to work on his performance, and they were just enthralled as the rest of us, but they were also daring, they asked that boy if they could also see if they were up to snuff as circus performers, and that boy said "Yes, as long as it's ok with your parents."

Well, as you could see it was ok with us (I think we must have also wanted to be circus wannabes!)

The kids had a great time trying!

Goodbye

It's hard to believe, but this is Kate's last soccer game! Oh, she'll probably play again, but maybe not with a team, because this year, she has decided to hang up her cleats, and put on some high-tops, put away her soccer ball, and pull out her basketball.
Kate's been playing soccer, since she was 4 years old, I think. She really has put a lot of time in at the field, and at practices.

And we've put a lot of time at the field, watching her play. Through heat, rain, snow, sleet, and hail, and worst of all...no bathrooms available for younger siblings who came to watch (or to play).

There's been some good coaches and teams, and some not so good coaches and teams. She's been on teams where they've lost every game, to teams where they've won every game, and some in the middle. She's had to learn to fight for the ball, and play with the boys. And sometimes that has been rough!

She has learned a lot, and grown a lot these past 10 years, so goodbye to soccer. It's been great getting to know you: your rules, your crazy refs, your coaches, and your other players!

See you around the field sometime!!

The Last Time!

It's the last time...

Kate will have to sit here

Or walk into here

Because she was just promoted to the 9th grade! No More Junior High for this cute and talented girl! It's off to High School for her! She's so excited! Nana was able to join us for this special day,

and Daniel came home from work early. Plus Afton, Dylan, and Jocelynn left school a little early so they could also be there! It was fun to see her "graduate", she played in the orchestra, and she looked beautiful walking across the stage. So proud of her! She had a 4.0 for the year.

Here she is with her friend Kelsie. I don't think it will be the last time hanging with her, but will be the last time hanging with her at the Junior High! So fun! The joy and adventures to come!

Woot!Woot!! I think this girl is so excited and happy! It's Afton's last day of Elementary School and her 6th Grade Promotion!

Afton got to be a part of the program, and play the piano! She was nervous, I could tell, but she did a great job! I was really proud of her! She had to learn a new piece, even though she had a piano recital that very night, because her teacher told her that the music couldn't be too jazzy, and that is what her piano recital piece was.

Can't believe how much she has grown, and in so many different ways! She is growing up to be a very wonderful and beautiful young woman.
Here she is with her certificate!
And here she is with her friends Madison Philips, and Sadie Ericksen
Grandma and Grandpa Bryant, drove up to be here for this special occasion. They were also able to attend Afton and Dylan's piano recital that night, and Kate's last soccer game the next day. We were so happy to have them share this special day with us!!

You deserve a good time, too!

This year we decided since we weren't going on a big vacation as a family, and because all of our kids are getting older, and because our kids hadn't ever been there before, and since it had been more than 15 years since either Daniel or I had ever been there, we would get Lagoon season passes! We went for the first time in April, and then we went again on Memorial Day.

We have been having a fun time together and have challenged the kids to go on new rides each time we go.

Jocelynn was also with us, but the only picture I have of her this day, was one where she was upset, because we were riding the ferris wheel, and she was scared... but silly girl, it's now her favorite ride!

My favorite ride is the rocket, and now Kate's favorite ride is the Wicked, even though she didn't want to ride it at all. It's been fun to spend this time together!


Aren't you jealous? So fun!! Our passes are good until Frightmares!! So we're looking forward to that!!

Do a Dance!!

It was that time of year again! The time all the kids and the parents get excited for, no...not that in a week, that school will be out, but the time of year, where the kids will dance their dance, that they have been working on for a month or more! The dance festival is such a fun tradition at our school.
This year the 6th grade did Michael Jackson's "Thriller". Afton had a fun time learning the dance.

Even though I had a hard time getting a picture of it! Hard to believe it's the last one she will be participating in! Here she is with one of her friends, Sadie.

The second grade, and Jocelynn did a "Frog/Robot" dance. It was so cute! I loved it!!

Such a cutie!

The 4th grade always sticks with the traditional square dance, which is always fun, because they always have to dance with the opposite sex (which most of my kids have dreaded), but...SHH, don't tell...

(Dylan was excited, because he got to dance with Madison Clayton.) Remember not to tell!!

So glad they all got to strut their stuff, and do a dance!! Kate came, and skipped a couple of hours of school to see it, and Daniel went in late to work, so he could watch! So fun! I just love it!!

Dylan's Proud to be an American (and a Utahn!)

Dylan had his 4th grade program, May 8,2010, where the 4th grade had a special program where they sang songs, and told us about Utah, and had their different things they had been working on.

Dylan had an extra special part. He got to bring in the American flag. I was a proud mom, seeing my boy with the flag, wearing his scout shirt.


Dylan wrote about an Indian tribe, that was native to Utah.

And he also made a teepee, about the Ute tribe. Dylan also had a pretty long speaking part, but I didn't get a good picture of that.

He was great, and made me proud to be not only a Utahn, and an American, but his Mom!! (I sure love this boy!!)

May 5th

May 5th. Wow! What a day! Yes, it was Cinco de Mayo, and I even bought some Carne Asada, so we could celebrate, but that's not what happened, and it was not a time of celebration. My beautiful Grandma, almost slipped away from this life to the next, but that Granda, is one determined lady, and very perservering!

My Grandma's hands, and her finger nails, painted in her color, with her trademark flowers on them.

Grandma Murray had had a mini-stroke, about a month before, at my cousin's daughters baptism, and was told that she might have more. And she did. She had another one on Sunday (I think), and then another one, on May 5th, Wednesday. Kathryn called saying she was in the hospital, and said that she didn't look so good, I wanted to go grab my kids and head down to Cedar, right then, but then I remembered they had Core Testing. Core testing, is when they stress the kids out so much, about not missing any days, reminding them to eat their breakfast, telling them to get plenty of rest, so much, that they work the kids to a frenzy. Well, I said a prayer (our plan was to go to Cedar City, on the weekend for Mother's day, asking my Father in Heaven if we could wait until Friday, and I got a calm feeling, telling me that was ok), but then Kathryn then said that all of my cousins just walked in to her room, and Kathryn, was getting a little more concerned, that she wasn't being told everything. I called Daniel, to ask him what we should do, I had been communicating the whole time, and sweet man that he is,after talking to his boss, told me he was leaving then, and he could work from Cedar on Thursday. I picked up Kate from basketball, and instead of taking her to soccer,which was the plan, took her home, and told her to pack. She started crying. I told her what was happening, and we then gathered everything, and everyone, and then left right when Daniel came home.

We made it to Cedar, and went directly to the hospital. Grandma was frail and weak, and looking around, with a far off look in her eye, but she knew who I was, and asked if my Mom was coming (she was on her way). Earlier in the day she was given a priesthood blessing by her bishop, releasing her from this life. But apparently she wasn't ready, because she made it through the night, then the next, and then the next.

I'm very grateful for her, and for her life. I'm going to miss her, when she actually decides to leave us, but I'm glad she didn't. Making Cinco De Mayo a day of Celebration, and not one of sadness.

Early in May, I got the fun opportunity to go to Women's Conference, with two of the most important women in my life. One of them being, my cute mom. She is such as awesome example of love and service. She has given more hours of service in her life, than anyone I know, and I don't even know half of what she does!! She is absolutely amazing, and I love her so very much!

This is me, we made stockings at the service stations. It was some hard work, but quite fun!

The other amazing lady I got to go with, was my big sister, Kathryn. Kathryn is amazing in her own right! She sets her mind on something, and nothing can get in her way, until she accomplishes what she set out to do!! What an example!! Especially to me, who gives up way too easily!

We had such a fun time together! Eating out, shopping, and one of us even got to be the shuttle bus driver on campus!! (That'd be me, but sshhh, don't tell, we wouldn't want to get this nice (crazy) young man in trouble!!)

We went to an awesome concert, where Alex Boye, reminded me of what I left at home, and made me a little home sick, especially for my crazy dancin' boy!

I'm glad I got this opportunity to be with my Mom and my Sister, next year, we need our little Sis, and things would be complete!!

Zoo Day

This year I was one of the "lucky" parents who got to go on the field trip to the zoo. I got to go with Jocelynn, and we had five of her friends in our group. They had a good time looking at the animals. This giraffe was enjoying his day.

But this cheetah, was not. He kept pacing, back and forth, back and forth. It caused me some concern. It made me think about these animals that are caged. It does not make me so happy to see them locked up, especially the cage where the eagles were kept. Their cage was like 15x15feet. Not big enough! Especially for 3 or more giant birds. We hardly go to the zoo, and I now remember why.

But it was fun to be with my cute girl, who is just about as tall as an adult male ape (hehe!) And some of her cute little friends!! So, I guess I would return to the zoo( just glad I didn't have to pay for anything.)