The Openshaw family

My present from Porter!

2012-02-07T15:29:00.001-08:00

Porter is in Woods 2 and has concurrent enrollment at UVU for this class. Doesn't this look like something worthy of college credit? It is beautifully done & I am so pleased. He & Bryce brought it home during lunch last week. They moved my groceries off of the island, placed the new top, and replaced the groceries and waited for me to notice. I was so pleasantly surprised! I love it! Now, I'm itching to paint the island!

Our night of culture!

2012-01-27T12:49:00.001-08:00

One of our Christmas presents finally happened last night. We went for a night at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake. The building itself is quite impressive and what a fantastic auditorium to listen to the sounds of ...Brian Regan! I know, our form of culture is a comedian, but let's applaud a clean, fun and talented man! We love him! Only Max missed out, but Ellie believes he got a great consultation prize, cousin Emily to babysit!

FINALLY!!!!

2012-01-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning we woke up to our first significant snowfall! Late, 1 o'clock church gave us the morning to play, shovel and clear!

Zane's contribution - throwing snow off the deck...

onto Ellie below!

Tanner shoveling the drive...

while Porter does it the fun way!

Max finally got to wear his new boots & coat and spent 2 hours outside, he loved it!

We even built our cute snowman!

Now you can see how miniature it was! A good time was had by all & we say, bring it, we want more!

the rest of her day...

2012-01-14T16:07:00.001-08:00

Her family party was at Provo Beach Resort. We took our Bajio dinner over there and then blew our money on arcade games for an hour. That is Max in the background with a dinosaur game.

The laser room is pretty cool.

The gang at play.

Then we picked up Savannah and went to the BYU Women's basketball game. Our friend Alexis plays and we sat with Steve & Corbin. When asked that morning what was her favorite sport, Ellie replied basketball. (She played in her first game last weekend.)

The girls found Whitney at the game too.

To end her birthday she finally opened presents at 9pm. Mark met us at the game so that was the first time we were all together! Crazy days!

Ellie is 9!

2012-01-12T15:59:00.001-08:00

Ellie's morning was a bit quiet with everyone off to school & meetings before she awoke, so it was the kids at school that brought the party to life. They surrounded her and swayed and sang this African chant while dropping rice & beans into her cup and giving her birthday wishes in her ear. It was very cute and Swahili in song is beautiful!

Max & I brought Ellie her favorite empanadas and had lunch in the cafeteria, elementary style! Leah was so cute in this picture!

Phoebe, Ellie, Savannah & Summer eating together.

After school Ellie had Phoebe come over to play. She is showing off her bucky balls that she got from Grammy, the one present she opened this morning.

We had after school snack black bottom cupcakes for her birthday, notice the animal print candles, so cute!

December Traditions

2012-01-12T11:51:00.001-08:00

Ellie & I went to see the Nutcracker, not once, but twice. Savannah danced in one and the other was our girl outing with the other Openshaw cousins.

Our neighbor gifts were straight from my childhood this year, a peppermint straw trick learned in Girl Scouts.

Our family nativity night was a fantastic success this year. Phoebe, Ellie & Baden performed their "No L" song.

Max as a little shepherd boy.

Ellie took the lead as Mary.

Jace & Tanner in fantastic threads!

Zane, Bryce & Porter as sheiks, I think?

Mark & I dressed in the finest Israeli attire!

Max was not afraid of Santa at all, especially since he gave out candy canes.

Ellie helping him to see the big guy!

Our night to see the lights was a bit different this year.

First of all it was in Provo at the shops at Riverwoods.

Second, llamas were included!

Third we went on a carriage ride and we missed the Woolfs & the Lewises, but it was still fun!

A few of my favorite shots of the fun!

2012-01-05T14:41:00.001-08:00

Our own little piece of heaven for an afternoon! It was worth the walk, right kids?

The gang awaiting their Disneyland departure, sadly we bowed out.

Grammy with Sydney, Ty & Ellie.

Max throwing sand or rocks or shells and making a splash.

And evidence that Porter was pooped on while laying at the beach! You go seagulls!

A quick trip to California!

2012-01-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

You can do a lot in 2 days in sunny southern California. We had day one at the San Diego Zoo, with the rest of the world's population!

Great place for Max...

and Libby with her mom.

Grammy was our hostess who always shows us a great time!

And did we say she provides great picnic lunches!

It was unbelievable weather and a lot of fun despite the crowds.

Day 2 we spent hanging out at the Ritz.

This was their gingerbread display with the coolest candy ocean.

Max must have learned from Libby to touch it!

Porter even relaxed at the look out bar ...

OK, so did Summer & Tanner & they decided not to buy the $15 hot chocolate since it was 70 degrees anyway!

Talk about a great view!

And who can count the times that you swim in December at the beach? Gorgeous!

Christmas at home.

2012-01-05T14:00:00.001-08:00

Happy faces on Christmas morning! Mark got his biggest award!

Zane got a key chain, perhaps for the toys on the deck...

yep, motorcycles.

My favorite toys went to the youngest 3, Max was completely content with his Thomas Trains.

Tanner has spent countless hours with Bucky Balls, a magnetized bb sized ball.

Ellie constructed her kingdom faster than anyone in the history of the world!

What cute kids we have. They even stopped playing with toys to head to church, yay, even Max smiled!

Merry Christmas from the Openshaws!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

A thanks to my tech savvy sister for our Elf Yourself video which can be found at the bottom of my blog. ( I know, I don't take after her!)

A birthday weekend!

2011-12-20T12:25:00.001-08:00

I guess when it's your golden birthday you get a lot of extras... 16 presents...

16 gold dollars...

and a fantastic night up at the Lund's cabin in Deer Valley.

OK, a large group of us benefitted from that! We spent Saturday skiing in fantastic spring like weather with great snow (even if it was all man-made!)

Porter is 16!

2011-12-16T13:33:00.001-08:00

I picked him up at lunch for a quick trip to the DMV on this his "Golden Birthday"! Mark met us for lunch after he had washed the flamed surburban, thinking that Porter would love to return to school as an independent. We always have good intentions, but lunch at Cafe Rio had a huge line and when he got into the suburban for his first drive, it wouldn't start. So, you can still find the flame car in this parking lot and Porter has yet to drive today, even though he is licensed! Comedy!

Thanksgiving in MO

2011-12-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

What more do you need on the farm? Young drivers and old tractors...

fence climbing...

a cool hangar, barn & flag to look at...

some happy, dirty teenagers...

a fire pit to play in...

grandmas chickens to chase...

the bunny hutch to climb in...

(yes, that's Max in with the bunnies)

a Gator to ride in...

friendly neighbors with a pony (thanks Lynn & Dylan)...

motorcycling with boots on...

and real boy time with dad...

Oh, wait there is Grandpa & Grandma! Another fantastic trip, thanks.

Porter finished it off helping Grandma put up her tree.

Max

2011-12-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

This boy loves to bounce!

Too bad he can't bounce off of the corner of the cabinet! Yes, he indeed has a problem with corners, his stitches were on the other side of his head.

Soaring!

2011-12-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Finally, the Eagle Board of Review!

Awaiting Porter's interview with Geoff Germaine to introduce him & Zane trying to get his Eagle Project approved.

His reviewing committee after they have approved him for receiving the

Brother bonding!

2011-11-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

Let's watch some football Max! His favorite thing to do with his brothers.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:33:00.001-07:00

Typically people get sick after too much candy, but here at our house we do things backwards. We all feel like this skeleton, not much left on the inside!

Today we all had Halloween together, all day long, all 7 of us! Why is this unusual? School & work would be one reason! So we threw our own Halloween party since the kids missed theirs at school. We still had one pumpkin to carve.

We made gloop, a nasty process but fun! We put on a Halloween movie & read Halloween books.

Luckily we had some who felt well enough to hit Trunk or Treat at 5pm at our church. Ellie was the big bad wolf - costume found in San Fransisco (along with our illness, we think?).

Max was the most adorable fireman and really got into getting the treats. He would say "trick or treat" and if given the chance grab a sucker every time. Then he would sign "Thank you" while walking away to the next car!

We had 2 left at our car who were dressed up as sickees, and 2 didn't attend. Unfortunately the boys did dress up on Wednesday for their Young Men's party but I never took pictures.

These two semi-celebrated the holiday. This is after our quick exit and notice it is still light. We went to Trick or Treat at the Stone's next door and called it a night. Being sick on Halloween isn't fun but you can still try!

Pumpkin carving time!

2011-10-30T20:06:00.001-07:00

This is what we teach our kids... get a knife and stab things.

It's not so bad, everyone else is doing it! This was the scene of our annual pumpkin carving with the Lewis & Woolf families. Can you believe that it was nice enough to do it outside this year!

Max really got into it. He wanted a happy face, as usual. Word is that my fishy cracker eyes look too feminine, sorry Max.

Ellie loved all of the guts in her huge pumpkin.

Tanner had a cute small pumpkin which he incidentally left with a knife coming out of the top.

Zane has some serious scars on his, thus the serious face.

Porter was quick about the carving job.

Last year we pictured the moms, this year the dads, Mike, Derrick & Mark.

The end result with most of the kids and a lot of great pumpkins. Thanks for another fun night!

Bucket List item

2011-10-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

We went to California for Fall Break, just a little bit further north than usual. The day begins in the parking lot in downtown San Fransisco eating expensive Utah apples (let's just say that the agricultural inspection socked it to us)!

We then went to get outfitted for the ride. Libby & Max were actually good with their helmets, perhaps because we all looked goofy together.

My mom had a bucket list item: bike the Golden Gate Bridge. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to do it with them so we all met up at Uncle Eric & Aunt Tammy's house and went to the big city for our ride. We could not have asked for more perfect weather

Our whole family making our way to the bridge. Ellie was a trooper, her little legs worked hard.

Tanner with Trevor on the bridge.

Mark, Amy & Max on the bridge.

The view of San Fransisco in the background after the crossing of the bridge.

A few of us ferried back, here we are passing Alcatraz.

Where our ferry ended on Embarcadero Street. The only time we were chilly the entire vacation.

Finally relaxing after a long hard ride, Libby even napped.

What a gorgeous evening.

Ghiradelli was the next stop, didn't we all deserve chocolate?

Like Father, like Daughter!

Fisherman's wharf for clam chowder after the chocolate.

This was the crab/ fried fish eating gang. All in all one fantastic day & one crossed off of the bucket list, glad we could be a part of it!

A great Fall Break in San Fransisco

2011-10-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

Our Hilton in the Financial District had a Chinese culture center. Despite the empty, inaccessible pool & the 3 time room try ending in 3 rooms on 3 different floors, it was quite nice.

Mark & Porter showing off the lobby.

Imagine that, we were a short walk to Chinatown! All morning we watched the Tai-chi people in the park. Moments before this picture we watched a funeral procession complete with band & thrown money (not really, that was Pops' hope)!

We went to the Fortune Cookie Factory & stood in line to get in!

Then we paid our 50 cents for a picture and had fresh warm fortune cookie disks.

Who can go to San Fran and not ride the cablecars? Can you spot all 11 of us?

Pier 39 always a hit to see the sealions!

Max, Ellie, Libby & I rode the merry go round on the upper deck! Max chose a panda!

Ellie with her street vendor friend whose name we could not pronounce. He whipped up her name on a bracelet in the right colors in under 3 minutes while chatting away!

Pumpkins

2011-10-19T16:45:00.001-07:00

Max has always been known to be uncooperative for pictures, but lately he has taken it to a new level! "Max, smile with your pumpkins for a picture," and this is what I get!

Well, he did eventually let me get one good one! I only deleted 40 others!

Ellie is so impressed with her big pumpkin this year. She couldn't even carry it!

General Conference weekend

2011-10-05T20:38:00.001-07:00

Oksana came into town and actually had the forethought to get Conference tickets back in Washington. We Utahns have a harder time getting in. The two of us attended the Saturday morning session and yes, you can see President Monson's empty seat, even in the nose-bleed section!

What a gorgeous view as we left the Conference Center. Thanks Oksana! She came for our mission reunion the night before. We commemorated the 20th anniversary of the dedication of the country of Ukraine.

Here are all of the boys headed off to Priesthood session and one looking up to them! The one time Max actually wanted to be in a picture!

The girls and Max went to dinner and did some window shopping. Great night!

Sunday between session we went to see the colors up the canyon. What a sight! We drove the Alpine Loop and played in a park up South Fork.

We had football & baseball going at the same time.

Max & Ellie enjoyed a snack in the shade, it was hot.

Then they all posed for some pictures. These are the "Blue Steel" poses, aren't they great?

The rest of my big day!

2011-10-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

I woke to find that my friends had decorated the yard with 40 candles...

and 40 suckers with a sign, "Don't worry, being forty doesn't suck!"

I had my cute parents who came up just for my birthday.

My second wish for the day was to have the greatest river guides ever take my family down the Provo River. The Bowmans are fantastic and really know how to deal with those of us who aren't so schooled in the rafting techniques! Thanks Pam & Jerry.

My favorite duo, Pops & Porter, they laughed the whole way down!

Tanner was our expert kayaker.

You can see Mark & Zane in the background paddling away.

The rest of us were in the big raft which was delightful for all & Max shouted "boat" nearly 40 times & even took his short catnap aboard. At the end of the float, at Vivian Park he sat in the deflated raft until we had to load it too. We had gorgeous weather and I will chalk it up as a fantastic family outing. With a Zupas lunch after a warm shower, and the Dolphin Tale movie that night, I crammed in as much as I could and feel very lucky. You're right, being 40 doesn't suck!

Amy is 40!

2011-09-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Our team name was Amyis40! Look at how fabulous these girls look on their way to get in the mud at our Dirty Dash on Saturday for my birthday! We had the greatest weather, a gorgeous setting and an amazing time. The shirts & hats are courtesy of a few of them, Mark & my mom, gotta love the picture from 25 years ago!

We had some fans who caught a few of us on the trail. The shirts & hats didn't last long in the mud!

Fans caught more of us at the rope swing, but the hose caught us too!

Just a few of our fans. There were more Heatons, more Renchers, and Jeremy with Reese.

The after photo, what do you think? Notice that we were all smiling!

Now those are sexy legs! Many of us donated our shoes after the race. We are still trying to get the mud from our clothes.

Another group photo back at the cars, after we attempted the cold shower rinse off.

My mom was the most amazing, yep the mother of the 40 year old couldn't miss out on the fun! She was a trooper and did the 5K portion with a group of my friends. Talk about a cool mom! I love you mom, thanks for making memories with me, as always!

Back to Back Birthdays!

2011-09-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Zane is 14 today! We almost had Cafe Rio ablaze with all of those candles on one cupcake. The funny part was that while I was lighting them Max was blowing them out, he had practice yesterday! Michael & Zane trying to stay at lunch for as long as possible!

Kirstie & I decided that getting the boys out of school for lunch wouldn't be so bad if we got a lunch out of it too! Oh, and Max & Marissa!

Zane was all smiles when he got his new phone for his birthday. Thanks to both grandmas he even received texts while in class on the very first day!

Max turned 2 yesterday & dad got him a cork gun! He is so proud that he can do it himself!

Zane helped hold the "2" ice cream cone cupcake. We had a fun after school snack with the other Openshaws, the Lunds, the Boxxes and the Renchers.

Here are Quinn & Max. Notice Max's "cream" and his new toy Cookie monster that was a huge hit! Thanks everyone for a fun pseudo birthday party, I am so last minute nowadays!

Camping with the Clifts, Labor Day weekend

2011-09-06T14:06:00.001-07:00

Here we are crashing the Clift camping party! Thanks for having us, especially since we invited ourselves, had an unhappy toddler and left you with a sick child. Still fun!

Have you seen the new king size marshmallows? Well, that is Max devouring one! His new favorite thing!

Tanner with his best bud, Jay!

Our early morning fire to warm us up. It was cold!

Zane & Sam while geocaching.

Game time under the shade canopy!

Max found something to make him happy in the Clift's camper.

First day of school.

2011-09-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

Porter is a sophomore at Timpview

Zane is an 8th grader.

Tanner joined him as a 7th grader at Centennial.

Ellie is a 3rd grader and all alone at Rock Canyon Elementary.

Have I mentioned how supportive my family is?

2011-09-06T13:48:00.001-07:00

Yes, that is my sister Becky who just couldn't stay away from Lake Powell.

She brought Brad & Libby too!

And my parents! That's right, my crazy family drove all night to join us for 24 hours of fun on the lake. Thank you for coming, there is nothing like Lake Powell.

The craziest part is that they then followed us home to Provo for Tanner's Priesthood Ordination, and promptly got back on the road to be home for work on Monday. I will never again complain about long drives. Hopefully the lake time was worth it. We were glad they came!

The real reason you head to Powell, to surf!

2011-09-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Mark could do it!

Amy actually threw the rope this year!

Porter remembered how!

Zane threw the rope!

Tanner shocked us all when he threw the rope!

And even Ellie gave it a try! When you go with a California surfing family, you do what they do!

Lake Powell with the Barbers

2011-08-28T19:54:00.001-07:00

Rainbow Bridge with our gang! Thanks for the invite Barbers, we had a fantastic time!

The girls would call "Tube Time" all the time!

The Barbers are the greatest hosts, not only did they provide the houseboat, but the "Sexy Centurian" also for all your water sport needs!

I love this picture of Ellie with her older brothers on the tube.

Max & Tanner checking out our duckling behind the houseboat.

The boys in another gorgeous canyon.

Our family photo at Rainbow Bridge. The water was up so high this year that you couldn't even call it a hike to the photo spot, and yet we still had those complaining of the heat & "hike". wimps!

Big Birthday Days

2011-08-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

Tanner is 12 today, I guess that means you're old enough to light your own candles & tell your mom that morning that you would like to take a few kids to jump & tumble with you! Therefore, a quick cake & a few phone calls and away we go to celebrate the day. So much for only wanting a family party!

Tanner and his friends waiting their turn to jump at the Xtreme Jump. Zach, Hudson, Jace, Tanner, Reno(sorry you're headless), Michael, Zane and in front, Ellie.

Cute boys!

Yesterday Mark turned 40! Scary, that means I'm next!

Shelby & Steve with Mark. We had a fun gathering for cake.

Thanks everyone for making Mark's day! Doug Stone, Porter, Matt Rencher (fellow 40 year old), and Brian Boxx. Sorry, other photos just didn't happen!

A dream come true for Ellie!

2011-08-05T20:28:00.001-07:00

We spent the last few days on the ranch. Uncle Charlie & Aunt Julianne invited us up to ride horses at the "Stephen's Foxtrotters Ranch" and we made the 20 mile drive several times because it was so amazing.

Halle & Ellie loved the horses, the trainers, the riding and oh yeah, the horses!

I even got to go on a trail ride-adults only!

Can you tell that Ellie was the photographer?

Julianne, Charlie and I were escorted by 2 young trail guides on a beautiful, peaceful ride. Ellie snapped this of us leaving.

Just when we were about to leave the clip-clop of the pavement for the dirt trail, some noisy intruders were coming down the path. Who could it be? Yes, my sons...

all of them!

Zane was the only one of the boys to ride ATV and horseback. We were trying to rid him of his horse fear. His comment, "I'd rather ride a shark!"

Last day on medication was yesterday! Yay!

2011-08-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

Take your pick: poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac. We don't know what it was but Tanner did not do well with it. Sorry, the pictures aren't great.

These are his attempts to show off his horribly infected legs, obviously a few days after the meds kicked in!

More Missouri fun!

2011-07-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

So as not to misguide you I must show evidence that the motorcycles were used by more than just Grandpa & Mark! Tanner & Zane on their first time.

Porter & Marky ride

Aunt Carla & Marky were at the farm with us this time. One day we went to Lambert's Cafe for "throwed rolls" and the most food you have ever seen. While waiting we sweltered in the heat...

and played checkers!

The food was delicious and the atmosphere quite entertaining. Our kids kept saying, "We should have brought the Germans here!"

MO, the "show me state", show me how hot!

2011-07-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

3 weeks after the inaugural commercial flight from Provo Airport, we loaded 3 of us enroute to Branson, Missouri!

Mark and the older boys took off before us and landed right on the farm. This was the view from the house for the 12 days the plane was there! Our time was spent well despite the 100 degree weather with 95% humidity. If we look like we are melting, it's because we are!

Ellie is our newest "Gator" driver, scary!

Porch sitting with grandma is a delight.

A trip to the Cackle Hatchery loaded us up with 15 baby chicks and 3 ducklings!

Max & Grandma feeding the big chickens!

If the kids get baby animals with Grandma then Grandpa & Mark must get something equally enticing for the older kids (i.e. them!).

Max mowing with dad!

Porter learning to drive the backhoe, scary!

The frog pool was purchased for all of them, so why not do it together. Ellie is holding "Snow White".

More porch sitting with Grandpa.

A sad day!

2011-07-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

Philipp & Dominik gave us a great experience this summer. We all loved them and the fun they brought to our home.

It was a sad morning dropping them off at their next house. They will be missed, but we have fond memories. There is no better way to appreciate your homeland than seeing it through their eyes and learning more about their country by observing them. We love you two! Thanks for coming and bringing your world to us.

7 kids is a lot!

2011-07-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

With 7 kids, one is bound to get hurt! Poor Max tripped while running in the house and hit the corner of his bedroom door. 4 stitches in the ER and this is how I found him the morning after the incident, bandaid free! Any time we put one on it magically is removed. Now tell me, how did we get him to hold still for the stitching? Well, it took 4 of us and he screamed the whole time, so mad that we would dare hold down his arms, head and feet! That will leave a mark!

Cute Ellie set up a Lemonade Stand with Rebecca as the sign girl and Briley as a side-kick! She tried to convince me that she needed to do it back on Comanche but they still sold-out and made $4.10 each!

The 4 boys hit the flo-rider and had a blast. Too bad Porter was at Youth Conference.

Meet our German sons (as Mark calls them)

2011-07-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to America Philipp & Dominik. We have these cute boys for 2 of their 3 weeks here.

Our boys are showing them a great time. Mountain biking up at Sundance was on day 1!

The 4th of July was a busy day. After the all night party with the 5 boys saving our spot, the Germans ran in the 5K and then we all watched the parade on University Ave. Here are all 7 Germans. We have the only boys at our house, I think that was a good choice!

Waterballoon fight in front of the Peatross' house.

Even Max participated! Can't think of anything more fun than a wagon full of water!

We ended the day up at the Santaquin cabin with Uncle Troy letting the boys shoot guns!

4th of July already?

2011-06-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Children's Parade on Center Street in Provo. Max was a happy wagon rider, most of the time!

Savannah & Ellie waiting at the staging area. Our usual gathering of troops. We always have a fun time with neighbors & friends & relatives.

Cousin Halle with the crazy tatoos!

It's all worth the walk & ride when you get the popsicle at the end!

We also had another fun visitor this weekend, Oksana. She and hubby Steven moved to Yakima, WA. Great to see her and photo everyone ready for church, Zane is still showering!

Fun visitors!

2011-06-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

We brought cute Summer home from California with us so that she & Porter could attend EFY! They had a grand time!

Uncle Sam showed up with his son Marcus to take the gang for a bike ride up the canyon. Even Max went, next time just let me know!

Ellie had a fun-filled week with Rachel. Highlights were webkins and hanging with Emily & older kids up at Aspen Grove. We also had Carla and the rest of the boys staying here.

Lucky for us Grandma stopped by for a day or two and delivered cookies to the girls at their deck tea party!

Happy Flag Day!

2011-06-14T21:06:00.001-07:00

After the hundreds of hours and hundreds of dollars raised, Porter's Eagle project was finished today! The happiest of Flag Days for us!

Day 1 was digging, filling the hole with 26 bags of hand-mixed concrete, and more digging. The boys discovered why the park is named "Rock" Canyon.

Like I said, a lot of digging! Thanks cousins Bryce & Glenn for the help!

Day 2 was installation of the flagpole. Yes, we needed a little help from the backhoe! It's a good thing I was too focused on holding the pole and couldn't see the danger my boys were in!

How many does it take to raise a pole? Thanks Andrew Hulterstrom & Jerry Bowman (who brought 2 BYU boys also).

We ended the day with a Flag Ceremony hosted by Porter.

Thanks to everyone who helped with this colossal project. It looks amazing. Nice work Porter!

What, another fun thing with grandparents?

2011-06-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

We had to rush to California to make it to Grammy Camp this year. This year was one night "Roar & Snore" at the Wild Animal Park. Yes, that meant we missed the last day of school, not a big deal, except for 6th grade graduation for Tanner. Luckily the weather cooperated and Mark flew Tanner down right after, while I drove the rest of the gang the day before.

My parents took the 7 oldest grandkids and slept in tents overlooking the savannah with rolling hills, and wildlife. It sounded pretty cool. Open your tent and see giraffe, rhinos, waterbuffulos, and ostriches!

The rest of us met up the next day to see some animals.

This was the view from their tent, cool!

Summer begins with a bang!

2011-06-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

California. We did a fun hike on our only bad weather day, Sunday - no big deal.

On Memorial Day we went to visit Great Grandma & Great Grandpa Warr.

And Great Grandma Ellie & Great Grandpa Dick (whom the kids never met).

We had plenty of cousin time with Libby and Sydney in the tent.

These are 9 of the most spoiled grandkids, and pretty cute too!

On our second attempt we were able to go up in the Orange. It is a tethered helium balloon with great views, just hope it's not windy when you go, or you won't ride.

How about a wienie roast at a private beach, I know, a rough life!

A gorgeous night with absolutely no fog, who would have thought during June Gloom. But, California did put on a fantastic weather show for us, we are grateful.

Bunny sitter

2011-05-03T07:35:00.001-07:00

Ellie had the privilege to watch the adorable bunnies this weekend. They stayed at our house and hopped all over the place. Even Max learned to be more gentle with them. Ellie has asked to be the bunny sitter every time the Blickenstaffs leave town!

And the president is...

2011-04-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

Look at the great shirt that Cami & family made! Zane showing off his Congratulations balloons from the Hulterstroms (thanks to Andrew & Bryce for Zane & Cami's video).

After an afternoon at the movies, Rio, here is his celebratory dinner at JDawgs! Congratulations Zane!

Today is the big day!

2011-04-29T07:34:00.001-07:00

While I write this the 7th graders at Centennial are voting for their school president for next year. Zane has a perfect running mate, they are the smiliest kids at the school. Good luck you two!

The cutest girls to bring down the house!

2011-04-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Ellie & Savannah wowed us all at the Oral Language Festival at Rock Canyon Elementary School on Wednesday night. They had the most laughs by far. Aren't they adorable?

They recited a Shel Silverstein poem about Abigail (Ellie) who died because her parents wouldn't buy her a pony. Sounds just about perfect, doesn't it?

Our Easter

2011-04-24T20:05:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Valentina & Oksana we are still able to make the world's coolest Ukrainian eggs. Max is hiding his, or breaking it, whichever comes first.

Dyeing eggs with the gang!

Oh, except for Porter who had to do his own later since he had a social agenda!

Easter Sunday was chilly and we got the cousins & family together for dinner & an Easter Egg Hunt. These are now the oldest cousins that live in town and our egg hiders - scary!

Family dinner actually brought a few furry guests too! Yes Ellie has a live bunny in her basket thanks to Gavin & Baden. The Blickenstaffs got bunnies from the Easter Bunny, what lucky kids! We had the pleasure of an afternoon playing with bunnies and then they went home! Although they were rarely out of Ellie's grasp!

Max would give loves to Floppy right after getting a death grip on her fur! But oh how he loves the bunnies! I guess we will be visiting them soon!

Brace Face & Flour Boy

2011-04-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Zane got braces this week! Don't you love the self portrait? Only 2 years to go!

Max found my 5 gallon bucket of flour and had a blast. No wonder he was so quiet! It was a pastey mess in his teeth & on his face! I'm still finding flour in things in the pantry.

Spectacular Spring Break!

2011-04-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

After the boys got in their last skiing of the season on Monday we headed to California for some sun & Grammy & Pops time. This was our strenuous walk to the beach after Grammy finished work.

See how strenuous it was? We rode the shuttle up the big hill to the Ritz! Yes, Max is still in the stroller.

This was the view from the top! Gorgeous and we destroyed the peace by playing 3 flys up on their beautiful lawn.

2nd day, 2nd beach, this time Becky got to come too! Too bad the funicular wasn't working, we actually had to walk the stairs!

At Diver's Cove in Laguna Max actually took a nap!

He was out!

Three Arch Bay, the private beach that we were invited to after Mark joined us.

The boys convinced Pops to take them golfing for the first time. I don't think it took too much convincing, especially since he had his own sherpas for the 9 holes!

Like father, like son

2011-04-10T07:23:00.001-07:00

As of late I have found Mark up in his office simply watching his computer. Wow, what is so fascinating? Someone put a camera in a tree by the nest of this bald eagle. You can sit and watch her with her 3 chicks all day long! When we put it on the kitchen computer this is where Max spent the rest of the afternoon, truly his father's son! Max is pointing out one of the babies.

Our amazingly fantastic Carribean cruise!

2011-04-03T16:20:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Becky's 30th birthday we went on our "Girl's Vacation". Yes, a few males were invited and one baby, because who can cruise without your husband or a nursing child?

We all met up in Miami and boarded the Carnival Glory.

You would invite this handsome group of men too, wouldn't you?

Here we are at our favorite meeting spot, yep at the food!

Did I mention eating yet, because that's what you do on a cruise! This was our first meal onboard, to be followed by a gluttonous week & unbelievable port cities. Thanks mom & dad for all of the fun!

Our first stop: Cozumel, Mexico

2011-04-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

We left Cozumel by ferry and came to Playa Del Carmen, where we met our LDS tour guide.

We went to visit the Mayan ruins at Tulum.

The amazing part is how it sits on a bluff over the ocean!

Here is our group of tourists, Clowards included.

Belize

2011-04-03T16:08:00.001-07:00

Our excursion in Belize was a canopy zip-line and cave tubing thanks to the Clowards(far right), Corry & Meredith, fellow Utahns whom we met onboard.

This was the safest, most spectacular place to zip, check out the size of the palm fronds behind us.

I don't have cave-tubing pictures, I'll add some eventually.

A favorite place: Isla de Roatan, Honduras

2011-04-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

Now this is how I pictured the Carribean! Amazing! The clearest water and cleanest sand!

We snorkeled by the reef behind us and had hundreds of fish in a frenzy, I thought it was just my luck until I noticed the "park ranger" in his kayak feeding the fish. When snorkelers come close they throw bread, all to lure you back to their land again, sign me up anytime.

This is Elvis our shell peddler. He was demonstrating how to blow the shell to make it trumpet. Cute kid! We feared the seahorses he was selling would get broken in travel so he promptly banged it on the cement wall, they are strong!

Mark & my dad found a new love, Lydia the seaside masuese! What a life!

Last stop: Grand Cayman

2011-04-03T12:40:00.001-07:00

You can see the reason why the Roneys & Lunds have homes here. We were fortunated to have Brook come and help us tour the island. Denise provided lunch and all 9 kids showed us the perfect snorkeling spots, luring an eel out and watching us enjoy stingray city. Here the boys were enjoying the porch at Brook & Denise's house.

Just hanging with my parents in Cayman!

You can see the relaxed atmosphere of the island, and the fear of the jellyfish infested water. Thanks for showing us around Roneys!

The bay outside of the Lund's house.

Riding in Brook's boat.

Conference Sunday Snow

2011-04-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

We woke up to a great springtime surprise. When we went to bed last night it was 60 degrees!

Always beautiful & always a lot of work.

Tanner had the other deck. Notice his sleeping bag, left to air out from Friday night's campout. It didn't fair too well once the snow fell over night.

Do they look happy or what?

2011-03-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

Mark was thrilled to pick up his mother and bring her back to our house. Doesn't everyone need their mom now and then?

Max has a new playmate for a week while we cruise.

Tanner is excited for grandma time.

Ellie has an armful of new bracelets and someone to cook with. Thanks Linda for coming to help with the kids, you are amazing!

Spring Skiing

2011-03-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was able to join the kids on the mountain. Tanner & Ellie had ski school and I came up for their free ski time. Sundance was a-buzz with warm weather skiers and truly spectacular.

Once the bus left with the elementary students I met up with my guides for the night. That's right, I tried night skiing for the first time in my life. It was unbelievably beautiful. Cold, as expected, but watching the backlit mountains as the sun set and the cabin lights dot the night made a magnificent sight. My local boys showed me a great time! Thanks boys.

Our cute little snow woman!

2011-03-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

We had 2 great storms last week which lead to the greatest skiing & our annual snowgirl. You can see we opted for an out of the way spot so that Zuka wouldn't devour her while we worked. Our great evasion simply lead to the sun melting her before the day was through! Until next year!

Utah Lake phenomenon!

2011-02-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

After church yesterday we went on a Sunday drive to check out the ice mountain at Utah Lake. This was the ice that formed on the frozen lake. But on Wednesday the weather warmed & 50mph winds pushed the ice ashore and in 5 minutes mounded it up on the jetty. I bet it would have been a sight to see!

Mark scaled the mountain and then bum sledded back down.

Ellie showing off how cool the ice crystals were. Still in Sunday dress & frozen in just a few minutes.

Tanner's favorite was the sound it made when you threw an ice chunk. We compared it to breaking light bulbs (much less dangerous).

Zuka even roamed. So did Max & Zane, not pictured...Max because I was holding him and Zane because I was mad at him for wearing my slippers (Oh, I guess he is in the first picture).

Ellie's baptism

2011-02-10T11:58:00.001-08:00

Ellie was baptized last Saturday by her dad.

We had the Foster side there in full force, minus Jason (our busy KFC brother).

Ellie looked beautiful in her dress that Grammy made.

Saturday afternoon was skiing/boarding for the older gang and mini croquet for the rest.

We love having cousin time! Here's looking forward to some warmer weather!

We have a dalmation!

2011-02-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

A self-made one! We know he loves dogs, but this is going a bit far! This is the scene I happened upon while the boys were babysitting! Max loves the black fireplace rocks, which make great makeup.

Here he is checking himself out in the mirror while I strip him down.

This almost makes it look like a case for DCFS! Oh, the messes we can make!

There are other spoiled Openshaw kids!

2011-02-01T12:07:00.001-08:00

Lest you believe that it is only Ellie with the spoilage, here are a couple of boys who spend all of their spare time on the slopes. Zane, you spent your money wisely.

Porter worked at Joe's, next door, this summer to save up for a season pass to Sundance. Thank goodness they have night skiing on Fridays because that's where you will find Porter as soon as school let's out! Zane also worked at Joe's but he sort of squeezed into a pass since we were already taking Porter.

Ellie's birthday party

2011-01-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

Ellie took 10 friends to Progressive Power Tumbling for 1 1/2 hours of gymnastic fun. There was a foam pit, trampolines, gym mats, sumo suits and lots of ways to get out energy.

Everyone loved being rolled, except Max.

We then returned home for presents and Krispy Kreme donuts. The kids sang "Happy Birthday dear donut", a fun twist.

The cute kids around the birthday girl, who got a lot of horses, her friends know her.

One spoiled granddaughter!

2011-01-22T14:02:00.000-08:00

I know I have said this before, but my parents are truly unbelievable! They had Ellie fly to California all by herself last weekend for her 8 year old trip. Here they are on her final day at Disneyland.

Friday was spent as a girls' day at the American Girl Doll Cafe! They are the Kaye Klub!
What fun having Libby along too, Ellie said she even matched the cafe!

They did some shopping after.

The boys joined them the next day for Ellie's introduction to California Adventure.

Her favorite ride, and quite a photo mom, thanks!

Sunday was church, a picnic at the Top of the World in Laguna Beach (yes that is the Pacific Ocean with Catalina in the background), dominoes & baking. I don't think they could fit in any more excitement. Ellie had the time of her life, thanks for being the greatest grandparents ever!

Ellie is 8!

2011-01-13T06:25:00.000-08:00

Ellie was able to open one present early in the morning, and look what she got! Family Game Night 3 for the Wii!

On this school day she still was able to have Savannah & Phoebe over to play her new game!

Then she opened the rest of her presents, we took the girls home and as a family went to Pizza Pie Cafe for her birthday dinner.

We sent the girls off with a chocolate pudding treat! Cute girls, fun day!

A sad loss for Provo

2011-01-08T15:24:00.001-08:00

10 days after Ellie's performance in the Provo Tabernacle, this is what happened. At 2:30 in the morning fire crews arrived to start fighting the fire. Tanner & Ellie went to drive by at 1:30pm and they were still working, with smoke still visible. As a community, we are very sad, but personally I will miss the Tabernacle most as we head to Stake Conference tomorrow. Instead of sitting in the sideways wooden pew up near the front, searching for our friends in the balcony opposite, we will be in our ward building watching a broadcast. I will miss this beautiful building, and recall my children sketching the designs on the stain-glass windows, counting the pillars, and marveling at the mint green paint they chose. The wood work was amazing and is now all in ashes.

Here is Ellie's singing group in the gorgeous Tabernacle. Just look at the wood work!

The pipes of the organ and one stain-glass window. So sad to have it gone!

Finishing out 2010!

2011-01-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

We had the Barbers stay with us after my parents left and they convinced us to go sledding at Rock Canyon Park. To say that it was cold was an understatement! We didn't last long!

Yes, Max did go down with Porter and Zane dragged behind to slow them down.

Ellie loves Haley & Jane, big girls to hang with! All of the Barbers are so fun!

To keep Max happy I would pull him on the sled, notice who joined him. Ellie & Porter!

Now the look from behind, who is bigger, the one pulling (me) or the one riding(Porter)? And yes, the other 2 are still on the sled with him!

Our fabulous Christmas!

2010-12-31T10:55:00.001-08:00

We were lucky enough to have Grammy & Pops come to Utah for Christmas. Ellie's countdown was not until Christmas Day, but until G&P arrived!

Our Christmas Eve dinner.

The other half of the table!

Here are Sundance skiers with some hot chocolate!

The morning crew of skiers (Pops stayed with Max).

Pops joined in the afternoon while Mark took Max duty! What a fun day!

All I want for Christmas is my 2...

2010-12-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

front & side teeth! Yes, we come late in our family, the poor 2nd grader!

Porter is 15!

2010-12-16T20:17:00.001-08:00

Porter & his friends took advantage of off campus lunch and went to Porter's favorite Chilean restaurant. Yes, those are empanadas! These high school boys are getting so big, but not too old to wear party hats!

Porter's after school snack, his favorite shortbread. Careful Max!

After a scrumptious Outback dinner it was finally time for presents! Big gift...gloves for skiing!

Ellie's Eventful Saturday

2010-12-16T20:04:00.000-08:00

She started the morning dancing with her ballet class at a ward's Christmas breakfast. Darn, we had to crash their party for some really good food!

We then went to see "The Nutcracker" with cousins, Emma, Annie & Halle!

Notice that Ellie is wearing the tiara she was given at last year's performance.

Then we raced up to SLC so that Ellie could perform in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. She is front and center with Savannah (black microphone line down her middle) on her left. It was standing room only and absolutely fantastic!

2010-12-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

Tanner had his band Christmas Concert tonight. He & Brooklyn both played the trumpet. I love the head shadows off the wall, it makes the boys' hair look huge!

Zach & Tanner showing off their shiny instruments.

Ellie & Savannah performed at the Provo Tabernacle last night. They were in a children's choir and performed Handel's Messiah. It was very impressive!

Max is just so cute in Zane's hat playing with an angel.

A visit with Santa

2010-12-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

Tanner was nice enough to stand in the long line for Max. As you can see, Max never did sit on Santa's lap!

Other than inconveniently moving to the back of the line all night long, the long wait was worth it! Ellie asked Santa for a surprise!

Quick trip to Missouri for Thanksgiving!

2010-11-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

A favorite on the farm, gator rides! Yes, Max's hat was often down like that!

Our delicious turkey dinner with guests.

The other half of the table.

Cute Max at the farm.

What a fun picture!

We got to hold some baby pygmy goats! So cute. Max was giving them kisses.

A few more Halloween traditions.

2010-11-08T15:56:00.001-08:00

We had our sugar cookie decorating on Halloween this year. Ellie & Owen at the task.

The cute Boxx family joined us, they make some creative cookies!

We went for the annual pumpkin carving at the Lewis'. Our 13 kids with their great pumpkins.

Julie Lewis & Julia Woolf have made this such a fun gang to hang out with.

Tanner with the guts.

A picture says it all!

Ellie & Max carving away. Max enjoyed tasting the pumpkin, or spitting it out.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T15:28:00.001-07:00

Here is the gang ready to go out for Trick Or Treating on Saturday night.

One of our many attempts to get Max to wear his costume! He loved the horse but never wanted to be attached to it!

Can you guess what Zane is? He always comes up with something original! (Think ocean!)

Will Tanner one day be a fighting Irishman? Will Porter be an Arab?

Is there a cuter Jessie in the whole world? It just fits!

Fall Break

2010-10-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

I drove the kids down to CA to see cousins, aunts, grammy & pops and meet baby Libby. OK, so the ocean has a certain draw for me too! We went to a seal lion rescue and watched them play.

Notice the gray weather and still we are in the water. What you can't tell from the photo is that Max actually loved this. He really is a water boy.

We went to the beach everyday that we were there and we never saw the sun, so much for sunny Southern California!

You can see how cold we all were at Laguna Main. But the beauty of raising kids in Utah, they still want to swim. Zane & Porter were just getting ready to take their plunge of the day. Crazy.

One night in the mist we went to Pumpkin City. Thanks Grammy & Pops.

Here is our gang, another cold and wet outing. Despite the weather, I still love California. I'm sure I will return again soon!

What have we done lately?

2010-10-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

We have gone up the canyon a few times. This was between Conference sessions, it was gorgeous. Have we mentioned that it is football season around here?

Mark & I went to the Utah Teacher of the Year dinner. It was so inspiring. Have you thanked a teacher lately?

My birthday came & went in a whirlwind visit from my parents. My mom, Ellie & I went to see Lion King at the Capitol Theater in SLC. Later that night we met all of the boys for dinner and then the late night group went to Sundance for the full moon lift ride. A busy day, perfect!

We surprised him!

2010-09-19T14:10:00.001-07:00

Tanner lured us up the mountain with tales of a dead animal. But what really awaited was Zane's surprise party.

Yes, they are sitting on rolled up chain-link fencing. We have a destroyed tennis court on the mountain across from us which we cleared of weeds and turned into the party site!

We had lots of food, lots of boys, and one girl...Ellie (she loved it!)

More friends.

Zane had his first pinata at this party.

And his favorite cake, cheesecake with raspberry sauce. It was a fun party!

2010-09-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

Zane turned 13 yesterday!

His reaction to Grammy & Pops' big money card! Thanks!

After our family dinner at "Golden Corral" (Zane wanted an all you can eat buffet), he and Porter went to a paint war for their Young Men's Activity. Fun!

Max's Party

2010-09-15T13:00:00.001-07:00

Max had a great party with a ton of friends and he loved his presents. The castle was a hit!

Max was trying to grab his candle on his "water cake". He loves water more than anything, thus the wave/ pool cake. We can always find him headed for a hose, the dog water dish, or waves!

What a fun 1st party! He did stay pretty clean considering it was his first cake.

It's his big day!

2010-09-14T16:28:00.001-07:00

We went to meet baby Libby!

2010-09-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

Max & I flew down to meet the newest member of the family, Elizabeth Kaye Macbeth!

Here are the proud parents, and yes, they brought Libby to the beach the day she got out of the hospital! Bec can never miss a beach opportunity!

When we weren't with Libby and parents, we were with Grammy & Pops! Thanks for having us!

Not a bad visit with 2 days at the beach and 1 day at the pool! At Montage we had the entire beach to ourselves and it was gorgeous!

Max loves the beach, just as we all do!

First Day of School

2010-08-26T14:17:00.001-07:00

Porter heads out first on his bike to Timpview, yes, high school!

Zane leaves next to Centennial, the middle school.

Ellie & Tanner scoot down to Rock Canyon. (Notice Ellie's jacket on the first day, it was cold that morning)

Lake Powell 2010

2010-08-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

We had a week at Lake Powell with the Barbers! It was amazing! Here are Brad & Julie with Jayne & Reagan, nothing like a boat ride to put a few kids into sweet dreams.

Here are the kids up top playing games. We had a great time with all of you! Thanks!

Lake Powell is a dream, with boat rides...

paddle boarding (my new personal favorite)...

hanging out on the houseboat...

and riding sea doos. Not to mention all of the fun behind the boat (more pictures to come).

Hiking Sundance

2010-08-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite places, summer & winter, Sundance ski resort. We did one final hike of the summer, well, we rode the lift up and hiked down!

Ellie & Savannah taking a snack break at Stewart Falls.

Yes, Zane did carry Max the entire way to the waterfall! Way to go! Sam & Dan with them.

Our big group: Amy and the 2 Marys, just like the old days on Comanche Lane. Only 2 girls in the group of 12 kids (and that is even with Porter missing)!

Tanner's 11th birthday

2010-08-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

Well with our event filled week last week (16th anniversary & Mark's b-day too), Tanner's birthday is the only thing documented on the camera. We had a fun family bike ride up the canyon, but no pictures. Maybe next time.

Tanner's request was to have Jay Clift and family come to dinner! We had a great Sunday evening with them in our backyard.

2010-08-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

We just returned from the loving arms of grandma. 2 weeks in Missouri, living the farm life...

Hanging out with Glenn and Grandpa.

Swinging is a must at the farm.

This year an added attraction was the fawn named "Goat" that Ellie got to bottle feed and take for a walk on a leash.

Need I mention frogs? Isn't Tanner the funny one!

Oh, wait... then we have Zane the chick assassin! (Not really)

As always, turtles found on the road. Our favorite and first to escape was Darth Maul.

Our gang on grandma and grandpa's porch! A great trip, thanks.

2010-07-13T13:52:00.001-07:00

These are my crazy parents who hosted the Hunger Games at their house for 7 spoiled grandchildren. (8 if you count Max who came with me when I joined them) They had a week of games and fun. If you have read the books, do not fret, no killing was done. This was more of a Survivor meets Hunger Games. They all returned unharmed!

To keep in the war games spirit we ended the week at the USS Midway touring the aircraft carrier with our own tour guide, Pops. He served during Vietnam and had great stories about life on the Ticonderoga, a ship smaller than the one we saw. Thanks for making us proud to be Americans!

On their true Hunger Day, fast Sunday, they ended with a food tasting! Can you see how excited they were for pickled herring!

Etiquette dinner was to help with manners. Notice the Harley attire at the fancy dinner, some things never change!

Syd and Tanner showing off the results of one of hundreds of games played. They shot guns and arrows, built shelters, stood in ice buckets, carved with pocket knives, and tried to become the top Tribute. Scout camp has nothing on Grammy & Pops.

Survival Camp at District Foster

2010-07-13T13:23:00.001-07:00

While my fantastic parents took care of 4 of our children for a week, Mark, Max & I snuck away to play! I love San Diego and have always wanted to stay at the Hotel Del Coronado. We had one night there... our experience... expensive, fog socked weather the whole time, fire alarm at 3am... but gorgeous and amazing nonetheless!

Our balcony looked out into this courtyard. We wore long sleeves most of the time, but even Max swam in their fantastic pool (empty of course).

I did join up with Max to spend some time with District Foster. My parents are amazing and planned the greatest week for my kids. Everything from competitions to swimming to journal writing to etiquette dinner and daily jobs. Thank you a million times!

We all went to San Diego and the new Mormon Batallion Historical site. Ellie & Porter were picked to dress as our Batallion members.

Can anything be better than burying someone in the sand? Yes, the buried person eating the sand! Max loves the beach and adores his brothers, sister and cousins.

2010-06-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

Tanner and Zane are playing Lacrosse (a very confusing game). Everyone made it home from scout camp by Saturday and the boys had a game.

While the boys played, Ellie rode in the Freedom Festival Children's parade on her scooter. Thanks Renchers for taking her!

Here is Max with his best bud, Zuka! Have you ever seen the Carl books?

Washington D. C.

2010-06-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

Mark had Board of Education meetings in Washington D.C. so he had a few tag alongs. We left Porter & Zane at home since they had already been.

The metro was a favorite and Max's stroller put on quite a few miles!

We loved the Lincoln Memorial, even with the amazing crowds.

Our trip to D.C.

2010-06-14T14:43:00.001-07:00

Can you see anything more spectacular than the monuments at dusk? Quite a night!

Hanging out with dad at the Air & Space Museum. (Big Surprise!)

2010-06-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

This Memorial Day weekend we took Max for his first flight in dad's plane. He was pretty good and slept for half of the flight each way.

We flew to Sedona to meet up with my sisters. Here is our gang at the airport lookout. We hit KFC for lunch, thanks Stewarts, and then off to...

Slide rock with our swimsuits and all. This may seem like a funny statement, but it has been so chilly at our house that the 80 degree weather was down right hot!

Ellie & Sydney found a great place to lay in the warmth! Thanks Stewarts for a great get away!

A quick catch up

2010-06-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is never complete without flowers. These are the beautiful ones I received, along with a fantastic tree, dinner, and pre-dinner entertainment, Zane telling Chuck Norris jokes - who knew Chuck was so highly revered!

Ellie & Savannah as munchkins in their musical, "The Wonderful Witches of Oz". Cute girls!

Can someone please explain what is going on? My kids dressed up for the last day of school! I couldn't pay them to dress like this any other day this year!

Zane with his fellow 6th grade graduates! Zane also received the Quest for Excellence Award!

"Best in the State"

2010-05-07T17:45:00.001-07:00

That's right, Porter's team won the State Championship! He hob-knobbed last week at a Utah Bar Association luncheon at the Little America where they were honored. Too bad there aren't nationals for Jr. High students! Way to go Porter, you were amazing!

2010-04-29T14:38:00.001-07:00

Ellie and Savannah participated in the Oral Language Festival last night. They memorized the poem "At the Zoo" by A.A. Milne. Ellie was excited to wear her dress to match her part about "lions and roaring tigers". If you know Ellie, you know that most of her life she has been a tiger and she has a roar to prove it. They were superb!

2010-04-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

Grammy came to visit this last weekend and timed it perfectly to get some snow, some soccer, some tulips and a lot of Max time.

We took the youngest kids and went to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point. It was gorgeous, sunny, and crowded (but still couldn't compare to the tulips in Holland last year).

Grammy was able to see everyone play soccer, except Max of course.

Zane and his group that competed at Odyssey of the Mind last week. It was all about flight and Zane was a botanist stranded on a desert island.