The Stewart Stuff

My little artists

2012-01-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

When we got home from the

museum on Saturday, out came the

paints and everybody got busy.

Everyone had ideas about how to

make theirs original and amazing.

Summer did a 3-in-1 painting.

After it was completed, she cut

them apart and ended up with

3 masterpieces. :)

Sydney wouldn't let us look at

her work in progress. She

created a 3D Modern Art piece

that is truly amazing. She now

has it proudly displayed in her room.

Ty was a big fan of landscape pieces at

the museum, especially snow scenes.

I was thrilled to see he attempted one

of his own. He used silver paint for the

snow and I think it added a special touch.

Summer's hummingbird was pretty cool.

I think she had fun, and that's what

it was all about! :0)

In case you were wondering:

Yes, I did paint my own masterpiece,

but I didn't want you to ignore theirs

since mine was so good. HaHa

It was so bad, I can't even show it! :)

Excursion Time!

2012-01-21T16:39:00.001-07:00

When I was growing up, my mom

would plan what she called 'Our Monthly

Excursion'. We would pack a lunch, load

up the car, and head to some exciting

destination. Zoos, Museums, Gardens...

you name it. Well, I like to copy my mother,

so we often head out on Excursions ourselves.

Today we hit up the YAM (Yellowstone Art

Museum) here in Billings.

We got the silliness out of our system before

we entered the museum. They have a HUGE

cat sculpture out front that pooped out the

cutest boy ever. Like I said, we were silly.

Once inside, we carefully inspected each

piece to find our favorite. We really liked this

one. What's it called when they paint inside the

glass on the frame? The red and white were

'relief painted' on the inside of the glass and

they stood out from the blue guy behind them.

It was titled, "Nerds" and boy, are we ever! :)

It was a great way to get out of the

cold and admire other peoples talents.

Now, if I could only work on some of

my photography one of these days, I would

love to have a few hanging there. They had

one photograph that was printed onto a piece

of copper. It was beautiful and I'm going

to start investigating how to do that.

We loved this sculpture. It won
first place in our competition.

Libby...can you see what's up top?

Make your elephant noise. :0) Bye for now.

Let us take you on an adventure!

2012-01-17T19:50:00.000-07:00


The city is flat as can be, but our airport is high above us on the rim you can see in this picture.

Billings may be the largest city in the

state of Montana, but it can be a

quiet retreat for many. New fallen

snow leaves parks deserted.

This park is at the end of our little street.

There's nothing like it when

you can leave the only tracks

on a field of pure white.

Ty felt like king of the world!

Snow angels ruled on MLK Day!

Check out that air! Too bad he

landed in rock hard frozen sand

in the sandbox. Summer dared

him to do it, not realizing he could

have broken both legs.

Not my tough guy. He has bones

of steel ***KNOCK ON WOOD***!

Nothing but more snow to come this whole

week. We'll be trying to stay warm.

Toothless Ty

2012-01-08T18:11:00.001-07:00

My little man has finally shed his shark teeth. :) Tooth Fairy is coming here tonight!

Our favorite rides

2012-01-04T10:11:00.001-07:00

Funny faces on some great rides.

Grammy's birthday at Disneyland & California Adventure

2011-12-31T14:08:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Grammy's birthday, we spent

the day at California Adventure and Disneyland.

Grandma and Grandad gave us money for
Christmas, so this is where we chose to
spend it. Great choice, if you ask me!

It was still all decked out for Christmas

and it even snows on Main Street.

We had a great time and my parents,

Becky, Brad, and Libby, are all set

up with season passes now. They'll

get to enjoy it until Grammy's

birthday next year. So fun!

Merry Christmas from the Stewarts

2011-12-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

From our family to yours,

Merry CHRISTmas!

Summer got her web cam so she

can keep in touch (face to face) with

her Arizona friends and her family.

Syd and Ty got the helicopters

they asked for. It has been a

fun afternoon.

Ty also got his Snowboard for the

hills at the park by our house.

Now we are off to board a plane

to visit both sets of grandparents.

The spoiling has only just begun.

Merry Christmas!!!

Elf Yourself!

2011-12-23T20:07:00.002-07:00

Santa surprised us!

2011-12-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

We had our Ward Christmas Breakfast

last Saturday and Santa made a surprise

visit. Ty finally got to ask him for the

remote control helicopter he's been admiring

at one of the kiosk's in the mall. Santa told

him it sounds dangerous and he gave him

quite the lecture on how to be safe with it.

I guess that means he's getting it???

Sydney also asked for a helicopter (they

sell some in a set that fight each other and

you can shoot down your opponent). Summer

was indecisive, so Santa is bringing her

a bag of carrots. Easy enough!

Sorry for the bad pics. As I said,

it was a surprise visit from Santa

so I wasn't prepared. Jason's

cell phone camera came in handy.

Penguins, Reindeer, & Cookies

2011-12-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

This past week has been loaded. I normally

help twice a week in Ty's class, but have been

able to do it 3 days this week. They had a

Penguin Christmas Program the end of last week.

Does that blond cutie stick out, or what!?!

He is really enjoying his new teacher Miss

Stoltz, but he also misses Mrs. Densmore

terribly. I think Miss Stolz's beauty has

helped soften the blow. He has a little crush

on her, but don't tell him I told you. It's

our little secret. :0)

He just got his hair cut today.

Can you tell how badly he needed it???

Syd had her program yesterday. They did

an American Idol type show with the reindeer

as the contestants. It was cute. Too bad Syd

missed the auditions, because she would

have been a winner!

Sugar Cookie Traditions never die!

Do I look as exhausted as I felt that night?

Sugar Cookies require a lot of work and time...

but boy are they worth it! YUM!!!

Summer took this photo of some

of her masterpieces. Not too bad!

Don't forget the cake...smash!!!

2011-12-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law makes the

world's best cake. They call it the

"Suzy Q" Cake. It is chocolate cake

that is filled with Cool-Whip and then

frosted with the most delicious homemade

chocolate frosting. Sydney wanted one for

her party, so Summer and I got busy.

She was determined to get all the candles

out in one blow. She didn't notice that one

candle remained, and she was all grins. Once

she realized it, she was devastated.

OK, maybe not devastated, but sad.

Summer knew what to do to take

her mind off of it. At least they are

getting it out of their systems now so

they won't feel the need to do it at their

weddings. :0)

There's nothing better than a slice of

cake shoved in your face...especially

if you are 12 years old.

12 years old!

2011-12-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

This well dressed cutie (thanks to Grammy)

turned 12 today! 12! Wow, how time flies!!!

She had a "Games, games, & more games" party.

She invited 4 of her new friends from school and

we all had a great time. It was loud, but fun!

We ate tons of junk food & played these games:

*Who am I?

*Jenga

*Balderdash

*Backwards writing competition

*Word Search Race

*Pictionary

*Minute to Win It

We kept score, but just like Ellen Degeneres

does, all players got the prize at the end. It was

a success and I know I will sleep really well tonight.

Happy birthday, Sydney! I love you!!!

Christmas in our new home

2011-12-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

We are now living in a

townhouse that is less than

half the size of our last house. Fitting

a Christmas tree into the room was

a bit challenging, but we made it work.

No fireplace? No problem!

As you climb the stairs from the

front door, you are greeted

with the adorable stockings my

mom loving made for all of us.

This may not be Christmas related,

but I had to show you a glimpse into

our Master Bathroom. :0) First off,

this is what you get when you rent a place

you have never seen in person.

1. It's not even connected to the bedroom

2. The master bedroom is smaller than the

master bath of our old house

3. This is the bathroom guests will be using

It pays to know what you are getting. :0)

We are all together, and that's all

that matters. Christmas will be the same

no matter the size of our home.

Merry Christmas!

Yep, Montana is COLD!!!

2011-12-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

Look closely. Do you see what

it reads for the Outside Temp?

We are down to single digits,

people! At 6:20am every morning,

you can find Summer and I on our

way to her early morning seminary. The

sun hasn't shown it's face yet, which

adds to the chill. Burr! Thank goodness

for seat heaters in the car and a 'warm'

garage to park the car in. :0)

Thanksgiving...a little late! :0)

2011-12-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

Better late than never. This was
a glimpse into our small gathering
for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed
some delicious food, a nice hike,
& unforgettable memories.
I am thankful for everyone in this
photo. Together, we can do
anything. Life is good!!!

Brace Face!!!

2011-11-22T07:49:00.001-07:00

What's the first thing you do when

you move to a new place?

You get braces, of course!!!

Poor Summer. She has too deep of

a bite, so they put on some bumpers (they

are big plastic pieces attached to the back

of her two front teeth). She can only bite

down on those with her lower front teeth.

She has no use of her molars for about

2 months. It's very interesting watching her

try to eat. :0) She's a good sport, though.

She has to have a baby tooth pulled

at the dentist tomorrow. She is

shocked that Sydney keeps begging

for braces. Maybe this will cure her. HaHa

You Tube Weirdo's!

2011-11-17T07:56:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when you

give Ty and Sydney your new phone

to play with. :0)

http://youtu.be/kYP9S7zilHo

and

http://youtu.be/p8v8gB4uJek

Enjoy!
By the way, it's
Ty's voice & Syd's face.

We made it!

2011-11-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

Boring post. No pics yet, but we made it to our new home in Montana. We arrived to 4 inches of snow. It's beautiful here. We don't have Internet yet &, as you can imagine, it's killing me. :0). I hope to post pics soon.

Hallow's Eve

2011-11-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

My little Mummy

Pancho Villa

Our 2 headed Zombie

JoLynn took over and made the

two inseparable girls the funnest

costume ever! Aren't they

cute zombies?!?

Summer ditched us and went to

a Haunted House with the Banks'.

They said the funnest part was

freaking each other out. It was

a great Halloween!

We found a place!

2011-10-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

After a long 2 weeks of hunting,

we finally found a place. When Jason

flew out there to look, he peeked in

the windows of a similar house next door.

They are really nice townhouses that were

built in 2004. The negatives? It only

has 3 bedrooms and it has less than

1/2 of the square footage we have now.

One major plus was the 'large' fenced

yard for Scoop. We have been so spoiled here

with our huge yard & pool. Who knew that having

a dog would make house hunting that difficult???

OK, 1 1/2 weeks till moving day and I have

a lot of pretty nice stuff that I will have to start

donating or listing on Craigslist. Wish me luck!

2 out of 3

2011-10-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

2 out of the 3 of our

kids got their school pictures

back this week. Sydney is so

cute. I love her smile and the

way she lights up a room.

Ty's teacher asked if he ever

stops smiling. He is always happy

and so easy going. I sure do love

these kids. Summer took her

pictures weeks before they did,

but I guess High School pictures

take longer. I'll share hers when

they arrive.

FYI- We have a move date.

November 5th. We think we

found a place to live and we

will know for sure by tomorrow.

We'll keep you posted. :0)

Volleyball Awards & other news

2011-10-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

Emily, Chelsea, Madi, & Sydney

Last night was the Volleyball Awards

ceremony. I am so proud of Sydney and

the incredible athlete she is. Way to go girls!

In other news, it looks like we are

moving to Montana. Montana! The

kids and I aren't thrilled about the move,

but I'm sure all will be fine. Wish us

luck and please understand my lack

of posts. Time to pack up and move.

It looks like the move will happen the

first weekend in November...not much time.

I have to keep reminding myself that the

most important thing is that we will be

together as a family. Hopefully Summer will

forgive us some day. Sooner rather than later.

School picture day

2011-10-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Emily, Chelsea, Sydney, & Madi

Today is school picture day at Sydney

and Ty's school. I volunteered to have

before-school playground duty so the

teachers could get their pictures taken.

It was fun seeing everyone dressed up and

ready to show their best smiles.

After the bell rang, I ran over to

snap this quick picture of Ty with

my cell phone. Obviously, it's not a

good idea to take your sons picture

when he is lined up on the wall with his

class. He fought me on this one.

Goofy (but absolutely adorable) boy!

She can do it!

2011-10-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Summer finally did it.

Maybe not as high as Goose,

but that is still a HUMAN FLAG!

Way to go, Summer!!!

Homecoming 2011

2011-09-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Friday Night was our Homecoming Football

Game. Mingus won 34-0! Woo Hoo!

Last night was the Homecoming Dance.

Since Summer isn't allowed to date

until she is 16, she went over to

Maxine's house and they got ready

together. Pam and I had fun getting

these girls all dolled up and ready to go.

Since Maxine is Jr. Class President,

she had to go to the dance after the

dinner they went to. Leah got home

from her swim meet in just enough

time to get dressed up and then we

picked her up and off to the dance they

went. It was a fun evening for them.

Beautiful girls having some innocent

fun. I love it! :0)

What the MEN are up to today.

2011-09-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

For a few years now, we have been

talking about the Jeep Summer wants

when she turns 16. Ty, the last year

or so, has been saying that he wants

a monster truck when he turns 16.

Why? It's not like his dad is into those.

Where did this fascination come from?

All we know is, he really likes

MoNsTeR tRuCkS!

On our 1 and only decent radio station here,

they have been advertising the Monster Truck

Rally that is in Flagstaff today. Jason and

Ty left straight from their soccer game and

headed up there. Jason has been sending

me these pictures and I think he's having even

more fun than Ty...if possible. :0)

The boys rarely get to spend a whole day

together and this will leave a mark on both of

their memories. Those are the best kind.

I sure do love those boys!

The first 500 kids to arrive got a free

monster truck toy. Ty already has about

10, but now he can add this little guy to

his ever-growing collection.

They just texted me and told me that

the Terminator (which happens to be

Ty's favorite) just caught so much air

that when it landed it popped a tire!

See, crazy boy fun! :0)

Powder Puff Maxine!

2011-09-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

Summer, Jasmine, Goose, and Syd (with Stephanie making a special appearance in the background)

Last night was the High School's Powder

Puff game. It's when the girls get on the

field to play flag football and the guys are

the cheerleaders. We spent the evening

hanging out with other families from the ward

and called it our FHE (Family Home Evening).

Jasmine, Summer, and Maddie (Syd's behind the sign)

Since it was a Juniors vs. Seniors game,

Summer (our freshman) was in the stands

with us cheering on Maxine Banks.

Summer, Maxine, Ty, and Goose

Unfortunately, the Juniors were beat 8-0,

but it was still a really fun evening. Maxine

was adorable in her customized shirt and she

had the best tackle all night...mind you it

was supposed to be flag football. :0)

Way to go Maxine! Can't wait till

Summer can be out there playing.

What cool people do at Walmart

2011-09-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

Goose, Maxine, Summer, Ty, and Jasmine

1. Model their new make-up line at Walmart.

Summer, Goose, Jasmine, and Ty

2. Show off your pull-up skills

3. Fail miserably

4. But look cute trying!

5. Have Goose do the Human Flag and make

you feel really weak and pathetic.

6. Attempt a crash course in

"Human Flag for Dummies"

7. Getting close to, but not succeeding

at the aforementioned 'Human Flag' Experiment.

Who knew Walmart could be this fun!?!

Where did that come from???

2011-09-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

With soccer season in full swing,

we are constantly lugging around

ball bags, water bottles, shin guards,

and cleats. The other day, after practice,

I noticed a balloon in our ball bag. Where

on earth did we pick up a balloon at

practice? Upon closer examination:

We had an evidently over-inflated

ball. When Ty reached in the bag

to grab the 'balloon', I literally

felt chills and a bit of fear

rush over me when I

saw the GUTS of the ball!

Why that gave me the chills,

I'll never know. I will say though,

that is pretty darn cool looking.

The kids still play with it. They drop it

on the balloon portion to see how high

it will bounce. Pretty cool indeed!

Most Likely to Succeed

2011-09-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

Flash back in time to Summer's 8th Grade

Yearbook. No need to rub your eyes

or put on glasses. Yes, the daughter of

Jason and Jennifer was voted 'Most

Likely to Succeed'. Why is this funny?

1. The Yearbook spelled succeed wrong

2. OUR child? Genetics must not play a role

(unless you count Jason and my

siblings & parents). :0)

3. I love the thinker pose...it makes me think

of my dad. He always had a small statue of it.

Why the flash back in time? Well, last

night was 'Be Me Night' at the High School.

We got to go with Summer to all of her

classes and meet her teachers and learn

what she has been up to the last month

and a half. On the wall in one of her classes

was a list of the students grades by ID #'s...

for privacy reasons. I ran my finger down the

list and it went something like this:

Earth Science

67%

82%

91%

104%

56%

Now, I am not exaggerating here, or bragging.

OK, maybe I'm bragging a little. :0) No one even

came close. Now, this is their class grade. I

turned to her and asked if the 104% was her.

She shyly responded with a positive.

WOW! Who's kid is this? Jason and I were

all smiles the entire night. A+'s in every class,

even her honors class. Why they only let freshman

take one honors class is beyond me. Anyway,

that's all my bragging for today. Now I'll

go eat some Humble Pie. Way to go, Summer!

"Grandparents" Day...or not so much. :0)

2011-09-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

My nephew, Tanner,

started kindergarten this year.

He attends a Montessori School that is about

10 minutes away from our house. Christina

sent me an e-mail last week asking if I could

be his fill-in Grandma on Grandparents Day.

Since both of his Grandma's live too far away

for the visit, I gladly fulfilled the request! :0)

He had fun showing me all around his

classroom. My favorite part was near the

end when his teacher handed out the scrolls

(which you can see Tanner holding in the pic).

He was supposed to hand it to his Grandparent.

Since it was me, he said, "I didn't make this for

you. I made it for someone else." It was so

cute because you could tell he really wanted

to give it to his Grammy. She lives on the East

Coast, so I am assuming she will get a special

treat in the mail sometime soon.

I had a great time and truly

feel honored that I got to be his

stand-in for the day. Love you, Tan!

It's Libby's Day!

2011-09-04T16:40:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to get

the chance to come to CA for Libby's

first birthday party (thanks to my parents).

Becky did an amazing job planning

an awesome party. She had a

ladybug hunt, a pinata, a baby race, &

the cutest cupcakes ever!

Libby was a little too dainty with her

cupcake. Her real birthday is in four days

and she better do a messier job of it then.

After church today, the kids & I were

babysitting and we decided to give Libby

her first-ever ponytail. What do you think?

I think she is a fan! :0)

I mean, honestly! Isn't she the most

adorable thing ever! Happy birthday, Libby!

A relaxing afternoon...for a little bit! :0)

2011-08-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

After I picked up Ty from school,

we had a few spare minutes. What do

you do with a few spare moments in the

desert? You swim and sunbathe. The best

part was when we were lying side-by-side

in our lounge chairs watching the clouds go

by. A few sprinkles fell on us (remember those

desert monsoons I was telling you about), then

we noticed the shape of the culprit. Coolest

heart shaped cloud EVER! Thanks for

a few moments of peace, Ty.

Then we were off to be taxi

drivers, soccer players, soccer

coaches, volleyball players,

team moms, chefs,

& maids. Fun, fun!

Monsoon Season!

2011-08-29T11:47:00.001-07:00

One aspect that I love in desert dwelling

is the monsoon. We are smack-dab in

the middle of monsoon season & loving it!

Here Sydney and Ty are enjoying
some respite from the storm under the
patio outside my bedroom.

In the small town where we live, our water

bills are out of control. Who knows why they

charge so much, but Jason & I love the monsoons.

We shout, "FREE Water! Yay!" Having a pool

in the desert means lots of evaporation. We

consider this as natures way of paying us

back for the $250 water bill last month. :0)

Ty was standing in the rain for seconds when

I snapped this shot. Hail was just starting to fall

and check out his shorts. Literally, in took 2

seconds for him to be drenched through.

Crazy, 6 year old fun! Bring it on!!!

Benchmark Geocache

2011-08-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

Leah and Summer had a fun extra

credit report for Earth Science. They

were asked to locate a local 'benchmark'

& photograph it (with proof they went).

The definition of a benchmark is:

'a permanently affixed mark that

establishes the exact elevation of

a place; used by surveyors in

measuring site elevations, or

as a starting point.'

This benchmark was put there in

1933, 13 years after this school was

built. It is the Clarkdale High School,

which was shut down in 1958 when

it consolidated with Mingus Union

High School (where Summer & Leah go).

With our geocaching skills, it took

us 2 minutes to find this benchmark.

That is one easy extra credit project!

Birthday Wish List

2011-08-24T19:48:00.001-07:00

With a little over a month

to start saving, this is what I

want for my birthday this year.

I want (and need) 6 new kitchen

chairs really badly. Aren't these

adorable! IKEA rocks. I'll

let you know if I can achieve

this goal...probably not, but

it's always fun to try. :0)
(I would paint my table to match)

AZ schools start too early!!!

2011-08-08T11:35:00.001-07:00

August 3rd was Freshman Day at the High School.

AUGUST 3rd! What ever happened to starting

school after Labor Day?!? August 4th then marked

the first official day of school. Seminary and all!

Luckily, seminary is at 7:15 and the building is right

across the street from the high school. Summer
gets a lot more sleep than I did at that age.

Do you remember 6 am seminary?

I remember it all too well!

After I drop Summer off to her carpool,

I get to wake up these cuties.

Sydney is in 6th grade this year.

She already had her sports physical

and is all set to play volleyball,

basketball, and soccer. I love

that she is so athletic. My kids

always have some sporting event

going on and I love cheering them on.

Can you tell which child is following

in his father's footsteps? Seriously!

Darth Vader shirt & lunch box! Some

things never go out of style. Enjoy 1st grade,

big man! Jason is all set to coach Ty's soccer

team again this year. I joined the AYSO

volunteers and have been helping with all

of their computer work. Just trying to

do my part. Here's to another great year!

Cones for a Cure in Payson, Utah!

2011-08-03T14:20:00.003-07:00

My niece Madison just celebrated her 10th

birthday. Her one big request for her birthday

was for her parents to buy her a professional

Sno-Cone Machine. A big purchase,

but with an awesome reason behind it!

Along with her mom (my sister-in-law Heather),

Maddie plans on selling the Sno-Cones to raise

money to find a cure for Diabetes. She is

the most mature 10 yr. old I know!!!

We got to spend a couple days at their house in

Payson, Utah after the reunion. My kids were

thrilled when the Sno-Cone Machine was

delivered in time for us to try some

before we hit the road for 10 hours.

Every kids dream come true. Now that I think

about it, I owe Maddie $3. How dare I not
think of being the first donation
(me and my big donations).

:0)

Levi has some big news himself. At the age of 4,
he was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes
like his big sister, Maddie. On Aug. 1st, he got
his first pump and life just got a whole lot
easier for the Rice family. Now Maddie
and Levi have pumps and they have

electronic machines that automatically
pump the insulin for them (they just have
to measure their food, do the calculations,
and then the machine administers the insulin).

No more scary needles multiple times a day.

Heather & Chris have been so amazing through
this whole ordeal. Heavenly Father knew
they would take it in stride and boy, do
they ever. All 4 of them are my own
personal heroes! I am so lucky to have
them in the family! Love you guys!!!

My Cowgirl Model

2011-07-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

When Summer was a little girl, we would

always ask her what she wanted to be

when she grew up. Her response was

always the same. "A cowgirl model!"

What in the world is a cowgirl model??? :0)

Grandad taught us all how to rope at the

cabin last weekend. Summer was an instant

success. Maybe it's the fact that she is left-

handed? I have to blame her success on

something since none of us were as good. :0)

It only took her 2 tries!

We may laugh at her 'cowgirl model' answer,

but the girl may have been on to

something. HaHa

Stewart Reunion 2011

2011-07-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

We just returned from the Stewart Reunion at the cabin. Check out that group. There are so many wonderful people, and all because of Jason's Grandad Dell and Grandma Lorraine. Gary and Marie were in charge this year and it was flawless. My favorite part was when Gary gave his closing remarks and shared his wish that someday, we could all have a posterity like this. One day, Jason will be that Grandad and I the Grandma. I love his family and I am so blessed to be a part of that heritage. Lucky me!

Fletcher, Brady, Tanner, & Tate

The last photo of them together before

Brady leaves on his mission. How crazy

is that!?! He was 2 at our wedding!

Kaylee

I officially have the worlds cutest

nieces and nephews!

Tate and Summer get along so well.

I wish they lived closer! At least we

get to visit them when we're in CA now.

Katelyn...or should I say Miss Personality!

Guess where Ty spent the entire time at the cabin?

You guessed it...on the four-wheelers.

I think we could classify it as an addiction!

Was Uncle E corrupting the teenagers, or

were the teenagers corrupting Earnest?

Uncle Chris spent HOURS creating a "Who Wants to be a Stewart-heir" gameshow. Dave, the comedian of the family, was Regis and Jason was the first contestant. He did pretty well. All of the questions were about Dell & Lorraine and it was really well done. It was an awesome reunion!

Group FHE

2011-07-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

For Family Home Evening last night, we had

3 families over for a swim party and BBQ.

The Gordons, the Gordons, and the Backus'

all came in the rain storm, determined to swim.

Ty snuck into his room 7 times that afternoon to

quietly pray that the monsoon storm would quickly

pass so he could still swim with his friends.

Well, with the faith of the little boy, the skies

cleared. It was still a cold swim, but fun!

Chad Backus just had hip surgery, so he arrived

on crutches. He joined the other men near the

BBQ and then they retired into the family room

to bond as men while the ladies were on lifeguard

duty. All in all, we had 15 kids and 8 adults.

The Gordon brothers are always fun to have.

We have wonderful friends and they sure do

know how to have fun. We love our new

ward and our goofy bishop (the one on the

right). Black Hills Ward is the best!

Glad the clouds parted and we had some fun!

Go Angels!

2011-07-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

One thing I was raised on was Angels Baseball. Not the Dodgers, the Angels! My dad was (and is) adamantly opposed to the Dodgers. We attended games as often as possible and now we get to take my kiddos.

Mike, Brittani, my dad, mom, Libby, Brad, Becky, & us

We had a fun cheering section. We have fun anywhere, but especially at the Angel Game...when they win (most importantly).

The 4th...before the fire broke out.

2011-07-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

We left Jason behind in Sedona while we headed to Southern California to enjoy the 4th with my family. Last year, Jason and I were in Italy on the 4th of July and my kids were with my parents. They went to the lake behind my parents house to enjoy the fireworks. This year, I was able to join them. Laguna Niguel Regional Park puts on some great fireworks.

We spent the day riding our bikes to the beach and then we quickly showered, BBQed, and then hit up the lake. This was Libby's first 4th of July and she was a big fan!

Sydney said that last year, Libby was going crazy inside her moms belly during the fireworks. Well, this time they got to pal around together. Nobody loves Libby the way Sydney does. They are B.C.F. (Best Cousins Forever), as Sydney calls it.

Have I ever told you that I have the best parents EVER? They truly are! This trip wouldn't have happened without their help and I hope they know how much we all love them. They are the most fun, energetic, and adorable people alive. I'm glad I got to spend the 4th with them. Love you guys!!!

P.S. Thanks for the pictures, Becky!

An EXCITING 4th of July!

2011-07-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

We are in California enjoying the 4th of July weekend with my parents. We headed over to the lake behind their house to watch the fireworks. Britt and Mike came too and at one point Mike pointed out a bright light straight across the lake from us.

Some 'genius' had set off some illegal fireworks and had started a fire in the drybrush that covered the hills that surround the lake. It made for an exciting scene for us to watch safely on the other side of the lake.

Luckily, no one was hurt and they were able to put the fire out rather quickly. Hope you all had a safe and un-eventful 4th of July!

Shelley's Patriotric Celebration

2011-07-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

We have the most adorable girl in our ward. Her name is Shelley and she is a star! She has been inviting us to her softball games all season. Unfortunately, she would invite us after the game already happened. :0) Well, on Thursday night, she invited us to come and see her in a patriotic play she was in. She was going to be Pocahontas.

I was so impressed by the staff and the way they cared for the kids and adults with special needs. We were seated behind many of the other kids that came to cheer them on in their wheelchairs. It was a beautiful feeling. There was so much love in that room. I know we were seated amongst, and watching, angels on earth!

At the end, they sang 2 patriotic songs. One (which I haven't heard before) was about 9-11. The boy on the left was singing with tears streaming down his face. I couldn't help but cry. Following that song, they had all military stand and they honored them by singing, "I'm Proud to be and American". The man on the right in this photo had an amazing voice and, once again, the tears started flowing. I was so proud of Shelley and all of her friends. They truly touched me, and my kids. I'm so glad we were invited.

Next stop for Shelley...the Special Olympics!

I sure hope we can go cheer her on!!!

The CAMERA has returned! :0)

2011-06-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

I got my camera back, so beware! :0)

From crazy skits...

Rylee, Summer, Christine, & Leah

...to an incredible Emma program....

my friend Shelley who wrote the program & spoke as Emma

....to sob-inducing musical numbers....

Chad as Joseph & Carrie as Emma (both amazing singers)

...we really knew how to ham it up at Girls Camp!

Chad, Nicole, Me, and Natalie

This picture is blackmail worthy!

What could I have possibly been saying

to the girls that would make me pull that face?!?

Can you say HIDEOUS!!!

This picture cracks me up. Nicole is making a hilarious face, our outfits are almost identical (not planned), and we are even wearing our matching necklaces we made the day before. I had a great time and was so lucky to have Nicole as my assistant. I love that girl!
I think I can safely say that Girls Camp was a huge success!

No camera=No pictures :0(

2011-06-23T12:43:00.001-07:00

Here's what we are up to:

*Ty had 7 vials of blood drawn today

*I left my camera in the mountains

*Someone found it & I get it back on Saturday

*The pool is getting good use (100*+)

*The house we are renting is officially for sale
*Luckily we have awesome tenants
in our Sedona house

*My hubby is seriously considering
going back to school

*KFC/Taco Bell/A&W/ Long John Silvers

really hurt during a recession

*We've closed 2 out of our 7 restaurants

*$2300 later, I have A/C in my car again

*Girls Camp was a huge success

Most importantly:

****I love my life!!!****

Girls Camp Plans

2011-06-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Girls Camp is all fun and games, but we will have a few serious moments on Sunday. We are having a program on Emma Smith. One of our camp mom's is going to dress up as her and we will have another woman singing this song. It's one of my very favorite songs. Could you imagine all she went through? The persecution, the loss of many of her children, and then to have your husband murdered. She was a strong woman and I think she has a beautiful story to tell. I can't wait to share it with these young women.

Summer's at BYU...4 years early!

2011-06-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

Summer and Porter are at Brigham Young University this week. They are both attending EFY (especially for youth). They get to stay in the dorms all week, have dances, eat in the cafeteria, and live the college life for 6 days. So far, I have received a few texts from her & she is having a ball. I went when I was her age and it was the greatest experience ever. I can't wait to hear all of their fun stories.

Beautiful World...& family!

2011-06-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

What have the Foster Girls been up to???

The Foster Baby and her baby.

The Middle Child and her family.

The Eldest Sister and her army of seven.

My parents have every right to

brag. :0) What cute families.

Some details...

2011-06-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

If you want to see some of the exciting pictures from the kids adventures during Roar & Snore, click here to see my moms blog. They had an amazing time & I'm so glad they all went.

When Jason and I arrived at the park the next day, the kids were really excited to show us their tents. They lived in style. The more $ you pay, the closer to the animals you are. As you can see from this photo, they had front row access to the 'African Plains'. You couldn't beat the view. My dad said his favorite part was watching all the animals migrate towards their feeding areas right before sunset. I'm so jealous. What an awesome experience!

As part of the experience, my parents also paid the fee to renew our annual passes to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. I cannot tell you how much we love that place. We get our (or their) monies worth every year. Ty had a great time showing his dad all of his favorite spots and experiences.

When I spotted my dad sitting in front of the tents at the end of the day, I couldn't help but wonder what was running through his mind. Which one fits the scene best:

1. "After paying for all of this, the poor house won't be nearly as comfortable as that tent was last night."

2. "Since Ty's coughing kept me up all night, do you think the animals would notice if I took over one of their exhibits for a nice long nap?"

3. "Would Grammy get mad if I threw one of my rotten grandkids in the lion cage?"

Roar and Snore

2011-06-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek at what

the kiddos have been up to.

They spent the night at the

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

(which we still call the Wild

Animal Park, even though they

changed the name). :0)

This picture is a bit distorted and the color is off, but you can see that we all joined them on Saturday morning. The WHOLE GANG! We are having a great time, even if it cost my parents an arm and a leg. After all, that's what grandparents are for, right?!? HaHa...just a joke, but we do enjoy being spoiled. :0)

2 hrs. and 45 min. later...

2011-05-29T13:05:00.001-07:00

We have safely arrived in California after stopping off in Phoenix for Ty's Pediatric Pulmonary appointment at St. Joseph's Hospital. We had Summer and Sydney positioned outside our window on the third floor. They had the dog and the kitten. It was 97* out and, luckily, they had a nice breeze and some shade. Little did we know that the appointment would take 2 hours and 45 minutes and we still don't have the answers we are seeking. Here is what we do know:

*When we arrived, Ty's lung capacity measured at 67% in one area

*After the first treatment of the drug that mother's intuition told me that it was the wrong medicine, it plummeted to 43%

*After a second treatment (another steroid), he again remained around 43% :0(

*After a third treatment (another Steroid), he went up to a 58%

Scary, I tell you! We left there ready for his appointments for multiple blood tests, lung screening, and a GI test. Should be fun...but it's worth it to get that boy healthy!

Sorry for the boring medical post.

No more K, just 1, 6, &9

2011-05-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a sad, yet exciting day. Ty

graduated from kindergarten. Now we

officially have a 1st grader, a 6th grader,

& a high school freshman. Most importantly,

they all graduated with straight A's (or whatever

Ty's kindergarten equivalent to A's are).

Ty was a handsome man today. His teacher,

Mrs. Shilling made scrapbooks for all the

kids & the first page showed him in August

2010 when he started. His cheeks were so

chubby and cute....not that they aren't

chubby now, but there is a vast difference.

I sure do love this kid!

We will miss Mrs. Shilling. It was her first

year teaching and she had such a passion

for it. Ty was very lucky to have her.

Next year he gets Mrs. Densmore, who

happened to be Summer's 1st grade teacher

in Sedona when we first moved here.

Now summertime can begin!

We're off to California in the morning,

following Ty's big Pulmonary appointment

in Phoenix. We'll keep you posted on that.

I have a high school-er! AHHHHHhhhh!!!

2011-05-19T20:26:00.001-07:00

We just got back from Summer's

Promotion (Graduation) Ceremony.

She is officially a high school-er.

Leah made Jr. High bearable for her.

She has grown up so fast. I miss

my little chubby kindergartner. I am

so glad that Ty looks so much like her.

He is keeping me young and reminding

me so much of his oldest sister.

Mrs. DeWitt was Summer and Leah's favorite

teacher. They both were lucky enough to have

her as their homeroom teacher & that is where

they met. I am so grateful that they found each

other as the new students at a big school this

year. We were so happy to learn that Mrs.

DeWitt got a job teaching at the high school.

Unfortunately, Summer and Leah are both

in AP English and Mrs. DeWitt isn't teaching

AP. There is a possibility that she might next

year. We have our fingers crossed!

One teacher they will surely miss is Mr. Swenson.

He has a crazy, fun personality and he made

History fun. Too bad he isn't moving on to

the high school. Watch out Mingus Union

High School. You have two freshman headed

your way that will rock your world! :0)

Congrats girls!!!

Queen of Pronouns

2011-05-15T12:46:00.001-07:00

Sydney's class put on the play

'Pirates from Grammar Island'

this week. Syd was chosen for the

part of the Queen of Pronouns.

She had a large solo at the end of the

play and she did a great job.

She has enjoyed her teacher Ms. Klassen

this year. 5th grade is a tough age, but she

has managed to sail through without any

issues. We are so proud of that girl.

The whole class worked on the decorations

and props for the play. Syd was really proud

of the skeletons she drew for the ship and

the flag. They did a great job decorating.

Here she is with some of her best buds.

Chelsea, Sydney, Kylie, & Emily.

Madi was in the other class this year,

but they just found out they will be together

next year. They are both VERY happy

about that. It was a fun play, with fun

music, and adorable actors.

Prom in 8th grade???

2011-05-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 weeks, I have been working

with a bunch of moms at Summer's school to

create "A Night in Paris" theme for their

8th grade Promotion Dance. Is this a new

thing...the word Promotion? We called it

graduation back in my day. Guess I'm showing

my age here. :0) It looked like Prom to me.

Sydney helped me put the food tables together.

Summer has complained that this school has

lame dances. She said they never have snacks.

Well, we made up for it! The food rocked!

She had it all. I was a fan of the DJ, especially

since he played two Bruno Mars songs.

Since I was at the school from 1:30 until 10:30 that

night, Summer went home with Gloria to get ready.

Gloria put make-up on Summer and curled her hair.

MAKE-UP ON SUMMER! That is a rare sight.

She looked beautiful!!!

Leah went to Loree's house to get ready and

Loree spent 2 hours straightening Leah's hair.

She looked beautiful, but I find it funny that

Summer spent a bunch of time trying to go

curly, and Leah went straight. The grass

is always greener. :0) Cute girls!!!

I forgot I had had my camera set to low light, so

all of my pictures are blurry. Sorry. Here's the

whole group: Loree, Gloria, Leah, & Summer.

They were so cute, they even pulled Syd onto

the dance floor a few times. Syd had a blast

watching from the kitchen, as did I.

It was a fun night.

Meet Zeedo!

2011-05-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name is Zeedo and

I am a new member of

the Stewart family.

This is my owner Summer. She is my

biggest fan! I get to sleep with her tonight

and I plan on crying all night long. Do

you think she will still be my biggest fan???

This is Ty. He's gentle enough, but

boy is that kid noisy. Even when he walks,

he slaps his shoes on the ground. Who

can sleep in a place like this?

Then there's Sydney. She must think I'm

a girl! Look at this box she insisted on carrying

me around in. HELLO! My name is Zeedo and

I am a BOY! Hopefully she finds me something

masculine to walk around in. Wish me luck!

Mother's Day Poem from Summer

2011-05-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

Summer wrote this poem for me for

Mother's Day. All I can say is 'Ditto'

for my mother. Aren't mothers the

best. Happy Mother's Day, my friends!

A very scary FHE

2011-05-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Ty was in charge of the lesson for

Family Home Evening this week. He

taught a great lesson and then insisted

that dad had us do face painting for

the activity. We decided to attack Ty with

the paint and surprise him. That's the

cutest lion I've ever seen.

He liked to scare us by showing off his

fangs. After seeing African Cats in the

theater, we knew he had to have fangs

in honor of 'Fang'. Did you see that movie?

We loved it...I actually teared up in parts.

I'm a softy, for sure! :0)

16 years in the making!

2011-05-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas. The town my husband and

eldest daughter were born in. Jason called

Vegas home for 24 years, I called

it home for 3 years, and Summer called

it home for one year.

Keep in mind, Mormons aren't big

gamblers (we actually are counseled not

to gamble at all...rightfully so). Well, my cousin

Kelly and her husband Steve came to visit us

there once and we went to play Craps. Kelly

was on a roll with the dice and I decided to

place a bet on a HARD TEN (my lucky #).

What should Kelly roll? Two fives...that's

a hard ten! Yay! My first 'big win'.

I walked out of there with $120 and

haven't played since. That was 14 or so

years ago. What we have played for

all 16 years of our marriage is hand

held poker. No sin in that, right!?!

:0) 16 years, and never a royal flush.

Until yesterday! Can you believe it!?!

It took over 3 minutes to tally up the

50,000 point win. Too bad that wasn't

real. What I could do with $50,000!

16 years to win? Yep, it's a good thing

I don't gamble in 'real life'. :0)

It was a pretty exciting win either way.

We're listening. :0)

2011-05-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

#4 (Treasure Chest)

Just click on the picture to enlarge it

Nothing is better than constructive criticism.

Thanks for all the feedback. We've made

a few changes and I want to know what

you think. We've added a treasure chest,

a compass, and changed the size & color

of the ship. Please continue to compare these

with the first 3 and let me know your

overall favorite. You guys rock! Thanks!

#5 (Compass)

#6 (Blue Ship---can be any color)

THANKS EVERYONE!

I need your opinion!

2011-05-02T11:54:00.001-07:00

#1 (Large Ship)

It's decision time and I need your help!

Please vote and tell me which shirt you

would want to wear if you were a

teenage girl (ages 12-18).

click on pictures to enlarge

Thanks!

#2 (Striped Circle)

#3 (Skull & Crossbones)

Girls Camp is quickly

approaching and I am

really excited. June 16-20

The fair came to town!

2011-05-01T11:37:00.001-07:00

You know you live in a small town ~~hickville~~ when

the kids get the day off school for the fair! :0)

Summer and Leah had the entire off for 'fair day',

while Syd and Ty got early release at noon for it.

This was our first time going. It's not a big

deal in Sedona, but in Clarkdale it is BIG

TIME EXCITEMENT! Ty got a special

award at school that gave him a Star Student

Pass for free admission. Who knew fairs were

so darn expensive? I feel poor now that

it's over....seriously!

This picture is for Pops Pig!

Admission was $10 for adults,

$7 for kids. Each ride was $3-$4.

The girls bought unlimited ride wristbands

for $30 each (which they totally made worth

it). Ty ended up spending about $24 on rides,

so I should have bought him one. Next year

I will plan ahead and save for a few months.

There was a petting zoo, a Sea Lion Show, a Rodeo,

rides, food, and lots of fun. We snuck out at
3:00 to hit up the KFC for free food

and then Leah and Summer napped

until 5. We headed back and watched the

Rodeo and the kids rode rides until 10:15.

I called it quits at that point.

The girls, like I said, got

their monies worth.

We'll be there next year on Fair Day.

This was Ty's favorite ride.

It cost us $16. :0)

This is Sydney and Madi dangling high in the

sky on the scariest ride there. I was really

proud of Syd. She went on it at least 3 times.

Grammy- take note. She said she wants to

attempt Tower of Terror again at California

Adventure. Do you believe her? We'll have

to see if she comes through on that one.

EGGchange Student Funeral

2011-04-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Summer's EGGchange student finally

bit the dust. This is what he looked like

originally. If you saw the photo shoot

post, you will see that he endured many

plastic surgeries. Robin was a 'good egg'.

Leah and Summer went on a walk to

the cemetery next to our house and buried

Robin. They even made headstones and

brought some roses to honor him.

Ty joined them and made a gravesite

for Bubble (his Beta fish that died this week).

Apparently, Sydney had named her egg

It and made him a grave, also. See what weird

things happen when you leave the kids home alone!

My must-watch list

2011-04-26T15:42:00.001-07:00

Since the series began, Jason and I have

been huge fans of Survivor. All three of

our kids are hooked, too. It may have lying,

scheming, and backstabbing, but man is

it ever fun to watch. :0)

In second place, The Amazing Race is a top

contender. What's not to love!?! Travel,

culture, and challenges. Fun, right!?!

On the sitcom side, The Office takes the cake.

We are sad to lose Steve Carell, but Will Farrel

may possibly make it worth it. For the season

finale, even Jim Carrey makes an appearance.

Should be fun!
What are you watching???

An egg photo shoot??? Yep!

2011-04-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

Remember how I mentioned Summer's

egg project from school? Well, she took

it very seriously! So seriously, in fact, that

she had a photo shoot with Leah.

Sunbathing eggs...

Almost boiled eggs...

Candied eggs...

Plastic surgery eggs (Summer was the surgeon)...

Skateboarding eggs...

Sunset-watching eggs...

Peeping-tom eggs...

Tree-climbing eggs...

and Lazy eggs.

Too much time on their hands? Perhaps! :0)

A beautiful Easter!

2011-04-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have a very special

visitor this Easter. Lil' Libby came and brought

4 other important people. It was a great treat

to have my parents, Becky, Brad, and Libby here.

We all loved smothering Libby with affection

on her first Easter. The Easter Bunny treated

her well and she dressed the part every day!

After the kids hunted down the eggs the bunny

hid inside, my parents hid their famous money

eggs in the backyard. Hunting the acre sized

yard took a while, but we thought we were

successful....until we got home from church and

Sydney found another hard boiled egg out there

we had missed. It smelled pretty bad already. :0)

Here's a shot of Libby showing off her loot.

Ty left notes by each basket to let the Easter

Bunny know who's-was-who's. He accidentally

wrote a backwards L for Libby so we have been

calling her 'Jibby" all day. It was pretty cute.

We were sad to say goodbye to our visitors.

Until next time...and Happy Easter!

We had an EGGcellent Time!

2011-04-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Summer has been given one of those

school assignments where I was a little

jealous and I wanted to play along. Meet

Robin Chester, a poor egg boy from England.

Summer had to keep a journal all week, as well

as write a back story of the life of her egg.

It just so happened that our good friends,

the Westervelts, were coming to visit yesterday.

Summer took charge and taught the little kids

how to blow out an egg and they got started.

Isn't Helen the cutest model ever. :0)

Ty's didn't last long, but it was cute.

Liza and Sydney went a little cRaZy with theirs.

I miss Liza. She has always been such a great

friend to Sydney. What cute girls!

Mary had a great time trying to make

hers cuter than mine. :0) I guess she

achieved her goal. Not hard to do.

We're glad the Westervelts came and

helped us make a small Egg Village.

The piece de resistance....

The girlfriend I made for

Robin. She had beautiful

long braids (although Mary

thought they looked like

dreadlocks). :0)

Soccer Tourny

2011-04-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

Sadly, Summer's soccer season at school

has come to an end. The best part of the

whole season was the tournament our school

hosted at the High School. You may notice

the odd undergarments the girls are all wearing.

It was last Saturday & we woke up to snow at

our house! Luckily, the school isn't up

in the foothills, so there wasn't snow

on the field...just RAIN!

It was 35* the WHOLE day! After the first game

(which we won), we all rushed home and had our

girls take warm showers to recuperate. Summer

couldn't even straighten out her fingers. They were

frozen solid, bright red, and swollen.

When she stepped off the field, she looked like

she had just stepped out of the shower.

Do you see who that is??? That's my soccer

star. That left foot had a lot of action in the

second game for the championship. Unfortunately,

we lost the final game and came out of the tournament

proud of our second place finish. Way to go girls!!!

An early Easter present.

2011-04-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to some private donations, our stake

has been privileged enough to have the Fine

Art Photography of Mark Mabry on display

this entire week for the public to enjoy.

The exhibit is called Reflections of Christ.

Through photography, Mark has captured

the most joyful, sorrowful, and sincere

moments in Christ's time on earth.

If you enjoy these 3 photos, trust

me when I say that there is so much

more. Please click here to see a small

sample of his wonderful work....just in time

for Easter. Share it with your loved ones.

13 friends for your 14th birthday!

2011-04-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

What's better than having all of your

friends come over to help you celebrate

your 14th birthday? NOTHING!

We removed the winter cover

from the pool on Tuesday and it was 41*!

We had already sent out the invitations

& we were beginning to worry. We heated

the pool for 3 days and it is now a very

expensive 70*. Well worth it.

We played pool games, Pictionary,

Just Dance, & had a blast. I love her

friends. She sure can pick 'em. Even

Savanah came over from Sedona.

We had a wonderful time.

Happy 14th Summer!

Book of Mormon...the play???

2011-04-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

All over the streets in New York City, Summer

found fliers for the new Broadway Play, The Book

of Mormon. Apparently, it isn't the most positive

portrayal of Mormon Missionaries. It was written

by the creators of South Park, which I've never seen

but I hear it is quite raunchy. Anyway, Jason said

this play may end up being a good thing. It will

peak peoples interest & that can't possibly be a

bad thing. We have nothing to hide, do we!!!

Just in case you have any questions about

us Mormon's and what we believe, I strongly

recommend you check out Mormon.org

Enjoy! :0)

Ty's bowling party

2011-04-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

Just in case you were wondering,

I believe a bowling party is a must

for 6 year old boys! They all watched

the scoreboard very seriously as they

awaited their turn. The score mattered,

but not too much. I was able to relax

a bit while they kept up on who's turn it

was and when to go. I was impressed!

The birthday boy had a great time

with all of his best buddies.

Carter

Jack

Mason

and Tanner

What a fun group of boys!

I never thought I would say this, but

I'm ready to go back...with all of them!

They were all very polite and I think (and

hope) they all enjoyed it as much as Ty did.

Happy Belated Birthday, Ty Bradley!

My 14 yr. old!

2011-04-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

Where would you want to be on your

14th birthday? I doubt you would say

your little brothers bowling party!

Summer is such a good sport.

She had fun bowling against

Leah. She had a great day!

She stayed up late last night making

cupcakes to take to school for her

homeroom class (I had an overwhelming

schedule the last few days and failed in the

mother department). Once she got to school

today, she realized it was a waste of her time.

Leah made her this brownie covered in melted

marshmallow, her other friend made cupcakes,

and (as you'll see below) her friend Bailey

made her a beautiful cake! Wow!

One spoiled 'new girl'!

After her soccer tournament tomorrow,

we will head out to see the Bethany Hamilton

movie 'Soul Surfer' & go out to her birthday

dinner. I love that girl. She makes life so

very enjoyable! Happy Birthday, Bummer!!!

A long wait for a party!

2011-04-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

This was Ty's original party invitation.

Since his birthday is the day after

St. Patrick's Day, we almost always

have a green color scheme. Well,

as you know, strep throat struck hard

and we had to postpone the party.

I sent this out to the parents of the party-

goers and one dad pointed out that

they would have to wait a long time for

this party. MARCH 8th! Duhhh! I

laughed pretty hard about that one, especially

since the party will be on Summer's birthday

tomorrow. And I thought I was so on top

of things. :0)

Beans & Rice or Rice & BEAN?

2011-04-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

While I was babysitting Libby in Belize,

I heard a little baby crying. We walked

over to one of the locals vending tables

and I noticed a hammock in the back. Inside

the hammock was a little tiny baby. The mom

would walk by and rock it when the baby

would cry and then leave the baby there.

Becky and I decided to give it a try with

Libby the next time we saw a hammock.

As you can see, she was a big fan!

After our Zipline & Cave Tubing

Excursion in Belize, the tour company

took us to their private 'restaurant'

and fed us Rice & BEAN. We all thought

it was quite funny that they called it

Beans and Rice, but there was only 1 or

2 beans on each plate. Don't get me

wrong, it was delicious!

Seeing the way they live there in Belize,

I was happy to have my bean. There

way of life is very humbling!

We had a great meal and my sisters

(who NEVER drink anything carbonated)

enjoyed some Fanta as it was the only

choice besides Coke. We really got

a feel for the culture there that day.

I'm still a huge fan of Belize!

The Cayman Islands

2011-04-02T21:42:00.002-07:00

On March 25th (which happens to be

Jason's birthday), we anchored in The

Cayman Islands. We spent the day being

spoiled rotten...once again! :0)

Amy & Mark's friends (which happen to be

the co-owners of NuSkin) picked us up in their

boat and took us to their home on Grand Cayman.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch and then we were

off to enjoy the many wonders the Cayman Islands

have to offer. Holy cow, I could live there TODAY!

This was their private beach. The Roneys and

the Lunds all own houses in one of the
'neighborhoods' there. They backed up to
each other, yet both were right on the water.
The crystal clear water is impossible

to escape from....which makes it so appealing!

The main house is on the left behind Becky

and Libby. To the right is their little bungalow.

In between the two was their pool. Beach,

pool, hammocks, catamaran...your choice!

Brook Roney even included the 2 local KFC's

on our tour of Grand Cayman. I would drop

everything today to move there and have Jason

own those. What a life...summer 365 days a year.

I think I could handle that! :0)

Although hurricane season doesn't sound like

much fun! They had extensive damage

to all of their homes there with the last big one.

We enjoyed the private tour. There

is no better way to see all Greater

Cayman has to offer than by sea.

My dream home in Grand Cayman!

Our first stop was to snorkel (I held Libby)

and then we went to Stingray City.

I think this will be Jason's new favorite

picture. He may be white, but he has never

looked thinner. I wish I got my picture

in the 'magically thinning water'. :0)

Do you see those dark shadows swarming

around Brad & Libby? Those are ginormous

stingrays! Holy cow those things were big

and they liked to SWARM! I held on to Jason's

back and wrapped myself around him like an

octopus. Guess what? I survived! Yay!

Look how cute my mom, Becky, & Libby

are. Libby even got to touch one. Once she did

it, I knew I had to. It felt pretty cool. Very slippery

and smooth. I'm glad I did it, but I never need

to repeat. Once in a lifetime, right!?!

What a great birthday Jason had.

I'm glad we were there. Thanks to the

Roneys, we all had a spectacular day!

Roatan, Honduras

2011-04-01T10:23:00.002-07:00

We decided to plan a beach day in

Honduras, rather than doing an

excursion. When we got off the ship

we found a large bus taxi that provided

us with a tour guide for the day.

Our tour guides name was Lorna Doone and she

has never heard about the cookies with the same

name. We got her address and my mom is going to

send her a package or two of Lorna Doone Cookies.

I think she will love them. What's not to
love. Anyway, she took us to the most

beautiful beach. We fell in love with this local

boy, Elvis. He would blow these conch shells and

make it look so easy. So far, none of us can do it

as well as he could. He also sold us some seahorse

skeletons. Ty took his to school for show-and-tell

and the seahorse was a big hit.

The water was crystal clear and the perfect

temperature. While I held Libby in the water

until she fell asleep, the rest of the gang went

snorkeling. I have a HUGE fear of fish thanks

to my mother and my 8 yr. old experience being

attacked by fish in Hawaii while my mom giggled

and fed those same killer fish bread!

I was traumatized, I tell you!!!

This picture is of Lorna Doone's house

and the 'grocery store' right next to it.

As you can see by her house, they were

all brightly painted and really cute. The

ocean was straight across the street from it.

Now that is ocean front property!

We really enjoyed a day of being lazy on

the beach there. Glad we 'took the day off'.

Although, no one enjoyed it there as much as

my dad did. $50 for an hour massage....

right on the beach! Can't beat that!

We loved Roatan, Honduras!

Zipline & Babysitting???

2011-03-31T08:59:00.002-07:00

Jason, Mark, Amy, Becky, Libby, Brad, my mom, my dad, & Corry & Meredith

Our first day on the ship, my sister Amy

met this cute girl named Meredith.

Turns out her and her husband live

near Amy in Utah and we all hit it

off. We ended up stalking them and

doing 2 of their shore excursions with them.

We felt as though they were part of our

family, and I'm sure they were annoyed

with us, just like REAL Family! :0)

Welcome to the family Meredith & Corry Cloward!

Brad

Everyone will agree that the Zipline Tour in

Belize was one of the favorite excursions...

except Libby. I'll explain.

Amy

While the rest of the gang went on the

zipline, I volunteered to watch Libby.

Amy and Mark

Libby and I walked over to where they

would zip over our heads and we could

take pictures. Great idea, right?!?

Becky, Libby, and Brad

Well, I was holding Libby in one hand

while snapping pictures with my huge

camera in the other. The noise of the

zipline made Libby stiffen up. It was

a loud, strange noise.

My mom, Kandy

No big deal. A little noise never hurt

anyone. We were getting some good

pictures of everyone except Amy who

was hidden behind her harness.

My mom and dad, Terry

(their 1st time on a zipline)

Jason came zooming past like Tarzan

and I thought we were home free.

Jason (aka Tarzan)

Then Becky came whizzing by. In

true Foster fashion, she was yipping and

shouting the whole way. Libby recognized

the voice and thought something was terribly

wrong. She became hysterical!

Becky having fun (see the smile, Libby)

Libby was upset! They went on to zipline for

45 minutes and I ran the other way with

Libby. I didn't want Becky & Brad to worry

about her, so I took the traumatized baby away.

She was so shaken by it, we had snot bubbles

and all! Poor girl didn't recover until she saw

her mom safe and sound 45 minutes later.

I think Libby has forgiven me. After all,

I did get some really good Libby kisses

a few days later. :0)

One lucky baby girl!

2011-03-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

We may claim that this trip was in

honor of Becky turning 30, but in reality,

it was a chance to spend time with Libby. :)

That girl was the life of the party!

Just look at that smile. She was like

that all the time (other than the one time

I babysat). I'll explain that one on another

post. All in all, I think she still loves me.

Being away from my kids for 8 days was

hard, but Libby helped soften the blow.

Everywhere we went, people would swarm

around her. If we had done a Disney Cruise,

she would have blended in with the crowd, but

not on a Carnival Cruise. She was a rare find

and people seriously went out of their way

to talk to her and make her smile.

Spoiled? Yep, and that's the way we

Foster girls like it. :0) Welcome to the

family, Libby. You fit right in!

From the beginning...The Caribbean!

2011-03-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

We headed out to Miami to board our

cruise ship in honor of Becky's 30th

birthday. Husbands were invited this time

and I think they realized we really know

how to party! :0)

My mom and dad really know how to

spoil us and we know how to enjoy it!

We all arrived a day early into Miami to

enjoy the sights, then we were off to board

the ship. Miami was beautiful.

Mark was the only one that didn't pay the

ridiculous $57 for the all you can drink

soda card...although I think Brad and

Jason definitely got their money's worth.

Then we were off.

*Cozumel, Mexico

*Belize City, Belize

*Roatan, Honduras

*Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

I can't wait to go through my photos and post more.

Thanks to my in-laws, my kids were safe and VERY

well fed. We are glad to be home

and back together again!