Happy 11th Josh!

Josh turned 11 today! He started celebrating on Friday when we got to spend the night up in Pine Valley at the Wells' cabin and he'll get to celebrate over this weekend because my family will be down for the marathon. We always get together Sunday for conference to eat and have cake and ice cream for Josh and Shayne, who's birthday is coming up. Josh got some fun things and his favorites are the WIPEOUT game he got for the Wii and a Riprider 360. George got one last Christmas and Josh rides it more than George does. It's a basic Big Wheel but it's on casters so it spins out really easily. Before school all three boys were playing Wipeout. It's so funny. If you've never seen the t.v. show...you should. Josh was also really excited about the Real Salt Lake soccer ball he got and the Real Salt Lake rally towel and foam finger he got from his Grandma and Grandpa Beckstrand that they got from the last game they went to. He thought it was really neat they they got those came from the actual stadium and not just a store. He loves soccer and especially Real Salt lake! We are going to a matinee of Despicable Me because we are in charge of the swimming part of the Special Olympics tonight at the Rec Center. We do it every year and the kids love it. So, it's a busy fun day today. Happy Birthday Joshie! We love you!

PVHS Homecoming

Shayne was asked to Homecoming by her friend Cameron Croft. He reminds us all so much of Daniel. His mannerisms, the way he looks and the funny things he says. I think Shayne likes being around him because she misses Daniel so much. Cameron is a super good kid.

The dress Shayne is wearing is one we borrowed from my sister-in-law Ashley. All 4 girls in Ashley's family have been in beauty pageants and now that they are all grown and gone her Mom is left with a big closet full of gowns. Lucky for us! We made a few moderation's in the dress. It use to hang straight down and we made little gathers in the right side by her hip and the left side by her knee to give it a shape. It looks great. And the back of the dress is GORGEOUS!!!

As for her hair, I was tired of it being pulled up super tight. So, we did this lovely loose number on it. I really liked it. It's just a loose pony tail but it looks a little fancier. I'm sure they'll have a great time tonight. They have been friends forever.

Exercise Balls for chairs

Ben's teacher has taken out all of their chairs from the classroom. The kids sit on these perfect little white exercise balls that fit under their desk. And Ms.Rogers has a big green ball like this blue one. She gave the students all a paper plate to keep in their desk to use for when they leave for recess, lunch or to go home to put the ball on so it doesn't roll around. We've all seen these balls and probably own one.

She has had an amazing response from the kids and since I volunteer on Wednesday's I've seen a huge change. The kids that have ADHD or any kind of problem learning have totally calmed down and are finishing there homework faster than the other kids. I have always had a problem with this one particular kid that is in our ward that can't sit still or stay quiet but yesterday he was a different boy. He sat there barely bouncing and wrote down three sentences in the 10 minutes allotted without any problem. Usually he wouldn't get through one complete sentence because he couldn't hold still for that long. I wanted to cry to see the change in him. It's like a wall fell down for him. I couldn't believe it. Ms. Rogers is getting her Masters degree and is doing this for her thesis. She told me that it works really well as long as every once in a while they get to bounce. So, she turns on the music and they can bounce like crazy on them for one song. That way they look forward to it and know that they won't be able to if they bounce at any other time. She also said that it will help a lot of them with their balance and helps her burn of 350 calories a day. I think that's a win win situation! I hope she keeps them all year. I love how open minded Burke Staheli is as a Principal. He truly is there for the kids. He will do pretty much anything for them. I LOVE this school!!!

Thankful Thursdays

A couple friends of mine have Thankful Thursday's on their blogs and I thought it was a great idea to steal. Sometimes we need to sit back and think of the things we're thankful for.

Today I am thankful for Doctor's. My brother Steve has had some seriously weird strokes behind his eyes that have cause blurred vision and severe headaches. The doctor's checked everything including his heart but have not found anything. I know that doesn't sound like something to be thankful for but I am thankful that they have ruled out so much and that they are watching him like a hawk. They think that it may be hereditary which would explain a lot about Jan and her eye problems and migraines. If they can find a cure then it may help her have a child.

I am also thankful for my Dad's doctor's. He had some biopsy's done on his prostate a couple weeks ago and they found cancer. They caught it really early and are positive about the results. My dad is really healthy right now and has some options to choose from. He has an appointment on the 28th to tell the doctor what he has decided. So, until then we will pray really hard and support him in his decision.

I am grateful for the technology the Lord has given us and for all of the new procedures and medications and cures that are in the hopefully near future.

18 years!

Wow! Times flies when you're having fun. I can't believe it's been 18 years since Joel and I were married in the St. George Temple. Crazy! And talking about crazy look at these pictures!







My photographer was really into overlaying pictures. I hate the ones of us in each others head but I love the rest!

Labor Day!

We had a blast on Labor Day. We got up early and went hiking up to the Sugarloaf, aka Dixie Rock. We hadn't been up there for a couple years and decided it'd be a fun, safe, close to home and FREE thing to do. We took Eric and met JoEllen and her family up there. This was the first time Eric had been up there. He even went up through the little narrows or what Evan like's to call it, Jason's bum crack. Joel and I went through it on our 1st date and tried to reenact it but the years have done there damage and we regretfully backed our way down and went around the back. The kids loved it. David had so much fun. Ben and George were climbing all over the place like a mountain goats. Even though I complain a LOT about the heat here we really do live in an amazing place.

Wanna crash a dance?

Eric came home this weekend from college in Phoenix because he has Labor Day off and to celebrate his birthday coming up on the 9th! Yeah! We have had so much fun with him here. He and Shayne were planning to go out with a couple of friends tonight until they found out that it was Desert Hills High School's Homecoming Dance. So...they decided to go. Shayne's friend Courtney (our other daughter)came over for me to do her hair for the dance and Shayne and Eric just talked about how they would stay home and watch a video. But as soon as Courtney's date picked her up they hurried and changed so they could go. It was a masquerade dance which made it better because they could kind of hide. They are there right now so I'm sure that they will have stories to tell tomorrow. Eric is coming to church with us tomorrow! We have invited him a million times but this will be the first, of many we hope. He is a great big brother for this family.