The Dare's Affairs

CWOA 2011-12

2012-01-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

Chad had his own cheering section...which is VERY unusual for an official. Most people don't like them!

His BIGGEST fan! :) I love, love, love her homemade sign!!

Another year brings another wrestling season. Chad has been a wrestling official for 5 years now in the state of Colorado and officiates for high school duals and tournaments (with an occasional JV or middle school tournament). He usually has to travel so when he officiates a local high school event, I take the girls to go watch him. They don't love the wrestling, but they like to watch him in action! I'm always surprised how physical it is for him! He recently officiated here in Fruita for the Jackpot Duals (all 4 local high schools) so we came to "cheer" for him :) Most people don't cheer for the refs! Each girl brought a friend and the Munch family came, so he had quite the cheering section! It was fun to watch him doing something he loves!! Too bad I won't let our girls wrestle...ever!

Christmas Break in AZ (Days 8-10)

2012-01-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Baby Alex...she is so cute!

Rustyn kept falling in the mud. The girls thought it was the funniest thing ever!

Alex, Manda, and Me out at the ranch

To end our AZ trip we stayed in Eager with Chad's sister Amanda and her family. It is always fun to visit them! We laughed so hard our stomach muscles were sore the next day :) The girls love it too because they get to ride horses. This trip the horses were out to pasture for the winter so they just got to pet/feed them, which was still great! They also got to see their new miniature horse "Little Bit" (which they loved) and catch their miniature goats. We spent time at the park, played video games/board games, and stayed up too late. Overall, such a great trip!!

New Years (aka Christmas Break in AZ- Days 6-7)

2012-01-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

The Grand Champion! Nobody could beat me!

Heather is a total cheater! She doesn't move her feet!! Don't worry, I still beat her :)

Mollie and Regan

Brianna and Regan

Mollie and Cameron...so adorable!!

The Boyz :)

Check out those moves...so hot!!

We could NOT keep Mollie and Braden out of the fireplace OR the firepit! They thought it was so awesome to poke it and make the sparks fly! Should I be nervous!?

Carli and Jacob are both so competitive, and SO FAST! They were a perfect match for a race!! Carli was the overall winner (won 3 out of 5) and Jacob did NOT like being beat by a 9 year old girl!

SPARKLERS!

We had so many fireworks, it was crazy! Good thing Ben has a huge yard...there were kids everywhere! They all made it to midnight this year! :)

The loudest part of the night...Riley's airhorn! SOSOSO annoying! Note to self: Never buy an airhorn for a teenage boy!!

Oh my gosh, the New Years Party at Ben's house was so much fun!! We made a huge breakfast of waffles with all the fixins, bacon, sausage, and Ben cooked up some SPAM. Sounds gross, but it was actually pretty good! Most of the night was spent competing in a "Just Dance" Dance-Off...so fun!! And so funny! If we filmed it, we could win the grand prize on America's Funniest Home Video :)
We watched Brian Regan, we played Ben's baby grand piano, we hung around the firepit, we told jokes, we had foot races (sidenote: us Dares are super-fast!), and when the New Year finally rolled around, we got to the fireworks. I'm surprised the neighbors didn't hate us! We were setting off fireworks for what seemed like forever!! It was such a blast! Surprisingly, all the kids made it to midnight and the girls didn't get to bed until after 1am. It was a great party and a great way to bring in 2012!!

Christmas Break in AZ (Days 1-5)

2012-01-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Counting out their dollar bills. Mollie got $5 this year! She said getting big is so much fun!!

Regan was so excited to get $7! She put it right in her new yellow wallet :)

Grandpa spends a lot of money on these grandkids! Carli got $9 and is already looking forward to next year when she gets an even $10!

Girls Night Out! Dinner first, then Mom got us all tickets to see Jenn perform in "Annie". She played Miss Hannigan. She did an amazing job!

We got to see the Torbet cousins too! We saw "The Adventures of Tintin" in 3D then went back to their house to play and have dinner. It was so fun to see them!

Not everyone could come but we had a great lunch at Flancers, then ice cream at Dairy Queen. We laughed so hard (usually at Dad's expense, sorry Dad!)

We even celebrated Britney's 10th birthday....SURPRISE!

We kept the tradition alive and drove down to AZ the day after Christmas to be with family. We headed straight to the family Christmas party and enjoyed acting out the nativity (well, sort of...the older kids don't enjoy it much anymore! They tolerate it for the little ones!) and getting dollars from Grandpa. Grandma also gave them each a wallet this year to put their $ in and they loved that! For the next few days, we played too much, ate too much, laughed too much, and talked too much...it was great!! We stayed up too late, slept in too often, had a surprise birthday party, and had too many sleepovers! We went to the park, to the movies, to Ned's Krazy Sub, swam in the pool/hot tub and just had an all-around fun time!! LOVE Christmas break in AZ!!

Just like me...

2012-01-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

Mindy- 7 years (1985)

Regan- 7 years (2011)

When I was 7, I lost my two front teeth right before Christmas. Just like my family does now, I always went to my Grandma/Grandpa's house for a Christmas party with all of my cousins. During this get-together, all the grandkids would "perform" (music has always been very important in my family) and that Christmas in 1985 I had to sing a solo in front of all my extended family. You guessed it..."All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth". This year Regan was the lucky one...she had to be just like me! She was super nervous (she is my shy one) but sang it out loud and strong! She has a naturally beautiful voice and I am so proud of her!! She did an amazing job! Sure love her!

Very Merry Christmas

2012-01-23T21:21:00.002-07:00

New pajamas for Christmas Eve! Not sure why they are standing like the 3 stooges...or why Regan's pants are as high as Great-Grandpa Terry's... They are such dorks!

I LOVE how this picture shows their expressions when they first walk out and see their presents! They literally stood there for about 30 seconds just taking it all in :)

Mollie's new razor scooter AND her riding gloves and elbow/knee pads. She wants to start mountain biking with the rest of us which makes me REALLY nervous...she is crazy-fearless! The pads are to make ME feel better in case she crashes :) Mollie has been riding her scooter all over since she got it. She takes it to school, rides it outside, and even inside when its too cold to be out!

Regan and her collection of Barbie princesses...after going to Disneyland, that's all she wanted! She still plays with them every single day! She has them "ranked" according to how much she liked them in person :) In case you didn't know, her favorite is Rapunzel. (Note: Sleeping Beauty is not pictured, but she is still ranked 3 princesses below Rapunzel) Regan DID mention that she wished Santa brought her a Flynn Rider doll too, because he was her MOST favorite from Disneyland!

Our Carli is such a big kid now, that she didn't want any "toys" for Christmas this year. Her Santa wish list: Under Armor sweatshirt, Puma shoes, premier league replica soccer ball, Fire FC premier league ball bag, and the movie "Home Alone". She thinks she is pretty hot crap with all her fancy stuff! I will admit that it made me sad...she is getting so big! Don't let her fool you...she might try to act super-cool, but she still likes to play Barbies, Polly Pockets, Squinkies, My Little Ponies, or whatever else her little sisters want to play :)

What a fun Christmas!! The girls are such a fun age, full of belief (if you know what I mean) and full of giggles! We came back from our little trip to the cabin on Christmas Eve in time for a big family dinner with Chad's family (Grandma & Papa Dean, Sam & Jill and Aubrey, Sheila & Mike and kids, and LOTS of dogs! 6 to be exact) It was nice to visit and let the kids play. We came home and got the girls bathed, opened new pj's, made cookies for Santa, read our usual Christmas books, tracked Santa's progress online (about 100 times) before getting them to bed. Sam, Jill and Aubrey stayed at our house and it was so fun to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with them. I decided that I didn't take near enough pictures...I didn't even take any of them, me or Chad! So rude!! The girls were full of excitement! They got us up early, so we opened presents before going to 9am church. I sang a beautiful version of "Still, Still, Still" and it was nice to have family there to listen.The rest of the family came over after church to eat lunch, exchange gifts, and just hang out. It was fun to visit, play a wicked battle of chinese checkers, and eat so much food/candy we could pop! It was a Very Merry Christmas!!

Winter Weekend

2012-01-23T19:53:00.003-07:00

Mollie's first run! I love that Regan is cheering for her!!

She is so brave! After mastering the smaller hill, Mollie wanted to go straight to the big sledding hill (which is really a road)

Regan didn't want to snowboard initially, but once Mollie did it, she had to do it too!! Gotta love the motivation from being outdone by a little sister! :)

Regan looked so natural on a snowboard!

Regan was getting really good at maneuvering her board through the snow!

Our little sledding addict :)

The Moms...yeah, we're pretty awesome!

We would fly down the road so fast we could never make the turn at the bottom...we always flew into the snow (and sometimes trees and bushes!)

Check out that air!! Crazy!

The landing doesn't look very fun to me!

Here they go again....

I seriously LOVE their faces in this picture!! Trenton is so intense and Carli is freaking out! So funny!!

Chad's totally-sweet-super-cool-awesome-aircatching snowmachine riding!

For the weekend of Christmas we went to the Leany's cabin up on the Grand Mesa to spend some time enjoying the snow! Other than getting our truck stuck in the super-deep snow, it was SO MUCH FUN!! We taught the little girls how to snowboard (they were amazing!), went sledding, rode snowmachines and 4-wheelers, played cards, watched movies, and laughed! It was great to spend time with our friends and get outside to enjoy Colorado. It is such an amazing place to live. The girls have always been so active and love to be outside, so this was a perfect way to start our Christmas vacation!

"When Pigs Fly..."

2012-01-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

I've been asking/begging Chad to take me to a musical or the symphony...ANY kind of cultural arts performance for the past 12+ years. His response was always the same- "No Way!" The last time I asked, his response was, "When Pigs Fly!" So I stopped asking. Well, pigs must have evolved and grown wings because Chad took me to see the ballet! Just before Christmas the Russian Ballet stopped in Grand Junction for ONE NIGHT ONLY to perform the "Nutcracker". Chad bought me a sparkly dress, took me out to sushi and then to the theatre. We even sat on the 2nd row!! The dancers were amazing and Chad said he liked it :) It is so fun to get all dressed up and go out for a night on the town!

Gingerbread Houses

2012-01-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

Ashley and Carli

Rylee, Brooke and Mollie

Regan and Kolt

Ali and Tate

Mollie didn't like putting the frosting on with a decorator...she preferred using her hand!

Finally having cousins live so close by has been SO fun! The girls love playing with them so regularly. We decided that we should start a Christmas tradition for the kids...decorate homemade gingerbread houses! Sheila stayed up most of the night before making homemade gingerbread (which was delicious!) and assembling the houses ahead of time. I had the easy part- I just brought a bunch of candy! The Martins came too. We spent hours decorating, laughing, eating and playing! So much fun and so, so messy!! Can't wait til next year!

Cute Christmas Dancers

2011-12-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Love this shot!! So intense!

Love her smiles!!

Time for Mollie and Regan's Christmas dance recital! I know I am totally biased, but they are absolutely beautiful up on that stage :) I even had an audience member tell me that watching Regan dance made tears come to her eyes! They are such cute Christmas dancers!!

Cutting the Tree

2011-12-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

We now call it our Christmas "stick", but we went up on the Grand Mesa (by Powderhorn Ski Resort) to find a tree. Sadly, this tree looked good out in the woods, but when we got it home it was a little scary! It is so sparse!! I could barely get anything on it because I was worried it was going to fall over! :) You live and learn, right? That's right....I'm buying an artificial tree for next year!!

Regan's School Program

2011-12-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Regan had her 1st grade Christmas program. It was fun to watch her sing, dance, and play instruments. She even had a special solo part. She did amazing!! Sure love this girl!

"Toothless"

2011-12-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

Only took 2 days...Regan's new nickname is "Toothless"!! She's ready to sing "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" for the Whiting Family Christmas Party too! :) Pretty cute smile!!

First Tooth....Finally!

2011-12-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Regan FINALLY lost her first tooth! Both of her front teeth were/are super loose, but she didn't believe us that it was ready to come out. We sat her on the counter just to "look" at it and in 2 seconds flat it was out! Just waiting for her other front tooth to fall out....won't be long!

One "Wild" Thanksgiving

2011-12-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

For Thanksgiving this year, we did something we haven't done in forever...we went to AZ! It was fun to be with cousins (and my sisters!) The weather was beautiful so we spent most of our time outside. We went swimming/hot tub, played in the yard, and went to the Phx Zoo. It was perfect! ALL the animals were out and we had such a great time!! Never in a million years did I think I would be swimming during Thanksgiving...totally WILD! :)

One Final Recital

2011-12-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

I made a big decision: I am no longer going to teach piano/voice. Not forever, but I'm going to take a little break for a while. I've enjoyed it so much! Part of me is super sad, but I know its for the best right now. I had my final recital and all but 2 of my students performed. They did amazing!! I am so proud of them all! I will miss teaching and maybe someday I'll be able to teach again (and maybe I can actually teach my OWN children!)

A Cold Memory

2011-12-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

Before we left California we HAD to take the girls to the beach! Problem: it was cold and rainy! :( Not the kind of memory most people have. It was super cold and we only stayed about 30 minutes. I loved their initial reaction to seeing the ocean...they kept saying "it is so big!" Glad we made time to give them that very cold memory!

California Adventure

2011-12-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Mollie soaking wet after Grizzly River Rapids

Riding the ferris wheel (it was like a ride because the girls wanted the "moving" basket! It was so high that I was kinda freaking out!! Scary!

Carli LOVED this roller coaster!! The other girls weren't tall enough to ride it, but Carli couldn't get enough of it. She is a roller coaster junkie!!

Regan thought she was SOSOSO cool...she got to drive her own bumper car! :)

An exhausted Mollie! She was amazing after two very long, tiring days!!

The second day of our CA trip we spent at California Adventure. It was another great day! Hardly any people, which meant no lines again! We didn't see any characters (just Mickey) but went on so many rides! We actually did the entire park and were back at Disneyland by 3:00 in the afternoon. I wish I had a picture of the girls on the Tower of Terror...hilarious! It was a trip they won't ever forget!!

Happiest Place on Earth

2011-12-14T17:56:00.001-07:00

The girls literally ran to Sleeping Beauty castle!

Regan's favorite...Rapunzel and Flynn Rider's "smolder" :)

MY favorite part...the CHURROS! Carli is my partner; we ate 3 churros each that first day!

Watching the parade...Mollie's favorite!

I love the look of pure terror on their faces!! (sidenote: the guy in the back was awesome! He came to Disneyland by himself and just laughed at our girls the whole ride!)

Look at those smiles!! We surprised the girls the morning after Halloween and took them to Disneyland!! (It was a great way to keep our minds off of Layla too!) We told them at breakfast (I already had the bags packed), loaded in the truck, and headed to California :) It was so much fun! It was the best time to go; there were no lines and we went on so many rides I thought I was going to be sick!! We counted on the shuttle back to the hotel and we went on 27 rides that day!
Regan loved the princesses (especially Rapunzel), Carli (who is too "cool" for princesses) loved the rides, and Mollie loved the parade (everyone was watching her dance). We did everything we wanted to and more!! They were perfect ages and could go on every ride. They were in a great mood the whole day too. I now understand why they call Disneyland the Happiest Place on Earth!! Can't wait to go again!

Unforgettable

2011-12-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

Mollie saying goodbye

Regan saying goodbye

Carli saying goodbye

Our Layla

We had a sad day recently...our 12 year old lab Layla had to be put down. We've had her for almost 13 years and its been fun to look back on life with her. As a puppy she was out of control! I can honestly say that she chewed EVERYTHING in sight!! She filled my void of having kids for a few years until the girls arrived. Despite her craziness, Layla was excellent with kids. As she got older she slowed WAY down and didn't do much except eat and sleep :) She was such a good dog! Unfortunately her old body just couldn't keep up. She had a stroke a few months ago and eventually she started to get worse and worse. It finally got to the point where if we didn't want her to suffer we didn't have much of a choice. It was so hard, we couldn't even think of taking her in....so we had Chad's sister come pick her up and take her to the vet. When we told the girls it didn't take long for them to understand that they had to say a "real" goodbye. There were a lot of tears that morning, but we know we made the right decision. We sure miss our Layla!! She will always be in our hearts. She is truly unforgettable!

Halloween Fun

2011-12-14T16:22:00.001-07:00

Those who know me, know that I love for my girls to match and for their Halloween costumes to "go" together too. This year I tried all sorts of ideas on them, but they didn't want any of them! In the end they decided on the 3 orphan girls from the movie DESPICABLE ME. I wasn't sure if anybody would know who they were so I was a little nervous. But I was pleasantly surprised...a lot of people recognized them! We enjoyed getting LOTS of candy and having friends over for soup and rolls. Always seems like a lot of work for one night, but it sure was fun!!

Sweet Seven Year Old

2011-10-21T21:48:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Sweet Regan!

15 little chefs (not incl. siblings)

Beautiful new nails!! They felt so pampered!

My beautiful 7 year old! I love my Regan!!

Crazy cousins at Red Lobster...too much fun!

October brings a special occasion in our house...Regan's birthday! She turned 7 years old this year! Feels like just yesterday I was posting about her turning 6. This past year has just flown by! Regan is still the sweetest girl in the whole world who never complains, rarely whines, and is happy with anything and everything. She is absolutely beautiful and is really progressing in soccer. She is so smart. Regan loves school, especially reading , cooking, and art.
For her 7th birthday, Regan wanted a "cooking" party. She wants to be a cook when she grows up and so does her friend Helen. With their birthdays only 2 days apart, we had another double birthday party. So fun! Lots and lots of girls too :) The party started with decorating aprons to wear when the girls prepared their own dinner (hawaiian haystacks). They enjoyed measuring, cutting, and stirring...such cute little chefs! After the dinner prep, they ate what they had prepared. We then opened presents, created recipe books, and ended by decorating their own cupcakes. It was such a fun party!!
On her actual birth DAY, I surprised the girls by taking them to the nail salon to get their nails painted. It was fun to see what colors/designs they picked (not at all what I expected). It didn't last very long (maybe one day) so I'm not sure if I'll do that again, but it was fun nonetheless. That evening, Regan got to pick what restaurant she wanted to eat at. Of course she chose Red Lobster! Seafood is her favorite! We are so lucky to have Aunt Sheila and Uncle Mike and kids living here in Colorado now, so they came too! It made the night even more enjoyable and I know Regan LOVED having her crazy cousins there :)
Sure love my Reg-a-begs!! To my sweet seven year old...Happy Birthday!! I love you!!!

All Things Soccer

2011-09-11T09:52:00.001-06:00

Soccer Sisters

The Crazy 8's

My 3 Soccer Girls

As most of you know, we have a house full of soccer addicts.It consumes most of our days during the regular seasons (which is both fall AND spring) plus they even want to play in the winter indoor league AND summer 3v3 tournaments...they are addicted!! To top it all off, Carli and Regan were invited to play on the Academy teams this season which adds 3 more practices a week to our schedule. We have atleast one soccer practice every day of the week with games on Saturday. Long story short- we have ALL THINGS SOCCER!!
Yesterday was our first day of games!! The girls were so nervous and excited! It was so fun to watch them play again (even though they all had games at the exact same time!!) I love watching them play their hearts out, try so hard, be so tough, get up when they fall down, make moves on other players, celebrate their victories, be so proud of themselves, give each other hugs and support...it is something that I never thought I would feel. It is so great to loose your voice screaming for your kids!! Yes, we are crazy. Yes, we are overly dedicated. Yes, I am now an official 'soccer mom'. BUT Yes, it is awesome!!

Last 1st Day of Kindergarten

2011-09-07T13:20:00.000-06:00

My big Kindergartner!!

Mollie and her friend Mason

I'm not sure if that title makes sense to you, but it does to me. My baby started school, so this is the last time I will experience the 1st day of Kindergarten (disclaimer: unless we are able to have another one!) Mollie was TOTALLY ready and was super excited! She felt like the biggest girl in the whole wide world!! When we got to the school, she couldn't wait for the bell to ring so she could "just start already!" She gave me a hug and kiss and told me I could go home, but of course I didn't!! I waited to get a picture of her in line and walking into her classroom. I was excited for her and yet I couldn't help but be so sad...I'm such a cry baby!! I had to walk away from all of my friends because I just couldn't hold it together. Luckily, a group of us went out to breakfast so I didn't have to go home to an empty house. When I picked her up, Mollie was so excited to tell me all about her day (they even had a fire drill!). She gave me the biggest hug and I knew right then that Mollie was going to LOVE school, just like her big sisters! I love my girls so, so much!! Happy 1st day of Kindergarten my Mollie!

The Big Day

2011-08-26T10:11:00.000-06:00

It finally came...Wednesday was our first day of school!! The girls were SO excited they could barely sleep (and Mom was so sad SHE could barely sleep!) They were all up and dressed super early which was great because we had plenty of time to get ready for the big day. Carli is starting 4th grade...where did the time go!? Carli didn't want us to walk her up to her classroom AT ALL (which makes me really sad!) She got out of the car, gave us a big hug and kiss, said goodbye, and walked to class alone! She's getting so big!! Regan is starting 1st grade! She was the MOST excited of all the girls because (this is the part that made me cry the most) she's now gone all day! She helped me pack her lunch, load her backpack, and couldn't wait to get to the school. Once we got to her class, she wanted me to go inside with her and wait for the bell to ring. She did NOT want to go to the playground :) Apparently it was a little too crazy! Mollie doesn't actually start Kindergarten until Monday, but we had her open house to meet her teacher so she got up and got ready with her sisters (she even wanted me to pack her a lunch, which she took in her backpack to open house!) I was happy to at least have her with me for the day. Yes, I cried this year just like I cry EVERY year when my girls go to school. I'm not ashamed. I'm getting better...this year I didn't cry until I got home and the tears were few in number. I hope I can hold it together next week when Mollie starts Kindergarten :) I know they are totally ready for school to start and will have a wonderful year, but I will miss having them ALL in school!! Its also a time for me to reflect on the previous year and hope that I did my best with them. Did I prepare them for what they will have to face this year? Did I spend enough quality time with them? Did we create enough happy memories? When I picked them up after school, they both said they had a GREAT first day! They were tired when bedtime came...it sure was a Big Day!!

Summer Fun (Warning: This is going to be long!)

2011-08-14T09:30:00.000-06:00

As usual, our summer has been SO full of fun that it has to be condensed into one giant entry!

We have been to LOTS of places and had LOTS of visitors. Hard to believe July is already over...where did the summer go?

We have a great dinosaur museum here in Fruita and they got a new exhibit just through the summer. Its a life-size robotic T-Rex! It is really cool, but kinda scary! I can't imagine coming face to face with one of these guys :) They are HUGE!! We had a bet prior to seeing it as to what size its arms would be...they really AREsmall! (FYI: About as long as Carli's arms)

Mollie and Regan were super nervous when they saw the T-Rex for the first time. I had to snap a picture of Regan staying as far away as possible from it...she was so scared!

This is the "spitting" dinosaur that sprays venom at his predators. They loved getting wet! We love this museum!!

The trip I was looking forward to the most was going to visit my family in AZ!! Chad had to work, so I loaded up the girls and headed down for a week in the heat! I brought my camera but I never took any pictures, so the only pics I have are ones that my sister took with her phone when we went out on a girls night and a couple snapshots of the girls on the "velcro wall" at an indoor trampoline place. We did lots of swimming and playing with cousins...we sure miss them!! It was great to see family!

Just after the 4th of July, we went camping with a bunch of friends. It was really wet and muddy, but that didn't stop us from having some fun! It rained everyday, but only for about 15 minutes at a time (and we were SO happy to have our camper instead of a tent!) The kids had a blast going on rides on the RZR and playing in the mud.

They caught a horny toad on one of their hikes! Regan spotted it and Carli grabbed it. What a team!

The highlight of the trip was fishing for crawdads. I don't know why they love it so much, but the kids (and Dads!) will do this for hours!! Total- we caught over 100!! Chad and Krehl cooked them up and they were gone in minutes. Crazy!

Daddy's Girls

Overall, it was a fun weekend and I wish we could go camping more. This picture doesn't do it justice, but we came home muddy and exhausted! Love it!!
We have done a lot of hiking this summer too. We went when Tate and Grandma Donna were here and when the Munch family came. We have some great trails for kids around here.

Dinosaur Hill

Showing off their petrified wood

There are always some cool looking lizards out and about. We chased this guy up on a rock and Mike attempted to "catch" it. He got his hand on it and it hissed at him so he threw it! So funny!

Last, but not least, we have done a lot of bike riding. We took visitors mountain biking, of course, but we have a new bike park being built in Fruita, and Chad absolutely loves it! He has taken the girls enough that they like it too (I think most of it is too hard for the average rider, but I'm kind of a chicken!) We took the Munchs and they seemed to enjoy it, all except Kolt who broke his collarbone riding his bike in our front yard. Poor guy!

While mountain biking, Carli caught ANOTHER horny toad! None of her cousins from Iowa had ever seen one before! They all took turns holding it before they finally let it go.

Summer might not be completely over yet, but so far it has definitely been a summer full of FUN!!

Freckle Face

2011-08-01T08:55:00.012-06:00

It's hard to believe, but my little freckle faced girl just turned 9!! Carli (aka "Chuck") is an all-around great kid. She is kind, thoughtful, smart, funny, hardworking, dedicated, active, is a great example to her sisters, always tries to choose the right, and has a strong testimony of the gospel. I have mixed feelings about her getting older...part of me is sad because it is going by so fast and it won't be long until she's all grown up. The other part of me is happy because she has developed a really fun personality that comes out more and more each day. She is super-sarcastic (because of her Dad!) and her witty responses catch us off guard constantly! She is growing into such a beautiful young lady!

For her birthday, she got to pick out breakfast (hashbrowns and pancakes in the shape of a "9") and we did some water coloring. Carli LOVES to paint and she got a kit just for water colors. For her dinner that night she wanted to go to Olive Garden for some ravioli. They don't sing or anything, but she got a yummy dessert with a candle (which we all helped her eat!)

A couple of days after her actual birth DAY, Carli had her party with 10 of her friends! She wanted a water party so we set up a big piece of plastic down the hill in our front yard to make a slip-n-slide, played some water games, and Chad filled up our big cooler FULL of water balloons. The girls LOVED the slip-n-slide!!

We played a game where they had to dunk a can in water, run down to a bucket (with the can over their head) and dump the water into it. The team to fill the bucket the fastest won. The catch: the can had holes all over the bottom of it! They got soaked!!

Water balloon volleyball wasn't what I thought it would be. The girls aren't very good working together to get the balloon up AND over the net. We tried it for a while, and finally resorted to a water balloon fight, which eventually turned into just a full-blown water fight!!

Such cute girls! They were so much fun!!
Like Mollie, Carli didn't want cake. She wanted ice cream with donuts! I made a donut tower with ribbon and sprinkles. It looked REALLY good when I first did it, but the donuts kind of "settled" by the time we actually sang to her, so the pictures just don't do it justice!

I sure love my freckle-faced girl! Happy 9th Birthday Chuck!! We love you so much!!

My Mollie

2011-07-31T15:46:00.008-06:00

What can I say about my Mollie? She is completely fearless, totally stubborn, and absolutely hilarious! My big girl turned 5 this last week! To celebrate her birthday, we had a special breakfast that she got to pick (hashbrowns and eggs), then we spent the afternoon at the lake with friends. It was a warm, cloudy day which made the swimming/playing even better...not too hot, not too cold.

To show off her little personality, when we first got there I told Mollie I wanted a birthday picture of her...this is what I got

After the lake, we took the girls out to dinner...Mollie's choice. She picked a local Mexican restaurant called El Tapatio. It is always fun to go out to dinner as a family, but this dinner was crazy! The girls were so wiggly and excited! To make it even better, Mollie was surprised with a sombrero on her head, singers (with maracas and drums), and dessert spooned into her mouth. It totally caught her off guard...Hilarious!!

When we got home from dinner, we had the Cases come over for her birthday treat (again, her choice). She wanted rice krispie treats with rainbow sprinkles and ice cream. Easy enough! Oh no, she also wanted it in the shape of a dolphin....what?! Luckily, I found a dolphin mold in the beach section of Target so it wasn't a problem. She opened presents, played with her friends, and went to bed with a big smile on her face!

My big 5 year old! She is so full of personality and makes each day a new adventure! We sure love this girl!! Happy Birthday Mollie Dru!!

What a Weekend

2011-07-30T12:05:00.009-06:00

Our 4th of July weekend was full of some fun activities. Sam, Jill and Aubrey came over the mountains to spend the holiday with us AND we had Tate visiting from Iowa for a little while too. It was nice that the cousins could spend some time together.

We spent some time in downtown GJ where they recently renovated and added some places for kids to play. The first place we stopped was the splashpark. All of the kids LOVED it! It was just as entertaining to watch them!! Every kid had a different reaction to the fountains: Carli, Aubrey, and Regan got completely soaked while Tate got just a little wet and Mollie didn't get wet at all. We kept trying to position Mollie where she would wet accidentally but she wouldn't listen. So fun!!

Regan was the first to run straight through the big one!
Next was Carli
The Dads
All the kiddos :)
Mollie never got a drop on her....stubborn kid

To help us dry off, we went to a little rock climbing statue. They all tried jumping down from the highest spot (because that means you're tough!) I'm always amazed at how much energy kids have. They just kept going and going...

Our next adventure was at our friends lake. They invited us to go tubing, wakeboarding, and play on their beach. Carli tried wakeboarding for the first time but she didn't last long. Most of the time was spent tubing, which they LOVED!
Chad taking Tate for his first time

Love, love, love this picture!! Look at that smile!

We decided to go to the GJ parade (we've never been before) and it was a HUGE disappointment! Hardly any floats, no candy, obnoxious MC's, and to top it all off, it was HOT!! The kids were totally bored and couldn't wait to get out of the sun. We had to bribe them to stay by promising them a slushy afterwards. We won't bother with their parade ever again.

Yes, we are wearing pants...we were heading to fireworks in Meeker right after the parade. It made the heat even MORE miserable!

Meeker's fireworks are the best!! We've watched them in Ouray, Fruita, Grand Junction, even various towns in AZ and nothing compares to the show put on in Meeker. The weather is nice and cool, the fireworks are amazing, and they are set off RIGHT above you in the park. It rained this year, but stopped after the fireworks started. It was another great 4th of July!! What a weekend!

Country Jam

2011-07-18T16:20:00.003-06:00

We went with our awesome friends the Quarnbergs and Stockings to Country Jam and it was GREAT!! We saw Lady Antebellum and they sounded just like they do on the radio....so good! My girls LOVE them and were totally jealous that we got to see them. In the group picture I'm actually trying to call the girls so they can hear them over the phone :) Hope we can go again next year!

British Soccer Camp

2011-07-17T13:53:00.004-06:00

Carli had the great opportunity to attend a week-long British Soccer Camp through our soccer club. She had a blast! The instructors travel around the US to various states doing these camps throughout the summer. Personally, I enjoyed hearing their British accents. :) Carli learned some new ball handling "moves" and got a free ball and jersey. The participants were separated by age groups and given a specific country that played in the World Cup. Each country would scrimage at the end of every day. Each night they had "homework" which they had to have completed by the following morning. We had to make a flag of her country (Ireland), wear her country color (green), crazy hair, and decorate her new ball...whoever was the best got points for their country in the World Cup. Carli won first place for her decorated ball and got 100 points for her team!! It was a great experience and lots of fun!

Carli and her coach Andrew Go Team Ireland!

The Greatest Show on Earth

2011-07-13T16:17:00.006-06:00

To start off our summer vacation, we decided to take the girls to the circus! They came in town for the weekend and it was the best $5 (per ticket) we ever spent!! The girls had an absolute BLAST and even though it wasn't the "Ringling Brothers" it had 3-rings, and it was pretty cool. They had everything a circus should have. They had face painting, cotton candy, jugglers, trapeze, fire/sword eaters, rope climbers, chair stackers, tigers, bears, and most importantly...ELEPHANTS! We HAD to get the girls cotton candy! We let them pick what color they wanted and all 3 chose blue....personally I like yellow :)

One thing that I splurged on (that Chad didn't want me to do) is for the girls to ride the elephant. I still remember riding the elephant at the circus when I was their age, so when rides were offered there was no hesitation! Chad stayed in the stands to save our seats and I took the girls to get in line. It was so great!! They LOVED it!

Mollie and Carli in the front of the elephant ride

Regan was put on the next elephant. She was nothing but smiles!!

Tigers!!

Mollie LOVED the trapeze! She now wants to be a trapeze artist when she grows up :)

The elephants performing...it was awesome!

It was such a fun night!! Each girl had a favorite part: Carli- chair stacker, Regan- Bears (so funny! She was laughing hysterically the ENTIRE time the bears were performing), Mollie- Trapeze. So glad we went...we might even go again (even though Chad probably doesn't want to!) It was definately the "Greatest Show on Earth"

the end of another school year

2011-06-03T13:36:00.003-06:00

Another school year is over...why does it seem like time is going faster and faster? Carli is now done with 3rd grade (Wow!) and will be starting 4th grade. Mrs. Faber was her teacher and she was absolutely perfect for Carli. She was strict, organized and expected A LOT out of her students which is exactly what Carli likes! It was a great 3rd grade year with a lot of accomplishments and progress in all areas. We will miss Mrs. Faber next year! Carli loved her (and she even did 100 pushups for the kids!!)

Mollie finished Preschool this year and I'm not sure if I'm ready for it, but she will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. She loved her teachers Ms. Venee and Ms. Carlton even though they "made her sit on the carpet for circle time everyday!" :) It will be weird not seeing them next year. We've had someone in their class for the last 2 years in a row! Hard to believe I'm no longer a mom with a preschooler...my kids are getting too big too fast!! Especially my Mollie! Ms. Venee said Mollie is a good student who is full of spunk and fun to have in class. Hope Mrs. Bricker is ready for another Dare girl :)

Dance Recital

2011-06-03T13:02:00.006-06:00

It's the end of the semester, so you know what that means....Recital time!! Regan and Mollie had their dance recital (which Chad LOVES! Ha!) and they were just adorable! Regan is a pretty good dancer and knows all of the moves. Mollie knows most of the moves too and is always entertaining to watch :) This recital was a little different than ones in the past with a costume change in the middle. Wasn't sure how that was going to go, but the dance helpers got all the girls changed and back out with no problem. My favorite part of watching them dance is how serious they are. They are so intense! Must be from the Dare side of the family :)

(Sidenote: Carli isn't in dance because, "It isn't her thing." No offense, but she's right. She's not that great of a dancer. That IS from the Dare side of the family!)

"Standing outside with my mouth open wide...."

The Ladybugs-Spring 2011

The Fairies-Spring 2011

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-03T12:30:00.003-06:00

Regan marching in with her class....all smiles!!

Singing performance....so cute!!

Regan with Mrs. Bricker (the best Kindergarten teacher ever!)

Here she is, the big graduate!! Regan had a great year in Kindergarten. Her teacher was Mrs. Bricker (same as Carli) and she is so great! Regan is a great student who always listens and loves to go to school. She's become an amazing reader, writer, and artist. She did a lot of drawing and writing stories about her pictures. She is really creative :) Hard to believe that my little Regan is getting so big, but as they sang in her program: It's time to say, "Good bye to Kindergarten and Hello First Grade!!"

Girls (and a mom) on the Run

2011-05-17T22:09:00.003-06:00

Carli joined a club at school called "Girls on the Run". It is a running club geared to young girls from 3rd-5th grade. They promote self confidence and positive attiitudes. At the end of the semester they have the girls participate in a 5K. They encourage any moms, aunts, big sisters, etc. to run with them and be there for support. This past Saturday was the big race! I told Carli when she first started that I would run the 5K with her, but secretly I didn't really want too! As I've mentioned before, Carli LIKES to run and is pretty fast for an 8 yr old so as the race got closer, I got more and more nervous! PLUS, I'm not a runner (I would rather mountain bike!) About 3 weeks prior to the race, I figured I had better start training so I could keep up with her :)

I asked Carli if she was going to "stay" with me when we were running and her response was, "Well....I kinda wanna WIN Mom!" I just laughed and told her I would try to keep up with her, but to just do her best (with OR without me!) We got to the race and it was total chaos! There were over 3000 runners! The race started and Carli just took off like a flash! I kept my slow and steady pace and was determined to run the whole thing without walking. Around mile 2 I caught Carli (who was very tired!). We kept each other motivated and long story short....Finished in the top 30! Our time was 30 min 46 seconds!!!! She did absolutely amazing! We found out later, she finished first from her school too! I'm feeling inspired too...I just might keep up running!

Rimrock Elementary Runners

Before the race:After the race:

Overall, it was a great experience and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to run with my girl! We got a bunch of free goodies from the various sponsors (including the "crazy hair" stuff donated by GOODY for all the runners) It's sure fun being the mom of girls!! :)

Another Haircut

2011-05-17T21:41:00.003-06:00

After Mollie's haircut, Carli wanted hers cut short too! Hers isn't quite as dramatic, but it is perfect for summer. It looks great and is SSOOO much easier to do! I've always cut her hair but not this time....too much pressure to get it right now that she's getting older :) Pretty cute haircut!

Accomplishments

2011-05-17T20:08:00.006-06:00

It has been a great end to Carli's 3rd grade year! To start, she was awarded "Student of the Month" in April for demonstrating great behavior at school and was excited because she could eat lunch in her classroom if she wanted (with 2 friends) AND her teacher bought her a soda pop :) Simple pleasures!

At her Parent-Teacher Conferences we got a great surprise....She scored "Advanced" on her CSAP (Colorado Student Assessment Program) for Reading!! Her teacher said the percentage of 3rd graders that score as high as she did is so small that she was speechless! She told us we needed to REALLY celebrate! Carli is a great student, but this was totally unexpected :) We are looking forward to getting the rest of her scores! Wow!

To top it all off, Carli also got a "Golden Roar." I'm not exactly sure just what this is to be honest, but we got a letter inviting us to eat a "special" lunch with her in the lunchroom at a reserved table with an actual plastic tablecloth :) There was even music playing!

Our little overachiever! Way to go Carli!! We are so proud of EVERYTHING you do!! Sure love this girl!!! What a year!

Another Season

2011-05-11T09:17:00.005-06:00

Another soccer season has come and gone. Our "crazy 8's" work so hard and love soccer so much! This season was the best so far! Mollie has turned into an amazing soccer player, which is a nice change from the fall! She is so aggressive and comes out like a bullet to score the first goal of every game! Even though Mollie is the littlest player on the field, she isn't afraid of anything....she gets right in the middle of it to take control of the ball. She has great footwork for a 4 year old and is the best dribbler on her team. Love watching this girl play!!

(Mollie always does silly things after she scores a goal....this was her "crazy hands" goal!)

Regan is a natural athlete. She can literally score goal after goal after goal....IF she chooses to. It can be really frustrating to watch her play when she isn't trying because we know she isn't applying herself! Chad finally had enough and told her that if she didn't want to play we would take her out of soccer completely. That did something to her because the next game she scored 6 goals!! Regan also has great ball handling skills and control of the ball. Unlike the rest of her team, she insists on keeping the ball close to her and "making moves" on other girls! She is one talented kid!!

(Regan's team has gotten into the habit of cheering for their team on the sideline...so cute!)

(Regan "making a move" on a girl!)

What can I say about my Carli....she LOVES soccer! Not only does she love it, she is GREAT at it! Carli is the hardest working 8 year old I've ever seen (she gets that from her father). She never gives up and always wants to do her best, so she always gives 100%. Carli's footwork, dribbling, and ballhandling skills are amazing! I've seen her face to face with an opponent and literally tap the ball with her pinky toe, twist around in a full circle, grab the ball with her other foot and take it down the field! She usually plays forward or mid because she likes to run and she is FAST. The opposing coaches are constantly making comments about how fast she is and what good handling skills she has :) She will be trying out for the academy team next season and if she makes it, I have a feeling we will be watching her play soccer for a long time!!

(Carli making a pass over to a teammate in the middle. She is left footed so she plays really well on the left side!)

A Couple of Snapshots

2011-05-11T09:01:00.002-06:00

I always include a picture of the girls on Easter morning with their baskets, so this year will be no exception! They got some major "loot" this year from the Easter Bunny! It is so fun to see them so excited (it is just as good as Christmas!) Carli even woke us up at 6AM to ask if she could see if the Easter Bunny came...we told her to go take a peek and then go back to bed :)

After church my friend took a quick snapshot of our family in our Easter clothes. I tried to match the girls this year which was really fun. I was having a hard time with the pink belt, but luckily I found one on the floor at ROSS for only $4!! Later in the day, we had a wonderful dinner with friends and talked to our families on the phone. I didn't take many pictures this year, but it was a very Happy Easter!!

Just for fun

2011-04-25T09:52:00.002-06:00

Just for fun I thought I would post Easter dress pictures from this year AND the last few years. Those of you who know me know that I love to have my girls match, and Easter is always a time for me to get matching dresses! Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture of the girls in their dresses last year...I must have missed that kodak moment! I enjoyed seeing how they've grown from year to year. I just love my beautiful girls!

2007 2008

2009
2010 (Their dresses are in the background) 2011

One Cute Girl

2011-04-20T11:32:00.005-06:00

My Mollie has been bugging me to get her hair cut...not trimmed, but cut SHORT. I have tried and tried to convince her to keep it long, but she is one stubborn child! She's even tried to cut her OWN hair, so today I took her to get it all cut off. Chad and I are a little sad to see her long hair go, but this is ONE CUTE GIRL!!

Before: After:

My friends

2011-04-18T17:42:00.003-06:00

I know I say this all the time, but we have the greatest friends here in Fruita!! It might sound silly, but I am so grateful to have a fun group of girls to hang out with! Living 10 hours away from my 4 sisters makes me really miss "girl time". These girls help to fill that void! They are funny, beautiful (obviously!), athletic, driven, talented, creative, supportive, and a blast to be around! We get together pretty frequently, but this last week some of us went out to see Kristy who moved to Idaho (BOO!). It was so fun and I just have to say that I love my girlfriends!! Thanks for everything!

The rest of Spring Break....

2011-04-11T21:25:00.010-06:00

....was spent camping!! This camper might not be pretty, but it is SO much better than a tent! (AND it was free, remember!?) We camped outside of Hurricane, UT at a place called Gooseberry Mesa with a bunch of friends. The weather was not what we expected. We had been watching the forecast and it was supposed to be a warm, pleasant week...it wasn't! It was cloudy, WINDY, and cold!! In spite of it all, we spent our days outside "playing" and our nights talking and playing games around the campfire. We did lots of mountain biking too which was so much fun!

Mollie and Jack building a bike jump in the sand/dirt

Way to go Mollie! :)

I just had to take some closeup shots of these dirty, messy girls. They are just like their dad and they LOVE to be in the outdoors.

My favorite part of camping (in addition to the company) is the campfire. This isn't a very good picture, but it was fun to roast marshmallows every night! Regan was getting really good at roasting a "perfect" brown marshmallow!!

I think Mollie was the dirtiest kid there! Her pink sweatshirt was brown by the end of the day!

Don't ask me why, but the kids decided to bury themselves in the dirt. Carli was the first one...

There was so much petrified wood where we camped! The kids went "exploring" every day for petrified wood. We have quite the collection!

Poor Layla was so tired! It took her almost a week to fully recover from this trip!!

The "girls" (L-R: Christy, Celeste, MindyL, Melissa, Chrissy, Amy, me)

The whole crew! Good times and great memories!!

To start our Spring Break....

2011-04-11T13:51:00.008-06:00

.....our Grandma Whiting and cousins came to visit!! It was a blast! They were here for only a few days (because 2 days were spent driving) and we didn't want to miss a moment together so we filled our days with anything and everything we could think of. We did so many activities, we barely had time to sleep!! We went to the Dinosaur Museum

We played at McDonalds and ate ice cream

We went out to the desert and shot guns

(Yes, Grandma wore her curlers!! What is that all about!?)

We went hiking at Dinosaur Hill

We went swimming at the new Fruita rec center (sorry, no pictures!) and we tried to go bowling too, but it was over an hour wait! Instead we ordered pizza and ate ice cream at home. We were so glad they made the trip up to see us. It was so much fun to be with cousins and stay up all night talking and laughing! It always makes me homesick for AZ because I miss my family so much! Can't wait to see them all again soon!!

Girls Hunt

2011-03-28T14:59:00.004-06:00

I finally went hunting! It wasn't anything big, just birds, but it was so fun!! Our friends (the Stegelmeiers) invited us to go with them to a game ranch in Whitewater, CO to shoot pheasants. The guys decided it should be a "girls hunt" since neither of us had done it before. We would have gotten A LOT more pheasants if they had been shooting, but we ended up with 5. I'm not very practiced with a gun and Chad says I need to take a hunters safety course (which I probably do) but I felt so tough when I shot down a bird from the air! It was such a great afternoon!!

Dollar Night

2011-03-10T08:58:00.004-07:00

(sidenote: Yes, this was a strike! and Yes, I'm using the lightweight ball!)

(I love how Chad literally throws the ball down....yes, he got a strike too!)

(Mollie has napkins in her shoes so they fit her)

For family night we went bowling at the local bowling alley and enjoyed dollar night!! The girls were in heaven!! It was great to see them having so much fun and trying something new. Carli is super competitive and she didn't like the fact that she wasn't good (I'm the same way!) She tried so hard and just could never really pick it up. So funny! Regan was just there to have a good time and ended up beating her sisters....typical! Mollie wanted to do good but got upset everytime she didn't "get lots" and pouted...also typical! They have such different personalities :) It was a blast and we might enjoy dollar night again soon!!

5 S's

2011-02-26T16:15:00.007-07:00

After working in the backyard for a little while today, we decided to go do something fun! Everything we did started with the letter "S", so here is a run-through of our "S"aturday....

1. "Set up" about a bjillion targets.

2. "Start shooting!!" It is so cute to watch them!

3. Be so "serious" about each shot...look at this intensity!

4. "Smile!" (you gotta love a girl with a gun! HA!)

5. Have a "slurpee" to finish up the outing.

It was a "Super" afternoon! Happy Saturday!!

First Tournament

2011-02-22T11:33:00.002-07:00

Carli participated in her first indoor soccer tournament this weekend. We are so proud of her!! She is an amazingly talented girl who is determined, fun, lovable, honest, kind, smart, brave....the list is endless!! She was put on a team with total strangers but she just stepped in and introduced herself and was their friend by the end of the first game. Her team had to play girls who were quite a bit older AND bigger!! Just look at the picture of the girl in white! She was almost twice as tall as Carli and definately weighed more than twice :) They didn't win but Carli had a great time in all 3 games and did a great job!! You are amazing Chuck!!!

I {heart} you...

2011-02-22T11:02:00.003-07:00

We {heart} Valentines Day!! It's one of those holidays that don't have a lot of prep and I even love the decorations and hearts :) One thing I love about our girls is that they are happy with literally ANYTHING they get! It doesn't take much; a little bag of M&M's, markers, yarn, a cardboard box, craft sticks...they love anything simple! It makes them feel so special! That's why Valentine's Day is my favorite...its a day to make everyone feel special! This year we didn't spend much but it was one of the best!! We had a "heart" theme for the day which started with a pink heart pancake breakfast and sharing something they love and why (so cute and funny- Regan loves the chickens because they are good snugglers) The girls had parties in their school classes and got a bag full of goodies that got dumped out as soon as they walked through the door. (sidenote: It was so fun to watch them go through their valentines because it brings back memories of being in elementary school and checking to see what the candy hearts from the boys said) Chad made me a beautiful flower arrangement with my favorite- red roses. He is so romantic and talented. I made a candy bar arrangement for the family and each of us got to pick a candy bar after dinner. For dinner Chad and I made a "heart" dinner where everything was shaped like a heart: heart pizzas, salad with heart cheese cutouts, heart garlic bread, and strawberry ice cream with heart sprinkles. It was fun to be together with the people we love! Happy {heart} Day!!

Another Year

2011-02-22T10:06:00.003-07:00

From December to January, not only do we have the holidays and festivities, we also celebrate my birthday, Chad's birthday, and our anniversary. We both made it another year older and had great birthdays together as a family. It's hard to believe that we are out of our 20's and WELL into our 30's! Time flies when you're having fun!! It's also hard to believe that we have made it to 12 years of marriage! It has been quite a roller-coaster in those 12 years but well worth the ride! We have been very aware lately of all the wonderful things we have been blessed with, which includes each other!! We are looking forward to another year full of laughs, fun, and memories!!

A New Years Like No Other

2011-02-21T08:38:00.003-07:00

We had an unusual New Years Eve for 2011...we were home!! Every year since we've been married we've spent "NYE" with family but this year we had to rush home from our trip to AZ because of a big snowstorm Chad had to get home for (FYI: he has a snow plow he runs for his business) So we were home and not sure what to do! Luckily we have the greatest friends in the history of the world!! We planned a fun-filled day at the Glenwood Hot Springs and we ended up at the Quarnbergs for dinner, lots of dancing, the limbo, musical chairs, and ringing in the new year....it was definately a new years like no other!

*ps-I forgot my camera so I had to "steal" these pictures from Celeste...thanks girl!

Traditions

2011-02-20T22:24:00.008-07:00

We have had a tradition each year since moving to Colorado of coming down to AZ right after Christmas Day. This year was no different! Although we had to rush home and couldn't stay as long as we usually do, it was a great trip with all of our usual traditions!

We fit in a quick dip in the pool for the Polar Bear Club (although no adults did it this year) The girls had so much fun having a sleepover with their girl cousins at Gma's too!

We were able to go out as adults without any kids and this is going to be a new tradition every year....it was awesome!! Its amazing how relaxing it is without 20+ kids running around! :) We even got to talk to my little sister Lizzy on the phone. She told us she is getting married!! Yippee! Sure had a great time laughing with my family!

The older grandkids might be sick of it, but my girls still love to act out the Christmas Nativity with all the cousins! Mollie was Mary this year and Dakota volunteered to be Joseph because Mollie wanted him to :) So cute! Regan and Carli were angels with the other girls. I have great memories of doing this with my cousins at my Gma's house when I was their age so I love it as much as they do!

Grandpa Whiting has a tradition of paying each grandkid a dollar for every year of their age. They LOVE it!! Personally I think he's crazy, but he knows how much the grandkids look forward to it! That's a pretty little bundle by the time he's done with all 23 kids!

We got to have some fun times at the park with Sally's kids. It wasn't long, but the kids were able to eat lunch and play together. We sure love our cousins!

Christmas Checklist

2011-02-20T15:35:00.012-07:00

1. Pick out Christmas tree (took us 2 different trips to finally find one this year!)2. Let everyone have a turn cutting it down.

3. Take it home to decorate with LOTS of smiles!! :)

4. Finish shopping, parties, baking, and delivering (ps- cards didn't happen this year... next year for sure!)

5. Read "Tale of Three Trees" and "Night before Christmas", put out cookies and milk, and open new PJ's.

6. Be so excited you can barely sleep, get up early, and wait for parents (and Gma/Papa) to give the okay to come into familyroom. See gifts, squeal with delight, laugh, never stop smiling, and laugh more!! :)

Regan's new mountain bike

Carli's new razor scooter

Mollie's new soccer ball and zhu-zhu pets

New iPod speakers

Bumblebee Pillow pet

Ladybug Pillow pet

7. Remember about the "Pickle" and search the tree for the special ornament. Open an extra present!

8. Check to see if Santa ate the cookies and milk (and gave the carrots to Rudolph).

9. Open the gifts under the tree and completely trash the familyroom...can you even walk in there?

10. Try out the new presents!

11. Get into your sister's new makeup! Beautiful!!

12. Take the new gun out to shoot. The girls LOVE this thing!!

Papa tried it out (couldn't help but get a picture of this!)

AND Dad too!!

13. Have the best Christmas ever (so far!)

We got everything checked off our Christmas list this year!! We love everything about the Christmas season and were so happy that Grandma and Papa Dare could join us this year! Hope next year is just as good!!

Dancing Dares

2011-02-20T14:51:00.009-07:00

Dance recital time! Regan and Mollie performed in their dance recital and did such a great job!! They are so serious and so intense when they perform, it's pretty entertaining to watch. Regan absolutely LOVES to dance and sing! It has helped her come out of her "shell" and open up a little bit. This was Mollie's first time in dance and she did so, so good! She was so cute and wasn't even scared....I think she's a natural performer!!

*Sidenote: Carli isn't in dance because (and I quote) "It isn't her thing"

November Events

2011-01-08T14:17:00.009-07:00

November was beautiful this year! The month started with a Fall piano recital for my students. I only have girls now that the Nix boys moved, and they all did a great job! I'm so proud of them!!

We have had such great weather this year (unlike last year) so we were able to spend a lot of time outside. These pictures were taken on an afternoon at the Crossley's backyard playing in the leaves. I cannot believe how much fun the kids had with just leaves!! It was a blast! I love the pictures of the girls jumping in the big leaf pile...hilarious!

We spent the week of Thanksgiving in Windsor, CO with Sam and Jill. It was pretty cold, but we still went to a couple of different parks that the girls really enjoyed. Each girl has their favorite "thing" to do at the park...Carli likes to climb & do the monkey bars, Regan likes the swings & things to ride on, and Mollie likes the swings & the curly-slide (ONLY the curly-slide).

Picture courtesy of Carli :)

It was nice to have Thanksgiving with family. The boys smoked the turkey this year and it was really good. We had a great meal and spent a lot of time with Sam, Jill and Aubrey. We watched movies, let the girls play, relaxed, went shopping (I took Jill "Black Friday" shopping for the first time....I think she's hooked!), went to parks, went shopping some more, and even went out on a date to see the new Harry Potter. It was a nice trip.

Overall report: November sure was fun!!

Vegas Baby!

2010-12-20T14:32:00.010-07:00

This fall I had the wonderful opportunity to go with 8 of my friends on an all-girls trip to Vegas! Oh my gosh, it was so much fun!! We left our kids with our husbands and had a 4day weekend of smiles. Instead of giving a detailed description of what we did, I'll give a shortened version of our schedule.
DAY 1: Most of the day was driving, but we did get there in time to check-in to Melissa's timeshare and sit in the hottub.

(L-R: Mindy L. Chrissy, Darcy, Amy, Me, Emily, Melissa, Celeste)
DAY 2: Our first morning we went out to breakfast and then to the Las Vegas temple. It was beautiful! We even got asked if we were sister missionaries :) Every mother in her 30's likes to hear that!

We were at the temple into the afternoon, so we picked up some food and drink and went back to the timeshare to prepare for the evening's events. The night started with dinner at Cabo Wabo (yum!) and very slow service. It was so slow that we had to literally run to our show.

We had tickets to Cirque de Soleil's "O Show"....it was amazing!! We sat right in the front so could see all of the performers faces, feel the water spray, it was so great!

After the show we watched the water show at the Belagio, went through some of the casinos, and just had a BLAST! We were out so late, but it didn't matter because we could actually sleep in :) We acted like teenagers, danced in parking lots, had frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity, sang Beyonce at the top of our lungs, and laughed til our stomachs hurt!

(These people were totally making out in front of everyone and didn't even care! So funny!)

DAY 3: We started the day relaxing at the pool. It was great to soak up some sun! We got ready and ate out at Cheesecake Factory. We went shopping, shopping, and more shopping. After shopping we made a last minute decision to go to another show, so we had to run again! It didn't even compare to the "O Show" but it was fun still. The show was called the "V" variety show. It was a good time and then we just spent some time walking the strip. Darcy, Celeste, Emily and I were still in the mood to "party" so when everyone else went back to go to bed, we stayed out. We found a piano bar where two piano players "duel" against each other playing songs that people request. They were amazing! I couldn't believe their talent! They played everything from Weezer to Pink Floyd...so cool. We closed them down and finally went home to get some rest.

DAY 4: We were exhausted from the crazy weekend so we were a little slap happy on our drive home. Amy had the idea to put our camera on "sports" mode and take pictures of us doing raspberries...so hilarious!! We were laughing so hard!! I only posted MY pictures because I didn't want any of them to be embarrassed :) I'll just embarrass myself!

It was the funnest weekend! I have the greatest friends! Thanks to our husbands for watching our kids so we could enjoy the time together. Great memories! Can't wait to do it again!

The Dares 2010

2010-12-13T17:30:00.009-07:00

It was WAY past time to get new family pictures, so my friend (and great photographer) Darcy Case took these wonderful pictures. It was so fun to plan what to wear and where to go. Luckily, Fruita is full of great photo "spots". It was easy and painless now that the girls are getting older....Chad was the hardest one! :) Thanks Darcy for the great pics! They are ALL so good, it was hard to pick which ones to show! Here are some of our favorites:

Bugs

2010-12-09T19:02:00.002-07:00

For Halloween this year the girls didn't want to match (well, Carli didn't). Everybody that knows me knows that I LOVE for my girls to match! I had to do some convincing, but I got them to be bugs. They didn't think they matched, but they really did :) Mollie was a ladybug (her favorite), Regan was a bumblebee, and Carli was a butterfly. Actually, Carli was a "midnight" butterfly because that's what you are when you are too big for little kid stuff (atleast that's what she says!) As usual, the costumes were homemade, and it's the easiest Halloween so far. Just LOTS of toule! They weren't original, but they sure were cute!!

Eggs-cellent!

2010-11-19T10:57:00.004-07:00

We have Whiting blues and greens as well as two Rhode Island reds (the brown eggs)

(Look at the size of this green egg! It's as big as a duck egg! The one next to it is a typical "large" egg)

Just an update on our cute little chicks:

They aren't cute OR little anymore. They are big ugly chickens (that personally I don't really like) but they are good for one thing....eggs! With our 6 chickens we get between 6 and 7 eggs each day. I'm not sure which chicken it is, but one of them lays 2 a day. The girls still LOVE them and carry them around like babies. Chickens are not very smart, but these ladies are pretty social and get excited when the girls come out to see them. :) They have been fun!

One Sweet 6 year Old

2010-11-16T13:27:00.003-07:00

Here she is....one sweet little six year old! Regan had her 6th birthday on October 3rd. Wow! Time flies when you have a sweet girl like Regan. She is so easygoing and easy to please. She loves everything and always has a smile on her face :) Regan loves her friends and her friend Helen has a birthday the day after hers. Helen's mom (Mindy too!) and I decided we would kill two birds with one stone and have a double party (since they have the same friends anyway).

The two birthday girls decided on an "Under the Sea" theme for their party. We found a company that had an "underwater" bounce house and had blue koolaid, sea animal cupcakes, sea animal beads that they strung on necklaces, and face painting by the dads. Mindy even found some sea animal stuffed animals and bubbles to go in our party bags. It was a good idea for a party theme!
Two cute birthday friends, Helen and Regan!

The whole crew (that's a lot of girls!) It was one pretty great party!

For Regan's actual birthday (Sunday) she wanted donuts for breakfast and we opened presents from the family. Since Carli got her iPod when she turned six, Regan couldn't wait until she turned six and SHE could get an iPod. Luckily she reminded us or I would've forgotten! So, her big gift from us was a pink iPod shuffle :) We've heard nothing but her singing Taylor Swift at the top of her lungs since! We sure love our sweet little six year old!! Happy Birthday Monkey!!!

Morning Surprise!

2010-11-15T09:09:00.004-07:00

This post is going to be completely out of order. I've been trying to play catch up on the most recent events, but I HAVE to make this post today! We woke up to a happy surprise....SNOW!! Watching the girls this morning has been magical! I can feel their excitement and happiness! Mollie has been "wishing" for snow everyday for a week (I think she associates snow with Christmas) and this morning her wish came true :) In fact, the first words I heard this morning were from her. "Regan! It....is....SNOWING!" This was followed by the sounds of Carli running down the hallway to their room and Regan literally jumping off the top bunk to see! I couldn't help but think of the words to an old Karen Carpenter song (don't make fun of me!) that says "Oh, the first snowfall of the winter

What a joy for a boy (or girl!) to behold.

Under wintery skies of gray

it was snowing all the day,

and it showed no signs of stopping,

Every kid with eyes a-popping,

Will be soon be, belly-whopping

on his knees."

The first thing the girls did was get their snowgear on and go play! It was a great time to be the mom :) Yes, we had to get ready for school, but we didn't care! We caught snowflakes on our tongues, we had a snowball fight, we rolled in it, we made snow angels, we laughed and smiled; It really was magical!! We had 20 minutes until it was time to leave for school so we rushed in and got ready, drank some hot chocolate (with marshmallows of course!) and left early enough to walk in the falling snow. It was a great morning. I've thought about having the girls ride the bus next year instead of me taking them, but then I have days like this where we had time to enjoy BECAUSE they don't ride the bus. I love seeing them enjoying the small moments of life. Like our blog title says, "We remember moments." This was a great moment!!

"BLAH"

2010-11-14T20:41:00.004-07:00

Mollie-4yrs Regan-5yrs Carli-8yrs

Instead of purchasing those "BLAH" school pictures this year, I signed up for one of my photographer-friend's "back to school sessions". She snapped a quick individual of each girl and I asked her to take one of the girls together too. It was fast, cheap, and easy. Gotta love it!

Back to School

2010-11-14T10:24:00.005-07:00

Where did the summer go? It came and went so fast this year! It's already time to head back to school! Carli is now in 3rd grade and her teacher this year is Mrs. Faber. She seems VERY strict and VERY organized, but Carli should respond well to that. Yes, I have always cried on the first day of school, and this year was no exception. I walked her up to her classroom and she just went right in without even saying goodbye! (I think she was a little bit excited!!) So I called her back to give me a hug! :) I love being embarrassing! Carli is getting so big and is such a good student. So proud of her!

Hard to believe, but sweet little Regan started Kindergarten!! She has the same teacher Carli had, Mrs. Bricker. I wish I could say that I kept it all together but I didn't. I was a blubbering mess! I didn't think I would be as sad with #2, but it was just as bad! I was so excited for her, but it was so hard knowing that she is officially in school now. There's no going back! Regan was SOOOOO excited! She did so good in her pre-year evaluation...already so smart! I know she will do great!

It is a big year for me because my Mollie also started Preschool! She is at the elementary school with her sisters (Regan and her are on the same playground!) and her teacher is Miss Venee. She is so ready to be "big" and couldn't wait for her first day!! It's been a transition on the days I send them all to school and come home to an empty house. I don't know if I'm okay with it! Mollie has always been so independent, she will do great! I love that she has something all her own too! My girls are growing up so fast! Hope it's a great year!!

Crazy 8's

2010-11-13T15:59:00.005-07:00

All 3 crazy 8's- Fall 2010 (Carli- DUCKS Regan- FLIERS Mollie- DOLPHINS)

Just before school started, the fall 2010 soccer season began. For the first time, all 3 girls played. Mollie wanted to play when she was 3, but we had been putting it off because of how time-consuming it was with just the 2 girls. She wanted to play like her sisters SO BAD so we signed her up! It was a little busy with 4 practices each week and 3 (sometimes 4) games on Saturdays (sometimes at the same time!), but the girls loved it!

Carli is a soccer-fanatic!! She LOVES soccer!!!! It is an absolute blast to watch her and her team play because they are so intense :) Chad is still the assistant coach and it has been a fun thing for them to do together. The coaches push these girls so hard and the girls don't care; in fact, I think they like it! They like it because they always win!! They lost a total of 2 times this season (I think) and tied the undefeated U9 team, which they were VERY excited about. :) As for Carli, she is still a super-fast runner but is also one of the starters. Her ball handling skills have improved so much. I've never seen another player who works as hard as she does! As she told me last year...."Soccer's my thing, mom!" She's our little soccer-girl!

Regan is the exact opposite of her big sister :) She is naturally athletic, but doesn't really have a lot of motivation! When Regan puts in ANY effort, she is AMAZING on the soccer field!! She can score goal, after goal, after goal! On the other hand, if she doesn't want to try (or just isn't in the mood) she just "trots" around the field behind the other players. VERY frustrating to watch!! Funny thing is that's just Regan...she has been like this since she was a baby. She only does what she wants to do. She is naturally talented at almost everything without having to put forth a lot of effort. To be honest, her biggest interest is TV and food!! I still think her favorite part is the after-game treat! :) In our defense, she insists on playing soccer every season, but it makes for a long season!

What can I say about my Mollie.....I have some pictures which make her look like she is really good, but unfortunately she has a HUGE disadvantage: her size. She is a full head smaller than the shortest player on any U5 team! Her little legs have a hard time keeping up, but she sure tries hard! They don't even make soccer cleats small enough to fit her :) I know I sound biased, but Mollie IS the cutest little soccer player running around after that ball!! She improved a lot throughout the season and we are looking forward to seeing her play next season!

Coolerest Cousins

2010-11-11T10:01:00.005-07:00

We have the best cousins in the whole world! We have been so lucky to see almost all of them this year. I love seeing the girls make memories; it brings back great times with my own cousins when I was a kid. I know they will always cherish these relationships. As Mollie says,"We have the coolerest cousins!"

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2010-11-10T10:01:00.003-07:00

Carli is so much like me it's scary! I came in her room today and found her clothes laid out for tomorrow, her room cleaned and organized, her bed made, and her soccer bag ready for her next soccer lesson. I also found her first "to do" list....I couldn't be more proud!! Like mother, like daughter!! :)

A Special Day for a Special Girl

2010-11-09T19:30:00.003-07:00

We had a special event on the very last day of July.....Carli was baptized! Still not sure where the time went, but Carli had her 8th birthday on the 25th and was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. She took the missionary discussions, interviewed with the Bishop, and made the decision on her own. We are so proud of her and her great choices! She is such a wonderful example to her sisters and friends. As a parent, it's hard to explain the happiness you feel watching your child choose the right, even when their friends aren't. It is complete joy! We had so many family members come up to support Carli and we appreciate it so much. (sidenote: I still can't believe we fit that many people in our house!) Thank you to all who made the long trip to be there! You helped make it the special time that it was. Thank you to all our great friends too! It was a day full of forever memories! We will never forget it and I know Carli won't either. What a special day for a special girl. Carli is such a special girl whose light shines on everyone around her! Congratulations on such a special day Carli-bear!! I'll love you forever!

Snips and Snails....

2010-11-09T15:39:00.002-07:00

Isn't that what little BOYS are made of? If so, then why do my girls love them so much?!

4 and Feisty

2010-11-09T13:12:00.008-07:00

While spending time with family at the cabin, Mollie turned 4!!! Crazy! She is getting so big and I get so sad when I think she might be our last. We started her birthday with a hike up Sierra Trigo to see the ladybug stump. It was a LONG hike for her (and there weren't a lot of ladybugs), but she's a trooper! We had a ladybug party and had so much fun with cousins! A little about 4-year old Mollie:

1.She LOVES ladybugs! A lot!!

2.She LOVES her sisters! She wants to be just like them.

3.She has more attitude than any other 4-year old I know...so sassy!

4.She has a great smile :)

5.She is hilarious and we laugh at her everyday (even when she's in trouble)

6.She isn't scared of anything.

7.She loves animals.

8.She is super cute (and she knows it!)

9.She has the cutest little voice!

10.She loves music and is teaching herself how to play the piano by ear (which, as a piano teacher, I hate....but she's too little to teach!)

11.She is so tough! She never cries with shots and wants to go first because she's "bravester" than her sisters :)

12.She is so LOVED!!

I love my Mollie! Happy 4th Birthday Mollie-bug!!

In a Nutshell....

2010-11-08T21:03:00.010-07:00

........our summer was a blast! Tiring, but a blast!!

Pig Party 2010

2010-07-11T16:52:00.004-06:00

Summer always starts with our annual pig roast for our friends and this year was no exception. Unlike last year, it was really HOT! We set up a big piece of plastic as a slip-n-slide down the hill in the front yard and had a line of kids enjoying it. We were so lucky to have a ton of family come too! It was so much fun (and a little chaotic)!! I wish I had more pictures, but I didn't get my camera out at all! Boo!! Thanks to all our friends who came. We have the greatest friends here in Colorado and we are so thankful for you! Thanks to all our family who came too. It means so much to us that you would make the effort to come be with us! We are looking forward to next year's pig party!

Family Fishing

2010-06-25T12:34:00.003-06:00

Fishing at Highline...a Dare family favorite. This was a perfect way to spend an evening together as a family. We didn't catch many fish, but the weather was perfect. The girls are learning how to cast their own poles, bait their own hooks, and love spending time with their dad. Great memories!

Regan's 1st Ride

2010-06-20T21:43:00.002-06:00

Regan looks up to Carli so much. She is so excited to ride with her big sister!

One cute little mountain biker!

Regan went on her first mountain bike ride. She loved it!! Regan has been wanting to go for a while now, but we didn't want to take her before she was ready. Her favorite part was seeing a lizard right on the trail in front of her. She had a couple of crashes, but just got right back on and rode. We are so impressed! Good job Regan!! You are getting so big!

An Accomplishment

2010-06-13T10:15:00.006-06:00

Chad is amazing. We've been married for 11 1/2 years and he never ceases to amaze me. He has an intense personality and is very passionate about life. As most of you know, he decided he needed to make a change earlier this year so in February he started a workout called P90X. In those 90 days he has lost 30 lbs. That alone is amazing, but he also decided that he was going to do something he's always wanted to do...a triathlon. We have a local triathlon held every year at Highline Lake. It's a 500m swim, 16 mile bike, and 3 mile run. Well, he did it. In fact, he rocked it! He finished ahead of his goal time and was ranked 6th in his age group. His overall rank was 46th out of 204. Finish time: 1hr 37min 32sec. He even did it in the pouring rain. He is amazing! The girls were amazing too. We were really excited to cheer him on, but with the rain, I didn't think they would last. They are such troopers. It was an exciting morning and we are so proud of Chad!! Soaked through our clothes and chilled to the bone, it was an accomplishment we will never forget! Thanks to all our great friends who are a great support and are always there for us! Everyone did an amazing job!

Saturday Fun

2010-06-13T09:52:00.004-06:00

Carli and Ashley

The studly men...Chad and Steve Martin

Carli riding down the trail...doesn't she look so tiny?

Regan and Mollie waiting for the riders to return. They can't wait until they are big enough to go mountain biking. Regan is pretty close and Mollie should be getting her training wheels off soon!

The moms Chrissy and Mindy. Don't ask about the hair. It was really windy! We were able to do a trail together while the dads kept the kids. It was such a nice morning with good weather, good exercise, and good friends! Thanks Martin family! We love Fruita! :)

Boating Babes

2010-06-11T08:57:00.006-06:00

Look at these cuties! We went with the Quarnberg family to Highline Lake and enjoyed their boat. The kids had so much fun riding in the boat (the water was SO cold!)

Carli (with Kylee's bootie! HA!)-7 years

Regan-5 years

Braden and Mollie-3 years

Chad and Mindy

Kids trying to push Gary into the freezing water (they never could get him in!)

The dad's showing the kids how to skip rocks in the water

The moms enjoying the sun :) Thanks Quarnbergs for a great time! Isn't summer fun?!

Blood, Sweat, but no Tears

2010-05-21T11:36:00.005-06:00

My upper lip/chin is so swollen, I look like a duck!

This is only half of the cut, but it hurt too much to pull it out anymore.

Some more lovely cuts and scrapes. I don't have a picture, but my legs look like I was attacked by a meat tenderizer!

Amy, Me, Mindy, and Kristy

Me and Melissa

Tough girls bike...Our new slogan. We had a girls mountain biking trip to Moab this last weekend. We rode the "Slickrock" trail (13 miles) on Friday and the "Whole Enchilada" trail (20+ miles), which is part of the Kokopelli trail, on Saturday. We had an absolute BLAST! We got a hotel, sat in the hot tub, went out to dinner, laughed, and played. Everyone had atleast one crash, and I almost made it through the weekend unscathed until the end of the last ride. A few miles before we were done, I had a good one. We were riding down a trail of rocks on Porcupine Rim and I hit a rock with my front tire just right. My handlebars jammed sideways, we were going downhill, which forced the back of my bike upward, making me fall. I threw my bike to the side and didn't have enough time to bring my arms back to save myself. End result, my face colliding with a rock. My tooth went through my bottom lip, my nose/lip are swollen, and there was blood running down my face. My claim to fame is that I didn't cry.

There was blood, there was plenty of sweat, but no tears.

Even with the crash, it was so much fun! I told my lovely neighbor Judy that I would do it again tomorrow and her response was: "Yeah, you're young...and stupid!" I guess I'm glad that I'm still young enough to do stupid things, cause it sure is a blast!!

Catching up (part 2)

2010-05-20T09:21:00.004-06:00

Still more to catch up on...
Carli had her school music program and she was SO great! She loves everything about music and dancing, which was obvious watching her perform. She takes school VERY seriously (almost too seriously!) Funny story: Carli's class had a substitute teacher. I asked her how the day went with the sub and she said the boys in her class were SO bad, she HAD to tell on them! Apparently, they were looking for the word "poop" in their word search and were saying that Caleb looked like he was "drunk"...she HAD to tell the sub! Our daughter is such a tattle-tell!! She just doesn't understand boys because she doesn't have a brother (I say it's payback to Chad for all the rotten things he did as a kid! hehe)

Sunshine Generation is now over and the girls have become little performers (especially Mollie!) They have no fear about getting up in front of people, saying their lines, singing a solo, etc. They were also able to participate in the City of Fruita Talent Show, which they LOVED. They got to meet the local radio DJ and they thought it was "cool" that she told Mollie she was "so cute".

All of the girls at one point in their lives have been found "hanging out" in the clothes dryer. Mollie, however, is just a little different. True to form, she is over the top! I found her in the dryer with all her belongings like she moved in....purse, hair clips, markers, journal, paper, stuffed animal, you name it! She said it was warm, smelled pretty, and had a light so she could see when she colored :) What a nut!

Most of you know, I teach piano at my home. I have 10 Wonderful students, who I thoroughly enjoy teaching! Another piano teacher and I joined together for a spring piano recital. All the students did an amazing job and I can't wait for the next one! Here is a picture with 8 of my students.

Last, but not least, Mollie graduated Joy School!! It was another fun year, full of the imagination and fun you can only get from 3 year olds. It's exhausting, but well worth it in the end. Mollie LOVED going to Joy School. She asked every morning if it was Joy School day and sang the songs everywhere we went :) A part of me is sad because I don't have another one to do JS with, but it's been so much fun to participate in JS with all 3 girls. Hard to believe she is big enough to go to preschool next year! Wow, they grow up too fast!!

The JS students with their moms (aka the teachers!)

How is my Mollie Dru already 3 years old?!? You gotta love this girl! She is so full of "Moll-i-tude"!

Catching Up (part 1)

2010-05-19T11:51:00.009-06:00

There is so much to catch up on!! We have had an eventful and fun couple of months. So much has happened, it's best to just start where we left off....GET READY!

Easter was super fun! The girls always love what the Easter bunny brings and this year was no exception. None of us are early risers, so we didn't have to get up early (which is even better!) They have the greatest smiles first thing in the morning :)

After enjoying our Easter baskets, it was time for an egg hunt. Dad is the best at hiding the eggs in crazy places! All three girls had a BLAST! They want to do egg hunts over and over and over...

Before Sunday was over, we packed up and headed to Utah. Bryce Brownlow was heading to the MTC and we wanted to say one final farewell before he left. It was so great to see the Brownlows and spend a day with them. One fun activity was to fly kites (it was so windy!) I don't know why we don't fly kites more. It's fun for all ages! :)

A few days after returning home, Chad and I left for a long weekend alone. Only one word: Heaven. No schedules, no whining, no demands, nothing. We had so much fun just the two of us! We ended up going to SLC and while we were there, we got to see Temple Square. It was beautiful! We went to the outdoor mall, saw a movie, ate sushi and fondue, went to the improv, shopped, the list is endless. It was great to "get away" and it was also great to come home. We missed our girls after a couple days and were ready to see them. I will say this, every couple needs a weekend away every once in a while! :)