School Pictures 2010-2011

School pictures are the CHEESIEST thing ever, but it is also the only time you can look back at yourself and think did I really look like that!  Of course there is a yearbook to look back on, but we all know sometimes those pictures are blacked out or lost - So Kaylab and Preston I wanted to have some pictures printed to hold on to in case something ever happens that they want to be able to see what they looked like while in our home.

As for Sam, truth is this has to be one of the silliest and cheesiest pictures ever taken!  Once again, he needs something to look back and say hey that's me.  And of course I look forward to the day I can show his children what he looked like his Senior year of high school.

Preston - Age 10

Buffalo Point Elementary - 5th Grade

 Kaylab - Age 12

Syracuse Jr High School - 7th Grade

Sam - Age 18

Syracuse High School - Senior Class

Hunt Murder Mystery

Tonight we went out with the Mills and the Houston's to see to see a Hunt Murder Mystery's Dinner & Show in Ogden.  The food was lacking, but good company and a show made up for it.

This is one of the actors who was spoofing Edward from Twilight. Overall, the show was great and I love how the actors interact with the audience - this was the second show Micah and I have seen

Last Home Game for the Titans!!

Each Player presented the 'mom' with flowers before they ran down the line to join their teammates.

Tonight was bitter sweet; I am looking forward to not being on the go so much come Thursday and Fridays, but I am also going to miss seeing Sam step out on the field with the Titans wearing jersey number #68!

It was Senior Night and all the 'parents' were going to be able to walk with their Senior out on the field.  Sam's mom Gretchen came up for the evening and was able to join us on the field, the DOWNFALL was that several days prior to this I had a call asking if Micah and I would be there and I gave them our name in addition to his mom's name (after-all where would Micah and I be if she hadn't given birth to Sam and trusted us to care for him).  

As the parents were walking out onto the field the song Boys of Fall by Kenny Chesney is playing in the background and I am already an emotional mess that I am fitting back the tears.  This only gets more emotional when I watch Sam and his mom hugging and I see his eyes tearing up and Gretchen doing the same - I know I am a crybaby and I don't care!  Micah and I both get a chance to hug Sam who seems to have grown two feet wearing his pads . . .  I hold it together pretty well and am very proud of myself!

In numerical order the players are announced # 66 . . .#67 . . . #75!?!?!?  What Sam in number #68 and his name is not Hunter!!!!  I see the look of panic come over the faces of the people who have put this together - no it was not the announcer who made a mistake because he keeps on going #76 . .  Rush!  Seriously people we stood there waiting while three other players were announced before someone was finally able to get to the sky-box and tell them Sam's name and announce Micah and Tanya Mower.  Who the heck is that??

Maybe it was meant to be so that I didn't sob like a baby, maybe it was meant to be so that Sam has some time to feel like he was actually apart of the Varsity game that night . .  who knows and who cares it was how it was meant to be and it gave Sam a chance to have the spotlight on him once again!

Syracuse City Pumpkin Walk

I snagged this photo from Jenn, I completely spaced the idea of getting the picture of the entrance.

This year Micah and I took the younger boys, Kaylab and Preston to the Syracuse City Pumpkin Walk.  We were joined by the Sadie and her kids; Kylie, Kayson, Kenize, Brecken and Brynlie and by the Call Family - It made for a more enjoyable time since we spend over an hour in line waiting to get in to see the pumpkins that lined the local park.

Sadie was such a sweetheart she bought some Krispy Kreme donuts and shared with the boys . . .  I think that helped make standing in line a little more enjoyable also.

Here are just a few that we saw.  It was disappointing Preston and I had craved four pumpkins; one for him and three for me and during the walk we only found the three that I had done. Little guy was pretty bummed out, but he did a great job of not getting too upset.

Overall, it was a nice family activity for the four of us.  Sam was off at football practice getting ready for the last home game of the season against the Layton Lancers and he had some homework he needed to get done before the Sadie Hawkins dance the following evening.

Couple's Night - Thanks to House Party.com

I have become a HUGE fan of houseparty.com - in fact if you have never heard about it you have to go to their website!!  A few months ago I won DJ Hero and I won a second party this month!  It was a great opportunity to have the neighborhood couples get together.  This was a great find by my neighbor Tiffany - Fingers crossed she gets a party soon!!

 

Tiffany did an AMAZING job putting together a Couple's Minute to Win It competition for the couples tonight!  I had been a little OK more than a little concerned that the night would be BORING since I had not planned anything exciting, but when Tiffany walked in with a laundry basket full of props for the game I knew we were in for a great evening.  THANKS TIFFANY if was so much fun, and made for an eventful and memorable evening with good food, and great friends!

This game is called Cookies on the Face. It was hilarious to watch people try to move this cookie all over their face to get in their mouth. Jared, Micah, Chenelle and Matt completed the task and it was pretty impressive.

This game involved stacking three golf balls on top of one another and they have to stay there for 3 minutes.

This game was a HOOT - the object was for each person to blow the cherry back in forth until one of them could catch it in their mouth!

Happy 8th Anniversary to Us!

Micah and I celebrated eight years of marriage today!  It is hard to believe that we have been married for eight years and even harder to believe that we have know one another for eighteen years!!

I would love to say that we did something fun for our anniversary, but the truth of the matter is with three kids ages 18, 12 and 10 it is hard!  So we settled for grabbing some sandwiches from a local deli and going to the park in Sugarhouse.

I had taken my camera with us, but after our meeting and Micah having to get back to work to finish his projects so we could head back home to get the boys from school I totally spaced the idea of any pictures.

Not to mention I was on recovery mode from spending the three day weekend with Robin.

Sunday Afternoon Picnic

After enjoying a yummy breakfast and taking Sam to work we packed a picnic lunch (in my DI find for $3.00) picnic basket and headed up to Monte Cristo.  We found a nice little campsite (that we didn't have to pay $7 bucks to use for an hour, see previous post from going to South Fork) with a picnic bench and a nearby stream.

Kaylab and Preston  really enjoyed the binoculars Micah had bought with him and being able to walk along the stream.  I had told the boys that if they got wet they were gonna have to stay because no one was getting wet and getting into my car.  Ten seconds later Preston slipped and got his shoes wet - Poor guy got so upset and said "Now I can't go home!".

Sadie Hawkins 2010

Look E . . . Look E . . . What Do You See?

On our back down the mountain Micah spotted something and we had just enough time to figure out it was a Moose behind the brush next to the road.  

Micah quickly turned the truck around and we headed onto the dirt road and to our surprise there was THREE of them!!!  Now Robin and I are City Girls so this was the first time either of us had seen a Moose before.

I quickly took out my camera and had Micah open the sunroof as I popped out of the roof snapping pictures of these 'little guys'. It was like being on Safari without the cool khaki shorts and hat and a scarf tied around your neck.

Temple Square

The weather wasn't that great today, but the dark clouds made for some amazing background shots while Robin and I were out and about.  Our tour of  Temple Square was a QUICK one, after-all, it was 5:15pm and Sam was getting off work at 5:30pm.

As Robin and I were walking around I was quickly reminded of how long Robin and I have been friends (20 years now) and how easy it is for us to just pick up right where we left off.  It is such a true quote something to the effect of great/best friends are those who can pick up five years later right where you left off!

For those of  you not familiar with the Tanya & Robin story I will make it QUICK.  We sat next to each other 8th grade year in Miss Morgan's English class at Moore Jr. High in Redlands, CA and we also rode the same bus after school.

I don't recall exactly how or what we talked about, but we became friends over time (mostly at school) and when my mom and I moved my Freshman year to Paso Robles, CA Robin and I became pen-pals . . . YES we used actual paper,pens and stamps as a form of communication.  For the next several years we developed creative ways to write letters, talked on the 'home' phone prior to email and text messaging.  This went on through high school and eventually Robin would come to stay in Paso Robles during the CA Mid-State Fair where we would spent countless hours talking and walking.

After high school life changes and you become YOUNG and DUMB, even though we often grew apart we always found a way back and picked up right where we left off.  This went on through our 20's and when the day came that I got married - I knew that Robin would be right beside me!   

"They say true friends go long periods of time without speaking 

and never question their friendship. 

These friends pick up like they just spoke yesterday 

regardless of how long it has been or how far they live 

and they don't hold grudges."

 

I am often criticized for not being overly friendly or accepting of peoples 'friendship'  but the truth is when  you have a friendship like I have had with Robin it is hard to believe and accept that all people are that real and  genuine.  And even though we let time get the best of us there is one thing I know for sure; Robin is the kind of friend that I can count on til the end!  Love ya girlie - here is to another 20 years as friends!!!

Bringham Young's Beehive House

After stopping to grab a quick snack at Cafe Rio; chips and salsa with a grilled chicken quesedilla Robin and I headed over to the Beehive house for a quick tour before heading over to Temple Square. I don't really know what it is about going to the Beehive House that I like so much, but I really enjoy looking at all the old items from that time period and hearing about what life was like for people.

As Robin and I were leaving the Beehive house we snapped a few photos of the flowers around the building.  How is it that years ago we snapped pictures of silly things, such as, pictures of ourselves, cute boys and concerts to buildings and flowers??  

Guess it just proves that we are no longer the same little ladies we were when we met in Miss Morgans 8th Grade English class. Oh where oh where has the time gone?

Next stop . . . Temple Square!

Robin Comes to Utah

First stop  . . . CAPITAL HILL in Salt Lake City, Utah.

I think Micah and I have given the traditional Utah tour about a dozen times now, but this was the first time we have gone to the Capital building.  The weather was not the best . . . it was obvious to me that Fall was quickly approaching and it was a matter of time before we had our first snow.

There was so much to see and read, but with two young boys it was hard to keep them interested in history.  Their reward for being on good behavior was a trip to Hatch Family Chocolate were each boy got a milk chocolate Turtle, Robin had an apricot creme and Micah and I shared a dark chocolate Turtle.  If you are ever in Utah a must go to is Hatch Family Chocolate (Steve and Katie Hatch have a show on TLC called Little Chocolatiers)

Next stop . . . . Beehive House!

Sam's answer to Sadie Hawkins

Sam has been so busy with school, football practice and working that I thought I would help him out this week with his response to the girl who asked him to Sadie Hawkins.

I secretly enjoy these kinds of activities, but at the same time I hate them too!  I find the whole idea of asking for each dance silly and overwhelming - partly because I feel like we just had Homecoming 2-3 weeks ago and here we are again doing the same thing AGAIN!  

I really enjoy trying to find new ways to ask and answer; I think many of the ideas have been done so much that it has LOST the newest and fun out of it.  I am thankful to say my boys (Chaze included) found unique ideas and made it fun for the girls and themselves.

This idea was bit and pieces that Micah and I came up with - In fact while we were at the dollar store we saw the gum ball machine and gum balls and agreed it would get used for SOMETHING.  By the time we got home we knew we would write a message on the gum balls . . . Micah suggested just saying Yes, and then came up with GUM and get me!

And of course I thought that was too easy so I came up with "GUM and get me I think we would have a BALL at Sadie Hawkins <3, Sam" I than placed all the gum balls into the gum ball machine and hot glued it shut so it wasn't easy to open.  And the GRAND FINALE I packed the machine into the box with confetti and hot glued it shut! :)  From there I packaged it in some shrink wrap and more confetti topped with a BIG bow.

SHS TITANS VS. Clearfield Falcons (39-0)