April Showers

Well here it is May 2nd and my last blog was mid March! I am just too busy I guess to make this computer a priority! I check email everyday, do a little on "word" whether it is printing something for primary callings or school assignments, or Jackal stuff. So i figured this is a good time to close up my thoughts on a very rainy April and look ahead to a crazy May!

First- after spring break we did cheer tryouts and baseball tryouts. Sami made the co-ed squad and Wylson made the JV Team. The booster club for Cheerleading pulled off a great end of the year banquet and we had "Chipotle" cater the event! Yummy!! Sami won the academic award on her squad and lettered! Congrats to Sam!! :)

Second- We killed our first rooster! Lou was the victim. Lou was the chick that Sami picked out last Easter and was very fond of him until about 8 weeks later when little fuzzy chicks get ugly! We did it though, a very succesful kill. John knocked it out by swinging it by its feet, Wylson chopped it's head off with the hatchet. Mom videoed it! The girls pulled the feathers off after it's bath in the boiling water in the fire pit, Wylson and John gutted it and then brought it in the kitched for a final cleaning.:( I cooked Lou into a great soup and made my famous half and half rolls! We thanked Hevenly Father for Lou and for the experience and chalked it up to this... If we were starving we could eat our chickens.:)

Third- Our Relief Society had a Temple trip to Nauvoo mid April. It was so great to go and although I was missing some of our sisters that backed out at the last minute I was sure glad they did becuase it opened up room for Remi to go with us on her first temple trip ever. She got her recommend on Thursday night. I called the school Friday morning and excused her and we were off! Mom and I drove her van and had one other lady in with us. It takes 4 and half hours to get to Nauvoo from here but it went by quick. We stayed in some log cabins and they are very prmitive looking but darling! Remi and I went to the temple on Friday night with the Ahmu ladies and did baptisms. What an experience!! There is nothing like seeing your daughter dressed in white, totally lit up with the spirit and sitting in the temple together. I will cherish this for a long time. Our old home teacher and family friend (the Moore's) were there to do baptisms in the same session. Remi was very comfortable with Bro. Moore so that added to her great experience. Afterward we were walking out of the Temple and the sun was going down over the Mississippi River and boy was it beautiful! Remi was taken back at the sight and says " oh, I want to get married here" I agree! I don't know if we will go all the way to SLC for the brides. We had a great next day with the sisters in the Temple and Remi and Alex spent the day seeing old Nauvoo and taking pics of the visitor center and sights. It was a great get-away for the girls and we came home to some very sunburned exhausted boys doing yard work!

Fourth- My brother and family came to town to visit and drop the girls off to us and then head to Nashville to find a house. They move in June! I am so excited to get to Tennessee and have family only 8 hours away instead of 17 or 20! We took care of Maggie and Maren for 5 days! They did great! It was fun to see them with my kids and play and hang out. I had gone thru all the "boy" toys and baby proofed the toy hall, but I didn't even think about what 2 year old girls play with.... purses! Maggs went thru Grandma's purse and ate all the gum and looked at all the papers and found the lipsticks! FUN. You forget when you don't have that age around. I don't know why I wouldn't think a 2 year old would find purses amazing... my three girls are constantly in my purse and there own for that matter. Maren loved the chickens and the trampoline. She gets up real early!

Fifth- Jared signed up with labor ready! A temp agency that John uses a lot at the plant. So in a round about way he is working for John! He is making decent money and currently not looking very hard for something else. He went out last night with a group of kids and played laser tag and went to a fire pit and dinner. He had fun, I think he would like to date more but we just don't have the selection I think he would like to take from! I think it is time to crash some other stake dances!!!

Well I guess that sums it up! I am ready now for May. Testing in the schools, a have a bridal party in late May to do hair for, the Kansas City Temple ground breaking is next weekend and we have tickets to attend! very cool!! End of the year field trips and training for a 10k in late or mid summer if my partner can find one that is not on a sunday!

COUSINS!! WE LOVE THEM

Wylson is standing up hill so he appears taller than Raquel!
No there is not a hill here, Sami really is that short!
We are Mexicans, not soldiers!
Superman and Anikan combine into one awesome super hero.
fun with the pool table
decorating for the wedding



Cooper took the camera and they all had fun posing for pics...

This spring break was the perfect week in my opinion. We had lots of cousin time and hanging out time. (Which by the way, I am not very good at I feel like I always need to be doing something productive.)Here are a few pics of the cousins that they took themselves while the big people were decorating for Dianne's wedding. I think they turned out cute and I might say that Cooper Lamb is not a bad photographer!
Wylson and Dallan had a great time playing pool on Mark's new table, the girls loved playing around in aunt Janels shop and we all loved seeing Raquel again!
The boys played in costumes. This picture is Easton's favorite one. I think he was superman with the Anikan face mask for a whole day:)
Dayton and Easton dressed up in camo gear one day and we drove up later that day and asked if they were having fun playing soldiers. they replied that they were having fun but that they were "mexicans" LOL

SPRING BREAK 2010

HERE WE ARE GETTING READY FOR OUR BIG TRIP TO ARIZONA FOR SPRING BREAK! WE LOADED THE CAR DOWN WITH A WEEKS WORTH OF CLOTHES, SNACKS FOR THE 20 HOUR DRIVE, AND COMFORT BLANKIES AND PILLOWS AND MP3 PLAYERS. WE LEFT SUNDAY AFTER BASEBALL TRYOUTS FOR WYLSON AND HEADED SOUTHWEST. THE DRIVE WAS A LOT BETTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE! THE KIDS SLEPT AND WATCHED A FEW MOVIES. DRAMAMINE IS MY NEW BEST FRIEND:)
JOHN GOT INTO HIS TRUCKER ROLE AND DROVE FOR 13 HOURS STRAIGHT BEFORE GIVING ME MY TURN, HE'S AMAZING.
WE GOT INTO TOWN AT 11 MONDAY MORNING AND HAD A GREAT TIME RELAXING AT JANELS UNTIL THE AFTERNOON WHEN WE WENT TO PICK UP DEBBIE FROM WORK AT THE D.I. AND HEAD OUT TO MEET OUR NEW GRANDPA, CT DAVIS. WE HAD DINNER AT A PIZZA BUFFETT AND THEN WENT TO DIANNES HOUSE TO VISIT WITH CT. DEBBIE HAD A GREAT REUNION WITH THE KIDS AND IT WAS FUN TO SIT ON THE STAIRS AND TELL STORIES AND JUST LOOK AT HER. SHE LOOKS AMAZING! I SHOWED HER A PICTURE OF HERSELF IN OCTOBER WHEN WE SAW HER LAST AND BOY DOES IT DOCUMENT HER GROWTH. SHE LOOKS COMPLETEY DIFFERENT. BUT THE BEST NEWS IS THAT THE CHANGE THIS TIME IS FROM THE INSIDE OUT. HER SPIRIT IS STRONG AND HER TESTIMONY IS GROWING DAILY. SHE REALLY KNOWS WHO SHE IS AND WHERE SHE WANTS TO GO THIS TIME. A SIGN OF TRUE HEALING IN MY OPINION.
GOING TO ARIZONA MEANS EATING A LOT!!! SO MUCH FOR MY DIET! WE ATE AT JOHN'S FAVEORITE RESTURANT ALOHA KITCHEN. THE KIDS HAD NOT HAD IT FOR 3 YEARS AND THEY WERE VERY EXCITED TO GO THERE AGAIN. IT REALLY IS GOOD FOOD. IT WAS FUN TO MEET LINDA AND KENT THERE TOO WITH THE TWIN BABIES. THEY ARE SO CUTE! SAMI LOVES BABIES AND SHE GOT ASKED IF THEY WERE HERS!!! SHE LAUGHED IT OFF BUT I THINK SHE WONDERS IF SHE LOOKS THAT OLD?! WE ALSO EAT AT A FEW OTHER FAVORITE PLACES LIKE CAFE RIO, ELMERS, AND SERRANOS. LOTS OF MEXICAN BECAUSE THERE IS NO MEXICAN WORTH ANY MONEY IN MISSOURI!
JOHN AND MARK PUT UP A POOL TABLE AND GOT A LOT OF TIME TO PLAY. IT WAS FUN TO SEE THE BROTHERS PLAYING AND THE SONS LOOKING ON AND LEARNING THE GAME. WYLSON AND DALLAN REALLY LIKED IT. TOO BAD THERE ISN'T ANY ROOM AT OUR HOUSE FOR A POOL TABLE:(
THE KIDS PLAYED HARD EVERY DAY. THAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THE TRIP. I LOVE TO SEE THE RELATIONSHIPS DEVELOP AND TAKE OFF FROM WHERE THEY LEFT IT 9 MONTHS AGO. EASTON CALLED DAYTON "AIDEN" ALL WEEK LONG. CUTE! WYATT AND DAYTON AND EASTON ARE THE 3 MUSKETEERS. THEY PLAYED IN EVERY COSTUME YOU CAN IMAGINE. EASTON WAS IN HEAVEN!! THE GIRLS WERE VERY GIRLY THIS TIME AROUND... SADIE AND MADI BOUGHT FAKE NAILS AND WORE THEM TO THE WEDDING, WE DID EVERYONE'S HAIR AND COLORED RAQUEL AND REMI'S AND SAMI;S. WE SHOPPED FOR DRESSES AND BASICS AND HAD LOTS OF GIRL TIME IN THE CAR AND THE MALL. VERY FUN! ALL IN ALL IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!! I HAVE THE BEST FAMILY, AND EXTENDED FAMILY. IT IS A HUGE BLESSING THAT EVERYONE GETS ALONG AND REALLY HONESTLY LOVES ONE ANOTHER!!!