quote for the day!

Last night we were watching the movie "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium". It is a wonderful movie...one we would buy....I was especially impressed when Mr. Magorium said to Molly Mahoney, "Your life is an occasion, rise to it." I thought that was one of the most thought provoking lines I have heard in a movie. So, I will try harder to rise to the occasion that is my life! Love the life you chose! YOUR LIFE IS AN OCCASION, RISE TO IT!!

One last Post to crack you up!

So we've been home about a week now trying to get over our colds...and I have put on a few pounds! Sarah and Brandi have been telling me how great this new kick boxing class is at the YMCA and I was anxious to get started. So, yesterday I went...we were all doing great...even Sarah who is very sick was doing well....we were sweating and huffing and she told us to shuffle while holding our weights...I did this a few times and then I flew across the room, the weight shot out of my left hand narrowly missing the girl in front of me and I landed with a thud on the carpet! I of course dissolved into embarrassed laughter got up and kept going, only to trip again a few minutes later!!! So, I finally removed my shoes (which were catching on the carpet, I am sure this is why I kept falling down!) and finished the class! Ahh the life of Natalie the klutz! Go ahead, Laugh!

Happy Wedding Day to Tommy and Jessie!!!

We were so happy to be a part of Jessie and Tommy's wedding day! They really are a perfect match...they love each other so much! It was a perfect day and their reception was amazing as well. The room was decorated so beautifully. Amy did a fabulous job on the flowers and Tommy's dad made the most beautiful and delicious cakes you've ever had!!! It was a really wonderful night! Congratulations Tommy and Jessie we love you and wish you all the best!!!

Big Basin Redwoods, Fishermans Wharf, and Point Lobos

We drove up to the Santa Cruz mountains to the Big Basin Redwood forest. It was so beautiful! We took the kids on a hike through the forest to a waterfall and back. They loved it! The trees were amazing, the forest smelled so good, and the weather was perfect for a hike! The redwood trees are unbelievably beautiful and enormous!!

We took our kids to fisherman's wharf so they could see the sea lions and sample the clam chowder. It was so much fun...they loved watching the sea lions and most of them loved the chowder...the ones who didn't like it gave their chowder to me (poor mom;)!! I was sad that the monkey wasn't there anymore. The kids had fun anyway and all came home with a souvenir!

We decided to take the 17 mile drive on our way to Point Lobos...It was such a gorgeous drive, the homes are beautiful and the views of the ocean were stunning! We had a lovely picnic at Point Lobos and then we hiked in to the beach. It was fun teaching the kids about poison oak, and the California Poppies. They loved seeing the sea otters, the birds and deer. We tried to visit China Cove but, it was all taped off...so we went on until we came to Gibson Beach. It was also beautiful, and the weather was gorgeous so we stopped and let the kids play. Jenna fell into the water up to her neck so she spent most of the day in her undies. This vacation has been absolutely amazing!

Barbeque, volleyball, and the beach

For family home evening we joined with the Staley's and Rehak's for a fun evening of volleyball, a barbecue, and fun on the beach! IT was so much fun! It fulfilled a dream of Erinn's to play sand volleyball on the beach and boy did he have a fantastic time! We all enjoyed this evening! It was awesome! The kids love love love the beach!!

Dennis the Menace Park

After the Aquarium, what could be better than playing at the park!!! The kids had a ball! It was fun to go back and remember all the fun I used to have here as a kid! The huge hedge maze isn't quite as huge anymore...and they replaced the super fast slide with these curvy green ones...I guess things must change...but it was still as fun for them as I wanted it to be! This was one of their favorite places!

I still love the enormous train and so did my boys!

The Monterey Bay Aquarium

This is the coolest place!!! Everything is so amazing and every time I go they have changed something! This time they had made a really cool kids area called the splash zone. The kids had things to climb on and dress up in, jumping, sliding and tunneling. It was like an underwater playground! The kids of course loved to see the sharks, eels and jelly fish... They kept telling me to "take a picture of that one" and "Oh, mom that one is cool too!" They got to touch starfish and sea cucumbers and kelp. and there is this area where you can sit while a wave crashed down onto you. It was so much fun! It was crazy crowded with people because it was spring break. But, we enjoyed it anyway. Lindsey came with us and she was the best! She was so helpful for me keeping track of everyone and helping us figure out where to go! She was such a great help to me...Thanks Lindsey, we love you!!! And thanks Melissa for letting us use your passes, this was a fantastic day!!!

Happy Easter!!!

For Easter Melissa always has the kids go on a scavenger hunt to find their Easter baskets, we gladly joined in the fun! The kids had so much fun searching for clues and finding their baskets! It was awesome! This is one tradition we may have to bring home with us!!! Jenna enjoyed talking to the "real Easter bunny" and all the kids look so cute in their Easter clothes! They grow up so fast!!

We got to attend church with the Staley's for Easter Sunday and that was great for me! As we pulled up to the ward building, all the memories came flooding back...stake conferences, basketball and volleyball games, stake dances...I had so much of my life right there! It was really nice to get to see some of the people that I knew too...Ruby had to be the most fun for me!! She is so great. It really was a wonderful Easter...after church we had the most delicious Ham dinner...everything was perfect!!!! Melissa and Jason, Thank you so much for including us in your day, it was so wonderful!!!

Moss Landing

We all went to the beach at Moss Landing on Friday night! It was the kids first time at the beach and they loved it! Some of us played a little game of football...while the others tried to get as wet as possible (by accident of course!!) We even found pieces of a dead jelly fish and a dead seal!! The kids were so fascinated by it all! They loved walking around barefoot and hosing off their legs at Phil's fish Market. It was a great evening!!

Jessie took this family picture for us and I love it!!! Thanks Jessie!!!

Yay were in california!!!

Erinn and I were so glad that we got to be there for Jessie's endowment! It was an amazing day! We are so happy for her!

The kids absolutely loved California!!! They all had so much fun...each one of them said "I am going to live here when I grow up!"

They had such a blast playing with their cousins too! They all got along so well. It was wonderful! Jenna became quite attached to Lauren, and Hannah hung out with Lindsey! Lindsey was great, she showed the kids all the animals she caught bunnies and showed them how to feed them. She showed Hannah how to feed lemon tree leaves to the goats. Noah loved collecting the chicken eggs. They all loved the dogs! The funniest though was watching little Isaac follow big Isaac...He tried to be and do everything that big Isaac did! He totally idolized him! I'm fine with that....big Isaac is a great example! Someone to look up to. He did a great job putting up with all the copying...I was impressed! What a bunch of great kids!

Oh yeah, they loved the lizards, the pond and the playstation! We had such a wonderful time!!!

Go Karts Baby!!

We took the kids and went with Josh and Amanda to a family fun center. The kids had a blast...They drove go karts, played laser tag, and had unlimited arcade games! They had so much fun. They had this enormous play center for the little kids so Hannah and Jenna had a ball as well. We all raced our go karts at the same time which is why there are no pics! bummer...even Isaac got to drive himself! It was so much fun...you should have seen Jenna attack the whack a mole....It was hilarious...she took it so seriously...I think every home should have one of these just to get out all that pent up aggression!

Salt Lake City!

We took our kids on the conference center tour, we toured the beehive house, the tabernacle, the visitors center, we walked around temple square, we ate at the ZCMI food court, and we took them to see the Joseph Smith movie in the Joseph Smith memorial building! It was a full day, the kids were so good, and we all had a wonderful time! It was uplifting and inspiring to be there and feel the spirit that is there. This wont be the last time we visit this amazing place.

Isaac and Sam

Isaac lost his two front teeth in Sam's arm during a football game! He was so tough, and proud of himself, he didn't even cry!!!

Sam didn't cry either...even though the teeth cut his arm! It was actually pretty funny!!


I hope this doesn't mean Josh is passing the torch of crazy injuries.....YIKES


Yes, the tooth fairy came through for him....big time!!

Josh and Amanda

We arrived first in Utah! We were so excited to see Josh's house and hang out with them for a few days! It was so wonderful! All of us had so much fun! Jenna LOVED Josh and Amanda, she told us one night that she was sleeping up in their bed and I needed to "go downstairs and go to sleep mom"! It was so cute! The boys had a blast playing with Josh, they played football, gamecube, and air hockey! Amanda was so friendly, I really enjoyed getting to know her better. We had such a great time! Josh and Amanda, thank you so much for letting us come and stay with you... It was wonderful!

Hello Weather!

Okay...We're Back!!!!!!!!! We had so much fun!!! First let me tell you the weather we travelled in was the craziest!!! It snowed, and the road iced over, then the fog set in, so thick that we had a hard time seeing the front end of the van!! The road was completely covered in snow and ice so seeing the lines on I-80 was impossible! We tried to stay behind the truckers without following to closely, then the tail lights of the truck we were behind moved off the road so we slowed down and then we saw headlights coming toward us so we slowed way down...(Its three thirty in the morning and we are exhausted, we have been traveling about 35 miles per hour for several hours now!) As we come to a stop we get close enough to see that the semi truck we had been following had jack knifed right in front of us!!! So we sat there and tried to figure out what to do....we couldn't help him get his truck out, we had no extra seats to take him anywhere, and no cell phone to call for help...so Erinn drove down into the ditch and around the semi!! We were on our way again! We finally did follow a plow truck to a gas station so we could rest and wait out the storm. (it didn't do much good) But, every few miles we saw cars, suv's, and a surprising number of semi trucks off the road some had obviously rolled many times. It was pretty scary!
So, on our way home we figured the weather would be better (two weeks later...) we hit snow in California! It was almost as scary as Wyoming! It snowed hard all the way through the pass up by Lake Tahoe! All the road signs said SLICK ROAD CONDITIONS, TRUCKS MUST USE CHAINS, AVOID UNNECESSARY TRAVEL!!! Then when we stopped at our hotel in Cheyenne, Wyoming, it snowed again...a good three inches on our van! Unbelievable!