Break the rules day at school!

Today was break the rules day at school. It is a fundraiser the school does twice every year. They send home a list of 6 rules that the kids can beak, they have to pay $1 for each one or $5 for all 6. Of course the kids jumped right on this. They changed their hair color, are chewing gum, sitting at the teachers desk, staying in at recess, and Cody wanted to wear P.J.'s! Nobody wanted to wear a hat, understandably it would mess up their hair! How FUN!!

Snowy day

We had snow on Saturday- it was freezing! The great thing about Utah is that there are hundreds of indoor activities for kids. One of those things is the Tree House. This building is amazing! It is huge. In the center of this place is a very life like tree. On the ground floor there is a theater, mini play houses from different parts of the world, and right now a Japanesse exhibit. You can then go up the stairs that go up the middle of the huge tree. There are to many things to count on the second floor! One of the kids favorite things- you get to make and take home a craft every time you go! Bryan was asked to participate in the play! The story teller tells the story and the "actors" act it out! It was so funny and Bryan, as embarassed as he was, did great! (he's the knight) Dan loves helping the kids make things! At every station they had a fairy tale and craft to go along with the different cultutre you were learning about, the fairy tales were usually one's you were not familiar with.I was helping the kids with a craft and then they all disapeared, I ended up finishing them by myself! Snots!

Bryan

Cole

Cody

This was a kid size replica of the oval office. So do you think they would let all three run the country?

The boys loved making the pumpkin necklaces!

Cole and Cody had fun going fishing as we read the fairy tale about the ocean!

After we were done at the tree house we went and got the kids all of the snow gear they will need for the year. When we got home they couldn't wait, they went straight outside and had a snow ball fight! Sorry I didn't get any picks, I'll work on it next snow fall!

Update!!!

Well a lot has happened since the last time I blogged! It has been a very busy few weeks. So here is the update.

Bryan has played a season of flag football and LOVED it. He played quarter back and I think he's found a sport he likes and is really good at! He is now trying to talk me into "real" football next year, I told him he has a year of talking to do! He will start basket ball in January, he's really looking forward to it! He's doing great in school, I think a bit of maturity has set in. He's pulling straight A's and his classroom behavior is perfect, a big relief compared to last year!

Cole's big news is his baptism! He had his grandparents from Ca and aunt's and cousins come out for it, we all had a great time. He thinks he is the man now, not only did he get baptised, he also gets to go to scouts! He's been having fun with that. He has also been taking piano lessons from Angy's studio, we are told he is a natural with music! He's doing really well in school except for the spelling which I am afraid he got from me! He's considering basketball, Cole just does not love the whole competition thing!

Cole's baptism

Everyone who attended

This is how we kept Cody behaving at the baptism!!

Cody is growing right before my eyes! He is eating me out of house and home- I think he will be the biggest kid of them all! When his family from Ca came to visit we went bowling for his 6th b-day, yes I said 6th! He thought that was the best thing ever, he felt awfully spoiled that day. He is loving his all boy tumbling class at Angy's studio, his favorite part is that is favorite cousin Brandon is in it with him! His teacher says he is the best behaved kid in his class and she cannot believe that in first grade he is already reading chapter books! Cody has decided to start basketball in January he thinks he's really good, so he tells me every time I turn around!

Cody's birthday bowling party

Logan and Robyn would much rather play with the video games
All of the kids on Dan's side of the family

Dan and I are doing well. It has been so nice to have him home!!! Dan LOVES working with his dad and brother. He will start Real Estate School soon. My business is doing really well up here in Utah. I'm working a lot and really enjoying it. We just got back from a family vacation to Lake Powell. We had so much fun! We hiked to some Indian Ruins, took drives in the boat, and of course skied, wake boarded, and tubed. All of the kids got up on skis and Cody, the little dare devil, almost made it out of the wake! The weather got pretty bad so we packed up and went to Goblin Valley. I have never seen anything like it! Do you remember making drip castles at the beach as kids? Well it looked like those only as big as houses! We hiked all over them and the kids had a ball! We stayed overnight and delt with FREEZING cold wind all night. We came home to two inches of snow on the ground! It's been between 39 and 75 degrees since we got home! Weird weather. Our new joint calling at church is the nursery leader! Of course I'm excited, Dan is getting the hang of it!

Bryan, Cole, Cody, and our nephew Brandon- all the boys
I have no idea who's on the tubes, the whole lake has cliffs like this, beautiful huh?!
The kids call Uncle Jeff Superman because he can fly!

Dan, Jeff, and Mike arguing who's going first

Dan lost!

A cliff more Bryan's size

Trying to talk Cody into going

He finally decided to jump

Waiting out the storm in the boat

hiking to the Indian ruins

at the Indian house

jumping from a dirt cliff on the way back from the Indian ruins
look closely, you will see a scorpion- we found him under our tent at goblin valley!
Goblin Valley
All of the kids Dan and Doug

Business Rally in California

The President of lia sophia, Tory Kiam!!!!My man on the stage! He's so hot!

Me and my girls (Micheal jumped in the middle)

Me and Dan :)

Dan and Micheal as the lolly pop kids!!! We laughed so hard our sides hurt!

I went out to California this past weekend and attended Lisa's business Rally! It was so powerful! Lisa asked Dan and I to do some training, we were so honored to be a part of this amazing day! (Dan forgot to get a picture of me doing it!). After the rally a few of us stayed and visited. Micheal (who is Lisa's 16 yr. old son and has a show on the Disney channel- we are so proud of him!) and Dan decided to suck the helium out of the balloons and sing songs and act silly, everyone was so entertained! We have plenty of blackmail photos of Micheal for the future!! Who are you taking to Paris with you now Micheal!!!??? Dan also came home with me after the weekend and is home now for good! I finally feel like I can breath. I am not so overwhelmed any more, it's a good thing to be married.

Labor Day

from the guy standing in the white shirt clockwise- Dan's cousin Jeremiah and wife, Dan's cousin Ben and wife, Dan's mom Susan, Dan's youngest sister Melissa, Our niece Rachel, Bryan, Cole, Cody, Our nephew Brandon, Our brother-in-law Mike.


the kids begging for candy

picking up every last piece!
Bry and Grandpa


poor horse!


I was told that when Dan was a little boy this is the job he wanted to have, picking up the manure! Such high hope's!!!
Only in Utah, need I say more!

The Indians burnt down the house!
Jumping off of the wall onto the tramp at Great Aunt Lisa's
The kids put ice on the tramp to cool off!

The kids and I went with up to Wellsville (Logan) for Labor Day. Dan's Ancestor- Peter Maughan- settled Logan. So going to Labor Day is a HUGE deal for the Maughan family (Susan's side). We had a blast at the parade catching candy from all of the floats. Only in farm country Wellsville do you have a tractor in the parade!! After the parade there was a cowboys and Indian fight and the Indians burn down a cardboard house, the kids thought it was really neat. We walked through a craft fair before heading over to Susan's sister, Lisa's house for lunch. On the way there I was telling the kids that we were going to Daddy's aunts house. Bry looks at me and says "how many aunt's does dad have?!" We had a good laugh over that, it was pretty cute! The kids had fun playing with Dan's cousins kids and I had a good time visiting with Grandparents and Aunt's and Uncle's I haven't seen in quite some time! After the kids were all worn out we headed back home.