Holy Updates!

I have lots of pictures on my camera of things I want to remember, so here are a bunch of new posts for your reading pleasure. ;)

Milestones

We've hit a few fun milestones at our house lately.

1. I've reached 200 posts! Not very many considering I am going into my 5th year of blogging, but I am happy with all of my posts. I know I joke about blogging getting me out of having to scrapbook, but I honestly feel better that I am doing something to document what's going on with our family.

2. This cute girl turned 7 years old.

3. We sold our 1998 Camry that has been in my family since 1998. My brother bought it brand new. He sold it to my mom a few years later, and we bought it from her a few years after that. It started acting funny last week, so we took it in, and they told us that the engine needed to be replaced. We've known for a while that we would need a new car soon, so instead of putting more money into this car, we decided to sell it. We put it on Craigslist, and we had 4 phone calls about it within a half hour - busted engine and all. We sold it for a lot cheaper than we had hoped because of the engine, but really I am happy to be rid of it with all the problems it's had recently.

4. I've recently passed 50 songs that I can play in the hymn book. This is huge for me! Six months ago I could play about 8 hymns. Then I got called to play piano for Relief Society, and now I am forced to practice and learn new hymns almost weekly. My mom is an amazing pianist, and playing piano was something that I picked up quickly when I was younger. But I gave it up, and I've been regretting it for the past ten years. I feel a lot better knowing that I am finally developing a talent that I have always enjoyed.

All of these crazy things have occurred around the same time, so I feel like they need to be recorded!

Thanksgiving Week

My kids go to school on Veteran's Day so that they get the whole week of Thanksgiving off. It's so wonderful. We spent the entire week at my parents' house in New Harmony, Utah.

Rebecca's birthday was on Tuesday of that week, and for her birthday she wanted to go to Uncle Buck's and Aunt Denise's to ride the horse.

This is Rebecca on Nelson with my brother-in-law Buck.

While we were there we also got to see the new baby chicks and the big chickens, the outside cats, Sam the dog, and the rest of the horses. There are LOTS of fun things to do at my sister's house.

For the rest of the week, we did a lot of relaxing, some shopping, a little four-wheeling, spent time with cousins, ate lots of pumpkin pie and letfovers, and saw Breaking Dawn and Jack and Jill at the movies. It was a nice week break.

I hope everyone else had a nice Thanksgiving!

Rebecca's 7th Birthday Party

The Saturday before we left for Utah, we had a small party for Rebecca. We asked her if she wanted a friend or family party this year for her birthday, and she said family party, so we invited our families over to celebrate.

Every occasion where there's a bouncy castle, my sister-in-law Emily always jumps right in with the kids. She's so girly and classy (she took off her 5 inch stilettos to get in) that it's so fun to see. She hopped right in the bouncy castle at her brother Bryan's wedding too - dress and all. I love it, so I had to get a picture this time.

Some of the guests at the party:

I came around the counter to get a picture of Rebecca in front of her lit candles, and she said, "I'm going to make a face that looks like I'm blowing out my candles." In making that face, she actually blew them out before we sang Happy Birthday. We relit them, and that's why she's covering her mouth in this picture.

I love all of the following pictures because my nephews Gage and Ryder seem to enjoy doing bunny ears:

Kevin got her a snowboard this year because she's been asking if she can try it with us. We found her a nice, unisex board so that if she hates it, she can pass the snowboard down to her brothers.

We love you, Rebecca! We hope you enjoyed your birthday!

Breaking Dawn!

I got a call the week before from my friend Julie telling me that she paid to go to a Breaking Dawn party on Friday night, but her family had decided to go to Disneyland instead. So she offered me her spot. My good friend Kellie was going to be there, so I told her I'd go. And it was a blast!

We had dinner at Brio, and the girls who organized the party decorated and had a wedding cake just like we were attending Bella and Edward's wedding. They had tons of prizes they raffled off during dinner. After dinner, all of us who attended the party got our own private theater for the movie.

I have to say, I thought the movie was really corny the first time I saw it. The music was loud - overpowering the dialogue a little bit. It made a lot of parts seem cheesy. But I saw it again a few days later with Kevin, and I liked it a lot more. The music wasn't as noticeable the second time. I think I can say that this one is my favorite of the four.

And it was nice to hang out with Kellie. She and I and her sister Brook were the only girls in a group full of guys that hung out in high school. With our kids, we don't get to hang out with just each other anymore, so it was fun to do that again. Thanks for the fun night out, Kellie!

Plymouth Plantation

At my kids' school, they do a Thanksgiving production every year called An Evening at Plymouth Plantation. The elementary-age kids are showcased for this Thanksgiving play, so both William and Rebecca were part of it. It kind of reminds me of a primary program where every child gets a small speaking part that they have to say at the microphone. There's a lot of that mixed in with a drama about the pilgrims.

Here are my cute pilgrim and very serious-looking American Indian.

I could not get a smile out of this kid!

A few years back, someone built this boat just for this production, but the only students who get to go on the boat during the play are the actors. So my kids were anxious for the show to end so that they could have their turn on the boat. Rebecca's friend Reagan is with her the second picture.

My kids really enjoyed preparing for this production, and it was a great way usher in Thanksgiving at our house!

Deja Vu

A while back I took this picture of William.

Here are two pictures I got of Braden yesterday:

I don't know what it is about this spot on the couch. It looks like the most uncomfortable place to fall asleep!

Halloween

This year we attended three different parties to celebrate Halloween. I LOVE when my kids get to wear their costumes multiple times.

Thursday night, my neighbors growing up had a backyard party with a fun DJ and some great food. Saturday night we had our ward's Trunk or Treat which was simple this year with a costume parade and candy hand-out. Since I went to both parties without Kevin, I was happy that they were short and sweet and that my kids still had a a fun time.

Kevin and I dressed up like Kate Middleton and Prince William. And no, I am not trying to be a pregnant Kate Middleton, and I don't need to make any announcements. I blame the dress, and my lack of motivation to work out lately.

We also had a dragon...
and a shark...

and a Little Mermaid.

My kids love these $1 buckets we got from Target. They wanted to make sure that their buckets were part of the pictures.

Here we are with Kevin's sister Laura the pirate and her daughter Katia who was Cinderella. We're on our way to my brother Travis's annual Halloween party. The weather this year was gorgeous, and all of the kids had a great time!

I love Halloween, and I love that it starts out the holiday season. Bring on Thanksgiving!

Granny Bowman 1921-2011

Rosetta Ellen Marie Bowman

May 1, 1921 - October 14, 2011

This is Kevin. Emily asked me to write this post about my Granny Bowman who passed away this October. She was truly an elect lady and I feel so blessed and proud to be her grandson.

Her funeral was on October 19, 2011 in Ontario California, and her body was buried two days later in Salt Lake City.

Emily and I were able to go down with the kids to the funeral in California and it really was nice. Everyone that spoke did a great job, and it was fun to see all of my family.

(Rebecca with her cousin Katia)

My Granny's Relief Society put together a delicious lunch for the family.

After the funeral Emily and I took the kids to the beach (sorry we didn't take any pictures. We're not very good about that). It was really cold and the kids could care less! They all three went right in the water and had a great time about it.

(Braden and William enjoying the lunch)

We came home and then the next day, I rode with my parents, and my sister's Laura and Emily, up to Salt Lake where my Granny's body was buried next to - and actually right on top of - my Grandad's.

(My niece Katia, My Sister Emily, and Me)

(My Siblings; Melissa, Emily, Brandon, and Laura)

It was a beautiful day, and it was fun seeing all my cousins that couldn't make it to California.

(My sisters Laura and Emily on either side of my Great-Great-Granny Edna Lambson's headstone. And My brother Brandon providing the photo-bomb in the background)

(Me and my sister Emily)

(My Dad)

(My mom and I on either side of Mary Fielding Smith's headstone. She was my Great-Great-Great-Granny)

The entire week was very special. My Granny was an amazing lady. I find it hard to grieve because I know that she is in Paradise now.

She left behind a legacy of righteousness for which I am grateful. When I was seven years old she gave me her scriptures and in the front inside cover wrote these words:

"Dear Kevin, I hope you will enjoy reading these scriptures and using them as a guide for your lifetime. I have studied them and loved them and have a real testimony that these are the words of the Lord to His people whom He loves - people like you and me! I love you very much and am very proud of the fine young man you are. Love, Granny Bowman."

There isn't anything in my life that means more to me than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to be a member of His Church and that is in a large part due to the example set before me by my Granny. I can't wait to see her again, and hope I can be the example to my children and grandchildren that she was to me.

Third Week of School

Because that's how I roll. Mornings at our house are too crazy for me to remember to take a picture of my kids before we leave, even on the first day of school. This morning I decided we could be a little late so that I could get one picture. I want at least one of Rebecca and William in their cute uniforms since this is their last year at American Heritage.

Do these two look like twins, or what?! They're actually 2 1/2 years apart. His shoe size caught up to her shoe size years ago, and now it looks like he's caught up to her in height.

Can I go off topic a bit and tell you how much I love that my kids wear uniforms to school? It's so nice to say, "Go put on your uniform," and not fight about outfit choices in the morning. The public school we are currently zoned for wears uniforms, and I am SO HAPPY about this for next year. I've heard the county might be rezoning our area, so I'm really hoping we get to stay with this school.

Other things going on at our house lately: My boys love to dance. I know I can't put videos in my blog book, but this video is too cute not to share.

Don't mind the two-and-a-half year old with the binky in his mouth still. He continues to suck his thumb when we don't give him the binky, so I would rather fight this battle than the thumb battle later.

And that is all for now.

A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere...

Last week I had teacher training at my school across town every morning. On my commute Tuesday morning, I heard the DJ from my favorite radio station announce, "Caller 10 wins Death Cab for Cutie tickets." So I called. And I won!! I put a few of Death Cab for Cutie's songs on my sidebar in case some of you aren't familiar with them.

As part of winning the concert tickets, I won a tour of the Neon Boneyard with the bass player from the band. The Neon Boneyard is a place where they have a lot of old Las Vegas signs that used to be on the Strip and downtown. I've really wanted to go to the Neon Boneyard since it opened, so between the concert and the Neon Boneyard tour, I was doubly excited!

Here are some signs from the Las Vegas of my childhood:

This is me with the other winners and the bass player. At the concert, we picked a place to stand, and we randomly ended up right next to the winner in the white hat and also by my friend Halli from high school.

The Showboat was right off the 95 freeway by my house. It was later bought by a family we know, and they renamed it Castaways. It didn't do well and was eventually imploded.

I'm not sure what hotel this hat went with, but I remember it spinning in the air at one of the downtown hotels. Fitzgerald's, maybe?

This is the face from the Treasure Island back before they changed it into the stupid TI. I hate the new Sirens show and everything else that came with the new TI.

The Flamingo's old sign

I wanted a candid with the bass player, and this is the one I got. He's the bearded guy. He took tons of pictures while we were at the Neon Boneyard. I was reading the insert of Death Cab's new CD, and he was the photographer for the cover art and some other pictures in the album.

Caesar's Palace's old sign

another Binion's Horseshoe sign

This is Mr. Nick Harmer, the bass player for Death Cab for Cutie.

Here he is with me and my guest Harley. Harley is one of my former students. She loves music more than I do, which is saying a lot, and she's also an amazing musician. She plays the guitar and bass, among other instruments, so she was really excited to meet him.

I love Harley because even though she was born in 1993, she listens to all of the awesome 90s music that I listened to in high school. She also likes all of the same pop music that I like. Our musical tastes are almost identical. I promised her at the end of the school year that we would go to a concert together over the summer, so when I won these tickets, she was the first person I called.

The concert was at the Cosmopolitan hotel. They drained the pool and built a stage at the end of it, and that's where the band played. The lead singer said that it was the weirdest place he'd ever done a concert. The music wasn't super loud because we were outside, and because the pool is on the 4th floor, we had a fun view of the Planet Hollywood and Paris hotels.

Adele was also doing a concert inside the hotel, so the place was a mess with traffic and people, but the Death Cab concert was amazing. There are some bands that I love more after seeing them live, and this band is definitely one of them. The lead singer played the guitar, piano, and drums, the guitar player played the guitar, piano, and the bass, and the bass player took a turn playing the guitar. The only member of the band that didn't switch instruments was the drummer. It was fun to watch them all trade instruments, and they put on a really great show. I would love to see them again sometime. Next time I'll try to convince my anti-concert husband to go with me!