Hey, I Know Them!

Chamber Choir -Camille's sophomore year

So, if you watch The Biggest Loser, be sure to watch tomorrow's episode.  A new couple joins the group and they are from Ogden!  My kids said rumors had been going around the schools for a long time, but I must be out of the loop, because I had no idea. Last week I was minding my own business, watching the show while on my treadmill (I like to pretend I'm running at 10 mph and losing 10 lbs a week like the people on the show) and just before I flipped it off they showed the previews for this week's show, and I about tripped off the treadmill.  They are in our stake and the mom teaches sewing and cooking at Mt. Ogden Jr. High.  She told me once at PTC that Scott shouldn't pursue a career in sewing.  He is really looking forward to the trainers making her cry.  Vance is a year older than Camille and sang in choir with her at Ogden High for 2 years.  Last I heard he was trying to lose enough weight to go on a mission. Anyway, hopefully they'll be able to stick around for a while.  It'll be fun to watch people I actually know on the show.  I'll be cheering for them to do well.

Jr. Prom

 Scott & Mariah

Don't they all look nice?  I'm used to seeing these guys in basketball shorts and t-shirts. I hope all the hairdos didn't get ruined in the rain.
(They only met at our house for a minute for a quick group picture before dinner, but it was sure fun to see everyone in their finery!)

Next thing we know it's going to be these yahoos all dressed up for dances.  Watch out girls!

Yesterday...

Matt and I made a tie-die shirt, which he has been 'dying' -ha- to do forever. Every day in March  his school has a different dress up theme (!) and we didn't get the shirt done for hippie day, but we finally pulled it off for rainbow day.  Not as hard as I thought it would be, and he loves it!

Kevin and Dad made a pasta car with moving wheels, doors, and steering wheel for his science class. (I was their lovely assistant)  It was pretty cool.  It would have been even cooler if Kevin had remembered about it before 9:00pm.  Thanks Kev.

We had about 14 or 15 high school boys over for a BYU Basketball watching and impromptu birthday party for Pablo. (The cake was thrown together during the first half.) He was one of two Florida fans there and I think he must have wished for a Florida win when he blew out his candles right before the overtime.  Bummer.

I didn't get any pictures of this "Jimmer" all night.  His friends have started calling him that because he's such a BYU fan.  Also, the curly hair and a hot streak from 3 point range during one of his church ball games didn't hurt. He's a little sad, but he'll watch for Jimmer in the pros.

Also...I've been thinking of this recently.  I love it. I love loud boys, too. (Most of the time)

Matt's Catapult

Matt and Dad made this cool catapult and army from a kit using Matt's hand tools.  They did an awesome job.  I was trying to call Matt to dinner the other night and I couldn't find him anywhere.  I finally found him in the shop cutting the bases for the little men with his saw.  As you can see, they've all been injured pretty badly by the giant green pom-pom.

Basketball and a Winner

I didn't take a lot of basketball pictures, and those I did take didn't turn out very well, but here are a couple of shots of Matt in his first season of Jr. Jazz. He learned a lot and had fun, and it was a good break from soccer, which we seem to live and breathe around here.

Also, you can see in the header above our winning family picture -or at least the one I'm going to order for my canvas Mom gave for Christmas.  It is the bottom picture from the last post, just not cropped quite so tightly.  Hopefully I'll like it all blown up. :) (Don't we look just like one of those mean Ogden gangs you're always hearing about? Don't mess with us!)

Help Me! -One More Added

Which do you like better?  I need to decide before tomorrow! (Can you tell I pasted Kevin's eyes on top of Scott's in the top picture? Scott's were half shut.  Still look a little sleepy, but at least they're open)

I don't know which one I like the best -I think our smiles are mostly better in the bottom one, but I'm not sure I like having all our ugly shoes and levi's showing so much.  What do you think?

One more - Is cropped better?

Flashback Friday

April 1996

Family photo 15 years ago

Don't you just want to nibble those little cheeks?

Current family photo (coming soon) -no more chubby cheeks and these two -and their little brother- are towering over me.  They're still cute though :)

Brace Face

Smiling Through the Pain

What you can't see -the BYU blue and white bands around each bracket. Go Cougars!

Family Photos and Russian Dinner

Last night we gathered with Grandma and Grandpa and Niel and Amy's family for family photos. I snapped a few while the photographer was busy with other people, but I'm glad we hired a pro -I just didn't have the touch last night -not that I ever really do. These are a few of the okay ones, but I'm hoping for better things in our "real" pictures.

After the photo shoot we headed back to Mom and Dad's to celebrate my Dad's 68th birthday and have our much anticipated "Russian Dinner." Mom had worked long and hard preparing Russian specialties enjoyed on their mission. They were all labeled in Russian and English and enjoyed with varying degrees of enthusiasm. :) It was fun to sample the dishes we heard so much about during the two years they were away.

Flashback Friday

Think Spring!
April 2003

Look at those cute rugrats! It's hard to believe that Matt is now only two years younger than Camille was in this picture. It seems like just the other day that we were spending that Spring Break day together in Salt Lake. We went to Temple Square, the top of the Church Office building (past all the new post-9/11 security) and the Gateway. Ahh, those were the days when all my kids were happy to spend the day with me just sight-seeing, and going to Salt Lake was a big, exciting excursion. :) It's often individual outings now -a Jazz game with Scott, lunch with Camille, Jr. High play with Matt, a trip to Mesquite with Kevin (and Matt). I'm just happy when we get the whole family together for a game of Farkle or a trip to the bowling alley. And even then the "whole family" doesn't usually include Camille. Thank goodness she's only 75 minutes away and we still see her fairly often. Life changes and I'll take all the family time I can get!

How It's Made...

Sorry -last night's sunset doesn't have anything to do with this post, but I couldn't resist. It almost made me cry it was so gorgeous.

After the beautiful sunset, we got together with John's family at the Centerville cannery to do drypack canning. Mindy had set it up a few weeks ago and we all placed our orders and then worked together with the missionaries there to can what we needed. Matt loves to watch the show "How It's Made" where they show lots of factories, so he thought it was pretty cool. He did a great job putting the oxygen absorbing packets in the cans and the lids on. We canned a LOT of food in a couple of hours. I came home with 13 cases of different dry goods. I think we'll do it again every few months until we feel like we all have what we need. Now I've got to go reorganize my storage room to go make room for it all!