The Subway...

Bryce and I got to go to the Subway in Zion's last weekend. It was INCREDIBLE! The whole hike was around 9 miles. Alot of it was in the canyon and you had to hike from point A to point B. IF YOU EVER HIKE IT MAKE SURE YOU DO THE WHOLE THING! We kept seeing all these people just hiking up, but they didn't get to go through the "subway" which is the most amazing part. There was a few spots where you had to repell, and there are ALOT of spots where you had to submerge yourself in water! It was a blast. If you haven't done it before, take the time to do it! These pics don't do any justice of how beautiful it really was, but here they are anyway....

Where is Bryce?
One the repelling spots.

Heading into the "actual subway"

Here Bryce is swimming while trying to keep the pack (with the camera) above water...little bit of a struggle!

Ahhhh..

This butterfly just landed on me (3 different times!)

Hey All!

So over the last couple months, I've become a better facebooker and a horrible blogger!! The main reason, Bryce bought a camera that is so "high tech" it gives me a headache just to take a picture. I need some serious help when it comes to that thing!! You can't have a bunch of blogs without all the pictures that come with it, so I've started facebooking more. Retarded I know. This summer has just slipped by so fast though. We had a short summer, but a fun one. Lots of our days were spent at good 'ole Seven Peaks. Bryce just started teaching at Provo High this last week. We went to see his classroom and it finally sunk in that this is really going to be his job. Over the summer he did a bunch of trainings, but it still didn't really seem real. We'll have to pull out the camera and take some pics of his classroom. Kenzie thinks that his job is the coolest thing in the world and is stoked to have him be a teacher. So that's been kinda cute. I feel like I can't keep it all together now at home with adding some more classes to my already busy schedule as well as doing more training. But all and all we are all happy and healthy and excited for fall and to stop having to mow and weed the yard. Is it that time yet?

The Train Obsession Continues

Levi was sleeping, Kenzie was at a friends house, and I was excited to get a shower in before noon. So I hopped in the shower while Cache was playing with some toys. When I came out, here he was. Sitting fully engaged watching a movie (he had put in by himself). I had to laugh because the movie is a train movie. NOT just any train movie. This is a BORING documentary of trains. No music, no excitment, just old men talking about different kinds of trains. I watched it for approx. 10 minutes and about died of boredom, but Cache LOVES it. I had to take a picture because he was as happy as a clam and was content to stay there until it ended. Boys will be boys I guess.

Below is exactly how I found him......

Can you guess what is he's eating?

A. Oreo cookies

B. A candy bar

C. Dirt/mud from the garden

If you guessed C, your right! Dirt from the garden. Every time I go outside to work in the garden, he starts his big feast. It builds up immune systems right?

180 Degree Turn Point in our Life....

So I'm sure some of you know, and others don't.....BUT Bryce was laid off 6 months ago. We've been blessed to make it through but it has been rough. Anyway 2 weeks ago he interviewed for a job with Provo School District. Starting with 157 applicants it came down to him and one other guy. I was sure we had it in the bag. The other guy got it and I was devistated. A couple days later Provo School District called and offered Bryce a job teaching Special Education. They are going to pay for him to get his certificate while he teaches, and then they are going to help him get his masters too. Within 3-5 years they think he can be a principal or in some sort of administration position. Pretty Crazy huh? Never thought we'd be heading down this road, but with the Aviation and Construction markets, this one looks much more stable. :) SO....that is what is newest in our life.

Quote for the Day

As Bryce is "dipping" me giving me a kiss, we hear some snickering in the kitchen. "hee...hee...hee; you guys are in LOVE! says McKenzie. "That's why you have kids!" she says. It made me laugh because, really.......that IS why we have kids!

Monumental Day in Amy's History

I have been so busy doing other things, I haven't blogged in over a month! Crazy! Anyway this weekend Bryce and I got to spend the weekend w/o kids in St George. We went there to do the St. George Tri. Unfortunatley for the athletes and fortunatley for me, the swim was canceled do to high winds. I was stoked! I haven't been in the water much this year so I was happy all I had to do was bike and run. They had a run/bike/run event. The run was pretty miserable because it was all in thick sand. Not so fun for the average road runner, but we managed. Because there are over 2000 racers, they start everyone in waves, so we never know how we do until the end. After we came across the finish line we cooled down a little and went to see our results. Bryce leaned over to me and said "Good job, you won your age group." I was like "Sweet!" THEN.....he leaned over again with a not so happy face and said......"What? You beat me!!" NOW this had NEVER happened and I don't think it will EVER happen again, so that's why it HAD to be blogged! I was stoked, but he didn't seem to be. I think his training efforts have just skyrockeded. We found out yesterday that we both got in to the St. George marathon. I'm sure I will see him putting more time into his training. At least I got to beat him once right?

A Birthday Surprise!

Yesterday was my birthday. Usually I wouldn't really document it, but this one is up there on the charts of a "perfect birthday". It started on Saturday. My friend came running across the street with an early birthday present. A massage! Scheduled the morning of my birthday. Right then, my birthday was already great. I LOVE massages! THEN, thanks to facebook and texting, I think I had like 30 people wishing me "happy birthday" throughout the day. Anyway, after the fabulous massage, my neighbors took me out to lunch. A nap followed the lunch. Naps (for the Mom) are rare at my house. After the nap, I had to go teach a class. Bryce met me after to take me to dinner with some friends. While we were waiting for our friends to join us, he said "Are you ready for your last present?" He had already given me a present so I didn't know there was a "last one". Then he said; "you have an all expense paid to".......where would it be? "The Provo Marriott", he said. Okay, I didn't think there, but then he went on to finish his sentence. He had packed my bags and got me a nice room in the special access levels. Meaning, you have to had a special key to even get to those levels of the hotel. I have had a hard time sleeping, so he took the kids, and had me stay there to enjoy a little "me" time. When I unpacked my bags, he had packed a bunch of treats, my book I'm reading, and everything else I might need to enjoy my stay. There was a lounge that was included where you just go and pick out what you want to eat, dessert, breakfast, whatever, and they get it for you. Totally included. So fun! It was a little weird at first without my kids and husband, but I adjusted just fine. :0) It's always so refreshing to take a little time for yourself.

My neighbor made me this little spring treat. Isn't it cute?

6 Months Already

Levi is officially 6 months old. This is a HUGE graduation day for me. Now I can take him to the gym day care. HURRAY!!! Pretty sad that, that's the first thing I write huh.....

Anyway I just thought I'd mention a few milestones up to this point.

- He cut 2 teeth at 4 months, but nothing more since then

- He continues to be the happiest baby I think I've ever seen.....really

- He's officially crawling (yikes!)

- Levi has less hair now than he did when he was born

- He's very loving/loveable

- Is patient. Most times I tend to the 2 older kids before him...poor kid

- He's already wearing 12 month old clothes

As you can tell (and I mentioned before), he's patient and puts up with his older siblings, even though you can see he's a little worried. I would be too. ;)

He is SO smiley. I love it!

Here he is for the first time in the sink, taking a bath. It was a success!

It's been so fun having him around. He brings such a fun, happy spirit to our home. :) Every Mom needs a Levi in their life. He's my ray of sunshine throughout my day!

Beauty Queen at 4 yrs old...

Our adorable neighbor Becca, asked McKenzie if she could be her "little miss" for the Miss Spanish Fork Pageant. McKenzie was thrilled! For the last two weeks she has counted down the days until her "performance". Saturday night was the big night. Waiting until 7:00 about killed her, but finally it was time to go. McKenzie did a great job in everything. Becca also got 2nd attendant. Go Becca! Right after the program was over (and they had just finished saying "please stay off the stage until pictures for the newspaper are taken") McKenzie ran back up on stage so fast Bryce and I didn't notice until it was already to late. Miss Utah was the annoucer. So there was Miss Utah and the old & new Miss Spanish Fork getting their pictures taken and McKenzie is trying to get in the pictures....a little embarrassing for the parents. Anyway she felt really important. Becca also gave McKenzie a little flower at the end which made her feel extra special. Since then, we have spent a lot of time watching McKenzie practice new performances. She has been dancing non-stop "like the princesses" in the pageant. After Saturday, Bryce and I realized we might just have to get used to seeing her in the spot-light. I think we have a natural at wanting to perform and look like a princess. Pageants....here we come!

The 2 beauty queens together....

Becca, you looked gorgeous! Congratulations!

Memorable Temple Date

McKenzie and I got to take a mother-daughter date to the Draper temple yesterday. From the time Kenzie could talk, temples have always amazed her. For months when she was only 2 years old, we made family nights a night of driving around Utah county to look at different temples. When we told her she was going to get to go inside, she was thrilled!

It ended up being pretty long tour for a kid, but she did really well and when we got home, she told Daddy everything that she had learned, as she showed him all the pictures in the pamphlet they gave her.

When asked her favorite part, she said "The Bus!" Not really a response I was hoping for, but I guess she is a kid...

She was SO tired after everything, that as soon as we started driving she was out! This is her in the car about 2 minutes after we started driving. I had to capture it.

Womance & Bromance....at the cabin

Okay, so the title sounds a little worse than it actually is. We took Nelson and Kimberly down to the cabin this last weekend for some fun. We have had this on going joke about how men find "bromances" in their lives....a.k.a. buddies. Men that they can go to the gym with, play basketball with, talk sports with, ect. Once they have become really good friends, it evolves. This is when it becomes a bromance. They then text daily, become workout partners, go to lunch regularly, or do some sort of activity often. This could even happen at work. In my life, my husband has 3 bromances that I have discovered. Nelson happens to be one of them. SO, Kimberly and I decided that if they can have a bromance, we can have a womance. This weekend we worked on our relationships as just that. Kimberly and I girl talked (a way for women to womance) while Nelson and Bryce had some "quality" buddy time at the pawn shop in Beaver. So if you find your husband texting regularly and catch him laughing to himself while he does it, he might just have a bromance.

This is a pic where a huge field opens up and you have acres of untouched snow ready to be road on. The pic does nothing for it. It was so beautiful and HUGE! We had a blast!
Have you ever tried to kiss while wearing a helmit? Doesn't work so good.......

The Womance

The Bromance......

Kimberly and Nelson. We love you guys!

These next pics are just of the cabin. Jess......this is for you!

The cabin is no mansion in the mountains, like so many others are. But it is the coziest little place and has so much character. Bryce's Dad and Uncle literally built it with their hands. From digging the foundation with shovels, to making the log beds. They used a crane once to set the center beam. Other than that it has been a family work in progress....summer after summer. Which I think makes it even more fun and memorable to take fun trips down to.

He's Two and full of Trouble

We just celebrated Cache's 2nd birthday. He is 100% in the "terrible two" stage. Two year olds are SO cute at times, and then so FRUSTERATING at other times. He test our patience everyday, but it always makes it worth it when he says "hug mummy" and gives me a big bear hug saying " I lub you mummy."

Cache had a wonderful birthday though. It started with him going to "Build A Bear" with my sweet neighbor and ended at "Chucky Cheeses". What more could a kid ask for? Below are the pics....

The end result

The best present he got was a "cho-cho train". He is completely obsessed with trains right now. The train broke the next morning. I guess there is a reason why it said "5 yrs old and up." Dangit.

Cache would find any open spot and just hop on. He rode off the other kids tokens. Smart boy.

CACHE 2 yrs old

Loves balls, cars, trucks, and trains. Typical boy.

Clean. Tidy. Now sleeps with his new bear.

Doesn't like his hands to be dirty. Loves being outside.

Escape artist. Can find a way to climb anything.

Likes to eat anywhere BUT the kitchen. Likes to draw, especially on walls, tables and chairs.

Thrill seeker. Likes to watch daddy work, especially with LOUD power tools. Is a runner. Before

we get to where we are going he says "I wanna run, I wanna run!" GOOD BOY CACHE! KEEP

IT UP!

It's Thursday night, it's ladies night...

Every 4th Thursday is our monthly "Girls Night Out a.k.a GNO." This time Jamie (of course) put together a cute little craft for us to do. It read "Think Spring". Everything was going smoothly for me until I got to the "Spring" and it read "Sprink". Hum.......I then glansed at the "think" part and realized I had spelled "thing". At least it was a word right? I was at least spelling something......

Here's Jess and Christy showing their craft...No mistakes here. Maybe that's what happens when you graduate from college....Maybe someday I'll try that.

We had a fun night anyway. Thanks Laura and Jamie for putting it together!!!

Would you let them in your house?

Yesterday we came home a littler earlier than the babysitters expected. This is what we found....

So the questions is, are they fit for babysitting or are they still just little kids?

All I know is that my kids LOVE them and they LOVE my kids!

Cabin, Snowmobiles, No kids, Hurrah!

This last weekend we took our friends down to the cabin....without kids! Hurrah! We didn't wake up until 11:30 on Saturday and just did whatever we wanted for the day. It was so nice to take a little time for ourselves and have a little R & R. We're so glad that you guys were able to join us V!

Sunshine, snacks and a picnic bench, what more can you ask for?
Nothin' but blue skies

Here is my attempted "action" shot of V & Aaron.

The whole weekend V would say "It's time to get geared up". I think she is "geared up" What do you think?

Ahhh.......