Disneyland Field Trip

So, for 8th Grade Graduation, our school offers a Disneyland Field Trip!  I went with Erin, Lafe went with Ethan, and so I was up again to go with Jamie!  I wanted to go with Jamie, but I was not looking forward to 2 nights sleeping on a bus :)

Our group at the entrance to the California Adventure
Jamie, Savannah, Brianna, Macy, Mishayla, Brianna E.

Jamie's big worry - Tower of Terror!  I still refused, but she went!

And SURVIVED!!!

Waiting at Soarin' over California - Jordan joined our group

At the entrance to Disneyland

Waiting in line for Indiana Jones, which broke so we never got to ride it.  Brigham joined the group, too.

Grizzly River Adventure - there were 8 seats and 8 kids, so we sent them without us.

Dinner - a Mickey Pretzel!

LOVED spending the day with Jamie and some of her friends.  It was exhausting and some drama, but we made it!

8th Grade Graduation

Jamie has graduated from 8th Grade!!!  On to HIGH SCHOOL!!!!!

Receiving her diploma from Mr. Lee

With Grandma and Grandpa Starr and the flowers they gave her.

With Mom and Dad - so proud of her!

The family that came to support
Ethan (thrilled), Aunt Cathy, Jamie, Erin, Kaylee
Helen, Laura, Talin (also thrilled), Kelcie

FRIENDS!!!!!
Jordan, Brianna, Savannah, Austin, Jamie, Bryden, Kelli, Macy, Spencer, Brigham, Brianna E., Harrison

Best Friends - Savannah and Brianna

Its been so fun watching Jamie blossom this year!  She's had so much fun.  I love that I've been helping out with the choir at school so I got to know her classmates and friends - and see her all the time!  She's sweet, considerate, helpful, outgoing, talented - I'll have to post that later - and fun!  We love watching her grow up!  On to Disneyland!!!!!!!!!

8th Grade Talent Show

8th Grade has a Talent Show on their last day of school, and a group of them decided to do a skit from Studio C ( BYU Channel, so funny).

Then, she and a friend decided to sing a song from Wicked:

It was so fun, and I was so excited that she would go out of her comfort zone to have some fun!

Easter!!!!!

Happy Easter!!!  I saw this picture on Facebook and I just love it.  I love the feeling of Joy that comes with Easter.  Just imagine if you were one of the first people to hear that He had risen and how you would have RUN to see the tomb empty.  So grateful and happy it was empty.

The Easter Bunny came.....

Checking out what they got.  The Bunny usually brings some clothes, something for Church, and a fun little toy.  And, of course, candy!!!

Since we have really late Church this year, and because everyone was busy, we ended up having our own Easter Lunch.  So, we had some fun with it.  We made Deviled Eggs and Jell-O Deviled Eggs

And, Bunny Rolls.  OK, so they turned out a little chubby, but they actually turned out better than I expected, so I was happy.  And, they were YUMMY!!!

Easter Pageant and Mission Calls

We haven't made it to the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant in a couple years, mostly just out of trying to schedule it, so this year we picked a date before so we'd be sure and schedule it in.

We got there early with blankets and pillows ready to sit on the lawn to watch, but when we saw how close we could get in the chairs we decided to take it - 7th row in the middle!!!  It was AWESOME!!!  And, very helpful, since I still can't see too well.  Here's our row - Ethan, Jamie, me, Laura, Kelcie, Erin, Talin - Lafe's taking the picture.

Taking a walk before it starts - Isn't the Temple beautiful?!?

The very end of the Pageant - my favorite part!  It's just so beautiful and wonderful.  Of course, the reason Lafe could take this picture was because he had to take Talin to the bathroom about 30 seconds before this (he was just a little mad since we tried to take him before).

At the end of the Pageant, Lafe got a text that his sister 3 kids were going to open their mission calls - so we ran over there to watch!!!  Austin and Ruston (identical twins) and their older sister, Kimri.  (Incidentally, numbers 6,7,8 of their kids)  Here, Ruston is opening his call to......Guatemala!!!

Then, Auston opened his to.......Honduras!!!  Twins in neighboring countries!

Kimri..........Macon, Georgia!!!!  Which is fun because her Dad served some in Georgia and because my niece, Tiffany, is going to Atlanta, Georgia.
Above is the Proud and Happy parents, Russ and Shelle. (Bloggers messing me up)

No more braces!!!

Time to get the braces off!!!  She's just a LITTLE excited!!!

The note on the placemat thing with the instructions for today!!!  Sorry, I was standing on the other side.....

Beautiful smile!!!!!!!!  Happy girl!!!  For a few months, nobody in our house has braces!!!  It won't last long......

Pizza Anyone???

  So, Lafe works with the 14-15 yr old boys at Church, and he challenged all of them to finish the Book of Mormon before Trek.  If they ALL finished, he would take them Venezia's Pizza, who makes the HUGEST Pizzas ever!  Well, they all  finished........well, at least by the end of Trek.  So, they went and there's a challenge at the restaurant for 2 people to finish a gigantic pizza in one hour.  4 teams wanted to try.....

Ready, Set,.......

2 of them did it!  Of course, they were sick afterwards, but they got it!  Brett and Cole

Brandon and Dakota

Talin's Birthday!!!

He's 6!!!  He's grown so much recently - he's definitely 6!!!

His request - a Skateboard!!!

He saw this Spiderman web shooter on TV a while ago and I wasn't too excited about it because Ethan had one when he was younger.  But, as I was thinking about gifts, I remembered he thought it was really cool - so now we have it again!

This just looked really cool in the store!  And, the kids love it - even the girls!

Squirting his Spidey Web

He wanted a party this year, but I was EXHAUSTED after Trek, so we talked him into a "Street" party, which is basically cousins and the one other family with kids that lives on the street - and they're practically family!  Here, they are playing Alligator

"Do you love you neighbor?"

Piñata!

Waiting for the Piñata to break - Love the pose!  Laura, Autumn, Kaylee M., and Becka.

Blowing out the candles

THen, we got together with my family on Sunday to celebrate and he got presents from family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Talin!!!!!!!!  

Can't believe you're six, but you're so ready to be six its ok :)DAY, Talin!!!!!!!!  

Can't believe you're six, but you're so ready to be six its ok :)

Christmas in March

Erin and Jamie had to wait for their big Christmas present this year - all the way until March!  But, I'm pretty sure it was worth it!!!  They got tickets to see WICKED in Tucson!!!  So, we drove down that morning and went to the Matinee so that we could drive back in time for Laura's band concert that night.

Lunch at Cracker Barrel - aren't' they pretty?

It was so cool to drive in and see the trailer for the set!!!

Before the show - we had the very front row of the first balcony.  The theatre wasn't as big as Gammage in Tempe, but it was still great!

Mom splurged and helped them buy T-shirts - they're SO COOL!!!

Had to get the Dragon after the show!

 We had a GREAT time and it was so fun to spend time with just the two older girls!  Merry Christmas, again!