To be sick or not to be sick

Holly stayed home from school today because she was sick (and I had the evidence in a bowl this morning to prove that she was sick). I've been around a while, so I know all the kid's tricks for playing sick. She was really sick! But, you sure wouldn't be able to tell that now, four hours later. Here she is sitting on her bed with a cute cap on her head, watching Psych, eating Coco Puffs and rearranging her stuffed animals.

I've heard of the 24 hour flu and maybe even the 12 hour flu, but come on, the 4 hour flu. It's just weird!

Totally awesome 8th grade field trip

Today I chaperoned on the 8th grade field trip. It was really great! It was a two day BYU/UVU field trip today and tomorrow. Since there are 600 8th graders, I wasn't sure how it was all going to work out and how organized it was going to be. For the most part, it was organized and a really good experience for the kids. The group I was with today went to BYU. We got to see a presentation in the new Hinckley visitor center, the Bean Museum, and the Planetarium in the Eyring Science Center. It ended with a tour of LaVell Edwards Stadium including the locker rooms. Way cool! I had never been inside a real live college football locker room before.

Overall, it was totally awesome. I wished they would've done something like that when I was in Junior High. I really think it gets the kids thinking about college at a fairly young age and it helps them see that college really is a possibility for them.

The only thing I regret is not taking my camera with me. Oh well, fun times! And I don't think Jill was too embarrassed to have me along.

Better late than never

We returned a week ago from our Christmas trip to California. We had a really great time once we got past the car sickness and the throwing up. We enjoyed the nice weather and the fog. Since I grew up in California, fog (not snow) always reminds me of Christmas. I'd actually even be okay if I never had a white Christmas, imagine that. We devoured lots of yummy food, which included homemade Chinese, Mexican, and American, a traditional breakfast at the bowling alley, and New Year's Eve homemade clam chowder. Our visit would not have been complete without many competitive games of Perudo, Malarky, Settlers, Apples to Apples and lots of family time.

Here are a few highlights from our trip:

Cousins and sleepovers are the best. It's always the coziest in Grandma's (Nana's) bed.

Hangin' with the cousins.

Great Grandma and Grandpa are the best - Thanks for the delicious prime rib and shrimp cocktail.

Ready, Set......... New Year's Eve

Just waiting for the festivities to begin

Inseparable cousins and best friends

Here's Grandpa (Shrimps) taking a little break before the clock strikes midnight.

The two little men

Jill and her little shadow

Monopoly - the All American non-competitive game - Not!

And finally, announcing 2009 (even though it was really only 11:00 p.m.) The younger kids were falling asleep and we knew they wouldn't make it to midnight, so we poppered early.

The poppers can make you crazy.

The explosion of the poppers. :)

I think it could really start a new trend.

Friends for life

Who is this "old lady" with the huuuuuuge glasses?

Oh, to have such long locks of curls.

Is it a clown? Is it a fancy lady? Or is it Kevin?

Amazing Grandparents

Another set of amazing grandparents

Thanks for the great times and the good memories.