Shaylie's Dango Adventure

Read about Shaylie's Dango experience at my blog: tonyajez.blogspot.com

Shaylie's New Present

Almost one year to the day since Taylor jumped and ripped through the old trampoline pad, we finally got a new one!  We decided it would be a Shaylie present and she got to jump on it first.  We found a place that made different color pads, as we didn't want to have another plain black one. The puppies seemed to like it.

Shaylie was very happy with it and she has been out on it several times. Dad has been as well!  It is very nice to not have the big hole in the backyard anymore.  Thanks to Tonya and Taylor for going out and pulling all the weeds and cleaning up the garbage.

Happy 14th Taylor!!

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The Weekly What's Up

I wanted to tell you about the latest news from Shaylie's World.  You already know how my Shaylie has always been a very entrepreneurial spirit....she's always looking for ways to make money, coming up with business ideas, inventing new products and the list goes on!  Well, she's finally found a very satisfying way to implement some of her great ideas!

She started a class newspaper called "The Weekly What's Up." It began when her school "community" was trying to come up with ideas for new jobs. Shaylie asked if she could be the reporter for the weekly trial they have in class. If kids have complaints during the week they "sue" each other and have a little mock trial. So Shaylie came home with notes from the trial and decided that she wanted to make a newspaper and put in an article, the trial report, and maybe  a comic. It was her usual "Shaylie-way" of taking a great idea and making it greater!

She took it to the classroom the next day and the kids went crazy for it! They all wanted to work for her and they were coming up with more jobs: writers, editors, ad managers, etc. The kids were all filling out job applications and giving Shaylie a lot of attention. Her next edition had these cute ads that kids were buying with their class money. One was for a Dance Club--"get your groove on" and another was for a Book Club, but my favorite was from the boy who was a lawyer in the mock trial that started it all. He had placed an ad that said, "Kamden's Lawyer Service--He helped Nate sue, and that's all he needs to help you."  So cute!

She hired someone as an editor--she wanted to be a writer-- and I showed her how to attach a file to an email, so she was putting the paper together and emailing it to the editor who was making changes and sending it back to her. It was all very professional. I have been so impressed with her skills. So far she has put out 3 issues.

And finally, we went to Shaylie's parent teacher conference on Thursday and her teacher told me how impressed she has been with Shaylie's project. She said it has energized their class and made everyone so excited! I was so glad to hear that she was supportive of Shay's ingenuity. Usually at these conferences all I hear is how she struggles with math, but this was nice because I was able to express my appreciation that they are focusing on what kids do right and not what they are struggling with. Shaylie is so amazing at so many things that they don't focus on in school, so it's been great to see her finding her own outlets for her talents.

And best of all, it is making Shaylie feel better about herself, her friends, and her place in class.  If I can figure out how to do it, I'm going to post one of the issues.  If not, I can send you one if you request it!

Love my kids!!! Both of them are so amazing in so many ways. I couldn't be a prouder mom.

An Accidental Morning

Our Friday morning was unfortunately eventful! Scott woke me early saying, "Get up! Your sister was in a car accident!"  By all reckoning, that is not the ideal way to start the day--although having said that, it's infinitely better than being IN the accident. :)  We rushed to the hospital to find my sister and her daughter in good spirits, despite the fact that they ran a red light at the intersection of 700 South and River Road on the way to school that day and were clipped by a truck. They both sustained some injuries. Anje had dislocated a bone in her wrist and Anissa hit her head, but a CT scan showed that all was well. I had to joke with her that the CT might be defective, since it obviously did not detect the damaged part of her brain that recognizes RED LIGHTS! I was just grateful that she was around to joke with. I think they were both incredibly lucky.  Anje had a minor surgery to place and pin her wrist.

You can see from the damage to the car that it could have been so much worse. Luckily, they were both wearing seat belts and the airbags protected them as well.





I have been worried about this kind of thing happening for a while now, since my sister has a very bad reputation for being a HORRIBLE driver. She has been in only two other major accidents before (one of which resulted in a life flight, a coma, and a very long recovery) and several fender-benders. So much so that my first thought when Scott woke me was "Not Again!"  She has laughed it off up until now. But I know that seeing her daughter "broken," as she put it, has sobered her up and I hope she'll take driving even more seriously.

To her credit, she was already starting to be better about Texting and Talking on the Phone while driving. (I know!!!)  We had given her sufficient grief about those that I think she started to realize how important it was to leave the phone off while driving. I'm really hoping that this accident will be the catalyst to a new Era for them.

She feels supremely guilty about what happened, but the thing is we are all guilty of being distracted at times and what happened to her could have happened to anyone.  I am just so incredibly happy that they are still here to lecture and rib and give grief to...Taylor said it best yesterday, after she found out what happened and that all was well. She said, " Can you imagine a world without Anissa and Anje in it?"  The truth is I've had far too many opportunities to imagine just that and I'll tell you right now, I don't like it!  I'm so glad they're okay!

Going to Grad School

I just got the notice today! I've been accepted into the University of Utah's Educational Psychology program. I'll begin earning my Master's Degree in School Counseling starting in May! I'm very excited!

Cartoonizing!

I have always wanted to be able to cartoonize a photograph, and now I found a website that will do it! befunky.com.  Here is our family picture with it:

Soccer & Summer

It's been a while since I posted, but I realized that we never blogged about the results of the girls Soccer Seasons! Taylor played in the championship game and they played so well, but in the end they lost 1-0. Taylor stopped about 10 shots on goal and there team was really technically superior to the opponents but for some reason they were a bit intimidated. I really felt like they played to the best of their ability, which is something to be proud of.

Taylor was pretty upset by it, but she pulled herself together to coach her final game with Shaylie's team and her dad. Shaylie played a great game and they won with a goal at the last minute. The whole team was so thrilled and even more so when Scott pulled out the medals that every team got this year. Then when he announced the end-of-season pizza party, they were in heaven! I'm so proud of both Taylor and Scott for the great coaches they were this year. Taylor took this on as a project for her YW award and she really was awesome with the kids!

We're actually pretty sad to see the soccer season end! But I think the girls both learned a lot this year. Taylor is learning that you can't be SUPER AWESOME at EVERYTHING...ALL THE TIME! And Shaylie is learning that hard work and practice really can be rewarding...and playing just to play can be fun too!

Summer for us is going to be pretty low-key this year. We don't have all the camps and activities going on that we usually do. We are going to try to get some work done on our backyard and I have Girls Camp with Taylor in July, of course. But other than that, we are going to hang loose. I am SO looking forward to down time with the fam! We might hit Lagoon again this year, but for now...not much planned. And what could be better than that?

Birthday Pictures

Taylor's Birthday Weekend

It is hard for me to believe that my little girl is turning 13 on Sunday! An actual teenager...and she's already so good at it! We are throwing a big bash for her and some friends tonight. Well, a party anyway... We are taking her to the Mall for a scavenger hunt and then to the movie: 17 again. She's already seen it and loved it enough to take all her friends. Then, we plan to come back home for cake and presents. It should be a fun time.

Shaylie is staying over at Aunt Anissa's and tomorrow when she comes home we'll have a family bash. We might have some grandmas here too...we'll have to see.

Taylor is excited, I think. I'm sure they'll have a great time. I think she's growing up to be an amazing person. Here are some of my favorite things about my wonderful daughter:

• I love her determination-she is a go-getter. Anything she decides to do, gets done. She is very driven and result oriented. From the time she was very small, she would decide she wanted to learn something--tie her shoe, whistle, blow a bubble, ride a bike, do a backbend, play an instrument--and she would never give up until she had mastered that goal.  What an amazing talent to have!


• She is very responsible.  She has always been an incredibly independent girl.  I never have to remind her to get up, or get ready for school. She is very good at getting her homework and chores done and she almost always does whatever she is asked.  It's hard for us to remember sometimes that she is still just a kid..for a couple more days at least!


• She is very musical.  I love hearing Taylor sing, play the piano, play her flute, the guitar, the piccolo...even the trumpet, though she needs some practice on that..lol.  She brings such a wonderful spirit to her home with her ability. 


• She is a great friend.  Taylor has always gone out of her way to be a friend to everyone around her.  She won't believe that this is true-but I know she is admired by so many of her classmates and the people who know her. Whenever we see her around her friends, it always makes me smile to see how many people know her by name and smile and say HI or wave.  It gives me a warm feeling to know she is kind to everyone she meets. 


• Taylor is beautiful, inside and out!  She has such a smile!!!  When Taylor is happy the whole world lights up.  Her laugh is contagious and we hear it often.  I know Taylor feels the ugly duckling sometimes, but in my eyes there is no one more beautiful and amazing in this world...if I had one wish for her, it would be that she could see herself through the eyes of those that love her. 


• She has an unusually mature ability to snap herself out of a bad mood.  I think this is a gift.  If ever Taylor is having a bad day, it shows..just like it does with everyone...but Taylor can get over it so quickly.  It's like she just decides to be happy, and she does it.  (See first bullet.) She is a great example to me, since I'm a little slower to cool off.  :)


• Taylor is a girl with much faith and a strong testimony.  She is so much stronger than I was at her age.  She is a great example to our whole family of what it means to be a daughter of God.  I'm so proud of her for choosing to love her Savior and follow His plan for us.  She often shares her testimony with friends, and family and reminds all of us that faith is so important to our happiness. 

I could go on and on...but time is short and I still have lots of preparations to do.  We'll post some pics, and highlights soon!  Love you Tater Tot!  Have a terrific 13th birthday weekend!

Heartbreaker Today!

We had two soccer games today and lost both! :( It was very hard on Taylor who hasn't lost a game in about 3 seasons. She blocked a penalty kick that got loose and kicked in on the bounce. She has very high expectations of herself and her team and it showed today! I actually think the loss will be good for her...she needs to learn how to handle losing as well as winning!

She bounced back pretty quickly and jumped into her coaching hat to help Scott and Shaylie with their game. I have to say I am really proud of the way she handles her little players. She is always so patient and understanding with them...plus she has a lot to teach them. Scott is doing very well with the team too...the kids are just so young they don't have a great handle on fundamentals yet. But they are definitely improving...Shaylie got her feet on several balls today and they had fun, which I think is the MOST IMPORTANT PART!!

We spent the afternoon shopping and having fun with the girls, since it was Priesthood session of conference. We found a cute outfit for Taylor for Easter. She is playing her flute in church, while I sing, that Sunday. Now she'll be gorgeous too!

All in all today turned out to be a good day!

Happy April!

April Fools' Day was almost uneventful...I was thinking I would get away without any pranks, until I got into bed last night and discovered that Shaylie had Short-sheeted my bed! Usually Scott is the first one in bed, but last night I beat him and so I was the lucky one!! Shaylie was pretty excited this morning when I told her she got me! I think she'd been planning it for a while. Little stinker!

April is also Taylor's Birthday Month....she will be 13 this year.....I can't believe it! An actual TEENAGER...I hope we all survive it. ;) Seriously though, I am not dreading it at all. She is such a great girl...we love everything about her...and these coming years are going to be so much fun. I'm more worried about me than her...just hope I don't make too many mistakes! I think both our girls will grow up to be Awesome despite their parents involvement.

Soccer is still in full swing...we have games pretty much every Saturday until the middle of May...so if you're interested in coming down and checking out some of the crazy soccer action, you won't be sorry! 70 and sunny by the weekend....it beats snow anyday of the week!

Let's see what other news...Scott's still excited about his T-trak modules...He's getting written up in another paper about his work...the lady who invented the T-trak has asked Scott to write up an article for her monthly newsletter. So more kudos to him!

The annual Kite Festival is coming up and I think they are setting up trains there too. Not to mention the girls always love this event.

I'm busy, busy, with work, camp, soccer, life! Can't wait for summer...only two short months away and I'm trying to keep a very positive attitude about the future. I'm looking at some options but no decisions made as of yet.

Hope everything is great wherever you are!

Blackberry's Going Blind

 

I just got back from the veteranarian's office.  We decided to take Bubs in because we noticed one of his eyes is clouded over and kind of reddish around the outside.  Dr. Jace King (also a friend from our ward) was great. He diagnosed him with Juvenille Cataracts.  The bad news is that he is developing one in his other eye too.  The only real solution to the problem is surgery, which Jace thought would run about $2000 per eye!!!  He recommended waiting to see if the other eye goes blind too...and then we can consider the surgery.  He said he's seen many dogs function with no sight, but poor Blackberry.  We're supposed to watch for signs of Glaucoma too, which can be painful, but nothing on that front yet.  He's still just a puppy...it's so sad.  I think he'll be all right, but we're going to watch him and decide as things get worse.

More Fun at Zion!

Our Break continues with another fun trip to Zion Canyon. We had such fun hiking and finding letter boxes. The girls were so excited to actually find the hidden treasures...and so was I!! Unfortunately, we did have a little trauma at the hotel last night...Taylor broke her nose...at least I think she did. I don't have any pictures of her in my slide show, but she's taken a few with her camera so I'll have to have her post them. Her nose is red and scabbed and she has deep dark bruises under her eyes. She was swimming in the hotel pool and rammed her face into the bottom of the pool. She's handling it very well and you can see she was in good spirits or our morning hike. Hope you enjoy the slide show!

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Spring Break Continues

See my other blog for pics of our fun Snow Canyon Camping trip! More adventures to come...

A Trip to Zion

I had a conference in Zion last week and I talked Scott into bringing the girls out to visit me and the park...it was so beautiful and fun to share with my family! Enjoy these pics....we're probably going back this week so we'll post more soon.

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Soccer Started Today!

Taylor and Shaylie both had their first soccer games today! Taylor won her game 3-2 and Shaylie tied hers 2-2.  Taylor only played goalie the last 5 minutes and she scored two of the goals for their team.  Shaylie played goalie the second half of her game and stopped several shots but two did get past her.  Scott and Taylor also had their coaching debut and did a GREAT job!  We are so proud of everyone!



 

 It was a cold clear morning which is great since last night we were anticipating snow!

Update on Scott

Scott had a doctor's appointment last week and went into the hospital for some tests. They are not sure exactly what's going on with him, but they think he has Acid Reflux and that is what is causing his gag-reflex to go haywire. We are waiting on a Postcard of Death from the Dr's office which we should receive in another 7-10 days...right on schedule. He really is fine, but we'll see what needs to happen next.

Holiday Weekend Update

We had a fun holiday weekend! Kind of laid back and not a lot going on...but still fun family time.  

Taylor spent much of the weekend babysitting, which works out great for her since she has decided to start saving money to buy a car when she turns 16.  Scott and I decided to avoid the dinner crowds and he took me to lunch at my favorite-- Red Lobster!  I had my favorite Coconut Shrimp and Clam Chowder. 

 We all had our fill of chocolate and the girls each got a plush valentine buddy! (I kept meaning to take a picture but they never happened!)  Most of the weekend was spent watching some of our favorite movies: Dances with Wolves, Lord of the Rings, the Matrix Trilogy (shhh!) and Space Buddies.  That last was mainly a concession to Shaylie. 

Scott and Taylor hit a couple of soccer games.  They watched the team that Taylor is trying out for...the Dixie Dragons. They were playing in a tournament, which they won!  Good to know...hopefully Taylor will be able to add to their winning tradition.  Shaylie is going to play soccer this year again too!  She has decided that she is good at sports.  I hope she it right.  Scott wants to coach her team and I think they will have fun. 

We are waiting patiently for warmer weather.  Usually, President's Day marks the beginning of my favorite time of year.  I love the rain, but I'd like some sunshine and rainbows too.  We'll have hot summer days before we know it and I really love the spring down this way!  The trees do have blossom buds on them, so it won't be far off.

Spring Break is only three weeks away!  I am DETERMINED to do something fun.  We'll see.  My planning doesn't usually pay off, but I can't help trying.  Of course, part of my planning has to include the Twilight DVD release....and maybe some camping. It can be a dry run for my Camp Director duties.  Stay tuned to hear what we decide.  Love to all!

Great Haul!

We had a rocket contest today. Taylor and I won, Shaylie's unlucky launched right as a gust of wind came up and knocked her rock about a half-mile away.