Turner Family Fun

Feliz Navidad

2010-12-24T21:28:00.000-08:00

Our Nativity--Remembering the true meaning of ChristmasDecorating Gingerbread Houses at Auri's 10th Birthday

Thanksgiving at Huberdeau's (my sister Ivy's house)

Auri and her FOURTH brother, Ian

Halloween--a wild bunch of kids (my 5 plus 4 friends)

Well, we've wrapped up another year full of fun! We'd like to wish all of our friends and family a merry Christmas and happy new year! Here's the Turner top 10 for 2010:
1. Auri has an amazing gymnastics season (Jan.-Mar.) her first year competing and even qualifies for State! She was consistently among the top 10 in her level at every meet.
2. Payton turns 3 on March 3 (according to him he was already 3 and once he turned 3 he moved on to being either 4 or 5 depending on the day). He loves to do anything his "bro-ey" Will does!
3. Ian Michael Turner joins our family in May--he is a smiley boy who lights up our lives!
4. Shawn leaves public school to become owner/administrator/teacher of Glenn J. Kimber Academy-Moses Lake (Our 3 oldest attend)--it's a family affair! We are extremely blessed to be a part of this school and it has changed our lives for the better in so many ways!
5. The family travels to Idaho and Utah visiting lots of friends and family along the way, as well as seeing Temple Square and the SLC Zoo. Jasmine and Shawn attend amazing training given by Dr. Kimber.
6. Blake turns 8 in August and is baptized in September
7. Will plays baseball, football and basketball--growing 3 inches in 4 months--he has now hit the 5'3" mark and will soon outweigh mom!
8. Jasmine begins her 4th year as teacher/director of AIM Bilingual School
9. The 3 oldest children participate in Voices of a New Day choir and even get a few solos (Will on the African drum), Will does fabulous in piano and memorizes his pieces in a week, Shawn obtains a trumpet and begins to teach himself how to play it, Jasmine teaches voice in her spare time (!)
10. Jasmine ends the year by starting to delve into family history--will keep you posted! The new Family Search website is so easy to use!

We are so grateful for our Savior at this time of year and can tell a big difference when we keep the Gospel at the center of our lives. Starting in September we made it a goal to read the Book of Mormon as a family every morning (rather than night) to start off the day and it has really made a difference. Our family has really felt "Scripture Power" and can tell a difference on the days we miss. Our goal for the new year is to continue to have this habit and add time to write in our journals every morning.

We look forward to new adventures in 2011!

It's About Time for an Update

2010-10-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I've neglected my blog by rationalizing that Facebook was enough, but I figured that if I had a blog I better update it at least every 6 months! Or at least when I have a new baby!

Baby Ian, Born May 7, 2010 (4 days late!)

He's a smiling addition to our family and such a good baby (but in my opinion there's no such thing as a "bad" one!)

Shawn and I have had an eventful past few months to say the least. We decided to become owners of a private school, Kimber Academy, and Shawn resigned from his job as a public school teacher to enter into this new adventure. He loves it! The school has been incredible for our children and we are excited for what the future holds as we continue to grow. More info can be found at our website: http://www.kimberacademymoseslake.com/. (Shawn's first attempt at web design--not bad in my opinion).

Anyhow, beyond that we've had lots of fun the last few months traveling to Utah, getting moved into our new office/school, watching Will in football, seeing Blake be baptized and trying to keep up with all the kids' activities!

Here are a few pictures of the highlights:

We survived family pictures (taken while we were on vacation in Utah by my fabulous cousin, Shauna!). Here's a cool one that she got: Auri and her new cousin, Reece

Ian and Reece--cousin buddies!

CUB SCOUT PINEWOOD DERBY 2010

2010-02-11T19:28:00.000-08:00

On January 21, 2010 at the Moses Lake Stake Center, Den 110 had its annual pinewood derby. There were lots of different cars. The coolest looking were a pencil car that was designed by Spencer B. and a tank with a rotating turret made by Cooper L. Some of the cars wouldn’t hook on to the starting pins at the beginning so they fixed it by making the pins longer. At the end of the night, the winners were: first, Josh W., second, Noah H., and third, Kevin D. Overall it was a fun night!!!!!!

(article written by Will Turner)

Top Ten for 2009

2009-12-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

Obviously we've been quite busy this fall (not having posted anything forever!), but here's a recap of the year:

1. Auriana is baptized

2. Shawn, Jasmine, Blake, & Auri participate in "Beauty and the Beast" Stake Production

3. Family buys a new suburban so we can actually enjoy our...

4. Road trip to Yellowstone, Rexburg, Utah

5. Jasmine helps to start a Kimber Academy private school in Moses Lake (the 3 oldest attend)

6. Payton starts preschool

7. Will hits 5 foot mark

8. Blake looses his first two teeth

9. Auriana makes it on to competitive gymnastics team

10. We anticipate the arrival of Turner baby #5--gender yet to be found out (but Auri really wants a sister!)--due date May 4, 2010

Merry Christmas from the Turners!

Summer Vacation 2009

2009-08-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

Well, this year we decided to take our kids with us on vacation--but we didn't go anywhere quite as far off as England. Instead we piled in our new Suburban (with DVD player/TV-yay!) and headed down to the Clayton Family Reunion (Shawn's mom's side) at Yellowstone and then down to Rexburg, Salt Lake, Provo and back up to American Falls, ID to spend time with various family and friends.

Fireworks and the Fourth

2009-07-11T21:19:00.001-07:00

We spent the Fourth of July at my sister Ivy's house and Uncle Jeremy bought some great fireworks that Will and Blake had lots of fun with! Thanks, Uncle Jeremy!

Marbles and Teeth

2009-07-11T21:14:00.001-07:00

Blake finally lost his first tooth and scored with $2 from the tooth fairy! It's funny to hear him talk with the lost tooth--especially in Spanish.

Keeping the kids entertained with a huge set of marbleworks--they got creative and made it really tall! I had to put Auri on my shoulders and have her put the marble in the top.

Summer Fun

2009-07-11T20:59:00.001-07:00

Auri and her friends made up a dance and performed at the school talent show. She is on the left.
Payton and his cousin Isabella (my sister Ivy's daughter).
Auri "all dressed up"--she is not really a girly girl, but every once in a while she wants me to curl her hair (and about half way through wants me to be done :-) We are potty training Payton and here he is trying on his new chonies in some creative ways!

Video Montage of Our "Beauty and the Beast" Production

2009-05-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

May 2009 Pics (I have the most boring titles)

2009-05-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

Auri & Mom all dressed up for the Junior Miss program where Mom sang.

Auri (in her Easter dress made by Grandma Kathy) and Blake--they're almost the same height!

The whole gang--you could never get them all to look at the camera at the same time!

Arrgh, matey! It's Captain Payton Turner and his "ching ching"--that's what he calls swords (because of the sound they make). Yes, he plays with them at such a young age and anyone who knows what I was like with Will (I wouldn't let a sword or gun set foot in the house until he was 7) may be shocked. With two older brothers, it's impossible to keep play violence out of the house.

Blake and his hip hop group--looking sharp in his Adidas sweat suit.

Beauty and the Beast Moses Lake Stake Production

2009-04-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some long-awaited pics as me dressed up like a....teapot! And Shawn as the handsome prince, of course (pictures are forthcoming)! The kids also did great as little cartwheeling carpets during the "Be Our Guest" number. We actually feel like we're finally getting our lives back after many weeks of practice, practice, practice! It was an experience we'll always remember. Special thanks goes to my mother-in-law Kathy Turner for the hours she spent on my costumes! You are incredible!

Blake and Auri are on far left

A few March Pics!

2009-04-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

Dad came home from D.C. and brought FBI t-shirts for all the boys-ooooh!

Shawn's wig for the Beauty and the Beast play--he's the prince (don't worry we have it in a pony tail for the play and he won't look like Shirley Temple):

Boys, Birthdays and Haircuts

2009-03-23T19:07:00.001-07:00

March news--we celebrated Will's birthday at the gym--a Nerf gun theme was perfect for this group of 10 year-old boys:

And we finally celebrated Payton's 2nd birthday (13 days late because he's been sick) with our family and both sets of grandparents. He loooovvvved his tractor and his loader--he's obsessed with machinery just like Will was when he was little. Whenever he sees anything that resembles a large, red piece of equipment he yells out, "Grandpa's combine! Grandpa's combine!" Shawn and I have become quite the barbers--in fact, a friend of ours even asks us to cut his hair. Of course, with three boys and one man in the house, think of how much money it saves us (actually, the cost of my hair cuts & colors pretty much make up for it--but, oh well!)

February Happenings

2009-03-06T12:49:00.001-08:00

As you know, I don't tend to do weekly postings, but monthly. So here's the latest batch of photos from February '09 so you can see what we've been up to:

Auri showing off her amazing flexibility (she's double jointed like I am, although I can't really do wall splits anymore :-). She is doing great in gymnastics and is about to move up to the competitive team. Payton has to be in every picture showing off his moves, as well.

My kindergarten class took a field trip to the hospital. Here's Blake trying on the surgeon's gear and en extremely flattering picture of me (not!) in a hospital gown with Martha (the tour guide) who I actually taught Spanish to through the college. We had a baby shower for Rischel and Baby Owen (once he got over the RSV!). Here's my tip for cute party favors (thanks to my sister-in-law, Christina). Buy Rice Krispie treats (store bought are harder and easier to work with than homemade), cover them in Vanilla Almond Bark thinned w/ 1 or 2 T. of shortening. Put sprinkles on top. Stick long sucker sticks in the bottom. Wrap in clear bags and tie with bows. TA-DA--looks fancy in a little bouquet even though they barely take any time!

Scout Blue & Gold Banquet -- this is just the tip of the Scouting iceberg for me since I have 3 boys and 2 aren't even in scouts yet.

Apple Dessert contest--we entered grandma Kathy's red hot applesauce (a classic in the Turner family)--Will actually helped make it with her this fall

Will actually combs his hair and uses gel about 3 times a year (I have to force him every time)

What to do when we have cabin fever...

2009-02-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

Auri and Payton got creative and found another use for Auri's bed canopy. Notice Shawn in the background doing his favorite winter activity--sitting on the rocking chair by the heater with a blanket, reading a book...Jasmine, of course, was madly cleaning the house and doing the laundry.

Auri's Baptism

2009-01-20T11:47:00.001-08:00

Auri was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 17. She was so excited! It was a wonderful evening. We had family and friends over afterwards for ice cream sundaes.

All ready to go in the beautiful dress Grandma Kathy made.
Grandma Kathy bought her some cute socks to go with the dress and Auri got some new silver shoes.

Look, Mom, no teeth!

2009-01-05T10:47:00.000-08:00

So, after begging Auri to let me pull the first top tooth out and her finally letting me (after an hour of negotiations), she lost the second one in her sleep. Not quite in time for the "All I Want for Christmas" song, but new teeth for a new year, I guess!

Adios, 2008!!

2009-01-04T19:12:00.001-08:00

My annual Cookie Exchange with friends--look at all those delicious cookies!

Shawn shoveling snow for the millionth time--and we're supposed to get more!

The cutest 22 month old ever wearing his new hat made by G-ma!

November & December Pictures

2008-12-19T12:45:00.000-08:00

Will with his big 4th grade project--a volcano!

Auri & Mom

Blake and Auri

Almost all the grandkids at Carter's baptism (Payton wasn't very happy!) All three of us sisters at Carter's baptism

Payton with Santa at his Parent-Tot Spanish Class (I teach it :-)

Auri decorating her gingerbread (graham cracker) house at her birthday party (this has become an annual tradition)

All bundled up to go ice skating (there are no pictures of the actual skating because I didn't want to drop the camera and break it)

Feliz Navidad

2008-12-19T12:43:00.000-08:00

Turner Family Highlights 2008

· Shawn and Jasmine take part in community musical: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, Jasmine as narrator and Shawn as Zebulun (one of Joseph’s brothers)
· Shawn travels to Washington D.C. and NYC with group of students
· Will (9 yrs.) participates in baseball and is a great hitter!
· Shawn and Jasmine travel to NYC, England and Scotland (while some very nice family members watch their children)
· Will gets his own email address (memitot@gmail.com)
· Auri finishes dance and starts gymnastics 5 hours a week
· Jasmine starts her second year as director of AIM Bilingual School & (http://school.aimgymnastics.com) with over 70 students enrolled
· Blake (6 yrs.) attends bilingual Kindergarten and is a great reader!
· Will is a great defensive basketball player
· Payton (22 mos.) grows and keeps us in stitches with his antics and Spanish/English sayings/sentences
· Auri, Jasmine & Payton travel with Jasmine’s mom and Shawn’s mom to Arizona to visit family and friends
· Auri turns 8 and gets ready to be baptized in January
· We finally break down and put up our first fake tree L (more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly)!
· We look forward to the Winter Break spent with family and not having to travel anywhere in the snow

¡FELIZ NAVIDAD Y PRÓSPERO AÑO NUEVO!

Trip to Arizona

2008-11-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

Our trip was so fun! I took Auri and Payton and my mom and mother-in-law both came along to visit family and friends in AZ and to get away from the cold, gloomy weather. This was a special trip for Auri because she's almost 8--we got her ears pierced (surprise, Dad!). We stayed with Shawn's cousin, Kristin Huss, and her family--we stayed with them last year, too. They are great hosts and Auri and Payton had lots of fun with their cousins! I got to visit my friend Lyndsey (from H.S.) and her little girl, Lily (unfortunately her husband and son were out of town). We also saw Aunt Erin and Uncle Gus's new home--it's beautiful! And we got to visit Aunt Shelly and cousins Crew, Kaia and Nakoria. All in all it was a great trip and November is the perfect time of year to visit AZ--I could go every year!
Payton learning to play the Wii with the Huss kids Mike and Kristin's front door--it's beautiful! Jumping on the trampoline with Crew, Kaia, and Karina

Payton's favorite little shopping cart

My mom and our cool rental car--we love the palm trees!

Auri and Karina--best cousins and "twins"

Auri and my friend Lyndsey's little girl, Lily

Lyndsey and I

Payton and Uncle Gus--he's such a talker he can say both of Uncle's names--Clinton and Gus

Payton loved the bacon cheeseburger at Red Robin so much that he kept stealing bites

All the family at Red Robin

Halloween 2008

2008-11-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

Well, here are some photos of that holiday where parents torture their little children by dressing them in uncomfortable costumes & masks and where older kids can get away with being scary or violent characters not tolerated any other day but Oct. 31. I actually broke a record this year and had three different costumes--that's right--three! I had to go to so many Halloween parties I got bored. Two are in the pictures: an 80s rock star and a jester (which I might add is a costume I saved from when I was 12).

Blake couldn't talk because he was a mime, so he carried this sign:

Before trick or treating with Meemaw--the hippie

Turner Happenings Sept. Oct.

2008-10-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, it's been a busy month and a half since my last post! Shawn & I started teaching again and with kids back in school, we're always doing something. (Although I've noticed that since the kids are in school the house stays much cleaner and I spend less money on food, hmmm). Another reason I haven't posted anything is because my computer kept shutting off--we found out that one of the fans was defective and as soon as it got too hot, the power went off. Anyhow, everything's working fine now and so here's an update on our goings-on:

I found Auri playing with a new doll--Barbies are overrated anyhow!

Our cousins Truman and Coleman came to visit (all the way from Virginia!!) This is cousin Coleman (Aunt Brooke took all the good pictures--send me some please :-)

We had fun at the newly named and renovated "Surf and Slide Water Park" (formerly the Aquatic Center)
Payton, Auri, Cousin Bella, & Blake (yes, we do feed him)

Every time Blake got cold I told him to lay on the nice, warm sidewalk
First day of school!
One started the day off grumpy and the other cheerful, can you tell which is which?
(4th grade is a stressful time, come on!)

Can anybody think of a cutest baby contest to enter this into?

Momma and Payton goofing around!

Check Out Our School Website!!

2008-08-21T12:00:00.001-07:00

I am so excited! Our school website is up and running! Just go to www.aimgymnastics.com and click on AIM School Information to be sent to the website.
I am currently busy painting classrooms and getting everything ready for our first day of school--September 2!

Our Big Trip

2008-08-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back from our trip--our family survived watching our kids and they're not too traumatized that we were gone for 9 days. :-) We have over 300 pictures and I can't yet figure out how to do slideshows so here are some of my favorites. First we went to NYC and basically hit Battery Park, Wall Street and then took the Subway to Times Square which was packed full of tourists! It was pretty hot and humid, too. I got the experience (Shawn has been 3 times before), but I'd like to go again when we have more time. Then we flew to London and drove up to Scotland. We went to Edinburgh and took a train from there back to London.

Outdoor Adventures

2008-07-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

I got a stake calling to go to Girl's Camp this year and help with one of the programs. It was a lot of fun. We went on a five mile hike to Heather Lake w/ Mt. Pilchuk in the background. Our camp was Cascade Park near Granite Falls, WA. It was beautiful! I love being in nature! Shawn hung in there and watched the kids for 4 days! What a trooper!

In other news, Shawn took Auri fishing with Uncle Ryan and she caught a...catfish! She thought it was pretty scary looking and didn't really want to hold it. But she posed for a few pictures.

House Painting

2008-07-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

I like to do a lot of posts at once, it seems. When I find a few free minutes I have to take advantage...Here are some pics of the color we chose for our downstairs. It's cheery and I balanced it out with a lot of dark brown furniture. I would give more pics of the final project, but everything is kind of on hold because we decided to go on a trip to Great Britain this month rather than finish decorating. I think it's worth it!! (Details to follow about our trip)

Before Picture

After Picture

In Between Picture--Vaulted ceilings are a pain to paint! We still haven't finished the very top edge between wall and ceiling.

Auri's Last Dance

2008-07-03T15:44:00.001-07:00

Auri and her friend Aubrey right before a dance performance.

I was so glad when Auri finally had her recital--she isn't really into dancing and I had to bribe her to go and finish up the year! I'm not really into the whole putting make up on thing--kids already get enough pressure from TV to grow up fast. Anyway, next year we're trying the sports avenue, but overall I think kids are too overscheduled these days and we try to limit how many activities they're in. They just love to PLAY--something a lot of kids don't have time to do!

Fishing Fun

2008-07-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Shawn and Will went fishing on Moses Lake with Uncle Ryan (Rischel's husband). Shawn was very proud of his two catches (they were just about to go when he got the bite). He doesn't usually like fishing, but now I think he's "hooked" -- no pun intended.

More Recent Pictures

2008-05-21T18:40:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess somebody really does read my blog! Thanks for caring! :-) Anyhow, I have a few more recent pictures to post. As you noticed, most of my blog posts end up being pictures--don't have time to write a lot. Although I do admire those entertaining posts that people like Jeremy Cooper and Jayne Crook have--they could easily be professional freelance writers!!

Ashlyn (cousin), Blake, Grandpa Don holding Emry
Goofing around at Grandpa's! (Shawn covets their hot tub)

Payton (14 months)--Who in the heck does he look like? What do you think?

Payton was left with Shawn for the morning and they planted the garden at Grandma & Grandpa Turners. Here he's analyzing a little ball that fell from the tree.

It Has Been a Very Looonnnng Time!

2008-05-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

Okay--so I got off the blogging bandwagon when my time was spent with work-related duties. I also didn't think very many people were looking at my blog, but I'll try it again and see how it goes! I usually work on the computer at night doing things to get ready for class, but I'll see if I can sneak in some blog time. I've also been horrible about getting the camera out and taking pictures of the kids. I'll see if I can scrounge up some new pictures--I know we've got some of Payton's First Birthday, of course! I'm not that horrible of a parent! :-)

Will & Payton's awesome army/giant bug birthday cake that dad made.

Payton loved his birthday cake! March 2008

Auri getting ready to dance at a high school basketball game. February 2008

Merry Christmas to all!!!

2007-12-16T21:39:00.000-08:00

Baby Payton (9 months) with "Santa" played by my grandpa Mark

Our Family Pictures

2007-11-07T07:06:00.001-08:00

These are the family pictures we got taken in AZ with all of Shawn's family.

My favorite picture of Payton (above)-we got an 8x10 in black & white to hang on the wall.

This wasn't the very best group picture out of all of them, but it's the one I uploaded. You can see the families are "color-coded". The only person missing was Rischel's husband, Ryan. He had to stay in Washington because he is in the middle of his clinical rotations for PA school.

Vacation: Last Two Days

2007-10-30T13:13:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we left Az. and headed back to Las Vegas. We passed through Hoover Dam and got a photo--Shawn cried because we had to drive by the Visitor's Center and couldn't go inside. We also passed through a little town in AZ called "Wikieup"--the self-proclaimed "Rattlesnake Capital of the World". You can see the photo op below!

Once we got to Las Vegas we headed to the Excalibur for the "Tournament of the Kings" dinner show. They charged $20 for a family photo, but since I didn't hear the part about putting your camera away, I got some good shots! It was a great show--I would recommend it to anyone! We ate with our hands and watched "real" jousting, etc. Lots of special effects, too!

On Sunday we said goodbye to the Coopers (if the camera could record sound you would hear their baby crying like crazy!).

We had some time to kill before our flight so we climbed to the top of a hill by the Coopers' home. A pretty good workout with a baby strapped to you! It overlooks the valley and you can see the strip in the background.We got home safe and sound and ready to take on the week! It was a wonderful vacation full of memories for all of us! Hopefully we'll be able to visit the desert again! For now, though, I really love seeing all the leaves change as Winter approaches.

Disco Fever

2007-10-24T08:58:00.001-07:00

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!These are our Halloween costumes. What do you think?

How to Turn Off Music

2007-10-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

If you are watching a video and want to turn off the music on my blog site, scroll to the very bottom of my blog and hit the pause button.

YeeHaw

2007-10-22T22:26:00.001-07:00

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!Thanks, Brooke, for the idea!

Vacation: Arizona

2007-10-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

We left Las Vegas early on Wednesday morning and started the 6 hour drive to Mesa (actually, Shawn missed the exit while I was snoozing and added an extra hour, but that's all water under the bridge). We arrived just in time to go through the temple with Erin. The next day we got family pictures (I mean the whole Turner family) which I'll publish later. While in Mesa we stayed with Shawn's cousin, Kristin, her husband, Mike, and their 4 kids. They live in Gilbert which is right next to Mesa. The kids got along really well and we loved staying in their beautiful home:We also got to visit the first cousins and play at Shelly & Jason's house:

Erin & Clinton's reception was on Friday night and my boys looked so cute in the little bowties Grandma Kathy made for them.

It was so fun to have all the Turner siblings (and posterity) together--it doesn't happen very often!

As a side note, I was able to go to the Mesa Cemetary and see the graves of my great great grandparents on my mom's side. My mom was born and raised in Mesa and we also went to take a picture of the home she lived in as a child. She and my grandparents got a kick out of the pictures I brought home of their old neighborhood:

(West Sixth Drive)

Las Vegas Day 2: Springs Preserve

2007-10-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

On our second day in Las Vegas we went to an incredible nature preserve/natural history museum/conservation place called Springs Preserve (http://www.springspreserve.org/). It's brand new in Vegas and I would recommend it to anyone with kids! It was a long day but we didn't have any major meltdowns because the kids were entertained.

Flash Flood Exhibit

Fossil Exhibit

The babies--Payton Turner and Coulston Cooper (3 weeks apart in age)

At the entrance on a stone spun around continuously by water

Shawn spinning for power at the Conservation Exhibit

The Kids' Playground

Vacation Day 1: The Strip

2007-10-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we flew to Las Vegas for our family vacation last Sunday. Why Las Vegas? Didn't you know it's a very family-oriented place--not!! Actually there are family activities there if you look for them and we have some really good friends from college that live there and we wanted to visit them--also the plane tickets were cheaper to L.V. than to Phoenix which was our real reason for going on vacation in the first place--Shawn's sister Erin got married. (Love the long, run-on sentence??) Anyhow, we were in Las Vegas for two days, then drove to Mesa, were there for 2 1/2 days, then went back to Vegas and flew home. Here are the photo highlights of our first two days in Vegas.
The famous (or infamous) "strip"

Outside M&M World

Part of the incredible Bellagio Atrium (it changes with every season)--that is a real pumpkin!!!

My friend, Aimee, and I at the same garden atrium. Bellagio again--all real apples (we figured this would be a good pic for us Washingtonians)
The water show at the Bellagio--choreographed to "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Time to Say Goodbye"--it was pretty incredible!

Why It's Been So Long Since I've Posted Anything

2007-10-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, Lynz! I have to defend myself for the looooonnnng space between postings! :) Actually, I'm typing this from Mesa, AZ, but that's another story. Anyway, we've had a fun-filled last three weeks--I've been trying to get everybody used to our new routine with all the activities, etc. Here's how it goes:
Monday: I teach a 1 hour After-School Spanish Class that my kids attend as well, FHE in the p.m.
Tuesday: I go to yoga, I teach 1 voice lesson, Will & Blake have basketball & soccer practice, I go to my Mary Kay meeting at night
Wednesday: I teach After-School Spanish again, Will has scouts, I go to the mutual activity
Thursday: I go to yoga, Will has gymnastics, Auri has dance, Will & Blake have basketball & soccer practice (respectively), possible soccer game for Blake instead of practice
Friday: I teach a 1 1/2 hr. Parent/Tot Spanish class in the a.m.

Doesn't seem like a lot, but with class prep. time, cleaning house time, cooking time & general running errands time, it adds up. The yoga keeps me calm--I'm serious--it really does!!! :-) Shawn even notices. I try to exercise at least 4 times a week (I gave up on giving myself a guilt trip for not doing it 5 x) and it really helps me to feel better.

As I said, we're on vacation and I have lots of great pics to post as soon as we get home on Sunday...so be ready for a really great post!

First Day of Kindergarten

2007-09-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Yippee! School started! The kids were getting so bored! I ended up forgetting the camera when Auri & Will went on their first day so I just used my cell phone and haven't sent the pics to my computer yet. But I do have a picture of Blake on his first day of kindergarten! I can't believe he's in school! (Sniff) I honestly never shed a tear when Will & Auri went to Kindergarten, but I did with Blake. Nothing to do with loving them less, it's just that Blake was my "baby" for almost 5 years until Payton came along. We had a lot of fun times just the two of us... now he's in school in the afternoons. He loves it--especially music class--is he a singer! He even got the "Musician of the Day" award on the first day they went to music. Funny!

Titanium Man

2007-09-04T13:27:00.001-07:00

Every year Shawn does the Titanium Man Triathlon in Kennewick. We all go down as a family and have fun playing at the park while intermittently cheering on Dad as he passes by on the bike and run.

The triathlon is Olympic length which means: 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run. If that seems like a lot to you, Shawn will be doing the Grand Columbian half-iron in 2 weeks which is: 1.2mi swim, 56 mi bike, 13 mi run! Craziness! Anyhow, this year it was really fun because we saw Shawn at the last part of the run and Blake and Will decided to run with him. Shawn doesn't take it too seriously so he was happy to indulge them. Blake ran for about a half mile and Will actually ran the last mile with him and went through the finish line.Afterwards we went to a little "water" park and the kids enjoyed one of the last hot days of summer there.

Proof that Payton and Blake are Brothers

2007-08-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

What are the chances that two children in a row will be thumbsuckers and hairpullers? Well, here's proof that it can happen. I don't know if they worked this out before they came to our family, but then again it could be genetic. I don't mind the thumbsucking, actually. Despite the claims that braces will be imminent, my sister and two of her friends were thumbsuckers and never needed braces, not to mention the dentist told me it was fine as long as they weren't doing until 12 hours a day til they were 12. So, my philosophy for Payton is go ahead and pacify yourself--he gets up less at night anyway!

A Yard in Progress

2007-08-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

We moved into a new house when Payton was a week old, so that means we've been here for almost 6 months. The yard was full of rocks and with Shawn's touch we've been transforming it into more than just a rock garden. I'll continue updating with the progress--I don't think I've ever been so excited about things like sod and vinyl fencing...

Shawn's beautiful retaining wall (above)

Before sod

After sod, glorious sod! Awning in progress...

Four Generations

2007-08-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

I am so blessed to live in the same town, and even ward, as my mom and grandma! Last week we had a ward mother daughter picnic and wore "look a like" outfits. It was a lot of fun!

Another funny thing about living in the same town as family members--I was at the bank drive thru today and who pulls up next to me? My grandparents! I know most of my friends don't live in the same town as their parents think it's weird for something like that to happen. I love it, though! We see each other just often enough, but not overkill--don't ask Shawn about that! Here's another picture I took of Auri and I right before the picnic--we even did our hair the same. Hey--I only have one daughter--I have a right to be cheesy!

My Best Friend Since I was Born

2007-08-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago my best friend, Amy Griffitts Reynolds, came to visit. We always joke that we have been best friends since I was born because her mom went to my mom's baby shower. She now lives in Orlando, FL, but has spent the better part of the summer visiting family in Northern Idaho. She has one son, Tytan, who will be 2 in November. Amy is amazing! Her husband is currently deployed to Iraq for 18 months. She talks to him about once a week! Here she is on the phone to him--she never knows when he's going to call--

I don't know how she does it--she is so strong! It's funny--we laugh about how neither of our lives have turned out the way we thought they would, but we wouldn't trade them for anything. She is one of those friends who I won't see or talk to for a year, but when we see each other it's like only a few days have passed. I am so blessed to have her and all the wonderful friends I've had in my life. It's sad because there are so many I don't see much of--once a year or once every two years--but we will always have a bond. I'm so excited about the blogs, too, so I can keep up with them even better. Here's a picture of all the kids and us:

Silliness

2007-08-07T10:00:00.001-07:00

Turner kids--well known for their cheesy smiles!

Our Blog Part 2

2007-08-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Well, a few years ago I started a blog back before it was so in "style" and NOBODY ever looked at it! Now it seems that it's all the rage so here we go again!