Winter Ice Skating Show 2016

We were so excited to hear that both our girls were going to be in the same Winter Show this year. Victoria is a member of the Cache Valley Figure Skating Club and Daphne takes Ice Skating through Utah State University with the same coaches that they have had through the Learn to Skate Program from the time that we moved to Logan.

Victoria had one number with the club and then she skated her first solo to "To Feel Alive". It is the music to the second Percy Jackson movie during the credits. 

 Here the coaches are what Victoria calls....criticizing us!

It is great to be able to learn how to take criticism.

These are all wonderful skaters and are pretty tough kids.

You have to be to work closely with a coach and risk the fall factor that they often do.

 It is crazy to watch the speed that they skate at.

During club practices they power skate and do some of the same sprints that

 basketball players do touching line to line....but on ice!

 It is also so amazing to see them stop on a dime from top speeds.

 I love that she loves what she is doing. You can see it in her face every time she is on the ice.

 I also love watching the big kids with the little kids. In a group like this, the big ones are always helping along the little ones especially if they struggle to keep up. 

 This girl has balance.....

 Daphne's college group skated to "Hot Chocolate" from the Polar Express dressed in PJ's.

It was cute and very well done. She has a lot of fun in this group and has strengthened her body and balance. It is fun to watch her on the ice too.

 The pin wheels always make me nervous. I was glad to see Daphne in the middle. I could just see her being flung off to oblivion if she were on the end!

 USU college group.

 The grand finale. We didn't get any still pictures of Victoria's solo due to the lighting. It was video taped. I might try to upload that if I can get it to work.

 Victoria's skating dress for her solo. Her friend Tabitha brought her flowers.

 I thought that was so cute. I just wish the picture hadn't turned out horrible blurry.

 Yeah....the baby sister!

 Beautiful girls!

 Victoria and her wonderful coach Betz. Victoria has learned so much from her and 

works really well with her.  It cracks me up how little she is.

 Victoria, at 12, is about to pass her up in height. 

Goat Jumping

 It always amazes me how much you can interact with these goats. Victoria was working with Henry on his jumps and switched gears when she brought Jacks down to the jumps to give it a try. His reward was a leaf of Kale.

 He loved it! She would turn him around and he would do it going back the other way.

Lizzy did it for an animal cookie, but she was more interested in the peach tree leaves that had fallen on the ground.

Alex

Alex hanging out. 

Alex came down with an abcess in his chin, so Kaleb and I are giving him antibiotic shots every three days for the past 3 months. Reptiles have a very slow metabolism so it has taken a very long time for the antibiotics to work. All that being said, he won't be hibernating this winter. Yay....we get to have Alex up all winter. Sigh.

He sleeps in his box but when he is awake and wants exercise, he hangs on the side of his box waiting to be lifted out so he can walk around the kitchen and dining room.

We follow the sun around with him so he gets added UVB which is very important to reptiles, as well as warmth. We are so grateful for our vet that we see in Richmond. He has helped us so much through this process. Kaleb is quite the reptile caretaker too. He has been giving him the shot in his leg and doing an excellent job. I don't think Alex has been too upset with us. He is getting stronger every week now and showing signs of improvement.

He turned 30 this past August!

Way to go Alexander!

Halloween

 Pumpkin carvers hard at work.

 Thunder has found great fun playing in all these leaves.

 George has been banned from the hen house, so for now he is roaming the yard.

 We are insect free.

I have found Lightning tunneling under the leaves.

 All you hear is a rustling sound. 

 Thunder shrinking into the grass. She is hoping that Lightning doesn't see her.

 Jared stuck bolts in his pumpkin.

 Kaleb can be quite the character.

 Victoria carved a wolf howling. It turned out pretty amazing.

Paint...My Favorite Thing

Okay, so this isn't paint. But how can you resist this little thing.

Thunder is quite the little sweetie.

I was plastering in the living room, trying to repair the humongous holes when she kept flipping her tail into the wet plaster. Victoria snatched her up and closed her in the dog crate where she quickly fell asleep, which was why she was probably there in the first place. 

She loves to be held when she wants a nap. 

 So, on to what is really going on. I started plastering when Jared grabbed a chisel and hammer. All plastering came to a halt when he decided to chip off plaster covering the chimney. Who in their right mind would plaster over a chimney like this? We have no idea.

 I love having a son who finds adventure in things like this.

Here is what this room looked like when we moved in. 

Notice the plastered chimney to the far right. Yuck!

And now look at it. 

Plastered walls, painted ceiling, painted walls, stripped chimney, vent closed up, carpet gone....

 It looks really homey now. This was once the parlor and in the 1940's it was a hair salon.

 To the right of this vent was another heater vent. We have no idea why there were two vents next to each other. Now there is just one. Once we get all the vinyl flooring up we will be refinishing the existing wood floors and adding back the base boards like the house was originally built in 1906.

I love to paint. It just has a way of freshening up something that looks old and worn out.

I have been known to change wall colors in the past like changing sheets. I don't think I will do that in this house. There is too much to do to be changing the wall color frequently.

Plus I love this color. 

Happy Birthday Girls

We celebrated the girls 12th and 24th Birthdays in the woods.

 Daphne let Victoria choose what she wanted on their cake.

Of course it had to be blue and wolves.

 Here they are standing next to their treasures.

 Hmmm, I wonder what's inside these beautiful presents.

 I love this spot at the Logan River in Card day use area.

There is just something about the sound of flowing water.

 Daphne and her Nana.

 See? Kirk came and didn't have a headache this time!

We're looking older these days even though we don't feel like we are older.

Wiser maybe....but not older.

 The girls.

 The guys.

 The day was perfect kicking back next to a crackling fire and a bubbling river.

 Daphne has now added to her collection of horses. She loves Cloud mustang.

 Victoria didn't know that the very lasso that she was driven us nuts about having since the County Fair was tucked away in my closet awaiting her special day.

 She has actually gotten pretty good with it. Now when the goats see her with it they keep moving hoping that she doesn't rope them.

 Victoria sporting her new jacket that she now lives in.

Jared's New Truck

Jared bought a Monster Truck!

And he needs a step ladder to reach into the motor.

There is quite a bit of work to be done before he can drive it. So for now he 

and Poppa are having a great time perusing the junk yard looking for parts.

I'm not sure who is enjoying this more, Jared or Poppa.

Camping in October

I had this persistent need to go camping and this was going to be our last chance.

Summer came and went like a whirlwind. Between the scout camping and Kirk's work schedule, we didn't get out camping like we had hoped for.

So I decided on my own, that I was going camping and anyone who wanted to come would meet us wherever I found to camp. Kaleb, Victoria and I packed the trailer, hitched it up to the van....all by myself, might I add, and ventured into Logan Canyon to find a camp site.

 It was the beginning of some much needed rest.

 And sparked some over all goofiness.

Kirk, Jared and Daphne met us at our campsite after work and school.

I felt like this was the beginning of a wonderful three days camping.

Well, for us maybe but not for Kirk.

This was the beginning of the worst migraine headache that he has had all year.

 The Fall colors were beautiful.

 I have discovered that I fail at starting decent fires.

 Good thing I have two Eagle Scouts to do that for me.

 I know I have been told that teenage boys can really eat a lot.

I never really knew how much until this past few years.

Boy can these guys pack away the food.

And one of them isn't even a teenager any more.

 Jared found an American Dagger Moth on our tent.

Who would think that this yellow caterpillar would morph into a drab brown moth.

 Here is proof that Daphne came too.

 We have no proof that Kirk was with us. Believe me he was. Unfortunately he refused to go home. He said he would rather feel miserable camping then being all alone at home.

I don't blame him but hearing the echo of him barfing in the woods was a little much.

 Me...tormenting my daughter who thinks she is too cool to be loved on by her mom!

We have a great family.