The Moulton Family

Disneyland - November 2011

2011-12-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

The castle at night

Kids with Mickey

A day at the beach

The kids with their Grammy

The biggest ferris wheel ever!

Brian's favorite ride - rode it about 10 times!

A sign of Christmas!

Playing in the caves in Pirate Cove

Kate's favorite ride

Pluto!

Buena Vista Boulevard

Katie's second favorite ride!

Paradise Pier

Gotta love Mr. Toad!

It has been seven years since we have been to Disneyland! Katie was three and in a stroller the last time we went - we thought it was time to go again. We had such a great time! The kids were all tall enough to go on everything - we got a three-day park hopper pass and we used it for three days straight! For at least 15 hours a day! This was not a restful vacation but we didn't want to rest! We had to ride our favorite rides many times! My mom came with us and it was so fun to spend time with her - we wore her out! Our favorite rides were: Katie - Thunder Mountain Railroad, Taylor - Space Mountain or Matterhorn, Brian - California Screamin', Kira - Indiana Jones, & Aaron - Thunder Mountain. What I loved is that even though we were there for three days, there was always plenty to do and you were never bored. The shows at night were awesome! You really get your moneys worth at these parks! Can't wait to go again!

New Family Pictures

2011-12-27T19:34:00.001-08:00

If you can't laugh during the session, it won't work!

Taylor's idea -

The guys

The Girls

Every couple of years we break down and have some nice family pictures done - mainly because we don't recognize the kids anymore! They grow so quickly - we are with them every day and don't see it - Becca Kidd took our pictures again and we love her! She can make us look okay and that is no small feat! Thanks Becca!~

Halloween 2011

2011-11-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

Look at the detail put into this house!

The whole gang!

Yes, we ALL fit in the van!

Yummy cookies!

Apples w/ carmel dip

Bone breadsticks w/ sauce

Taylor getting ready to jump out and scare the kids!

Our ghost on a zip line!

Artichoke dip in a bread bowl

Mummy dogs!

Witches brew (root beer)

Last year we got together and had a themed dinner to celebrate Halloween - we had such a good time that we decided to do it again! It was so much making the food! We couldn't stop and went a little overboard but everyone loved it! We were a little outnumbered by the kids so it was crazy at times but we survived the night. One of the traditions we have is to visit a house on a neighboring street that goes ALL out at Halloween - we piled (literally) into a 12 passenger van (quite a sight!) and headed off. This year they added a replica of the Pirates of the Carribean ship The Black Pearl! The whole street came dressed as pirates (really good costumes, too!) and all got into the act! Really amazing! After trick-or-treating, our kids came back and scared other kids by jumping out of a coffin and sending a scary ghost down a zip line. Such great memories! Can't wait until next year!

Halloween Half Marathon 2011

2011-11-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

Brian rode with us and brought us in!

At the end!

Taylor, Aaron, and Rob - Looking strong!

Almost there!

Katie & Eden enjoying the prize! Donuts and chocolate milk!

The kids at the turn-around point

All ready to go!

Coleen, Becky, & I - my running partners!

Had to throw a little Halloween in there!

Last year Aaron started the annual Maple Valley Halloween 1/2 marathon - this year was another success! We had the most beautiful run - it was cool but the colors were amazing and it didn't rain! We had some returning runners and many new runners! We also had the first ever Kid Halloween Dash! Everyone did great! From our family, Aaron, Taylor, and I all ran the 1/2. This was Taylor's first 1/2 marathon and he ran it in 1:49!! Way to go! Brian and Katie were such a help on the support staff handing out waters, keeping times, and cheering us all on! We look forward to next years race! Come join us!

Quick trip to Boise

2011-11-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

Enjoying some Lily Jane cupcakes!

Ice cream from Goody's

Yes, that is a pumpkin cannon! How cool is that?

Kids on the lookout in the middle of the maze

Getting lost in the corn maze!

The gang before we started

Tracie and Shane

Taylor on the biggest trike ever!

A visit with Grandma Wright on the way down to Boise

It seems as though all the trips we take to Boise are really quick and are over much too fast! But if we waited for a week to go, well, that would never happen! We packed so much into just a few days and we loved every minute of it! We were here around the same time last year and we got the chance to go through another cool corn maze! Love the Farmstead! This years was pretty hard and we had to stop a few times to get our bearings. I say "we" but it was Aaron that kept us on the right path! We would still be in the maze if I were leading! We also went running, out to dinner at a really good "Basque" place in downtown Boise (yummy!), visited Goody's malt shop (brought back many childhood memories!), visited our favorite "Lily Jane Cupcakes" and basically ate the entire time! Yes, food is a big deal when we visit! Tracie and Jeff also taught us Texas Hold-em! Loved learning that! Now we want our own set of chips! (We didn't play for real money, but it was fun to pretend:)! Tracie and I also found a few minutes to hang some things in her laundry rooms! So fun! Thank you guys for a wonderful time! We love you and miss you!

How's school going?

2011-11-07T12:55:00.001-08:00

LOVE the fall colors here! And, no, these are not Photoshopped!

Yes, it is early for Tay!

Katie - 1st day of school

Brian - first day of 7th grade

I can't tell you where the first few months of school has gone! I thought things would slow down once school started so that I could keep up with our blog - no, that hasn't happened! I'm happy to say though that school is going really well for the kids! I thought I'd give a quick recap of each of the kids and what they are up to -

Taylor - quite a few firsts for him this year. He is in 9th grade (officially high school, though he won't go to the high school until next year). He started seminary this year - after about 3 weeks he started feeling a little better about getting up. He (and his parents) were a bit tired at first! He is enjoying his teacher and class and can really feel a difference this year having that extra spiritual boost in the morning. We have a great car pool where we only have to drive every four weeks! Love it! He is taking some harder classes as well - his first AP (Human Geography) and Pre-AP Literature - he is enjoying them but has learned that there is more work involved. He also started his foreign language (Spanish) and loves to teach us new words! He just finished running with the high school cross country team and really enjoyed that! His best time for the 5K was 20 minutes! Last week he also ran his first 1/2 marathon in 1:49! He has been busy finishing up his eagle project - he will be glad to have that behind him! Many hours have been put into the project - I will post on that when he is finished! He will also start drivers ed next week! As you can see this year is bringing a lot of changes for Taylor! We are very proud of you Taylor and look forward to seeing all that you will accomplish this year!

Brian - Brian is in the 7th grade this year - his second year at the middle school. He is a very happy kid and is really enjoying his classes. His favorite class is science - (they made fake blood and wounds for Halloween!) and his favorite teacher is Ms. Crane in literature. His grades are awesome and we love that he does all his homework without being asked! He enjoys playing with friends and loves scouts. He is looking forward to trying out for baseball this spring and training for track. He was just called as the Deacon's quorum president! We are proud of you Brian!

Katie - Katie is in the 5th grade this year and her last at elementary school! I'm so sad about that! All three kids went through the same school - we will miss it next year! Her teacher is Mr. Betlach (her first male teacher - she spent the first few weeks of school telling me about all the differences between male and female teachers - I don't think she left anything out!) She really enjoys him and likes the kids in her class (although she does not have close friends in her class, the other teacher they switch with has good friends in it and she sees them often). She also loves school and takes her work seriously. She has more homework this year but is glad that it is everyday instead of a packet to finish in a week. She always put it off until the last minute! She continues to take piano and has a recital in one month. We are looking forward to seeing her perform. She loves her friends and is constantly working on things for them. She has had a few close friends move but still manages to stay happy. She is also singing with the honor choir again this year and really enjoys that! Good job Kate!

Aaron and I are also busy - we have to schedule time to see each other! We just got done organizing a district wide merit badge clinic here in Maple Valley for the Boy Scouts. We had a record number of boys come (160 total!) - we offered 10 merit badges and are grateful for the counselors and their time! In September Aaron help to organize our Stake day of Service - A LOT of time went into that! But all the projects worked out and the cities were very grateful for all that was done! Aaron is also heavily involved in volunteering for the Maple Valley fire department and really enjoys that. We are headed off to Disneyland in a few days and look forward to getting away and playing! I'll post on that soon!

Lake Chelan 2011

2011-09-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

Brian got up on the wakeboard!

Brian in front of the ultralite

Getting his helmet fitted

Taxiing to the runway

There he goes!

Eating dinner at the Lakeview Drive-In - love the bucket of fries!

Thanks Grumbles for the cake for Aaron's birthday! Awesome!

Enjoying the sun on the beach

Kids playing on the beach

This was our third year in Lake Chelan over Labor Day - and it didn't rain! The weather was perfect! So glad to know that there is sun over in eastern Washington - although, sadly, it was warmer in Seattle on Saturday than in Chelan - but I'm just glad we had warm weather! We spent lots of time on the water, enjoyed visiting with friends, and had great food! Great way to end the summer before school starts! For his birthday, we gave Brian a ride on an ultralite plane over Chelan - he loved it! Next year we all want to take a trip up!

Ocean Shores

2011-08-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Seeing how big of a hole they could dig (with the small shovel - we forgot the big one!)

This is the life!

He sleeps!

Taylor completely buried!

So nice to relax with my honey!

My handsome boys!

My sweet companion!

It doesn't happen often, but we had a weekend become totally clear of any engagements so we jumped at the chance to visit the coast. My mom had just left a few days before and I was pretty down. The stock market had been in the toilet lately so it was also nice for Aaron to get away for a few days. It was just overnight - the first day we were there the clouds didn't burn off but on Saturday there were no clouds and we loved it! Ocean Shores is different in that you can drive on the beach - much easier than carrying all of our gear miles away! We love the ocean and it really is therapy for the soul! The smells, the sounds, and running in the sand - love it! The kids loved burying each other and I got to read a book (it's been awhile!) - I also captured a rare shot of Aaron relaxing and taking a nap in the sun! Yes, miracles do happen! We all felt great after this trip and we are glad it worked out for us to sneak away!

Visit with Grammy

2011-08-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

These are some BIG trees!

Grammy & kids

On a fallen log

Love this mountain!

So glad it was clear so we could see the whole thing!

Snoqualmie Falls

The sun hadn't come out yet on this day - the mist was pretty thick!

I love it when my mom comes! I just love to have her with me in the room to talk with or just to sit with - we are very similar in that way. We prayed for nice weather while she was here - it is really hot in AZ right now so we wanted cooler temps but nice enough to go out and enjoy some day trips! It was perfect - mid 70's with some overcast days - she loved it! While she was here we went up to Snoqualmie Falls and made a trip to Mt. Rainier to see the Grove of the Patriarchs. Both were beautiful days! We were also able to celebrate Brian's birthday with Aaron's parents coming over for dinner - we really enjoyed that. My mom and I were able to go see "The Help" with some friends and really enjoyed that! We miss my mom and dad and treasure every moment we have with them!

Lake Kachess 2011

2011-08-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Taylor & Kaden on the waverunners

Aaron and kids enjoying the lake

How beautiful is that?

Coleen with Brock and Tallie

Becky with Cate, Dylan, and Lauren

Just one of many waterfalls around the lake (found lots of mosquitoes here!)

We decided to grab a sunny weekend (there haven't been many this summer) and head over the mountains to our cabin in Cle Elum! The Gustin's and Thorpes joined us (love you guys!) - we had a great time! We BBQ'd Friday evening and took a drive over to Suncadia - love the homes there! It was super windy, though! We headed out after a big breakfast on Saturday morning to do some boating on Lake Kachess - it is such a beautifully situated lake! Up in the mountains completely surrounded by trees and cliffs - really beautiful! The darn wind didn't calm down though so it was choppy and pretty chilly! Will we ever catch a break? Aaron was just there the week before and it was like glass and perfect! One of these days we will find it just like that!

Happy 13th Birthday, Brian!

2011-08-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, we now have two teenagers? Where does the time go? The kids are growing up so fast - I just can't seem to find a way to slow it down! Brian is such a fun guy to be around. He loves little kids, especially babies, and constantly has one in his arms. He LOVES anything to do with yachts, boats, and cars - is he a boy or what! We find him on Craig's List or Yachtworld daily sending us links of boats that we just NEED to buy! The concept of money doesn't really exist for him - but we enjoy his enthusiasm on the subject! He will be going into 7th grade this year - the top of the middle school - he enjoys school and loves to be outside and with friends and just yesterday got up for the first time on a wakeboard! Way to go! For his birthday we were trying to think of something different for a gift - we got him a flight on an Ultralite plane over Lake Chelan when we go over Labor Day weekend! He is really excited! He also took some of his birthday money and bought a pogo stick - he's been wanting one for a few years! He is really good at it! I've tried it once but didn't fair as well - we hope you have a great year Brian! We love you!

Visit with Family

2011-08-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

All of us together!

The kiddos

Katie and Austin - look at the smile!

The kids loving the jungle gym - I don't even think they make these anymore!

As many of you know, my family, including my two brothers and their wives and kids, live in Phoenix, AZ. I miss them so much so when my sister in law, Megan, and their two boys were going to be in Vancouver, WA for a family reunion, we knew we had to see each other! We made a plan to meet up 1/2 way between Vancouver and here in Centralia, WA. It worked out great! We met for lunch at Burgerville (super yummy!) and then headed over to a park so the kids could play for a bit. It was so fun to see their boys (we hadn't even met Austin who is 7 months old now!) and Landon is getting so big! We really enjoyed our afternoon and we are so glad we got to see them! We miss you guys!

Ragnar Relay 2011

2011-08-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

All the girls on our team!

So fun to see the whole family at the finish line!

Missed my running buddy this year!

Poster the kids made us!

Our whole team at the finish!

The starting line

What a year for Ragnar! It was really fun! It always is - though it seems the more I do it the more tired I am afterwards! This year we were able to have an "all girl" van which we've never done before! Aaron and I had started off the year saying we were going to take a break but when I heard of the plan for an all girl van and that Tracie was coming in for the race, I gave in! The one sad thing for this year was not running with Aaron! I missed him! We've done the last 3 years in the same car! Hopefully we'll be able to run together again - and we want to run with our kids too! But I'm not making an announcement for next year - we might try out the Rainier to Ruston Relay which is shorter - that would be a great way to break in the boys.

On our team, "Tag You're It", this year was Van #1: Myself, Becky, Tracie, Coleen, Dixie (Coleen's sis) and Jeanie (love you guys! So much fun!) and in Van #2: Brett and JoLynn (team captains), Suzanne and Michael, and Bianca and Dave. I was able to run the same legs as the past 2 years - they changed the course a bit (I think there were more hills on my 1st leg, if that was possible!) - but I loved running the long one first, and then having 2 shorter ones. We had perfect weather - cooler than in years past which was so great! Thank you all for another great year!

Camping on Mt. Rainier in Ohanapecosh

2011-08-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

Our family in front of the twin trees

One of the biggest ones! It took 24 of us holding hands to get around it!

Playing in the creek by our campsite

Is that beautiful or what?

Gathering for one of our meals

We have lived down in south King County for 11 years and this is the first time we've camped near Rainier! We see the mountain every time it is clear and just love it! We have heard of the campground Ohanapecosh for years from friends and finally went - we loved it! It was the most beautiful setting that we've ever camped in! We went with lots of friends who were in spots next to us - we hiked to Silver Falls and walked down to the Grove of the Patriarchs - both were breathtaking! We bought a year pass to Mt. Rainier National Park so that we can go back many times this year!

Happy 15th Birthday Taylor!

2011-08-24T16:11:00.001-07:00

Loves key lime pie!

Just what he wanted!

Good morning!

We can't believe it's been 15 years since you were born! Time really does fly by - we love having you in our family! You are such a great guy - never complains and just does what needs to get done! This next year is bringing Taylor many firsts - entering 9th grade, taking drivers ed (his sister refuses to get in the car with him driving!), 2 AP classes, cross country, getting his eagle - he will be very busy! We hope you have a great day! We love you!

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-08-24T15:49:00.001-07:00

Katie and friends

Our camera is not great but you get the picture!

Good looking kids!

Kate and I

The group setting off fireworks

Boys love to blow things up!

Katie's red white and blue cookies!

Can you believe it? We actually had NICE weather this year on the 4th! In the morning we had our annual 4th of July Breakfast with our ward - we had SO many people attend! It was great! We had a bike rodeo which they loved!

The Collings invited us over this year for a BBQ and fireworks - we had such a great time! The food was so good and the company even better! We ventured out to the reservations down south and loaded up with some loud fireworks to set off - they were great! Thanks for hosting this year!

So far this summer.....

2011-08-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

The kid's version of a garage sale!

Katie at the top of Poo Poo Point above Issaquah

Snoqualmie Falls

Yummy strawberries!

I thought I'd post a few pictures showing what we've been up to - the weather hasn't been the greatest until now but we have still been able to get out and pick strawberries, hike Poo Poo Point, and visit Snoqualmie Falls - we live in the most beautiful area! Love it!

Family Gathering in Cle Elum

2011-08-24T14:38:00.001-07:00

Brian loves the water!

Even the babies floated a bit!

The water was still a bit chilly

Aaron and Taylor

Elliott and Brian (they look alike!)

The whole gang!

Aaron's parents bought a cabin up in Cle Elum and we have loved getting together with the whole family! Many memories will be made here - we are so grateful to have a place to escape to! On this trip we rafted down the river, celebrated a few birthdays (there are many during the month of July!) and had great food! Thank you for the great weekend!

Dirty Dash - 2011

2011-08-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

After the race - see? Not so dirty as they had hoped!

Before

There are many types of races out there - sometimes you get a little tired of the normal ones so you look for something a bit different! Well, Aaron found one! It's called the Dirty Dash! It was started in Utah and brings new meaning to becoming one with dirt! It's more of an obstacle course with lots of mud and water. It was the first year up here in Washington and we hope they come back again - Aaron was able to run with his friends Rob, Randy, Dixon, Dave, Jason and Brett. They had a great time although they had an earlier heat which meant the track was not as muddy as they had hoped - but it was shorter than the predicted 10K so they were able to run it several times! Fun times!

Green River Marathon - Dedicated to Jen Perkins!

2011-08-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Our "Defying Gravity" team! (It ended at Alki Beach - awesome views!)

It is not easy to move afterwards!

Aaron and I at the finish line - so fun to run a race together!

It was emotional at the end

Coming in to the finish - the kids ran in with us! What a way to finish!

You have to be a little bit crazy to run a marathon - it is NOT an easy thing to do, even for the experienced runners! My friend Becky had a sister pass away last year the first weekend in June of cancer - it was a very quick thing with only one month being between the diagnosis and her death - she was in her 30's and just beginning to live life - with this being the year anniversary Becky decided to run the Green River Marathon about 2 weeks before it and dedicate it to Jen, who never got the chance to run one! She was gracious enough to ask a few friends to run it with her - I was injured so I wasn't able to run the entire distance but helped with water breaks and joining them the last 6 miles - miles were dedicated to friends and family members and it is always emotional to talk about our loved ones as we run - especially near the end when we are physically exhausted! What was so great was that several of the ladies were running their first marathon, including Becky! What an accomplishment! And Tracie was able to fly in for the race as well! We were also able to run with Aaron, Rob Darling, and Randy White. They are such huge supporters! Thank you so much! The whole experience was truly amazing and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it. We will miss Jen and we hope that Becky will continue to honor her sister! Love you Becky!

Katie ran track this year!

2011-08-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Maddy, Katie, Sydney, and Eden

Although it was a short season, Katie tried out track this year and did great! The events she competed in were the 100 m dash and the 4x200 m relay - we hope she sticks with it!

Banks Lake 2011

2011-08-24T13:20:00.001-07:00

Lots of kids!

Our family - and Sean Hanson who also joined us

The kids with Alec and Hannah Downing, and Sean

Tubing!

The courtyard between our homes

Our home for the weekend

We are so grateful for the chance to visit this lake again! It really is a jewel in Washington state - we almost feel like we are in Lake Powell with the tall cliffs and beautiful scenery! Love it! We are grateful so many friends were able to get away too - this year we stayed in a grouping of five haciendas with a central courtyard - we loved it! It was nice to each have our own bathroom and a place to all gather for meals - the weather wasn't perfect but still nice enough that we got in lots of boating - we were also able to visit a fun sand dune which the kids loved going up and down - we hope to visit here every year!

Women's Conference - April, 2011

2011-08-24T11:43:00.001-07:00

The Marriott Center was full!

My sisters!

Comparing notes!

I've gotten behind again! But I now have a list of entries so I will start! On April 28-29th of this year, I had the opportunity to attend Women's Conference down in Provo, UT on the BYU campus! So amazing! I've never been before, though I lived down there for 4 years - looking back I think we were too poor and too busy for such fun things! It always amazes me when we try to put a bigger trip like this together to see it all work out! There were seven of us all together and we were all able to pull it off! Not a small feat when we have 29 kids between all of us! We set out early on Wednesday and drove all day, picking up Tracie in Boise and dropping off Ellie Greenwood in Twin Falls along the way. We reached Heber, Utah late that night to our beautiful accommodations! Thank you Sister Perkins for the use of your home! We spent the next few days at the conference during the day and then shopping and eating out in the evening. On Saturday we headed out early to shop at the LDS distribution center, a huge Tai Pan, and a few Down East Outfitters - not to mention more eating! We then dropped Bianca off with her mom and headed back to Twin Falls to pick up Ellie and then stay the night at Tracie's in Boise - we then headed home on Sunday - it was a whirlwind of a trip but we were so spiritually fed!

Here are some of the speakers I heard and some notes: 1. Virginia H. Pearce - introduced the theme "By Small and Simple Things are Great Things Brought to Pass" Alma 37:6-7 - 'keep it small, keep it simple, give it time - prayer = first religious practice - rests on principle of faith - our goal is to become like Him - allows God to unlock heaven in our behalf - grows our humility - we can't do it alone - get to the temple - softens heart, more compassion, more patience, new sensitivity to the spirit - you will be "more present" in life - consecrate your trials to the welfare of your soul - agency must be exercised - my will & the Lord's will will become the same - we are not informing God, we are informing ourselves - if you don't receive an answer then proceed with faith - when adversity happens, slow down, simplify, pray - the Lord knows what is to come

2. "Eternal Marriage: If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently" by Sharon and Ralph Larsen - we learned 3 principles - how you love and nurture an eternal marriage, how you handle disagreements, and how to stay emotionally faithful - remember you can't retrain others, you can only retrain yourself - marriage is designed to prepare us for celestial kingdom - helps us overcome selfishness and self-centeredness - we are accountable to God in our marriages - working through the hard times can work towards the best times - children help us develop Christlike qualities

3. "We don't Need more Women of the world, we need more women of God" by Ann M. Dibb & Mary N. Cook - we need women who are tender, kind, refined, with faith, goodness, virtue, and purity - important for mothers to model the right behavior - what will your legacy be? - true test comes when we make mistakes - how we handle them - strive to be remembered for a righteous life - strive daily to be prepared for death - we never know when our lives will end - most confusion comes from not knowing who we are, why we are here, and where we are going - are your desires consistent with a daughter of God? - beware of becoming past feeling because of the noise of the world - be still and listen - every sister who stands for right weakens the adversary - we do not know our full potential - do not deny any help from the Savior

4. Julie Beck - we all need opportunities in life to stretch and grow - history helps us learn who we are - identity of a daughter of God is rich and full - nurturing, teaching, influencing = these are responsibilities that are non-negotiable! am I aligned with the Lord's vision of me or am I trying to escape my duties? - we don't get a pass from our responsibilities - relief society is a restoration of a pattern that existed anciently - discipleship - we are not just a footnote in history - be official participants in the discipleship of Christ - stand with the Savior and better the cause - if we really understood, there would be no more issues, shrugging, or eye rolling - we are connected to the priesthood - we receive all the gifts and blessings - we need to qualify for those blessings - men and women cannot ascend w/o the other - our responsibility is to bring the priesthood power every hour to our home - we are not at liberty to choose contrary to the Lord' plan (love that!) - hard to contemplate all of our possibilities

These are just a few notes - I went to many others and have recorded my thoughts in a journal - sorry if it's so long! SO much to take in! I'm so grateful for my sisters in the gospel - you all mean so much to me! Thank you for taking this trip! It has built me up more than you'll ever know! Love you all!

Where's Waldo?

2011-05-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

All the "Waldo's"

Katie

Melissa, you look awesome!

Bishop Crooks

Me - didn't know my baby would be shiny!

Every year the youth in our ward participate in an activity called "Where's Waldo". It takes place down in the Supermall in Auburn, which crazy enough, we don't stand out that bad! The youth ask adults in the ward to dress up and the youth walk around trying to figure out who is dressed up and if they can guess who they are! Katie and I were asked to dress up this year - it was so much fun! Becky came over and helped us (I'm just not that creative) and it was hilarious! I had on a long brown wig and was pregnant and Katie was a boy. Of course, my boys knew it was us when they saw us so there weren't too many secrets but it was sure fun to get crazy looks! I've included some pics of the other Waldos - Bishop Crooks was awesome! He said a mother came and sat her kids close to him and went to get some food - he thought she was crazy to do so! Hope we can do it again next year!

Happy 17th Anniversary!

2011-05-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe it has been 17 years! Were we really THAT young when we got married?

This was 1 1/2 years ago, but still pretty close to now

I just wanted to wish Aaron a Happy Anniversary! Time has been on our minds lately, particularly how fast it has been moving. I really don't know where the last school year has gone! And to look at the last 17 years has really thrown me for a loop! But I must say that I love where we are right now - I love Aaron so much and still consider him my closest friend! I feel that we are closer than we have ever been and we are still so in love! Here's to the next 17 years! Though I hope time does slow down a bit!

Our "New" Laundry Room!

2011-04-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

New color!

New tile

AAAhhh! SO much better! Funny, they hold so much more but are smaller! Go figure!

Old floor

Really? Man, that's bad! What a boring room!

We've had a list of projects that we've wanted to tackle for awhile around the house. When we made the list, the laundry room wasn't even in the top ten! Well, a few months ago, our washer started making obnoxious noises - it got so bad that we started to worry about it affecting the stability of our house! So, it was moved up to #1!

We don't move too quick on projects without doing some research so I started looking and planning. Aaron had no idea that I was also looking at paint and tile color as well:)! As far as machines, there were a lot to choose from. Our laundry room is interesting - it is located beneath the stairs in a small closet - I have learned to be grateful where it is - I love that it is a separate room that you don't have to walk through to get to the garage. I also love that I can shut the door and not see the clothes. With our old set, however, when they were running the whole house seemed to move and hum. I had not heard all positive about the front loaders and had already decided to stick with the top loader washer. And the color didn't really matter to me as it was not a room to be viewed in Better Homes and Gardens any time soon. So I chose a front loader that held about twice what our old models held!

For the color on the walls I wanted to pull on the grey/blue that I've been adding to the kitchen and family room - it's darker but I LOVE how it turned out. For the floor we chose a lighter color with greys and khaki's. We spent conference weekend painting and tiling (Thanks Todd for your help!) and the new machines were delivered yesterday! Happy Day! I didn't realize how bad our old ones looked until I saw these - I want to apologize now to any family and friends who have used our laundry room! How you must have run away! But guess what! I dried a whole load of towels today in 25 minutes! My old dryer was up to 1 1/2 hours for the same load! I feel like I've just been handed the gift of time! And I can't believe I'm blogging about appliances but with all the time I spend washing, this is really a treat for me! Now all I want to do to finish off the room is to build some shelves in above the washer and add some cool laundry prints - almost there!

Happy Birthday Katie!

2011-04-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

So glad to be 10!

Racing go-karts - we beat the guys!

Katie and her boys

Love mini golf!

Truly happy!

There have been many things this past year that clearly shows our age creeping up on us, but our baby turning 10 is definitely in the top! We cannot begin to think of where the past decade has gone! Katie is growing up so fast and is so beautiful! She definitely has a mind of her own and is not afraid to let us know - we love having her in our family and cannot imagine life without you! It was a family birthday this year so we headed off to the Family Fun Center for some go-kart racing, miniature golf, and lots of games! She chose her favorite cake of oreo ice cream and also enjoyed having her grandparents over for dinner - she got lots of clothes, some Mr. Sketch smelly markers (they are still around!), a CTR ring, and lots of gift cards which she is very excited to go use! She also gets to spend the night with Grandma and make clothes for her favorite doll! We hope you have an amazing year, Katie! She informed us that she is now a "tenager". Cute!

Katie and the District Choir Festival

2011-04-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

Hannah and Katie

Hard to tell but they are all dancing away!

This is our second District Choir Festival that we've had the opportunity to attend - Taylor and Brian were both in it last year. It is so fun to get so many kids together that love to sing and just enjoy an evening of the arts. I also love that they invite different choirs in the high school to perform so the younger kids can see their own future potential. We hope to attend next year!

Appendicitis in the family!

2011-02-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's grainy - I wasn't thinking about the nice camera when we ran out!

We were going to have a completely normal, busy week last week! But things never go as planned - Monday afternoon Aaron called me on his way home from work (around 2:30) saying he was having the worst stomach pains. He somehow made it home (after stopping several times). I thought it was the flu - we had heard that stomach cramps were part of it. After an hour or so of him literally writhing in pain (nothing we did helped) he decided it was bad enough to go to the ER. I made plans to have Taylor picked up from wrestling and we headed out to Valley Medical Center's ER. I was a bit worried about going here - I'd heard some scary stories about it. We checked him in pretty quickly and were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. They had just recently remodeled the ER and it looked great. We were put in a room and they got his IV going (kind of a funny story with Jake, the EMT in training) and got him some morphine. That didn't help at all so they gave him more. After examining him, they ordered a CAT scan. Nothing moves super fast, as you can imagine, but they finally got him in for that around 8:00. After waiting again for the doctor to look at the scan, they came in and said it was appendicitis. We weren't excited that he was going to have surgery but at least he knew that the pain was real and not made up. The morphine was still not touching the pain so they brought in another drug that finally made him feel better. We got on the phone to friends and family and talked to the kids to let them know. Luckily they had a surgeon on staff that night and by 10:30 he was in surgery - not before he could post on Facebook the lovely picture you see here! I waited in the waiting room - I was the only one there - pretty slow night I guess. The surgeon, Dr. McFall, came out at 11:30 and said everything went well. At 12:30 the nurses came and got me and we headed into the main hospital to his room for the night. We got him into bed and I fed him some juice and jello - Yum! Around 1:30 I left to go home for a few hours of sleep, getting home around 2:00. I got up with the kids and got them off to school then headed back to the hospital. Aaron was discharged around noon and we headed home for some much needed rest. The one nice part of all this was the forced rest he had to take last week. I loved having him here during the day - I'm not sure he remembers most of it - that Percocet is pretty potent and makes you do some funny things. He showed everyone that came by his scars (which was more than they all wanted to see I'm sure). We feel grateful that they were able to get him in quickly and that it hadn't ruptured.

Early Saturday morning, our phone rings - it's my mom in Arizona and her calling this early meant that someone was in the hospital or had died! What are the chances but she had taken my dad to the ER the night before and he was having his appendix taken out that morning! Are you kidding? Before last week and I didn't even know one person who'd had their appendix out and now two in my family had theirs out in the same week? Crazy! By the time he got into surgery however it had ruptured. It took twice as long and he ended up staying in the hospital until Tuesday - he was on some serious antibiotics and was having a hard time getting his lungs to function properly again after being intubated. But he is home now and he and my mom are getting some much needed rest! So glad for that!

We are grateful to have them both home again!

Habits of Mind Assembly

2011-02-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

In our school district there is a curriculum called 'Habits of Mind' that the kids learn right when they enter school. Some of them are pretty hard to understand and it sounds a bit odd to hear them say such large words, but they do learn what they are and I believe will be better adults because of them. Some of them include quality producer, self directed learner, fluency, elaboration, persistence, precision, risk taking, and inquisitive. They get a little more elaborate in middle school. Once a quarter, they hold a 'Habits of Mind' assembly where the teachers vote in students that have exhibited certain qualities. Brian was chosen by his language arts teacher for 'Thinking Interdependently'. From what I understand it means working well in groups. Sorry for rambling, I just wanted to explain it a little. We, as parents, were invited to the assembly to see them receive the awards. We are proud of you Brian! Way to go!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-06T15:16:00.001-08:00

Bringing in the new year with pots and pans!

Brian and Alec are ready!

Katie and Hannah are all smiles!

Many of our friends were traveling over the holidays so we were so glad the Gustin's were in town! They hosted on New Year's Eve - we had an awesome time! There were 5 families that came - there were two more that couldn't make it. We had an awesome meal of Cafe Rio salad (someday I'll have the real thing!) It was so good! We spent the evening having Nerf gun wars, playing games, and eating lots more food! We brought in the new year by banging on anything that made noise - there weren't any close neighbors so we let loose! Thanks Gustin's for a fun night! We wish you the best for 2011!

Snow-Mobiling in Cle Elum

2011-01-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Katie on the quad ready to pull!

Brian and Kaden on the tube (before it popped!)

Taylor's ready to go

The boys trying them out this summer

There always seems to be some fun toys that we have to try out! This year we bought some snow mobiles - we were able to take them up last week and try them out! They are so fun! We pulled kids behind them and a quad - made for a super fun day! LeeAnn Gustin made us a yummy lunch and kept the fire stoked - thank you! Can't wait to go up again!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-06T14:54:00.000-08:00

Aaron checking out some new toys

Taylor and his stash

Brian - isn't too happy!

Good heavens Katie!

Who gave Brian a knife?

Checking out the sock

We loved our tree this year!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! Since my parents could not go on the cruise with us, they asked to come here from the holidays! We were so excited to have them! They were with us a few years ago during some crazy snow storms that kept us homebound for the week. Luckily this year the weather was much more tame - that was nice because my dad loves to go for drives and take off on his own every day for awhile. He wasn't able to do that a few years ago! While they were here, my mom took the kids and I to Seattle to see the Harry Potter Exhibit. It was awesome! They had so many props and things from the movies - even the whole Hogwarts Express! We had a good time going through that - we then met Aaron and my dad for dinner. We had a nice Christmas Eve dinner and read the nativity with songs. Christmas morning started around 8:00 and took many hours! But we all enjoyed it - we all received such nice presents! Thank you everyone! We took off after noon and headed up to Aaron's parents for dinner with his family. It was so sad to send off my parents! That made my holiday!

Honor Choir Concert

2011-01-06T14:49:00.000-08:00

Madalyn and Katie after the concert - the lights are hot!

The honor Choir - their director is Ms. Hinami

We were so excited that they opened up the honor choir to the 4th graders this year. It used to be just for the 5th graders when Brian sang. Katie was so excited to join! She is conquering all her fears this year! She loves singing - she sings all day at home. She also enjoys it because her friends Madalyn and Hannah sing with her! For this concert she was also chosen to present a song which just means she reads a paragraph to introduce the next song. She talked about "My favorite Things" from the Sound of Music - one of her favorites! Way to go Katie!

Katie's first piano recital - December 16, 2010

2011-01-06T14:42:00.000-08:00

Katie with her teacher Rob

Isn't she pretty?

We are so proud of Katie! She started taking piano this year in the spring. She has done so well and has improved quickly. We weren't sure if she would do the recital because she does not like performing in front of people but we practiced at the church several times and she was so brave! She sounded so good - she played "Eidelweiss" from the Sound of Music and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman". She was glad when it was over! We are proud of you Kate!

Cruise V3

2011-01-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

Cruising on the Celebrity Eclipse

2011-01-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

The ice cream we couldn't leave alone!

The hills where we zip-lined!

On the shores of Roatan, Honduras

A good view of our ship

Loving the monkeys!

The view from where we started zip-lining! Awesome!

The temples in Costa Maya

Our table where we ate every night

The boys shopping in Cozumel

Look at our little rental car!

Katie taking it easy

Seeing the real pirates of the Carribean

The lawn on top of our ship

I mentioned earlier about our first cruise being cancelled - in a crazy way it was emotional to rebook an entirely new cruise right away! Our original one was down to the Mexican Riviera out of Long Beach, CA. Now, we were taking off out of Miami, FL on a different cruise line and to very different ports! But this ended up being our best vacation yet! We are SO glad now for the switch and can't wait to go again! We took a red eye flight out on Friday evening, November 26th. We slept okay - we landed in Ft. Lauderdale (because we switched last minute there were no flights into Miami) rented a car and drove to Miami. I didn't know how we'd like Florida but we were pleasantly surprised and loved it! It was warm and beautiful! We stopped at the beach to compare the Pacific to the Atlantic - Atlantic is much prettier and warmer! Then we headed off to get on our boat. The Eclipse was just put to sea last March - it is a beautiful ship! It just amazes me that these things even float - I tried to not think too much about that! We got on but couldn't check into our rooms so we headed to the next best thing - the buffet! Man, we couldn't believe all the food! It was so good! We settled in and enjoyed the first day and a half at sea. Although there were kid centers on this boat, it didn't have all the amenities that the Splendor did with the waterslides, etc. But it was nice to not have a ton of kids on board and we felt safe letting the kids wander and explore. Every night we'd have dinner in the dining room - we loved our servers, Rafael and Christina! The food was to die for! We all tried new things - I am so proud of the kids for that! We NEVER eat like that here - we miss that food! We even enjoyed a Sunday brunch to top all brunches! The ice sculptures were a nice touch!:)

Our first port was Georgetown, Grand Cayman. It was beautiful! So warm and humid. It felt so good to thaw! We had booked our shore excursions separate from the ships and we are so glad we did! Our first excursion was to swim with the stingrays, snorkel with the starfish, and relax the rest of the day at a resort. Our family was the only ones on our tour! And it was a large boat with 2 captains! Swimming with the sting rays was amazing! They are beautiful animals! Katie was a bit freaked out - they swim up right next to you and slide by - makes me shiver a bit just thinking about it! But we all felt them and kissed them! That brings you good luck! The water was kind of choppy but that didn't stop us from spending hours snorkeling and enjoying ourselves! They then took as back to shore and dropped us off at a resort that we enjoyed for the rest of the day!

On Tuesday, we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico. This was the first time any of us had stepped foot in Mexico so I was a bit nervous. I was even more nervous when we saw the long taxi line and decided to rent a car! Really? It ended up being a great thing - a small car but with American A/C! There's a difference, you know - Mexican A/C is when you roll down the window! It was a hot day so we loved it! Our first stop was to a resort that filled the bay with lots of inflatable toys to climb and jump off of! What a playland! We played all day on those, snorkeled, kayaked, and just enjoyed the sun. We then headed to the downtown area and did some shopping. Cozumel is known for its silver so I bought a bracelet and a pewter plate. The kids got some things too.

On Wednesday, we were still in Mexico but had gone south to Costa Maya. They had been hit by a hurricane in 2006 so it was obvious they were still rebuilding. But everything was new so that was nice. We had booked an excursion to visit some temple ruins inland about an hour. The other couple in our group happened to be from Tacoma, WA. What are the chances? Our driver was great - total local who entertained us with stories as we drove and even broke into song when he asked if we like Mexican music. He dropped us off at the ruins and set us up with a guide named Ezekiel who is of Mayan descent. He was amazing - he knew so much and spoke really good English that he said he taught himself through watching movies! We totally enjoyed seeing the corn temple, the sun temple, and the moon temple. They are newer ruins only discovered in the 1970's and opened about ten years ago to the public. One thing we won't forget is on the way to and from the temples, we had to cross through military drug check points. I was nervous but our driver knew them so we passed through easily. And when the A/C stopped working we filmed our driver getting out of the car and banging on something in the engine with a beer bottle and fixing it! How awesome is that? We were hot and tired so we headed back to the ship for a late lunch - what a great day!

Our last stop was in Roatan, Honduras. This was our favorite! It was the most beautiful and tropical and we just loved the people. We were also so excited for our excursion here! Zip-lining! We went with a group whose place was literally 100 feet from the cruise dock. We were a bit skeptical as we drove up to it, but soon found that we had picked the best! It's only a year old but the views were amazing! We went up most of the way in a Land Rover then had to hike the rest! I thought I was going to die in the humidity! We were completely sweaty at the top! Our guide was young - only about 15-16 - but he really knew what he was doing. The first jump was scary - and he told us to take a running leap because it was the longest of the 18 sections! Well, I was a bit scared and didn't leap and ended up only about 2/3 of the way across. But after that we all got the hang of it! We didn't want it to end! What an amazing experience! We all went upside down and loved it! After we finished we got to hold their pet monkeys! The kids loved that! Then our driver took us to a really nice resort for the day - we hired a boat to take us out to the most amazing snorkeling reef! There were so many fish - we loved it! We relaxed at the pool for the rest of the day and then our driver took us on a tour of the island - there are some really poor sections but the views were amazing - I would love a vacation home here.

We were then on the boat the rest of the time but enjoyed ourselves playing up on the 1/2 acre lawn on the top, swimming in the pools, and just relaxing! We also enjoyed the ice cream counter a bit to often! Twice a day they would put out new flavors of homemade ice cream that were so good! At the end of the cruise the ice cream lady said she was going to miss our family! That's pretty sad that she knew us out of 3000+ people!

We have mentioned this trip so many times since we got home - really had the time of our lives!

Our Thanksgiving Feast

2011-01-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

Look at all the food!

Thank you JoLynn for the cute placecards!

The adult table

The kid's table

In a way, Thanksgiving Day was a break for us! With an emotional week, we all needed day to eat and enjoy each others company. Because we were originally going to leave early Friday morning, we had decided to stay down in Maple Valley and host that day instead of being with family. We ate with the Thorpes, the Collings, and the Greenwoods - love you guys! We had an emotional goodbye with the Allens the day before. They were with family up in Bothell. We all helped out with food and it was so yummy! Becky and I cooked the birds, and a few sides/appetizers, and then everyone else cooked the rest! We had such a relaxing day and talked well into the evening planning out our Black Friday shopping! Thank you all for such a memorable day!

November 2010 - A lot happened this month ....

2011-01-06T12:37:00.001-08:00

I know it's been awhile since I've blogged (end of October to be exact) but I've needed some time to get my thoughts together in order to catch up. Needless to say, November was one of those months where events that happened could have filled a year and I still would have said "What a crazy year!" So, here goes...

November started out pretty normal. We were looking forward to our friends, the Allens, coming to stay a few days with us, looking forward to Thanksgiving, and also a super fun cruise that we've been waiting for since last December! My birthday also fell in there. Not 40 yet, but getting ever closer! Aaron surprised me with a night out to see The Tran-Siberian Orchestra down in Seattle. LOVED it! It was an amazing show - we then ate at our favorite restaurant Buca de Beppo!

The kids and the cake they made!

A little after my birthday, we were watching the news and saw that there was a fire on the Carnival Cruise ship the"Splendor". Well, we were supposed to have sailed on that same ship the a few days after Thanksgiving! We watched the news for the rest of the week hoping the damage wouldn't be too bad and that our vacation would still happen! The fire was worse than they thought - all cruises through February ended up being cancelled! We were so sad! This was our big trip for the year! Fortunately, Aaron has a client who books cruises and other things and was able to get us on another ship with a completely different itinerary! Yeah! The only sad part was that my parents were not able to go on the second ship with us! (They had been booked on the Splendor as well). I'll talk more about our trip later...

The Allens came into town the Saturday before Thanksgiving and we had such a good time with them! They brought Oscar, their dog, and we all fit in the house quite comfortably! We've missed them so much since they moved to Idaho - it felt like they were just stopping by our house like old times! While they were here, we hosted an FHE with close friends so that everyone could enjoy them. We lost count of people (around 60) but had a great time. We moved the cars out of the garage and put lots of tables and toys out there - it was a large space that really helped out with all the kids. We had a great night -

Catching up with the girls!

JoLynn and Tracie

Oh, did I mention we had a blizzard that night?

All the girls!

The snow doesn't keep the kids indoors!

The weather was crazy that week! Tons of snow and REALLY cold temps. My friend, Coleen, had planned a fun birthday breakfast for me Tuesday morning while Tracie was here. Even though our husbands didn't want us on the roads, we all piled into Coleen's suburban and headed down to Auburn to our favorite haunt, The Sunrise Bakery! Yummo! Such good food. I was so glad that we were able to get down there! Towards the end of breakfast, Coleen left the table to take a phone call (she looked worried). While she was gone, another friend at the table got a text that said Coleen's house was on fire! We immediately stood (must have been quite a sight with all 8 of us standing up at once), grabbed our leftover food, scrambled to pay our bills and rushed outside to join Coleen. She saw that we knew what was happening and was glad she didn't have to explain anything. Becky drove quickly (but safely) home. That ride was so emotional. We were all crying with all the emotions that can come with such a tragedy. All we knew was that it was started by a space heater in the garage and that Todd and her six kids were out of the house and okay. I did receive a text from Aaron in the car to hurry - "it is bad" was all he said. We took Coleen to my house first - the kids were on the way there to meet her. It was so emotional at that reunion! Again, we were all crying! We took everyone inside (it was SO cold!) Coleen sat with her kids and talked with them for awhile. Becky then took Coleen over to the house so she could see it. Tracie and I stayed with the kids and made them lunch and tried to keep things "normal". Looking back now, things were so crazy and yet we all just jumped in and did what we could. The main part of the fire was in the garage - but it did go upstairs through the walls. Smoke poured through the home and there was water damage everywhere. Todd had minor burns on his face from pulling things out of the garage and from pulling his work trailer away from the fire. Our ward was amazing. From the minute the smoke was seen, we had members over there helping out. Our home kind of turned into a "base" of sorts for calls and donations. We ended up having things brought over to the Puzeys who had offered to have the Gustins stay with them (we still had the Allens with us). The outpouring of love and support was simply amazing. I still get emotional thinking about it! I love that our ward was able to come together, put aside petty differences, and just love and support this family!

While the fire was being put out

The boat! SO many memories and hours spent on it!

The Gustins in front of their home

The next day, Tracie and I were able to go over to the house with Todd and Coleen and help them a bit. They needed to find housing right away so every time the insurance agent would call with a rental home to check out, Tracie and I would mapquest it and organize the list. It was heartbreaking to walk through the house - it was eery and boy did it smell! We would have to change clothes after every visit! The settled in for a few days in the Puzey's home - they were all pretty traumatized. Our family was set to leave on our trip on Friday after Thanksgiving - I had the hardest time leaving! Our close friends were homeless and we were going cruising? The brightsight of it was we could leave them a place to stay for the week were were gone! They moved in on Saturday and I'm so glad that we could give them at least that - they have since found a really nice rental home and have begun the process of rebuilding their home.

Although this was a tragedy, there were also so many blessings to come from it. No one was hurt, and all of their friends, family, and ward members were able to serve them. When they moved into their rental, some friends and community members were able to completely stock their pantry. Friendships were strengthened, faith was built in the members of the church, differences were put aside, and everyone has taken the time to become closer as families and as friends. As much as I want to forget the fire part, I will never forget this month! We love all of our family, friends, and ward members!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Taylor loves to scare the little kids!

Witches wands and sugar cookies!

Spider Web dip!

Witches brew (root beer)

Mummy dogs!

Carmel apples

Hannah and Katie

Katie and Brian

Good job guys!

Love the teeth!

Well, okay, if that's how you like it -

Working hard on the design

Katie loves to get messy

Ready to go!

We had a great holiday and thought I'd include photos from carving pumpkins, to our ward's Harvest Party, to celebrating Halloween night in style! Halloween kind of snuck up on me this year! I was out of town 3 weekends in October and still haven't caught up yet. Hence, you will see some repeats on costumes this year. But the kids were great and even got inventive with the costume box and mixing and matching. The kids love to carve pumpkins and after a little help getting started, we let them go for it. Katie and Taylor went on the simple side and Brian went into more detail with a pirate ship. We love how they turned out. We had another great turnout at our Harvest Party this year for our ward. The boys got to set up and run the Spook Alley and the minature golf booths. The kids told me they saw lots of friends from school - with Halloween being on Sunday this year we needed this party! Our activities committee always does a wonderful job and it seems to get better and better each year! We flew through 200+ pieces of candy in about 15 minutes for the trunk-or-treat. We all enjoyed it! We then spent the night of Halloween with some good friends and really went all out on the food! I'm not one to do many themed parties but I had to include pics of the food! Gotta love "mummy dogs", witches wands, layered spider web dip, and witches brew! The kids had a blast hiding in the front yard scaring kids with the homemade coffin. We really enjoyed it and hope to make it a yearly tradition!

First ever Halloween Half Marathon! October 30, 2010

2010-11-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

All the runners!

Aaron and Jeff along the trail

Hitting the 1/2 way point

Starting off

Aaron has been wanting to organize a 1/2 marathon for quite a while now. He chose the day before Halloween as the date to organize it! He had a great turnout and was really pleased with how it went. We had such a positive response on the trail at our water station that we know it can work every year. Everyone kept asking us what race this was! I got tired of explaining it all that a friend of mine named it the Halloween Half and it stuck! So now every year on the Saturday before Halloween you can join us in little Maple Valley for a fun, and laid-back 1/2 marathon! And it's free!

New York City - October 2010

2010-11-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

A fun weekend market we stumbled upon

Gotta love Times Square!

Katie's doll getting her hair done and ears pierced!

Eating in the cafe

She finally is here!

A visit to the NYC Public Library

A picture with Lanie

Loved Dylan's Candy Bar!

Enjoying frozen hot chocolates at Serendipity 3!

Central Park

Central Park Zoo

Statue of Liberty

Checking out the Manhattan skyline

First time on a subway

Rockefeller skating rink

Visit to Build a Bear Workshop

Is that a ferris wheel in a toy store?

M&M World

Ellis Island

Clara enjoying lunch at American Girl

I always get so excited to blog about a trip to NYC. We've been able to take each of the kids alone with us when Aaron gets invited to a conference. This time it was Katie's turn! She is a little younger than the boys when we took them but she did awesome at keeping up! It's funny, even though we've been to the city a few times, when we take each of the kids the trips are so different from each other! The kids want to do different things and see different places. With Katie we saw the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Times Square, American Girl Place, Rockefeller center, Central Park, and many other fun things. We did some shopping on Canal Street for friends and also visited some great eateries suggested to us! Katie is not a fan of crowds so we took it easy with her and either found quieter places to visit (like Central Park or the NYC Public Library) or we made more frequent trips to rest in our room until she was ready to go again. She loved the subway and couldn't get enough of it! We had a great time and can't wait to someday take the whole family back!

A Visit with the Allens - October 8, 2010

2010-11-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

Now THAT'S a big toy!

Finding our way through the corn maze (18 acres!)

On a hay ride

Wyatt and Brian

That's a huge bouncy toy!

All the kids!

Boise capital building

A great farmer's market we happened upon!

I know we had just helped move our friends, the Allens, down to Idaho, but we didn't get a chance to "see" their new town and home so we jumped at the chance to make another weekend trip back. The kids didn't have school on that friday so it worked out great! We had such a good time! It was fun to just visit and catch up and let the kids play inside and out. The weather was so beautiful and we were glad because many things that we did were outside. We explored parks near their home, ate yummy cupcakes at Lily Janes (I still dream about the apple spice flavor!), hit a great farmer's market in downtown Boise, and visited the most awesome corn maze ever! You could only find one like this one in Idaho! We had such a good time with them and can't wait to see them soon! Thank you for having us!

Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2010

2010-10-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Our living room

Our very own patio!

The bedroom (we fell in love with the color of the walls!)

The bathroom - LOVED the sink!

Our own entrance - so nice to come home to this every day!

Creek running through Lithia Park in Ashland

Love the old main streets! We ate Sunday brunch here

Small town U.S.A.

The Elizabethan stage where we saw "The Twelth Night"

(Made to look like the Globe Theatre in England)

I just had the best weekend! Years ago, my mom and I drove through Ashland, OR on our way to California and made a promise to each other that we'd come back someday and see some plays there! Well, quite a few years later we were able to do that! We started talking about it back in August and were able to find a weekend that worked for both of us, flights that were somewhat close to each other, tickets to the plays we wanted, and a place to stay! We can't believe it all worked out but we are so glad it did! We both needed it and feel very refreshed! We flew into Medford, OR - small airport - but that was a nice change! I even flew on a small plane with propellers (first time on one of those!) - we then drove the 8 miles or so down I-5 to Ashland, OR. It is a small town run by two things - the Shakespeare Festival (from February to October) and Southern Oregon University. The town is filled with B&B's, yummy restaurants and bistros, cute boutique shops, and the cutest homes you've ever seen! We stayed at The Palms - when we drove up to it, they have a vintage sign out front that says "motel" - my mom immediately thought the worst (we had just driven by a really old motel) - but I told her to give it a chance! It was the greatest place - it had recently been redone - our room was in a converted bungalow with two other units - our unit had a living room/kitchenette with a separate bedroom and bathroom. The colors were so soothing and tastefully done. It was so nice to "come home" there every day!

One of the great things about this weekend was to not be on a schedule. It was so nice to get up when we wanted, play all day, and then end the day with a fantastic play! On Saturday night we went to "Pride and Prejudice". Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE Jane Austen! I'm so glad we got tickets! The actors and actresses were so good and I love the humor that they bring to the stage. We laughed so much - loved it!

On Sunday we took a drive up north to a small town called Jacksonville - it was exactly what a historic American town should look like! We had such a good time walking up and down the main street and having Sunday brunch at the Jacksonville Inn. So good! On Sunday night, we attended a Shakespeare play called "The Twelth Night" about mixed identities and crazy romances. I was a little nervous before we went because I hadn't studied this particular play and didn't know if I would know what was going on. But as soon as it started, you were sucked in - surprisingly I understood it and loved it! Laughed at all the right parts, too!

Thank you so much, Mom, for such a great weekend! I wish we could do this every year! I'm looking forward to our next big adventure!

Taylor got his braces!

2010-09-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

Before.....

....and after!

It's kind of a mixed feeling day! Taylor has been looking forward to getting his full braces on for awhile so that he can be done with them quicker - he's already had his Herpst appliance on for about six months - but now that he has them on, he is realizing the pain involved. Brian, Aaron, and I can totally sympathize with him there - I told him the initial pain is only for a few days and then it gets better. That didn't seem to help! I just hope it doesn't keep him from smiling!

A Change of Callings

2010-09-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

Aaron, Rick, and Randy

Five years ago Aaron was called in the Glacier Park Ward bishopric. He was released on Sunday, September 12th. He has served with Rick Crooks the whole time and with Mike Odom and Randy White over the five years. He has really enjoyed this calling. He looks up to Rick so much and I know he has learned many things. It has truly been a humbling experience for him to work with these men. One he won't soon forget! He will miss serving with them.

I think what he will miss the most is the almost daily interaction he had with our ward. His love for all the families has grown so much. We love Maple Valley and that is one of the reasons - the people! He is moving on to new things - he was just called into the Young Mens organization as 1st counselor with Todd Gustin as president and Dave Collings as 2nd counselor. He is thrilled to be with our boys (finally!) and to be working with Todd and Dave. Even though he only had a few weeks "off" I know he was aching to get busy again!

Fort Lewis 1/2 Marathon

2010-09-27T16:01:00.001-07:00

We are done!

Katie and her medal

At the starting line

Love the Army logo

It's so early the sun isn't up yet!

This was a great race! Coleen and I had originally started training for it about 6 weeks ago with our friend Becky - two weeks before the race she got injured and wasn't able to put in the miles! We were so bummed that she couldn't run with us! We decided to go ahead with it as our kids were registered for the 1K already. It was a great course! Fort Lewis is HUGE and I think we ran on only part of it! We were mainly out in the areas where they do all of their exercises so there wasn't much there - but it was so pretty. The weather was perfect, too. Some other friends we ran into there were Jeff Allen (Amy signed up, too, but got injured!), Keno Granger, Tiffany and Jeremiah Shakespeare (this was Jeremiah's first official race!) and her friend Anna. The kid's 1K was perfect for them. There were only about 15 kids that ran it so the older kids were almost guaranteed a medal! Katie came in 3rd overall and loved that! We all enjoyed it and hope to next year get the whole family to participate.

Click on video link below:

Video

September 11, 2010 - National Volunteer Day

2010-09-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

Piles of the trash picked up

Part of the group that spread the play chips

Hard at work!

In memory of those that died on 9/11 President Obama designated September 11th National Volunteer Day. Our churches in the NW were asked to contact the cities in which we live and set up volunteer opportunities for the members. Aaron was asked to be in charge of the five wards in Maple Valley. It was a great opportunity to work with the city and with the parks department to find jobs that could be done in one day. There was an enormous turnout and many things around the city were finished. The kids and I were on litter patrol up and down the streets by our homes. Then we all headed over to Lake Wilderness Park to help spread 190 yards of play chips in the kids play area. There were three huge piles when we arrived but with 200+ people that showed up we were done in under an hour! Strength in numbers is an amazing thing to witness! We hope to do this every year!

What does Kira do now that the kids are in school?

2010-09-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

Look at all those peaches!

Cooking them on the camp stoves outside is the only way to do it!

Adding the sugar water

Being with friends is the best part!

This is a crazy year for school start times. I literally am up by 6:15 getting Taylor up and I finally send off Katie at 9:00. That's a long morning! When I do get them off I keep busy with many things like Institute on Wednesdays (love it! Church history this year) and working at the kids schools. On our way home from Chelan last weekend we bought boxes of fruit and decided to get together and can with friends. That is the only way to do it! This was my first time canning and it was nice to learn with others. We had a great time and finished in about 3 hours! We tasted of our "fruits" tonight and knew it was all worth it! We will do pears on Monday.

First day of school for 2010-2011

2010-09-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

Taylor left so early it was dark out!

I just can't believe that we are already starting school! The summer just flew by - and it wasn't the warmest summer either. At least it's been cool and rainy this week which made it easier for the kids to go back. Katie is going into 4th grade and her teacher's name is Mrs. Strom. I met her the first day and she seems really nice. Katie already loves her! Brian started middle school this year. He was a bit nervous but after the first few days he is already feeling more confident and is enjoying his classes. Taylor also started a new school - junior high. He really likes that it is a newer school with 2 levels. He has 6 classes total but only goes to 3 classes a day - that will take a little getting used to. He is also enjoying it so far. We are proud of the kids and are very grateful that we don't have to force them to go to school. We are looking forward to this coming year.

Shhhh! Aaron turned 40!

2010-09-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

It seemed appropriate

Traditional breakfast in bed!

Balloons from work

Opening gifts

I wanted to throw Aaron a big party for his 40th but he didn't want any big attention like that. So, Aaron did turn 40 in a quiet way. I'll be there in a few years so I respected his wishes. He had a nice cake brought to him the day before from the high priests and I took him out to dinner that night. Then we came home and celebrated with the kids. Becky also made him yummy cupcakes in Chelan and we sang to him there. We love you Aaron and think you are just as young as when you were in your 20's!

Lake Chelan - Labor Day 2010

2010-09-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

Brian and Katie enjoying the sun

Katie and her daddy

That's a lot of kids!

The Hatches - Dixon, Megan, and Emily

The Greenwoods, JoLynn, Ellie, Justin, Brett, and Brook

The Gustins - Brighton, Brock, Brody, Todd, Colton, Coleen, Tallie, and Kaden

The Thorpes - Cate, Dylan, Rick, Lauren, Becky, and Mason

The Moulton fam

Hiking up to get the Letterbox

Enjoying some downtime

We were so glad Emily and Andy made it!

Colton, Brighton, and Taylor on the longboard

The Gustin and Moulton kids

Last year we ventured to Lake Chelan for a weekend of sun and water - what we found was cold and rain! But we decided to give it another shot this year. There were six families altogether. Us, the Greendoods, the Thorpes, the Gustins, the Hatches, and Andy and Emily w/ Elliott. A few more cancelled for different reasons but we were glad to have who we did. The Greenwoods planned it all and we are grateful for them! We had a great time and this year the weather was warm and beautiful! And we all lasted until Monday! We had lots of fun on the lake and had even more fun cooking our meals together. That communal cooking is the only way to camp. On Sunday we wanted to take a break with the boats so the Gustin's led us on an adventure in search for a Letterbox. It took us up into the hills above the lake - it was a great hike and an even greater view! Thank you all for the memories! Let's do it again next year!

Hike to Rattlesnake Ridge

2010-09-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

Aaron and Kira at the top

The Moulton fam

Rattlesnake Lake

Brian, Katie, and Taylor

What a view!

A few months ago the kids went hiking with their uncle Andy and have been begging us to go back with them! So we took the chance one Saturday - it wasn't too warm - the perfect hiking weather. We headed out to North Bend and hiked up to Rattlesnake Ridge. It's about 1.8 miles straight up the hill with a lot of cutbacks. It took us about 45 minutes to get to the top. The view at the top was amazing! I was scared to let the kids get too close to the edge. We find it amusing that even though we were pretty far from home, we still run into people we know! We saw Rob and Dalton Darling, and also Tracie's friend Kelly and her family. It's such a small world!

The Allen's move to Idaho - August 2010

2010-09-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Abigail and Katie in their new living room

Shane and Wyatt quickly found the native wildlife - frogs!

Tracie and Kira

Tracie and Jeff

The Moultons and Allens on their deck

Their new big yard!

Emptying two moving vans at once!

Aaron's never far from the babies - Laine and Danica

Their new home on Purple Sage Road

One last picture of all the kids the night before we left!

Those of us that know us well know that where ever we go, the Allen's are usually there too! We have been friends for many years and the thought of them moving has been really hard for us to accept. We jumped at the chance, though, to help them drive down moving vans, boats, and quads and to help them move in. It was so good for us to see their new home, help unpack a little, and meet some of their new neighbors and ward members. In a way it was closure for us knowing that they will be taken care of even though we won't be there! We wish you the very best in your new home! You will all be missed!

A Ladies Sleepover

2010-09-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

Tiffany, Becky, Coleen, Tracie, JoLynn, Suzanne, Monique, and I

I know it sounds weird, but do you know of a restaurant where you can have Cafe Rio pulled pork salad and Key Lime Cheesecake and talk until 2 a.m.? We don't, so we decided to make our own! We wanted to celebrate Tracie for her birthday and to say goodbye - so hard to do but we wanted her to know how much we love her and how much she will be missed! There were some tears but mostly lots of laughing and talking. We gave her a picture of Pike Place Market to remember Seattle by, and silver bracelets with her birth stone for her birthday. You will be missed so much Tracie!

Abigail's farewell sleepover

2010-09-10T18:57:00.001-07:00

Hannah, Makayla, Olivia, Madalyn, Katie, Abigial, Bella, Brynley, and Allura

Katie during the "fashion show" with TP creations

Katie with a little chubby bunny action

I think Abigail takes it!

Abigail, Eden, and Katie

Well, our good friends, the Allens, are moving! We are so sad to even talk about it but I wanted to include some pics of the girls and the fun they had! Abigail had a big bash to say goodbye to her friends. Katie is going to miss Abigail so much - they are like two pees in a pod! We know they will keep in touch but it's the everyday interaction that will be missed the most! Thank you for giving Katie such great memories!

Cle Elum with the Gustins and Thorpes

2010-09-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Becky and Coleen - So much funner cooking with good friends!

Brian and Kaden moving the target for shooting

Want a few more marshmallows Katie?

This picture cracks me up! They BARELY cleared the bridge!

Look at this crazy group!

The Hillbillies are here!

Since both the Gustins and our family have cabins in Cle Elum, we decided to meet up there one weekend. We had a great time eating together and hanging out. The kids played on their waterslide and the guys took the kids down the Yakima River on the craziest array of floating devices! I use that term loosely - you'll see in the pictures. They had a great time! Thanks for the memories! The weekends away keep us sane!

The guys and their 50-Miler!

2010-09-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

They finished!

It doesn't even look real it's so beautiful!

They are smiling!

Early morning

They swam in these lakes even though the water was freezing!

Brian caught this trout and loved it!

Nothing like taking a new scout (Brian) the day after he turns 12 and taking him on a 50 mile, week long hike! I guess that's a good way to get them out there! We are glad he was able to go this year. Taylor and Aaron also went (which made me feel so much better!) It was long and hard but they all had a great experience! We are so grateful for their scout leaders and thank them for taking the time off of work to spend time with our boys! You rock!

They ventured up into the Alpine Lakes District in the north Cascades. It has breathtaking scenery! I hope the boys appreciate just how beautiful it was! Except for the mosquitoes near the end at Deep Lake, there weren't any other issues! They are looking forward to their next big adventure! We are proud of Brian for just jumping in to do it!

Brian turns 12!

2010-09-10T18:20:00.001-07:00

Brian with his Grandpa Moulton, Grandpa Wright and Aaron

Thanks Grandma for the yummy cake!

Breakfast in bed!

Gotta love the gifts!

Happy Birthday Brian! This was a big birthday and year for him. He is starting middle school and he received the priesthood. My parents flew out here with my Grandma Wright and we had all of Aaron's family come and stand in the circle. They all stayed for a big BBQ as well. We feel so blessed to have so much family near us! And we appreciate the effort they took to come and share in Brian's special day. We know how long of a drive it is! Brian has been saving up for an Ipod touch and was able to buy one with his birthday money. He loves it! Brian is such a crackup and is always making us laugh! We love having him in the family.

Seafair 2010

2010-09-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Brian and Kaden on the knee boards (yes, it was freezing out)

The Blue Angels (with choppy water!)

We had the chance to go out with the Gustin's and enjoy the cool planes of Seafair this year! The weather didn't really cooperate but that meant not as many people out on Lake Washington. We still really enjoyed the jet planes and the stunt planes. We just think of it as more memories for the kids! And we are so glad the Gustin's don't back down to bad weather! Nothing stops us from enjoying the boats.....

Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage 2010

2010-09-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

Happy to run with each other!

Getting ready to start

Dusk with those lovely vests

Yes, we were running with the cows!

Our car peeps!

The ladies of Ragnar

Looking good!

Before the race started

Pictures along the way

So much to say about Ragnar this year. First off, we had two of the best teams! We are so grateful to live in an area with such physically active people. There were many runners competing for the first time and we are so proud they took the first big step! Ragnar is definitely not an easy race and even the most seasoned athlete struggles with the lack of sleep, odd eating times, and crazy legs! Aaron and I headed it up this year with Michael and Suzanne Wiggins. In our car was Aaron and I, Tracie, Becky, Coleen, and David Downing. You truly get to know people when you run this race! I love my car peeps! As David put it, it's like being at summer camp all over again! We are also grateful that everyone finished their legs and there were no injuries! SO glad for that! We just wanted everyone to have a fun, positive experience so that they want to keep on running! Even though this race wears me out each year, we'll probably be back next year! Just not in charge..... (Sorry some of the pictures are small - it happens to the ones I downloaded from others)

Teacher's Super Activity 2010

2010-09-10T13:58:00.000-07:00

Group in front of sailboat

Enjoying the view

Trying to keep warm!

River Rafting

A fun day at wild waves

Sitting on the Patos Island sign

Not bad scenery!

The entire group

A few days after Taylor turned 14 he headed out on his first super activity. Basically, it's an extended activity which consists of several days at different places. This year they started off the first three days sailing up through the San Juan Islands, getting dropped off on a small island and having to survive for 3 days with nothing more than what they could fit in a gallon size ziplock bag! As a mother, this just sends chills up my spine. But I knew he was in good hands and would survive. It was fun to hear all about how they "survived" and how good it felt to sleep in a bed again! The rest of the week they spent going to Wild Waves, river rafting, and spending time up in Cle Elum in a cabin. He really enjoyed it and it gave him the chance to get to know the teachers better. I'm just glad he made it home again!

Happy 14th Birthday Taylor!!

2010-09-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Just last year

Second Grade

About 9 years old

We just can't believe that our firstborn can be 14 years old! He turned 14 on July 10th - Awww, many memories of that day when he was born. Lots of pain! Actually, it's our own ages that leave us in shock. Sadly, we lost the pictures that were from his actual birthday but we wanted Taylor to know how much we love him and how proud of him we are. He was ordained a Teacher in the priesthood by his dad and was able to have his Grandpa Moulton in the circle as well. He has gotten so tall and is close to passing up Aaron (I was passed a long time ago!:() We hope you have a great year Tay! I included a few pics to show you just how fast they grow up!

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

2010-09-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

Katie holding up Laine to see the polar bears

What a view!

Shane, Abigail, Katie, Wyatt, Mason, and Laine

We love to watch these guys swim

Katie and Abigail

Although it wasn't the warmest summer on record, there were some beautiful days. On one of those days we took the kids to the zoo - no matter how old you are, you can never tired at looking at all the animals and sea life! This zoo is so beautifully situated right on the water - the park itself can be visited without going to the zoo and is so fun to walk around! Most of these pictures were taken by Katie!

C(ertified) E(mergency) R(esponse) T(eam) for Teens

2010-09-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

The boys on the last day

Taylor helping in the triage unit

Working on keeping people calm

Brian directing for triage

Following in their dad's footsteps, the boys signed on for the first CERT clinic for teens. They have been hearing about it for awhile and were excited to give it a try. When disaster hits this area, why not tap into the large resource of the teens? It would really help out at the schools. It was a three day course with the last day being involved in a mock tragedy of a school shooting. It was really interesting to watch and the boys learned so much! Way to go!

A day up in Cle Elum

2010-07-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

Brian and Andy in the inflatable kayak

Taylor, Ivan, Grant, and Barrett in the canoe

Aaron's parents bought some property up in Cle Elum in March and we all ventured up there on Monday to enjoy a day together. It was really fun! The kids got to explore the area and we ate lots of yummy food! In the afternoon, a few of us went down the Yakima River in either a canoe or an inflatable kayak. We had a great time, even if some of us tipped over! The weather was perfect and it felt so good to be in the sun! We look forward to many more trips over the mountains!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

Katie modeling her decorated bike for the parade
Katie, Hannah, Brian, and Alec eating the yummy breakfast

Taylor, David, and Sean performing the flag ceremony

A little goofing off to shake the nerves

A few pics of the fireworks

Trying to keep warm during the show

Picking their spot for when the sun went down

Am I crazy for letting them up there?

We are supposed to have a heat wave this week, so before my upstairs gets so hot I can't go there, I'm going to get caught up from this weekend!

We had a great weekend - very busy, but fun! On Friday night, Aaron and I went to the Gold Class Cinemas in Redmond. It was put on by a money manager Aaron works with. This movie theatre was so cool! It was very modern and hip - we started off in the lounge area with drinks and appetizers then we were taken to our theatre with seats that were so comfortable. Big lazy boy type chairs with a small table inbetween. They even had servers come during the show to bring us more appetizers, a full meal and then dessert! We saw the movie 'Eclipse' which I enjoyed but Aaron could have done without. But any movie would be good where we were sitting!

On Saturday, we started off the morning with our annual pancake breakfast and 4th of July bike parade at the church. We had a great turnout and I love starting off this holiday with the true reason we celebrate it. I like the kids to understand that our country is very important and we should never take it for granted. We then set off for a few hours on Lake Sawyer and then had a BBQ with the Allens and Rick and Mason Thorpe, and then headed over to another to the Surprenants home to celebrate Monique's birthday! Then we went over to the Gustins to set off a few fireworks. On Sunday, the 4th, we had a yummy BBQ salmon dinner and then went over to the Camara-Manoel's home to set off more fireworks! It was a great show! Then we invited them back to our home to watch all the shows around the house from the roof! Yes, we are a bit crazy but the view was awesome! We even watched the Lake Wilderness show and didn't have to fight the traffic! There were about 20 shows going around us - best seat in the house! We will remember that next year!

Strawberry pickin'!

2010-07-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

Look at the color!
Mom picking berries

Katie and Abigail doing some taste testing

Isn't this the perfect picture of summer joy?

My work crew! Sure made it go faster!

Nothing says summer like going out and picking your own strawberries! Yes, you could go to Costco (and we do often) and buy berries on steroids, but there is something about going out and bending over for hours to bring home your own fruit! We went with the Gustins, the Allens, the Greenwoods, and Dani and her kids to pick berries at Harvold Farm in Carnation. We go here every year for raspberries and wanted to try the strawberries. They were so yummy! After picking, we came back to Tracie's home and cleaned and prepped them for jam. There is something so sweet and satisfying working with good friends. It was the perfect summer day!

Beautiful Sunset!

2010-07-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

Living here in Seattle during the month of June can be trying on the soul with the lack of sun! It rained so much this month! We came outside one evening to the most stunning sight! The sun had broken through the clouds (right before it went down, of course) and had given us the most spectacular color show! We just sat and marvelled at it! For those of you that see sunsets all the time, look at the next one and don't take them for granted!

Rock n Roll Marathon 2010

2010-07-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Our running gang from Maple Valley!
Aaron's looking strong!

Coming up that hideous Aurora hill! We didn't think it would ever end!

Coleen, Tracie, and I plugging along! Brian came out to show his support!

The finish line! What a blessed sight!

My honey and I after the race!

The greatest friends ever! Becky and Suzanne came to cheer us

on! Love you guys!

The best running partners ever! Couldn't have done this without you!

It's been a week since this marathon and I still get really emotional about it! A year ago, my friends Tracie, Coleen and I set a goal to run this race. Tracie and I had both run the 1/2 last year and wanted to see if we could do the full.

What a great year it has been for training! Our winter was very mild which allowed us to run outside without much interruption from rain or cold. We kept up our running through the fall and starting in January we started on our "training schedule". When I first put together the excel sheet it looked impossible. Especially when I looked towards the end saw the long runs of 18 and 20 miles! Really? Could we do this? But the three of us made an awesome team! I can think on one hand the times we missed our runs - there were no serious injuries besides blisters, etc. We kept each other going and it turned into some great therapy sessions! I kept a total of miles that we ran since January and it was over 425 miles! Crazy! We want to thank our families and friends who supported us during the really long runs! We couldn't have done it without you!

Aaron's training proved a bit harder because from March-May he was taking his EMT courses - but he found that running home from Issaquah on Saturdays helped quite a bit! He and a few friends would also run MWF at 5:15 on the trail. This was his third marathon! He felt really good throughout the marathon and finished strong! I'm so proud of him and how well he runs!

All of a sudden the race was here! There were many from our ward that ran the race, which was really fun! The night before the race we had a big pasta feed at our home and planned out when we were leaving. On race morning we left our house at 4:45 and headed down to Seattle. We parked there and took a school bus (one of many) back down south to Tukwila where the race started. Aaron started in corral #7 and we started in #17. The race started at 7:00. We passed the starting line at 7:27. We did great until I "bonked" at around mile 16 but recovered around mile 20 and felt great. Tracie's IT band started acting up around mile 20 but we finished all together which was our goal all along! Aaron did awesome and shaved 20 minutes off his time from last year! He finished in 3:45. Way to go!

I didn't expect this race to be as emotional as it was. There were many reasons I was running it - to prove to myself that I could, to support my friends and Aaron, and to run a marathon with my best friend Tracie who is moving - but another thing we did to make the miles go by faster was to dedicate each mile to someone who had helped us get there. I cried many times throughout the race for those that meant so much to me! And of course running across the finish line broke us all down again! But it was also one of the most rewarding things that I've done! If I run one again, it will be a few years down the road - the time it took to train was hard on my family and me! Maybe someday I'll feel the need to run one again - but for now does anyone want to go out for a nice jog?:)

It's the end of another year!

2010-06-23T15:43:00.001-07:00

Brian and Mrs. Blechschmidt
Katie and Mrs. Hogan

Where does the time go? I feel like we just started the school year and now it's over. The kids had a great year - they loved their teachers and the kids in their classes - I know because I never had to force them to go! I'm so grateful for that -

Brian had Mrs. Blechschmidt - hard to pronounce but a super teacher. I really enjoyed working in his class this year. Brian did really well and talked of her alot. He had social studies with Ms. Pierce and science with Mr. Betlach. He enjoyed them both too! Now it's on to middle school!

Katie had Mrs. Hogan - it was her first year in a portable - but she loved it! It was warm and cozy in there. Katie learned so much and really came out of her shell with Mrs. Hogan. I had the chance to go into their class every Thursday and work on science with them - loved it! The kids were so much fun! Next year she has Mrs. Strom - she is excited!

Maple Valley Days Parade

2010-06-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

"Roadside wood-carver, you're one of us!"
The whole gang that marched! Looking good!

Ready to play the crowd

What we did with our Saturday

It was Maple Valley Days this past weekend. Our little town sure knows how to put on a party! We got the chance to march in the parade this year! Our good friends, the Gustins, are starting a new business called "Mr. Fixitall". So we all donned our hardhats , Mr Fixitall t-shirts, and utility belts - stuffed them full of candy, business cards, and flyers - and then marched next to Todd's truck promoting his business! The kids (and us!) had so much fun interacting with the crowds. The kids loved the candy and we got a great response from those we gave flyers to. In fact, Todd has gotten quite a few calls because of our efforts! Yeah!

We also walked around the booths and sampled the yummy food after we were done. I had to snap a picture of the roadside wood carver - for those of you from the Pacific Northwest, you will know the Pemco Insurance commercials featuring locals and poking fun of living up here. He was the real deal and it was fun to watch him!

I wonder how we can get in the parade next year?

Sad news....

2010-06-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Becky, has had a really hard last month or so, to say the least. She went to visit her sister in NYC and while there her sister, Jenn, became very sick. After a trip and stay at the hospital she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. What an awful blow that was to Jen, Becky and their whole family. Becky flew back to CA with Jenn so she could be with family and start chemo treatments. Becky stayed for a few weeks before coming back home. Last week she got a call from her dad to come home, it wasn't looking good. Becky and her husband got on a plane back to CA. Jenn passed away Saturday evening. Her organs had failed. My heart is aching for her and her family. I want to help her and be there for her. I'm praying daily for strength to be given to them. A few close friends got the chance to go down to Fresno for the viewing and funeral this weekend. I wish I could have gone to support Becky, but the stars weren't aligned for me. But I'm so glad they got to go and offer support. I hope we can find other ways to serve her here. We love you Becky!

Honor Choir with Brian

2010-06-11T21:03:00.000-07:00

Brian with Ms. Hinami
The honor choir at the Seattle Center House

Brian with Alec on his left

Brian has had the funnest time this year in Honor's Choir. The director, Ms. Hinami is awesome and is as entertaining to watch as the kids! We have loved coming to the concerts and hope that he will continue in the future. I know he has also enjoyed it so much because he has good friends in there with him. Alec, his best friend, has been so supportive and encouraging for Brian. His confidence has grown so much this year! If your kids ever get a chance to join the choir, do it!

What we did this last weekend .....

2010-06-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

Some of our team "Move Fasta" at the end

Some other good friends on another team "Defying Gravity"

At the beginning of the race

Aaron and I have spent many, many hours lately training for different races. The time has come for those races to begin! That is exciting but also scary too! Well, scary for me at least! On Saturday, Aaron ran the Green river Marathon! Way to go! He ran it as a training marathon with friends to prepare for the Rock and Roll Marathon that we are both running in a few weeks. He did great - and he felt good coming over the finish line! (I had the camera that day so he didn't get any pics!)

I also ran a race on Saturday - it was called the "Rainier to Ruston Relay". We started at the base of Mt. Rainier and ran to the Tacoma waterfront. The total mileage was 50 miles. I was in a group of 4 teams of 4 runners each. I ran a total of 13 miles for my three legs. We really had a good time! The weather was great and I got to know some great ladies! Relays really are the way to go - Next up Rock 'n Roll Marathon and then Ragnar Relay in July!

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Newly painted dresser

Nightstand

Smaller bed - happier girl!

Larger bed - happy boy!

Well, the weather on Memorial Day weekend left a lot to be desired. It poured the whole weekend - actually the sun came out about 6:00 p.m. Monday night - thanks! We couldn't just sit inside the whole time so we got some projects done! Katie was complaining that her bed (full size) was too big for her room and Taylor was complaining that his (twin size) was too small. So, I thought let's swap beds! But I can't do things the easy way - after much painting and sanding we re-did all of Katie's furniture to match and then painted Katie's old bed grey for Taylor! It was super hard work (Thanks Todd for all your help sanding!) but it felt good to get it done! It's still raining....what should we do now?

Glacier Park's Carnival

2010-06-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

I loved the face painting as a girl too!

It took a few washes to get that color out!

While Aaron and I were at the awards program for Taylor, Katie and Brian went with friends to the Glacier Park Elementary's yearly carnival. They go all out with bouncy toys, food, tons of games and a ton of people! The weather ended up being really nice so everyone one was there! They came home with colored hair and tatoos! You leave them alone for a few hours and look what happens .....Thanks Allens for taking them!

Cedar River Middle School's Awards Night 2010

2010-06-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

Taylor has had a great experience in middle school. He has loved his teachers and subjects and has made some great friends. We were invited to attend his awards night this year - he received an award for getting straight A's all through 7th grade and excellent performance in science! Way to go Taylor! Now it's on to the junior high!

We have another new cousin! Welcome Amelia Jane!

2010-06-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

The whole family with baby Amelia!

Isn't she precious?

We are so excited to have another cousin join our family! Amelia Jane Moulton was born on May 28, 2010, at 12:53 a.m. She weighed 7 lbs. and was 19 1/4" long. She is so cute! We can't wait to see her and hold her! Congratulations Barret and Beckie!

Katie's "African Museum"

2010-06-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

Katie's African village

Katie's mask (sideways)

Katie's animal report

We received a fun invitation to Mrs. Hogan's classroom! Katie and her class have been studying Africa the last month or so and we were invited to come view their creations. Each student studied an African animal and did a report on it. They each made a mask out of clay, and they created an African village. They also studied mummies and pyramids. I was very impressed with their attention to detail and really enjoyed my visit to her museum. Hope I can return soon!

What Aaron does in his free time........

2010-06-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

Aaron with other volunteers

That's our house in the middle with us in the backyard waving!

Pretty cool~

He looks official

If any of you know Aaron, you know that he never sits still. He has been doing some volunteering with the Maple Valley Police and has really enjoyed it! He even received an award for "Volunteer of the Year"! One of the perks of working with the police was he was invited to to take a ride in the new King County Sheriff's helicopter.

Aaron has also recently just finished getting re-certified as an EMT to be able to work at the fire department in town. He was certified several years ago before we moved to Maple Valley but it lapsed. So, he decided to do it again. It was a very big commitment for about three months - every Tuesday night from 7-10:00 and then all day Saturday. We really missed him but supported him in his efforts. He just graduated last week and passed his national exam so he is now certified again and ready to save lives! Way to go!

Banks Lake - May 2010

2010-06-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

In front of Grand Coulee Dam
Katie and I enjoying the warm sand

What a beautiful sunset!

The boys pulling the waverunners in (yes, they are too young!)

Aaron with the Greenwood kids

The girls posing on the amphitheatre stage

Brian and Alec enjoying the sun

The girls having a sleepover in the cabin lofts

These people are all with us!

Perfect size cabins!

I can't believe it is almost the middle of June! School is out next week and I'm behind in the blogging world - what else is new? We had such a fun time exploring a part of Washington that we've never been to! And I don't know why - it is beautiful! We heard about Banks Lake from Aaron's brother, Barrett, (thanks for the idea!) and found a great resort with small cabins perfect for a big group of families! We headed there over Mother's Day weekend with 9 other families and had a blast! It wasn't really warm yet (the following weekend was in the 80's but I'm not bitter) but the kids especially loved going tubing. It was fun to all be staying next to each other - we combined everyone into one fire pit and eating area - which meant lots of good food and good company.

It also happened to be the weekend of the "Colorama Festival" down the road in Grand Coulee complete with carnival, rodeo, and parade! The rodeo was really fun - we have a lot of respect for those bucking horse riders! We visited Grand Coulee Dam and even got to watch a laser show on it! Really cool! We also took over a local eatery called "Pepper Jacks Bar and Grill". We had the whole back room - where else would you feed 20 adults and 40+ kids? The funnest part (besides being with good friends) was the beautiful scenery! It looks like the Grand Canyon and the water is a pretty green color. We explored and found a super sandy beach with a huge dune that the kids (and some adults) loved to climb and run down. On Mother's Day the dads treated the moms to a wonderful breakfast complete with red roses! We are excited to have a found a new favorite spot and look forward to coming back soon!

Elliot Moulton is here!

2010-05-04T14:40:00.001-07:00

Isn't he too cute?

We are excited to announce that we have another cousin! We love babies and are so excited for Andy and Emily! He was born the week of our spring break (I don't know the exact day!) and he is so cute! We went and saw him last night again but of course didn't bring the camera! We think he looks like our Brian! Congratulations!

Spring Break 2010 - Sun in Arizona!

2010-05-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hiking w/ Grandpa in the Superstition Mountains

At the Phoenix Zoo

Outside the visitors center for Kartchner Caverns

In front of the Mesa, AZ temple

The girls day out at a play

How good it felt to find some sun! We headed to Arizona for spring break this year and really enjoyed ourselves! The sad thing about the trip, though, was that Aaron wasn't able to come with us! That was a long week without him - we missed him so much! I was able to keep the kids busy. The first weekend we were there was general conference. We met on Saturday up at Kelly and Penny's place and they fed us lots of good food! We then headed out that afternoon for some family pictures! I'll post those when I get them! Then we listened to the Saturday sessions and the guys headed off to the priesthood session at 5:00. We had an Easter egg hunt for the smaller kids - although Katie and Brian loved it too!

Some highlights of the rest of the week were: spending time with our family - Mom and Dad, Kelly and Penny, Megan, Kenzie, Addie, Kris and Megan, Landon, going to the Pheonix Zoo, swimming at the pool, my mom and I going to hear one of our favorite authors (Jacqueline Winspear) speak, going shopping, eating lots of food, visiting with good friends Kerri and Karin, taking hikes, and in general just enjoying the warm air! One of the funnest things we did was a trip down to Tucson, AZ for the day. We were able to visit Karthner Caverns. REALLY cool! I could have stayed in there all day! We would highly recommend it to anyone! It was hard to come home and leave our family and the warmth, but we missed Aaron so it was good to see him! Can't wait until the next visit!

Maureen Christiansen Cheever 1923 - 2010

2010-05-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

On March 22, 2010, our Grandma Cheever passed away. We were so sad to hear this and miss her every day. All of our grandfathers have passed (we had all 8 grandparents at our wedding back in 1994!) and Grandma Cheever is our first grandma to leave us. She lost her battle with cancer - she was surrounded by family and loved ones when it happened. We decided to take the drive down to her funeral and we are very glad we did. It was good to see family that we haven't seen in too long! The services were beautiful and we learned many things about Maureen. What a beautiful lady! We will miss her!

Happy 9th Birthday Katie!

2010-04-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

At Red Robin with Abigail

Katie and her presents
Gifts for her class

Loving that pedicure!

Breakfast in bed!

Well, time sure does march on in our household. Katie turned 9 on the 26th of March. Can't believe how tall she is and how quickly she is growing up! Since we had a big friend bash/sleepover last year with "Wicked" in Portland, we decided to have a small girls day/night out. I picked her up early from school and we headed down to get pedicures! She had never had one done and loved it! I also had one and felt so relaxed! Then we headed home to touch base with the boys and then went out to dinner with Abigail and Tracie Allen. Thanks you guys for joining us! Katie chose Red Robin - yum! We came home afterwards and enjoyed some super yummy cupcakes from our good friend Becky! Thanks so much for those! Katie got lots of fun stuff including some money to buy the American Girl Doll she's been saving for! Her name is Lanie and she should get here tomorrow! We love you Katie and are so glad to have you in our family!

Another Moulton cousin on the way!

2010-03-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

The schedule and food table
We signed the book and wished them well!

Katie and Emily

Andy and Emily are expecting their first in the middle of April! We are so excited for them! As they are the favorite aunt and uncle, we know they will be awesome parents. Katie and I were able to attend Emily's baby shower on Saturday and had a such a good time! Since Emily is a school teacher, the took that as a theme and ran with it! I love clever people! They used chalk boards to welcome us, tell us the menu, and also the schedule for the shower, including "story time" where each of her students wrote some advice to her and Andy! Really cute! The food (which was really good!) was served on cafeteria lunch trays and we even got cookies and milk! She got lots of cute things - now we just need to get him here!

The new Moulton Getaway!

2010-03-12T15:40:00.000-08:00

The garage is behind - will soon be full of lots of toys!

The house - it's smaller, but they plan to add on or build another one

Love the trees!

We are so excited! Barbara and Jason have purchased some property over in sunny Cle Elum! It is actually two properties together - one is empty and the other has a small house and garage on it. We are excited to have a place to gather with family and make lots of new memories! Looking forward to it!

Taylor on the path to braces

2010-03-12T15:31:00.000-08:00

Look at that thing!

Before.....

Well, the time has come for Taylor to get to work on his mouth! Over the next two years we will be working on his overbite and straightening his teeth. His overbite comes first - they now correct it with an appliance called the Herpst. It is huge and looks scarey! I had to include a picture just so you could see it! It also falls to me to crank it one turn every night. We do that for 10 days and then the next time he goes in we'll do it again for 10 days! He has had to learn how to eat and talk all over again! This appliance takes the place of the lovely headgear we wore in the 80's. But we've heard it could be worse - some people we've talked to had their jaws broken and then realigned. Ouch! Taylor said his way will be just fine! We'll post a picture when he gets the braces one! Gotta love being a teenager!