forgotten...

Laura's Pizazz dance review May 15, 2010...Being presented by Ray.

OH my gosh, I just pulled up MY blog and I totally had forgotten what it looked like:) sooooooo sad, but true. I have loaded some pics on the computer and so now hopefully I will make time to play some catch up with our family journal....because a lot has happened since February!!!

Here are some pics of Laura's dance review. We borrowed a dress from a cute girl in our ward and I love how pretty and MODEST it is...Laura and Ray got to have a father daughter dance, all the girls were presented by dads or grandpas or uncles etc.

TWO WHEELED ROADSTER...

Yay for Ben!! Last week we had our Pine Wood Derby and Ben's car was unforgettable....He did win the award for "funny car" ( I painted a shark on the front and it was called"Neb the shark", for Ben spelled backwards, but I think maybe the funny part came from 2 of his wheels actually falling off during the race....SERIOUSLY) Sorry buddy, I will try to help you build a better car next time. I did try hard this time, but obviously my wheel work needs some practice... I love you!


The really exciting part of the night was when Ben recieved his Bear award!! Daddy and I are so proud of you Benny boy! It was a crazy night, we left in the middle of the derby to go watch Laura dance at the basketball game (it was pouring cats and dogs outside) and then came back to help with the nursery at pack meeting and then I had a presidency meeting...I was tired when my head hit the pillow!! It was a fun day though.

Play that funky music Brett boy...

Brett...just rocking out on the piano.


OK here we are...a post about our new piano. We made the leap and bought a piano in November and it was a good purchase. Expensive, but good.

Now...not only is Laura in piano, but now Trey and Ben and Jeff and ME are too!! We are in our 3rd week and cruising along. I am not ashamed to admit I am scared, but I'm doing it anyway.

WHAT WAS I THINKING WHEN I WAS 8? Wouldn't it have been a lot easier to learn then and practice myself, instead of waiting until the ripe old age of 38 AND having to make sure 4 of my children practice too???? Well, live and learn right?

perfection

Every so often there comes a picture that just melts your heart, well that melts MY heart. This picture of Brett is one of them. It makes me just want to squeeze him!!

This was taken in New Harmony while we were playing in the snow on a 4wheeler ride.

I love my Brett Ryan who is the ripe old age of 3 and a half....going on 10.

Our big excitement of the week was that Brett actually pooped on the big boy pottie. Wow, miracle in January at our house. :)

Another news item that is not so shocking to report... I have my January cold.(and so do half my kids)...today I am thankful for my family and home and faith and SUDAFED. So glad I had some in the cupboard and so glad it is working a little. Life is good.

2010, night one

We went up to the cabin in New Harmony and had a great time together. We missed Trey the first night because he was with the young men at a group acitivty, he came the next day and joined our weekend "away". (we came home for church, and then drove back)

So the first night of the new year, Jeff and Laura crocheting. Sorry sliders game, watching Bear Grylls on Man VS. Wild...one of our favorites as a family...

NEW YEARS ROCKIN EVE?

Happy New Year 2010!! Oh the realization that we are old and boring was more apparent than ever this year. We had a very low key New Years, but it was nice and peaceful and happy. Here is what we did...

Brett and I played some rousing games of Perfection. (that game always makes me jump when the pieces pop out) Ben and Jeff played on the computer and then I let them light sparklers in the front yard with me.

Ray was in bed asleep.Ha usually my role! :)

I HAD to stay up to get two of my little ducks home from the neighborhood parties, meaning I had to stay up till about 12:15 when I called them home. Trey and Loll had fun ringing in the new year with thier friends families who had "fun" parents and threw BBQ parties with Martinellis sparkling cider etc. for thier Tween kids and friends. Obviously we weren't on the "fun" parent list this year.

OK I watched Dick Clark's rockin eve and that poor guy just needs to give it up. I was so embarrased for him. I couldn't understand him and when he was counting down, he couldnt count right....poor guy. I don't know how he can stand it anyway. I looked at all those crowds of people in cold and all I thought was no thanks....like I said , low key and happy. Hope yours was happy too!! May 2010 bring joy and good happy adventures.

COUGARS beat the UTES!!

Thanksgiving weekend was the big game between Utah and BYU...we won!
Ray's victory shuffle on the 50 yard line....:)

THE UTAH GAME!! go BYU!! Here are some the fun pictures that Ray took after the win over Utah. Ray, Trey, Laura and Ben went to the game and ran into Joel's kids Ryan and Rachel after the game. They all ran down on the field....Cox family tradition!!

Thanksgiving Day 2009, Lehi, UT

This big picture is of the whole Merle and Laura Lee Hawkley group. We are missing Phil and Lisa, but are glad to have all the grandkids here.....ALMOST!! I was soooo happy we got a picture and we were looking at them, after everyone left, and I couldn't find Ben in the photo!! I just about died! He was in the basement playing video games and no one noticed he was missing...uggg. so sorry Benny! Just give me another mother of the year award. Hopefully we can photo shop him in! I think my mom and dad and Missy would be proud of how we've all turned out and love the two new grandkids in law! I love you guys. Happy Thanksgiving....we have a lot to be thankful for!

well, after MUCH weeping and wailing and nashing of teeth, I got my family to pose for a picutre outside Edee's house. So here we all are in 2009!!

the new me

YES...apparently after years of hilighting my hair and then bleaching it, I wasnt really sure what my real color was...well, here it is folks....pretty dark brown. I knew it turned darker with each pregnancy, and after 5 of them this is what you get. I went to get my hair done and had her match my roots. I am a combination of freaked out and excited! Almost in tears and then happy to be my "real" hair self. Kind of liberating really. Me at 38, a brunette-who knew!?

Ray has been a great sport and Jeff asked me if I was wearing a wig...hahahaha

BIG FISH!!

Our family campout with the Dye family in Pine Valley, UT Sept. 2009

Trey's first fish!! He and Tanner went fishing (a short walk to the lake from our campsite)... and they scored some fish!! Trey even learned how to clean it thanks to Tanner's dad Ryan.

It all reminded me of fishing with my dad on our vacations in Idaho...

OUR 4th of July summer vacation

Ok, the whole reason we went to Utah County for the 4th of July was because Loll was a dancer in the Stadium of Fire. She worked so hard and did such a great job! We all got to watch her dance and see the Jonas Brothers and Glen Beck. Our whole family went and we took Caroline and Rachel with us. It was lots of fun.

It turned out great because Joel and his family were in town and we had a mini family reunion. so fun to see everyone and we needed a fun getaway trip for the summer.

Laura isn't in our family photo because she was busy practicing for the big show. They had an unbelievable practice schedule!

The family at BYU, July 3rd.

FOR SHAME ON ME!!

Ok, I knew it had been a LONG while since I had posted anything on this poor lonely blog, but wow, it has been longer than I thought. Where does the time go? I have a lot of things to catch up on so I will just probably do it randomly and try to update this journal of our days.

Here is a picture from our campout in Pine Valley in September. Ray was a good sport and took some pictures with me. He LOVES to pose for pictures;)

Happy Fathers Day!

happy dads day Ray! here we were actually going out on a date a couple of weeks ago... we went to Olive Garden and the food didn't make me sick! happy day!! I also actually have makeup on and my hair is combed...it's a MIRACLE! haha

Thanks to Laura and Trey for the babysitting! The summer is getting away from me, I can't believe it is almost july!! (so excited to go to Lehi!!!) I need to blog about my week last week...interesting and a relief!!

OUR FAMILY

well here we all are! all 7 of us! I love Brett's grin! haha We were up in New Harmony for the day pulling up old carpet and carpet pad and loading junk..from the previous owners...tons of it...yuck! but it is good to work hard together and hopefully we'll have a fun cabin when it's all cleaned up! It is a beautiful piece of land (5 acres). We also went four wheeling and took the Ranger that we're sitting in...it is Brett's favorite!

it's Missy's birthday

Happy Birthday Missy!! I could be a year off, but I think today she would have been 43 years old. I have so many happy memories of her and am so glad she was (and still is) my sister. I miss her everyday. I was cleaning out some of my stuff the other day and found a box of her pictures and things she saved. In it was a little pocket of Hawkley's hair from a hair cut that she had carefully saved. I just broke down and cried. Some times life hurts and losing someone so good hurts, but what a happy reunion we will have someday. Until then, we just have to keep on going and do the best we can. I have started drinking some vitamin drinks from Costco. They have lots of vitamins and no sugar and are pretty good. On the bottle is this quote which I find to ring very true for me:
"AS IN LIFE, CHILL FOR BEST RESULTS."
hahahaha isn't that a classic?? LOVE IT!!! so here's to "chilling" and being thankful and counting our blessings....like the time we had with those we miss.

Happy Flag Day a few other things!:)

OK, this is a just a little note to tell a little about what I heard every June 14th all of my years growing up: "Happy Flag Day" and "____________ years ago today, Mr. Kelly hung himself". No, I'm not kidding....June 14 was my parents anniversary and instead of them saying Happy anniversary, they'd say those two lines. (My Dad's mom's best friends husband hung himself the morning my parents were married, sad but true)



So as I walked out front today and saw the flag flying in front of my house yesterday(courtesy of the scouts) I thought what day is it today??? then I said to myself...."Oh, happy flag day and a lot of years ago today Mr. Kelly hung himself"....thanks for having a sense of humor mom and dad and I wish you were here to wish a happy anniversary. I miss you. I love you.

just call me granny....

Hey, this is my new bike! Ray bought it for me and I Love it! Notice the comfy seat, my favorite part, and notice how OLD and nerdy I look on it! If you are 38 and look 48 but feel 28, does it even out? hahaha...I honestly have to say I feel like I "look" better on it than these photos are saying....but I'll just pretend as I cruise around on the neighborhood that I don't look like such a nerd. Oh well, I am having fun. Who knew I could ride 10 miles and n0t have a complete body breakdown! haha here's to excercise and hoping Ray and I can ride lots together. (he got a road bike for his knees, he needs two FULL knee replacements and has been told by the doctors to ride, ride, ride...so here's to getting healthy and enjoying nature...OOOOHHHH, on the trail we saw two deer the other day..so cool!!

SHE'S a TEENAGER!!

June 12, 1996.....what a happy day!! Thirteen years ago today, you were born!!

Happy Birthday Lolly girl! I love you so much and couldn't be prouder of what a good and beautiful girl you are...INSIDE and OUT!! And just look at those newly straightened teeth!!

You are a joy and I love you!

For my sister

this is just a shout out to my great sister Edee:

"I love you, feel better, and be happy!" :)

I love looking at these spoons in my kitchen and I loved going to the Relief Society Meeting..(Thats where this picture was taken)...I am inviting myself for this year too. ahahahaha

Hang in there and like you said, think of the positive...enjoy your "better than new" capris!!

1st grade ZOO

Before I start blogging all about summer fun I wanted to post this picture about Jeff's project about the Bald Eagle. He did a great job and had great teacher. All the kids stood behind their desk and when you pushed the "button" drawn on a paper on their desk, they told you all of thier memorized facts about thier zoo animal.. it was so cute and you did a great job Jeffrey! We love you!

KTM love...

THE madness began

a few weeks ago, when Ray and Trey went on a road trip with our great nieghbors Curtis and Tyler Rogers. They found a great deal on KTM motorcycles and decided to buy few to resell and try to make a few dollars in this rotton economy (and Trey has been dying for one (he is paying for half of his own) so they went to Idaho and met the dealer from Seattle who sold them to them. They went up in back in one day and so far so good, they have been selling!!

Brett joined in the picture because he LOVES LOVES LOVES those motorcycles and anything with a noisy motor that goes fast...he wasn't too happy to stay home with me..poor guy! (notice is dirt bike pants he has on! so cute!)

I love our neighbors and our ward, I love knowing EVERY single one of the families in our neighborhood and having all but 2 as members of the church. I guess you could say I am fully transplanted to ST George. Oh, and Trey is loving the KTM he bought...so glad he and Ray like to do so much stuff together and glad Trey is learning about the value of a dollar...I'm not such a good teacher with that, but I am trying to get better!!

I'm gonna gag!

OK, I came home a couple of weeks ago and found two DUCKS swimming around.

They flew away when I turned the waterfall, and I mean FLEW, like hawks! I then found out from my friend and neighbor that she has pool hopping ducks too....hopefully my pool is NOT thier potty spot...so anywho.....we have some crafty ducks in the neighborhood. thank goodness for strong Chlorine!;)

Merle, this one's for you!

Ok, so I blew off blogging my birthday, Edee's birthday, and mothers day...and Easter.Wow, I am SO with it! But some good advice from my big sister makes me not want to give up....so here goes, maybe I can turn over a new leaf and be a blogger again!

This picture is for Dad, the most gung ho scouter I ever knew..I remember him sitting at mom's sewing machine heming boy scout pants for the boys in the ward, going to meeting after meeting, driving all eagle scouts to Idaho to hike the Tetons...yah, that's from Phoenix!

Well, whenever I think of Cathy Baker, or Laura Larson two lovely ladies who were always serving in Primary, I picture them in a yellow scout shirt..........now I get to wear the beloved blue and yellow as 2nd counselor in our ward primary. I think Dad would get a kick out of it and I have a lot of years of scouts ahead of me so I am trying to get my "scouter" on. I really do love serving in the Primary. I know Heavenly Father loves Primary! So here's to you Dad, I love you and what a good example of service you were!

Big kid toys

The weekend before our campout we Ray decided to wash all the fourwheelers and dirt bikes. It was such a pretty day and the kids all had fun. We rode up and down the street a few times to the park and I took Brett for a ride, but he said he likes to ride with Dad better (he goes faster you know, and well, he is DAD of course....I can't compete with that! haha) It was a beautiful Saturday, and you know....Saturday is a Special Day!! ;)

What you see.......

I believe Jeffrey had been begging me to take some pictures with my camera....Brett and I were the guinea pigs and so what you see is what you get...me in my PJ's with no make up, sitting in my chair with my sidekick beside me....(a very common site in our home). I can see so much of my Dad in my face, and so much of Ray in Brett's face. So this is the real me at 37 and Brett at 2. Thanks for recording a regular everyday moment for us Jeffy. Someday these times will seem like a million years ago...hard to believe, but they will! I love you!

Spring Break in the dunes...

We had a great time at Coral Pink state park over spring break. This picture certainly doesn't do it justice, but this is the entrance you ride up to get to the dunes...so pretty.

Our 1st trailer!! Brett loves the trailer and anything to do with four wheeling and camping and his daddy. Brett was with us for the day and then went home with Aunt Michelle and Grandma and Grandpa Cox. We had a great time with all of our friends and I think I even learned to be a little bit better of a rider! haha

I just love what a beautiful world Heavenly Father created for us, and spending time together as a family is the best!

Monday thought

Well, here it is, another monday morning and I am trying to grab the courage to start the week off with some cleaning projects. Hopefully all will go smoothly....I will let you know;)
I wanted to start the week off with the good thought for me and all of us to remember, here it is:

"Whether you think you will, or you think you won't....YOU'RE RIGHT."

So true so true, so here's to positive thinking that my laundry will get done, my scrapbook will get cleaned and my kids will happily do thier chores this week! Have a great monday guys!

"only in my dreams"....yes, that was a Debbie Gibson song in the 1980's...today I am singing in my head because if you look at this photo...that would be my dream:

In the middle of the ocean on a beautiful boat, reading and enjoying the salty air. Ah, the smell of the ocean! I know I am in fantasy land, but it has been a rather stressful week, the scoliosis, the scare of meningitis, the bad knee, the lack of completed homework.....well I will stop there to avoid TMI. (I know too late) ha!

So I will just have to take cruise in my head I guess...and enjoy today and try to count my blessings.....yes, I know I have many.

Creative soul

More lego fun to report! My boys it seems are addicted to Legos. If you haven't had this interest in your house, feel lucky...those things are expensive!!! geez!! Jeff was so proud of his creation that I needed to take a picture of it. At 6 years old he is quite an independent and creative little soul, and I love to see him smile.

I think maybe some of the Lego interest may come from me, you see I used to love legos. I am the youngest and I remember one afternoon, my brother wanted to build a lego house with me, well I was so excited!!! (Joel is 10 years older than me)...well, after we built the house, I discovered his true desire to build the lego house was not to play with me, but to put firecrackers inside it on the back porch and BLOW IT UP!! Ah, the stink and look of those charred lego pieces...haha What a funny memory, of course, if one of my older kids did that to Jeff or Brett, I would come unglued!! Well, just thought I would share a funny memory from my childhood. Long live LEGOS and even though I can't seem to avoid stepping on little pieces every now and then, I love 'em still!

Tagged

OK, I was tagged by Lauren to write 25 interesting things about me..they may not be interesting, just something you may not know about me...so here goes..

1. I am a returned missionary
2. I have never been to a foreign country besides Mexico, (does that even count?)
3. I absolutely had a terrific, care free child hood, and was the baby of the family
4. I loved, loved, loved, Michael Jackson when Beat It was out...I am so ashamed to admit it now! LOL Missy and I had a poster of him in a yellow sweater we called a store in Metro Center everyday to see if they got the poster in...
5. I love to go to the beach and love to go on cruises. I am convinced it is the best way to see the world.
6. I was blessed with wonderful friends growing up who had the same values I did, and I am so thankful for the church.
7. I cry very easily, over the good or the bad
8. I love to laugh and especially when I am laughing so hard I can't breathe. (I miss Missy's laugh)
9. One of my favorite things in the world is when the Raines come to visit ST.George. You guys make me happy!
10. I am determined to learn to wake board this year..I am 37, but hopefully I have some skills left, (wait, did I ever have any?!?! LOL)
11. I have a fascination with sharks that probably spawns from watching JAWS several hundred times with Grandpa Fewens one summer at the 24th avenue house...strange but true....and I seriously would like to go into a shark cage and feed sharks on a tour, they actually do that!!!
12. I am so glad I have 5 fabulous children.
13. I am an orphan, wait , can you be an orphan at 37? I miss my parents. and Missy.
14. I love to scrapbook, but seem to go in cycles of actually producing stuff, or just THINKING about it! ha!
15. I dream of being a more organized, structured person, but like they say, it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks...
16. I want to go to Europe before I die, and Hawaii
17. Sense and Sensibility is my all time favorite show, it makes me cry though, so I don't watch it too often
18. I am a fully recovered Diet Coke addict, although I still think it is a FABULOUS drink! I do feel better without it! I have been "clean" for over 2 months!
19. You know how some people have boundless amounts of energy, that is NOT me, but I wish it was!
20. I love to fish. and want to go back to Alaska to fish again, for Halibut and Salmon! It was fabulously beautiful and fun!
21. I pray for our country...
22. I cannot tolerate people who are intolerant and bigots (they do exist still)
23. I love Primary! I wish every child in the world could be taught the things that we teach in Primary. It is so simple and true! But I do confess to having a headache after primary every week! LOL
24. I have a horrible sweet tooth. It is a struggle, but I am abstaining from sugar! Yikes! someone go have some chocolate cake from COSTCO for me ok?? :)
25. I love the beach and if I had enough money, I would have a beach house.....
It is funny, because if I did this list later today or tomorrow I am sure it might be completely different! I am so thankful for my life! Thanks Lauren, this was fun, did you learn anything about me you didn't know??? Probably not!:)