The Jeffery's

Rain Gutter Regatta

2011-03-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

8/26/2010

Kurtis got to participate in the Rain Gutter Regatta with the scouts this year! It was fun to build something other than a Pinewood Derby car. We didn't win any races, but had a great time building and racing the boats! And hey, the boat did float!! Wes and I decided that for what we lack in nautical aerodynamic engineering skills, we make up for in style... Kurtis had a good lookin boat, though I'm pretty sure John Deere has yet to corner the ship-building market!

We were lucky Kurtis wanted to use the John Deere theme for his boat cuz we happen to have lots of paint in that particular shade of green

Now the true competition begins... the dads get a turn racing

C'mom Wes... BLOW!

Katie even gets a turn

Nice work, boys! Not too bad for a couple of farming, land-lubbers!

Back to School!!

2011-03-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

8/26/2010
Can't believe it's already time for school to start again!! (not complaining, just can't believe it!) Kurtis is starting 4th Grade and has Mr. Ellett for a teacher. Katie is starting 1st Grade and is in Mrs. Taft's class. They are both excited and lookin' spiffy!!

You're not supposed to say "cheese" while the picture is being taken, Kurt!!

Okay, I know I'm biased and all, but these are some pretty dang cute kiddos!!

Too darn cute!

Off we go!

I'm on the Community Council for Loa Elementary this year, so I got to take part in the "Back to School Rally!!!" We cheered on the kids to welcome them back and reminded them, we're all on the same TEAM!

Not sure if she's embarassed that I'm there or so excited she can't contain herself! Adorable!

The First-Graders get the first row!

Oh, dear! Poor Mr. Ellett!! These 4th Graders are full of it!

Survived the first day of school!

Wayne County Fair ~~ 2010

2011-03-26T16:42:00.001-07:00

DEMOLITION DERBY & FIREWORKS

When Wes and I were first married, the rodeo used to take the spotlight at the Wayne County Fair. But now it's the Demolition Derby!

Katie and her friend, Sammi

Brown-eyed beauties!

Kurtis won't hold still long enough for a picture

Brown Brothers entertains the crowd before the derby. They are quite talented!

He must need money for concessions... that's the only reason he'd come find us with so many friends wanting to play!!

Best seat in the house

Woo Hoo! Bring on the dust, smoke and sound of crunching metal!!

Good Lookin' Cowboy!! Hands off, Ladies... he's with me!!

Why do I look tired and Katie looks wired?!?! Pretty typical!

After the derby, we headed out to the car to watch the fireworks thru the moon roof. Told ya it was a "need" when we were car shopping! Haha!

Kurtis wants a better look at the light show and how the firefighters are lighting them... He's obsessed with fireworks this year!

My camera has a "fireworks" setting... who knew??

Takes cool pictures

This is the real reason Kurtis got out of the car... Katie is hogging up the moon roof!

OOOooooo!

AAAahhhh! What a spectacular end to a great summer!! Thanks Wayne County Fair Board Committee!

Wayne County Fair ~~ 2010

2011-03-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

*** PARADE*** Katie was a Jr. Cheerleader, which she loved!! She got to perform cheers and dances on the back of a semi during the parade this year! Her favorite part was getting to hang out with the "REAL" cheerleaders. Kurtis had fun hanging out with is cousins and catching candy and ping-pong balls.

Wayne County Fair ~~ 2010

2011-03-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

~~ THE 5K ~~

I don't love this picture, but I'm very proud of the fact that I trained for and competed in the 5K race this year. I set a goal to run the entire 3 miles without stopping. I wasn't very fast, but I did it!!! I even enjoyed the training and the race more than I thought I would. It felt great!!

Wayne County Fair ~~ 2010

2011-03-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

SMALL FRY RODEO

This is by far the highlight of the Wayne County Fair!! The kids look forward to it every year! I'm pretty sure, however, that Wes does not because I am on the committee and he always ends up "volunteering" to help with the livestock. (Sorry, hun!) Kurtis and Katie had a great time ridin', ropin' and chasin'.

Katie all "dudded up" and ready to rope. She loves her pink chaps, pink hat and pink bandana. Too cute!!

Kurtis has been practicing and is getting pretty good at this.

Katie took 3rd place in the ropin'. Yay!

Kurtis ended up taking 1st in the Dummy Roping for his age group!! YIPEE! (We don't actually keep track of places, but he had the most catches.)

Stick Horse Race

On your mark....

Get set....

GO!!!!

There's the ever-helpful husband.

I'd like to think he genuinely enjoys this night, but his smile kindda says, "This is our last year volunteering, right?!?!"

The Pig Chase... oh my! Katie is determined to catch the pig this year!

Unfortunately, she didn't get it...

But she does get a hug from Daddy for her effort!

Kurtis is ready! He wants the piggie, too

He ran like crazy! Wait.... is that Wes joining in?!?! JK! Darn, no pig this year.

Samantha got a chicken!

Barlow starts us out right on the Calf Ridin'!

Travis gives Bryant a pep talk.... It doesn't hurt too bad to get bucked off, right Dad?

Katie just bein' Katie....

That smile makes it all worth it!

Kurtis behind the chutes -- trying to decide if this is a good idea...

Here goes Kyler

Kurtis getting ready...

Last minute instructions from Dad....

WOW!!! He's doin' it!! Not only did he do it... he stayed on longer than anyone else!!! WOOHOO, Buddy! So proud!!!!

Sawdust Dig

Katie filling her hat with treats and prizes!

Kurtis trying to find the money hidden in the sawdust.

Had to get a shot of our good-lookin new truck!

Battle-wound, and proud of it!

The Small Fry Rodeo is mostly just for fun... we give out little prizes for each event, like certificates for ice cream cones and stuff, but no real big prizes. But Wes and I were so proud of Kurtis this year.... for winning the Dummy Roping and the Calf-Riding, we had a trophy made for him so he could always remember being the Best All-Around Cowboy, 2010!! Way to go, Buddy!!

Wayne County Fair ~~ 2010

2011-03-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

PET SHOW

Wayne County had a pet show during the fair this year. With all the critters we have around, very few are "pets." Our livestock are too big and our cow dogs wouldn't do well in a room full of kids and other animals. Kurtis ended up bringing the hermit crab he got at the park during the 2009 County Fair. And remember the frog Katie caught while camping.... that was her pet.

Waiting to show our pets and checking out everyone else's.

Still waiting.... patiently?!?!

Finally, Katie gets to show her pet. She has to tell the judges all about it.

Kurtis tells the judges about he has taken such good care of "Bruce," the hermit crab, it has lived for a whole year!

Kurtis's good friend, Sam, shows her pure-bred Klee Kai. (Beautiful dog!)

Peek-a-boo!

fR!EnDs!

Kurtis won a blue ribbon and a free ice cream cone for taking such good care of his pet!!

And Katie won a purple ribbon for having the smallest pet!!!

All in all... it was a pretty fun day!!

Our One and Only Camping Trip in Three Years!!!! August 2010

2011-01-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

It's sad to admit that we've been so busy the past few years, we haven't even gotten in a good camping trip! We live within minutes of the mountains and run our cattle there all summer long. Wes is there almost every day to check on the cows and fences, but we have struggled to get up there and actually stay over in camp as a family. We finally got our chance to pack up and head to UM for the night.

August 13, 2010

Katie is so in her element... gathering firewood

Wes making dutch oven chicken and potatoes... Ymmm! (He does most of the cooking at home too! What a good man!)

Kurtis and Katie roasting marshmallows

Kurtis learned how to roast marshmallows from me.... stick 'em in the flame, blow out the flame and enjoy the crispy, burnt outside and gooey middle!! Viola'!!

Ahhh... Wes always feels more loving when I have a cooking utensil in my hand!

Katie is still gathering wood... she can't sit still long enough to just enjoy the fire so she became our self-appointed wood-gatherer!

August 14, 2011

The next day we headed out on 4-wheelers to check the cows and enjoy the scenery. It was a blast! The weather was perfect and it wasn't too crowded.

We found our tree from '03. We had come to the same spot for Kurtis's 3rd birthday. I was pregnant with Katie at the time.

Yep.... She's the "?"

Dad's been telling 'em all about catching frogs up here. This we have to try!

Proof that I am a cowgirl... LOL!

So beautiful.....

Oh shoot, we have kids! Enough alone time-- someone better go see what they are up to.

Still trying to find some frogs

Look at those fat, happy cows! Is it just me, or does everyone else see $$

C'mom dad, where's the frogs you've been tellin us about

Wes helping Katie through the fence.... disappointed... no frogs

WAIT!!! Katie found one! (Which she catches and carries around with her bare hands! She is definately more of a cowgirl than me!!)

Finally.... we have a frog

Kurtis posing... and begging once again to drive!

'99?!?! Wow

You're still the one, baby!

UM Creek is full this year! There's only one way to get to the other side....

THAT was fun!!

Sheep Valley

View from Sheep Valley cabin

Wes has lots of stories about this place.... we are missin' Kelly today!

Double-seater outhouse!!! (The other seat has been removed and boarded up.... Thank goodness!!)

Back to camp

Daisy and Harley in doggie paradise

Kurt is having a pretty good time too!

This is a sight we don't see very often.... Wes looks genuinely relaxed!

These girls get more affection than I do :)

Yeah... we need to do this more often!!

Swimming Lessons

2010-10-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Swimming lessons are a little stressful around our house.... First of all, I inadvertantly instilled an intense fear of drowning into my children (way to be too over-protective, Mom!) Second, the Wayne Pool is an outdoor pool which is only open in the summer and is only warm enough to be enjoyable maybe 5 days of the year. Swimming lessons are in the morning and it's FREEZING!! And, third, we have a hard time getting to the pool everyday for 2 weeks during the summer. We are just too busy with me working out-of-town and all of the farming Wes has to do. So swimming lessons aren't our favorite thing. But we are trying...

Kurtis really showed improvements this year--

Swimming underwater! (This is impressive considering he hates putting his face in the water.)

Backfloating...

Diving for rings!

It's funny... when we were on vacation in North Carolina, we had to literally drag Katie out of the ocean everyday! She loved it!

But at the swimming pool in Bicknell, forget it!! We have to practically push her in! Not sure what that's about, but we are hoping she gets over it.

She's all smiles as long as she's close to the edge

Look, her whole head is wet... Yay!!

Definately not comfortable, but not kicking and screaming either... so an improvement!

In the end, Kurtis passed off Level 2... Way to go, bud!

And Katie's passed off Level 1 and is happy to be finished with another year.

JULY 2010

2010-10-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

~ 4th of July ~

Since the 4th of July fell on Sunday this year, we got to celebrate all weekend!! Torrey had their celebration on Saturday July 3rd. This celebration is fun because it still has the small-town atmosphere... the parade, flea market and games at the park are simple but meaningful and less crowded than Richfield. Plus we get to see tonz of friends and family!

Katie, Kurtis, Wes and cousin, Kolt-- we've got our sacks and we're ready to catch candy!!

Katie & I waiting for the parade to start

Kurtis is just the right height to be dad's arm-rest!

We watched the parade with Wes's cousin, Jed & his wife Kaycee.

Kurtis and his 2nd cuz, Kolt.

Always plenty of interesting entries in the Torrey parade ;)

Eating mini pies from The Pie Wagon is one of the best parts of this celebration

Yummm!

Amen!!

Ahhh... tender! (We can't sit right next to each other cuz Wes hates the sun and I love it!)

Katie smiled at Smokey the Bear...

... And got a special treat!

The highlight of Kurtis's weekend... he got his picture taken with one of the guys from Nitro Circus!

After the parade, we head to the Torrey Park for games, lunch and socializing

The games are awesome! They still have the good 'ol games that kids love!

Picking out prizes!

~ The Evening of the 3rd~

The Crane's invited us over for a bonfire and fireworks. We had a blast!! They put on quite the firework display and the bonfire was huge! We were gonna let the kids roast marshmallows, but it was so hot we couldn't get that close!

Sam, Brooke & Lisa... the funnest girls in town!

Thank goodness Jordan got the hose... those flames are gettin' pretty high

~The 4th in Richfield~ (July 5, 2010)

It really wouldn't be the 4th without chillin' at the station with the fam! This tradition has been around longer than me & it's about the only time the Nowers family gets together.

Katie, J.J. & Kurt... Grandma made cute little candy sacks for the kids this year!

Cute kiddos!

Yay! We get to see our cousins!

Katie is excited to see the John Deere tractors
... cuz she never gets to see those! (haha)

My family!!! (Minus Dad... guess he doesn't want to spend his morning off at the station, too.)

My beautiful niece, Shannon, marching with the drill team

My siblings and I.

We didn't even plan to dress in matching clothes... guess good taste is genetic!

This one's for Elder Robbie Hicks who is serving a mission in Africa! We miss you and are very proud of you, Rob!!

The craziest tradition of all... THE FISH GRAB!!! This has become the main event at the Richfield City Park on the 4th of July! The kids (and parents) wait for close to an hour in the hot sun for a chance at grabbing a trout with their bare hands. It seems like everyone in Richfield gathers in a small corner of the park. It takes no less security then that of a rock concert to keep the kids out of the make-shift ponds when the fish arrive! Finally, they give the go-ahead to jump in... it's PURE CHAOS!!

Katie's trying to find a fish amidst the chaos ... she was so mad she couldn't catch one!

Kurtis caught a fish.. Yay!!! (I think...)

June 2010

2010-09-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Is there anything cuter than T-ball?!? Katie played on the Edward's Trucking team this year, which mom helped coach. Katie LOVED it! She really got into it after having watched her brother play Little League for a couple of months.

She's got the proper stance.

Fielding a ball!

FiShInG!!

Wes took the kids fishing and they both caught 2 fish!

Katie caught the BIGGEST fish, but was most excited about catching a yellow perch using a yellow pole while sitting on a yellow bucket~~ yellow is her favorite color this year and it seems to bring her good luck!!

PIANO RECITAL

Since Grandpa passed away, Grandma Garn has been having the all great-grandkids in town over to her house after school to teach them piano. At age 79, her energy and ambition amazes us all! She is an excellent pianist, and we all love that she is passing on this gift to her great-grandkids.

Katie nervously waiting her turn

Kurtis-- rarely nervous-- horses around with his cousin while waiting

All of Grandma's students

Katie finally gets her turn.... she introduces the number she is playing

Grandma helps her get started

Kurtis introducing the two songs he will be playing

Thanks, Grandma Garn!! You are the BEST!

MORE FISHING

Grandpa Mike got a pontoon boat this year and we had a chance to take it out on Forsyth Reservior for a little Sunday afternoon fishing.

Captain Mike

As usual, the kids lost interest in fishing when we weren't getting any bites, so Wes was left to tend their fishing poles while they explored the boat.

Happy Boaters~~ Perfect Sunday afternoon in June!!

Watch out... Katie's driving the boat!!

School's Out Mini Vacay

2010-06-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

After surviving a long, cold winter and lots of homework, we needed a day of fun to celebrate the end of school... we headed up to Trafalga to play!!

Katie, Jeff (my nephew) & Kurtis ready for a little mini-golf

I even got in on the action. (I prefer the real deal, but a little extra putting practice can't hurt.)

Wait, Kurt.... are you going back to school?!?!

WOW... Katie gets a hole-in-one right outta the gate! Beginner's luck???

Concentration...

Kurtis looks the part

Hey, I got a hole-in-one too!

Nice follow-through

After golfing, we headed in to check out the arcade and get some pizza

Keeping their "eyes on the prize"

Lunchtime!

Kurtis and I raced Go-Karts... That's Kurt in the blue car and me in the orange car.

All that practice driving the tractor is paying off!

SWOOSH! Jeff enjoyed the basketball game at the arcade.

Is there anything funner than Skee-Ball? Plus, it kicks out a lot of prize tickets!

This contraption was addicting and also kicked out a lot of prize tickets

Katie going for 10!

Look what we got with our tickets!! (I think they learned what a rip-off arcades can be.)

Jeff & Kurt eating a treat while waiting to get into the XD movie

Katie & I

Haha... look at those faces!

School Hike

2010-06-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Every year, Loa Elementary has end-of-school hikes in the beautiful, nearby Capital Reef. I went with Kurtis this year on the 3rd grade hike to Chimney Rock. Wes told me it would be a piece-of-cake so I signed up. Soon afterward, I begin hearing what a difficult hike it was! Oh... Great! I've never been in worse shape! (Four years of sedentary schoolwork have done little for my cardiovascular health!) But I'd promised Kurtis, so we geared up and headed out.

Taking a water break midway up the steep trail. So far, so good!

Wow... beautiful!

We reached the lookout over Chimney Rock (behind us)

Mason & Kurtis with Chimney Rock in background

My always smiling, handsome young man. (He doesn't like being called a 'cute kid' anymore!)

Kurt with fellow classmates

Kurtis found a really cool sandstone rock...

We were amazed by it... It had to have been carved by someone

... Cuz it looks exactly like a face!

Bryant, Kurt & Nick chillin' out in the red rock. We are nearing the end of our 2 hour + long hike... and it's a good thing, because it's getting hot! What a great hike! And I even survived without EMT assistance!!

Next we get on the bus and head to the Visitor's Center for lunch & fun games! Can't wait to see Katie and hear about the Kindergarten "hike" around the Visitor's Center!

There's my Katie-bug!!

She's excited to see Kurtis & tell us all about her adventures. We were all happy to rest in the shade and enjoy some lunch and visiting with friends.

Let the games begin... Tug-of-War!

3rd Graders vs. 4th Graders

3rd Grade wins!!! Way to go!!

Now Kindergarten gets their turn... they also win and land in a pile at the end of the rope!

Katie & her friend, Tamara

What a fun day!!! A great way to celebrate the end of the school year! It's officially summer now!

May 2010

2010-06-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Wait.... what month is it?!?!

Katie's Kindergarten program

They performed several songs showing everyone how well they can count to 100, say their sounds and memorize nursery rhymes. They rapped "Miss Mary Mac" and had the whole audience laughing to the point of tears with "Tootie-Tah!" (In case you've forgotten, that's "thumbs up, elbows back, feet apart, knees together, bum up, thungue aaoutt, thurn uhlound.... a thootie-tah, a thootie tah, a thootie-tah-tah!!")

SPRING DANCE RECITAL

Good job, girls!! Too cute!!

Our Anniversary fell on the same weekend as Mother's Day. Wes found a super cute (and unique) flower vase and beautiful flowers that took care of the whole weekend! The vase was a chalk-board and the butterfly held chalk.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Anniversary!

12 years! WOW!

Aaahhh... Thanks, sweetie!

Princess Katie Montana!

Baseball

2010-06-17T11:06:00.001-07:00

Kurtis was excited to start Little League again this year. He really impressed us all with the improvements he's made since last year! He played the in-field and got some great hits! Way to go, buddy!

Nice form

Got a hit!! Woo Hoo... Run!!

Leading off of 2nd

Tulip Festival!!

2010-06-11T19:58:00.001-07:00

My mom & I have talked about going to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point for years-- we FINALLY made it!

We made a quick stop at the Tech to check out all the cool wheels at the car show... especially my brother Kayden's rockin' red camero!

We picked Courtney up at her new apartment in Springville. So good to see her!

Mom & Courtney posing by the fountain at the Italian Garden.

Kurtis, Katie & me

Cute kids & gorgeous flowers!

We walked & walked & walked... but Katie's is still smiling!

Kurtis was a pretty good sport considering he had to spend the day with all of us girls & we made him walk for hours just to look at flowers!

Courtney's glamour shots at the "Fragrance Garden"

This cracks me up! Not sure if she's dragging him or he's trying to keep her from running off...either way, the hoodie was rather handy!

The Rose Garden-- one of my favorites-- no flowers yet but I LOVED the design!

Aaahhhh.... Welcome, SPRING!!

Yay! Finally something to play with !

Mom in the Secret Garden. Funny story behind this photo.... Courtney told my mom to pose by the pretty flowers so we would have a good picture of her to put on her funeral program when she dies! LOL!! Way to plan ahead, Courtney!

So I had to get one, too... just in case!

Hey, Wes... this is what I want our backyard to look like, okay?!?!

The kids found some souveniers at the vendors market and I found some shade and a bench! Note to self: don't wear flip-flops to Tulip Festival... blisters between toes really hurt!

The Mountain Garden is awe-inspiring! WOW!

The kids really like the water falls! Katie wants one in our backyard... Hey, Wes... did you hear that one, too... we got lots of landscaping ideas here!!

Easter

2010-04-06T22:47:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter!!

Opening gifts from Mom & Dad

Katie got a Barbie bike

Kurtis got a Bionicle

And a Travis Pastrona motorcycle in his Easter basket... Awesome!

More Barbie stuff & a tiny yellow bear that she loved the best!

There are eggs EVERYWHERE!

That sneaky Easter Bunny even hid some eggs in Kurtis's room while he was asleep

... And in Katie's room inside her doll house!

What a haul!

We tried to go roll eggs, but it was windy & FREEZING cold!!!! So Kurt & Wes lined up some of the eggs at the shooting range in Bicknell and shot 'em with the .22!

Oh no! We've graduated from Nerf to the real deal! I'm afraid he's no longer my little boy!!

Kurt's a pretty good shot... this is way funner than rolling the eggs down a hill!

See... check out the smile :))

Katie & I were happy to sit in the car and watch... we're sick and tired of earaches, sore throats and coughing

Katie took this one of me

Kurtis's "FOX" egg... he nailed the logo... looks cool, buddy!

The wind died down for a few minutes so we braved the winter chill and rolled eggs

Time to warm up for a sec in Dad's arms

Wes throwing the unbroken eggs back up the hill

Alright... who started the egg fight?!?! (Of course it was Wes)

Even though it was cold, we ended up having a pretty good time! It was definately one we'll never forget!!

New Moon

2010-04-06T22:45:00.001-07:00

"Twi-hards!" Katie has picked-up on my obsession with the Twilight, so we thought it would be fun to have a "girls night" and go to the New Moon release party at Walmart... at midnight! Katie is "Team Jacob" and I'm "Team Edward." We got awesome T-shirts to wear to the party. We went out to dinner with Grandma & planned to spend the night in Richfield. Katie was all psyched-up about the party!!

10:30 p.m. -- Katie is still wide awake and super-excited
10:40 p.m. -- We get to Walmart, sign up for the raffles & check out the New Moon gear
11:00 p.m. -- They announce that we can begin lining up; Katie & I were close to the checkouts so we got a great spot in line!

11:15 p.m. Waiting & waiting & waiting...
11:25 p.m. Katie is getting tired & tells me, "Mom, this party SUCKS!!"
(She later told me she thought maybe we'd get to meet the cast of the movie... poor kid!! Major dissappointment!!)
11:30 p.m. Thank goodness my sister-in-law, Carrie, and my niece, Shannon, showed up to wait with us -- Katie perked right back up when she saw Shan!!
12:01 a.m. Let the fun begin!! Everyone got excited when the line started to move!
12:20 a.m. Our turn!

Shannon & Katie leaving Walmart

12:30 a.m. -- Woo Hoo!! We got our movie!! What a rush!! (JK!)

1:00 a.m. -- Finally! We made it back to Grandma's with our very own copy of New Moon. YEAH!!

Pathetic, I know! But this is about as exciting as my life gets these days, so we'll take whatever fun we can find -- however lame it is!

Spring Festival: See Us SHINE!!!

2010-04-06T22:43:00.001-07:00

Loa Elementary has a tradition of holding a Spring Festival every year. The kids sing and dance. They all did such a terrific job.... there was a Maypole, jump-roping, line-dancing and loads of "Funniest Home Video" moments! With the music program cut from the school's budget, the teachers put together the whole performance--- they did an amazing job! The kids love it and it's such a great tradition for parents and grandparents. Thanks Loa Elementary!!

OUTLAWS!! (Mine's the one in the chaps!)
The 3rd Graders taught everyone about the importance of community. They sang "Two Heads are Better Than One," and did a country dance to "I'm From the Country (and I like it that way)!" Kurtis stomped, clapped and doe-see-doed in his cowboy duds. He inherited a cute Wrangler butt from his dad... love it!! YeeHaa!!

Cute cowboys!

Is there anything cuter than Kindergarteners?? They sang, "I celebrate me cuz I'm special. I celebrate me everyday..." Then they hip-hop danced to "Just Happy to Be Me." It was so funny to see their personalities! Katie is concentrating on getting all the dance-steps right!

Wrestling

2010-04-06T22:41:00.001-07:00

Kurtis wrestled again this year. He did a great job and learned so much! He really impressed us by kicking it up a notch--- he tried harder than he ever has and executed new holds, take-downs and escapes. Good job, buddy!!

4th Place at the Wayne Tournament

2nd Place at the North Sevier tournament

2nd Place at the Gunnison Tournament

Best Buds

2010-04-04T18:14:00.001-07:00

Looks pretty serious... you'll never see this level of concentration while they're doing homework

Science experiment with static electricity and grenade balloons :))

Yo... Yo... peace ooout!

Katie's 1st Ever Dance Recital

2010-04-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

Strike...

..... A

....POSE!!!

Katie & her friend Halley

She looks so tiny on that big stage! They were all sooo cute!

Katie aced the moves and even demonstrated rhythm... I'm so proud!

Kurtis-- 3rd Grade Basketball

2010-04-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

Nice action shot! Kurtis loves playing basketball and loves being a part of a team! It's awesome to see how much progress he's made since last year!

Kurtis made several baskets this year and is getting better at dribbling and passing.

Way to block, buddy!!

Valentine's Day

2010-04-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

Wow-- Wes did well! What a cool bouquet!! (Wish I'd taken a picture before it began wilting.) He even remembered to sign the card... this is a first!!!

My favorite meal... Deelish!! And way cheaper than eating out, especially when the filet mignon is free!!

What could be more romantic that a candlelit dinner at home with the kids?!

hApPy NEW YEAR, 2010

2010-01-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!
We had a rip-roaring good time!
... at home
... in our PJs
... watching TV...
Okay, so it was kind of a boring evening, but it was nice to spend time at home as a family!

The kids piled up blocks at the bottom of the stairs and then slid down in their pillowcases--brings back memories!

Gotta love New Years Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest

Wes in a VERY old jacket BBQing in the snow!
(He will kill me for posting this picture!!)

And, FINALLY, it's midnight... we made it!! Can we go to bed now???

Christmas 2009

2010-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

After wrapping the tree with 11 strands of lights, I turned the decorating over to the kids. They did a great job and enjoyed it way more than I would have!

The finished product. It turned out to be a beautiful tree!

Here comes Santa Claus!

OK Kurt, remember, you can only ask for one thing

Katie giving Santa her best "please move me to the nice list" smile

Kurtis at Primary Program... not sure why he's facing the opposite direction as everyone else??

Katie singing in the Primary Program

Look! Santa's been here & he sampled our cookies :-)

Oh Boy... I think Santa's sleigh tipped over here!!

Kurtis... and everything on his list

Katie-- amazed & over-whelmed by gifts, guess she was good after all!

Kurtis checking out his new MP3... what happened to needing a screwdriver and pliers on Christmas morning?!?! Now we gotta have computer skills and spend the morning reading instructions and formatting pocket-sized computers!! I miss the hand tools!

Katie's new pink John Deere bike... I think Wes & I were just as excited as her... it's so cute!! The anticipation was just as good-- she had the biggest present under the tree for 2 weeks and the suspense was killing her!

Cowkids! Both sportin' new duds! Kurtis's chaps were custom made from really nice leather and they match dad's!

Wes playing Guitar Hero

TrEE-TiMe!

2009-12-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

"We're kicking off our fun old-fashion family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols!" -- Clark W. Griswold

We headed up on the west end of Boulder this past weekend to get our Christmas tree. We went with our good friends and neighbors, The Crane's. It was one of those days where both the weather and the scenery were breath-taking, but we had a blast, even with a windchill of -19!!

Me, my dear friend Lisa & her grandson, Chase

The two trouble-makers that brought us all together as friends:
Samantha & Kurtis!

Katie & her faithful protector, Daisy

The Crane's brought a huge tube and we managed to find snow deep enough to try it out. This entertained the kids (and mom's) for hours while the men headed off into the woods to cut down our trees.

Kurtis (with his head down), Sam (screaming and hanging on for dear life) & the feet belong to Brooke!

Amber doing her best, "What the....?!?!" Oops, Lisa! I think ya took that turn a little too fast!! ;-)

We literally had to carry Katie to the tube kicking and screaming, but once she tried it, she didn't want to stop! Once her turn was over, true to form, Katie puffed out her chest, strutted around and bragged to everyone about how she braved the wild ride and had so much FUN!! Thanks, Brooke, for hangin' on to her!

Brooke & Chase sledding... too cute!

My gingerbread man costume!

I HATE being cold, so I bundled up a little! The clothes were obviously made for someone Wes's size, but they did the job... I stayed relatively warm, which made it worth all the teasing!!

The expert tree-hunters (Jordan & Wes)! These two would HUNT anything-- especially when it involves using chain-saws! Go ahead, pound on your chests, boys!!

Hey look, the boys actually brought back something to decorate! This pix was taken AFTER they got unstuck-- yay for tire-chains!!

Fun with BUGLES....

My 35th Birthday

2009-12-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

I "celebrated" my 35th birthday on December 4th... and for some reason, I was really dreading being 35!! I suddenly feel OLD! :( We didn't really have much planned-- maybe going over to Richfield for dinner, shopping and to see Santa. I cleaned house most of the day waiting for Wes to get off of work. Long story short, Wes wasn't able to get off in time to do anything, so we stayed home and I cooked dinner. But the worst of it came when I backed out of the driveway without checking for Katie's kitty who tends to hide in the engine of my car. You guessed it, the kitty is no more!! I cried as I broke the news to Katie (who, incidently, had lost her pet hermit crab the day before!) It was terrible... she just sobbed!! We went down to the farm and told Wes about it. He felt so bad about my lousy birthday, he surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a sack full of my favorite goodies (including Sobe drinks & chocolate covered cinnamon bears!) I cried again, but this time it was because I felt so blessed to have a sweet, loving, thoughtful husband!! Thanks, Wes!!!

Thanksgiving '09

2009-12-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving day at my Grandma & Grandpa Nowers' house. It brought back so many wonderful memories of holidays when I was a kid!! Kenny & Julie's family was able to be there, and it was great to catch up with them since our vacation!

The adult table

The kids' table

Me & my siblings: Courtney, Kevin & Kayden--

yeah, I'm the shortest!

Courtney & I

Katie feasting on the only thing she gets excited about eating... pickles and cheese!!

Kurtis tree-climbing. This is a luxury since we have no trees big enough to climb at our house!

I think Katie is trying to knock Kurtis out of the tree-- as Gavin learns how to take care of older siblings!!

Dad & Kayden stretching their bellies after the feast! (That's Wes behind the napkin!)

Thanksgiving #2!!

We got a second feast at Grandma & Grandpa Rees' (in Bicknell) the weekend after Thanksgiving! This is Katie eating pumpkin pie... again!!

After dinner, we all pitched in to get the lights on Grandpa & Grandma's house--- Don't fall, DeeAnn!

Grandpa Rees and Mackay trying to untangle the "ball" of lights.

Wes, Grandpa, Mackay & Lyn riggin up Grandpa's tree of lights!

Happy 6th Birthday, Katie!

2009-11-15T14:32:00.000-08:00

Nov 4, 2009
Happy 6th Birthday, pretty girl!!
She asked us to decorate her door so that she would be "trapped by decorations" when she woke up! We did this once to tease Kurtis and she didn't forget!! Too funny!

Opening presents :))

So exciting!

Just what she wanted

Grandma even came over for Katie's big day...

... and gave Katie her favorite gift, a pet kitty that purrs, drinks, cries and snores!

I let Katie pick any cake she wanted and this is the one she chose!! Her dad was very proud!

Make a wish!!

SpOoKy!

2009-11-11T05:06:00.000-08:00

Diggin' the guts out of the pumpkins

Eeeewww!!

The finished product

HaPpY HaLLoWeEn 2009!!

Katie's a scary "ghost pirate." (She's scary as a little girl too!!)

Our poor little vampire didn't feel too good... got the flu just in time for Halloween. Not much make-up was needed to give Kurtis pale skin and dark circles under his eyes! :(

Trick-or-Treating-- Swine Flu style

Dracula's snacks

The pirate's loot

Mom's goodies!!
Oh wait... I mean... ahhh... Here you go, sweetie, pick whatever you want!

CuTe KiDdOs

2009-11-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

October 25, 2009

Primary Program

When God made these two,

He was just showin' off!!

Cowboyin'

2009-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Beautiful shot of Fremont in the Fall

In mid-October, the boys gather all the cows off the mountain and trail 'em home. We then have a couple of weeks of sorting, preg-checking and selling the "open" heifers (ones without a baby in their bellies). It's a busy time, but it's fun when we make it a family affair! The kids and I run ahead of the herd and "plug the holes" so the cows don't turn up someone's driveway or down the wrong road.

Bringin' in the herd!! Yippee-aye-ay!

Wes's 35th Birthday

2009-11-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

October 9, 2009

Wes celebrated his 35th birthday!! WOW! Doesn't look too bad for an old man, does he?!?! He even got his favorite cake-- red velvet! His mom used to make it from scratch, but his wife thinks the local bakery does a fine job... and that way the smoke alarms don't go off in the house. Well, at least not BEFORE the candles are lit!!

Kurtis's 9th Birthday

2009-11-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

September 26, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

"SON-SHINE!"

(Kurtis earned the nickname "son-shine" because he's so genuinely happy all the time!) What a good kid! Hard to believe he's 9-years-old already!! Just couldn't ask for a better kid-- Luv ya, Kurt!!!

The biggest NERF gun ever!! At least he's still happy with NERF -- I'm sure it won't be long 'til he will want the "real deal."

Kurt & his motorcycle cake.

We went to my parents' cabin to celebrate
and feast of some of Grandpa's yummy
dutch oven chicken and taters!!
My brother, Kevin, and nephew, Jeff,
came up and we had a great time riding 4-wheelers, motorcycles, eating and relaxing!
Thanks for dinner, Mom & Dad!!

Jeff watches as Kurtis opens one of his "nine" gifts-- my mom started a birthday tradition where the kids get to pick one item from the dollar store for every year they are old. The kids love it and look forward to it every year!!

Kurtis kickin' up dust

Katie & I enjoying the view of Daniel's Canyon from the porch.

Wes & Katie loading the 4-wheeler. Darnnit... time to go home!

tOmAtOeS :(

2009-11-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

I LOVE fresh tomatoes from the garden, but everyone who knows Wes knows that he HATES tomatoes! I told him he had to set a good example to the kids and try one at dinner... all three of them groaned, griped, & gagged!! ...apparently tomato hatred is a dominant genetic trait!!

The Beach!!

2009-10-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

We've been married for 11 years and have never been on a real vacation.... until now.

And what a vacation it was!!!

We flew to North Carolina and spent a week in a beach house on Emerald Isle, part of the Crystal Coast (Southern Outer Banks). The scenery is breathtaking, the weather was perfect and the company was the BEST!! The trip included many new adventures -- it was Kurtis and Katie's first time on an airplane, first time on a beach and first time seeing the ocean.

We went with some of my family: my Grandma Nowers; my Uncle Kenny's family (Kenny, Julie, Nicole, Jessica & Gavin); my Aunt Aimee's family (Paul, Aimee, Wyatt, Mya, Jordyn & Austin); my sister Courtney & my cousin James. 18 of us in all!!

First time at the beach!!

The beach house we stayed in had 3 floors plus a loft, a game room, a theatre room, a swimming pool, a hot tub, a putting green and even an elevator!

Surf's UP!!

Wes impressed us all with his boogie-boarding prowess, although the farmer's tan is a dead give-away that he's a rookie surfer!

We took a ferry from Harker's Island to the Cape Lookout. Once we got through the mosquito-infested jungle, we ended up on a gorgous beach with a fabulous view of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. We arrived at lowtide and found some awesome seashells!! Lowtide also provided us with some spectacular tide pools filled with crabs, starfish and stingrays.

Ooohhh... it's easy to find time to hug when we see each other for more than 10 minutes at day!!

Go, Gidget, Go!! Katie had no problem adapting to her new environment.

Kurtis found a beautiful conch shell, which was... SURPRISE... inhabited!!

We wanted family pictures done on the beach, and luckily, brought along our own photographer... my sister! Courtney did a fabulous job!! And worked real cheap!!

The boys went deep-sea fishing and had a very successful day!

They caught 11 wahoo, 4 tunas and 1 barracuda!!

Kurtis tested his strength and endurance reeling in a tuna!!

Thems some big 'ol fish!!

Funnest photo shoot EVER!!

We spent one day at Hammock's Beach State Park, aka "Sand-Dollar Island." We scoured the beach for hours and found some of these amazing creatures --most of them even survived the trip home.

Island Girl!!

Last day at the beach..... :(

Soakin it up!!

Look at this gorgous scenery and yards of beach to ourselves!!

I think we could used to this...

I even got a henna tattoo!! The best part... NO needles!!

Kurtis... he always shows up the rest of us with his tan!!

Katie absolutely LOVED boogie boarding... she literally spent hours trying to catch the perfect wave!! We all started calling her "gidget." I had to drag her out of the ocean when it was time to go in for lunch! She cried and told me she wanted to move here because she couldn't live without the beach!!

We took the kids minature golfing our last night there.

Kurtis got TWO holes in one!!

He's a natural!

Strike a pose!

As the sun set on the perfect vacation,

we are vowing to not wait another 11 years 'til the next one!

Soccer

2009-10-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Katie warming up before the game.

It's not whether you win or lose, but how you look that counts...

They gave her this job because she refused to run up and down the field!!

Kurtis gets to be goalie.

First Day of School

2009-10-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it's here.... BACK TO SCHOOL time! Kurtis starts 3rd grade and is excited to learn times tables and cursive writing. But his favorite thing about school is getting to see his friends everyday and recess! Katie starts Kindergarten this year and wants to learn to read. She came home from the first day disappointed cuz they didn't learn to read a book that day! Wes and I secretly followed the bus to school and beamed as we watched Kurtis escort Katie over to her teacher!! He's such a good big brother!!

World's Fair

2009-10-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

Mid-August in Wayne County means only one thing... County Fair time! It's a week filled with rodeos, parades, a demolition derby and tons of festivities. Our favorite is the Small Fry Rodeo where the kids get to rope, race, ride sheep and chase critters around the arena. Last year Kurtis caught the greased pig. This year he took 2nd in the Dummy Ropin' for his age group... pretty impressive considering he didn't start practicing until the week of the rodeo! Katie talks a good game, but when it came time to ride a sheep-- she chickened out. She came close to catching the greased pig and, luckily, didn't bring home another kitten! Both Wes & I usually get roped into helping out, so it's a busy evening. Turning 100+ kids and all those animals loose in one arena is nothing short of chaos, but we love it!!