Musettes

Musettes is the all girl choir at Jerika's school that you have to try out for.  She tried out last summer when she decided to transer to a different school.  She has 3 concerts a year and this was her last one, so I decided I should take pictures.  Maybe next year I will move closer and take better pictures, but these are pretty good considering I was sitting on the upper level of the auditorium.

She is on the left side toward second row down, and just now noticed she is surrounded by red heads (which you can see better in the pictures below).

I think she ejoys singing and I think she likes Mussettes.  I don't know that she loves it, which is what I really wished for her.  She has been singing in some sort of choir since she was 4 and has been taking voice lessons since she was in 7th grade.  There are many a day when she tells me she wishes she would have played sports, but every time I tried to get her to do anything sporty she complained the whole time.  So, me being the wonderful mother that I am, remind her of that, just in case she forgets that I really did try with her.  The only thing she wanted to do then was sing and perform and be in plays and such and now I am lucky to get her to voice lessons some days.  Silly kid.  She is really amazing and I guess she just does realize her potential.

 

She is on the top row in this picture, third person in (just in case you can't see her).  I am really lucky to be her mom, I couldn't ask for a better teenager.  She is such a good kid!!

Mother's Day

This year we celebrated mothers day at my house.  We had my mom, Ray's mom and Brian's mom (KaReena's mother in law) over for dinner that night.  It was so much fun having everyone here.  Blake got to talk to Brycen and Adrian, since it was mother's day and then they came later too.

It is so hard for me to let others take pictures and one of these days I will have my family trained.  Especially because in this picture there is more of the blinds than people.  I realize it is the thought that counts and I am really glad we did get a picture of all of us, but I guess I have to complain about something.  The other bad thing is that I didn't get any pictures of me and my girls for mothers day.  I told my family most of the day that if I had to fix dinner for our moms my family had to celebrate mothers day for me the next Sunday.  So, I was going to take pictures that day and I didn't get it done.

Mom & KaReena

Nakia & Mom

Mom & I

I really am so thankful that we all live so close and that we get to spend so much time together.

More Volleyball - Home Game

I tried to mix it up a little with my pictures, but evidently I need some more practice.  Kinlee did amazing at her volleyball games this year.  She is a mean server and I would venture to say she made more serves over the net this season than anyone else on her team.  The best part about it, is that she LOVES volleyball.  Guess what that means for me?  I get to go to games and watch one of my children play.  I love games, but my kids really haven't loved sports, especially Jerika (even though she regrets it now.)  That being said, it did make for some really long Saturdays, but we had fun and it was good family time spent together.  Good job Kinlee!!

Sunburn

There is something really funny about sunburns. Not funny ha ha, because they really do hurt, but funny what people say to you when you have a sunburn. We went up in the mountains on Saturday (I will post pictures later) and yes I got sunburned. I really didn’t even realize I was sunburned until Saturday night when I went to bed. I had gone to Nakia’s for Kaden’s birthday party and nobody really noticed there either. But, I did post on facebook that night that I got a sunburn and that it was a weird burn. So, at church on Sunday one lady came up to me and said, “it looks like you were as stupid as me yesterday” and proceeded to show me her sunburn. Then I was sitting in the front of the room in primary talking to the chorister and one of the other teachers walked in and pointed to me and mouthed the word owww. Then the chorister said oh you are sunburned. It is just funny to me how people are so sympathetic about something that you totally caused yourself. No, I didn’t wear sunscreen, and I don’t even think we own any right now. Anyway, someone else later on said “wow you are sunburned”. By this time if I didn’t know because of the pain that I was burned, I was certain there was a burn because people were commenting on it. We went to dinner at dads for father’s day and I got several comments there as well. Nakia even said “I didn’t even notice last night that you were burnt. I don’t know why this whole sunburn talk struck me so funny, but at about midnight last night I got thinking how funny it really was. As I was thinking about it, I was contemplating sending out an email at work first thing this morning telling everyone I knew I was sunburned and no I didn’t wear sunscreen. Then I thought, no I am going to wait and see what kind of responses I get. It was really funny today too. Clarence asked me how I got a sunburn, since I never go outside. Becky, looked at me and said “oh my gosh you are sunburned”. Tami, who is one of my friends on facebook said, “ you did get a weird sunburn”. And Vicky did not fail me at all, because I knew she would most likely be the one with the least sympathy and I was right. She looked at me and said “wow you ARE burned, what is wrong with you don’t you use sunscreen, do you want cancer”. There were a few other comments also, but I am still laughing about how people feel so sorry for you.  Yes, even though I was really stupid and didn’t take the necessary precautions to keep myself from getting fried. The last comment of the day came when I took Kinlee to the doctor today for a checkup. I love our doctor (PA), he calls me mom. He walks into the room and he said "wow, looks like mom got some sun".  Thanks everyone for your concern, but this too shall pass!!  I like to think of it as the base to the fabulous tan I am going to have this year.

Brayli's Baptism pictures

Here are just a few pictures that we took of Brayli in her baptism dress.  I was so sick this day and feel like I could have done better, but she is so cute and was so much fun, she was such a good sport!!  There were a few instaced where there was a bee or two and she FREAKED out.  She really hates bees.  But, its was fun to spend time with just Brayli and Nakia.

Kinlee's 1st Volleyball Game

Kinlee wanted to do volleyball again this year, so we let her and she loved it even more than last year.  This really wasn't her first game, but the first game I went to, which was her second game.  I was out of town scrapbooking on the day of her first game.  But, there were several more for me to see.  So, there will be a few more volleyball posts to come.  She does such a good job and she is an amazing server. 

These are mostly pictures of them warming up before the game.  The coaches babysitter couldn't watch her 3 cute little girls, so Ray and I ended up entertaining them for most of the 3 hours we were there.  But, we had fun and the girls did a really good job.  I think they won 2 of the 3 sets that they played.

This is Kinlee serving, look at that form.

Jerika's 1st Dance

I can't believe my little Jerika is old enough to date!!!  I know such is life and they grow up, but I just don't feel that I am old enough to have a teenager, let alone one that can date.  Anyway, this is Ryker with her.  They have been "friends" for about a month and he has spent some time at our house, which I love.  Our house seems to be one of the places they all congregate and I wouldn't change that for anything.  Anyway, they started their date by getting the matching shirts, then going to the mall for a scavenger hunt.  That night they had dinner at M'lynn's house and that is where we took these pictures.  Jerika's friend M'lynn went with Ryker's friend Josh.

Aren't they all so cute?  We got to spend part of the day with them too.  They met us after Kinlee's game in Idaho Falls and we all had ice cream.  I don't think I really did the best I could on these pictures.  It was such a long weekend and I was starting to get sick.  But, the super sad part of the whole thing is Jerika got sick at the end of the night too and I don't even think they really made it to the dance for very long.  Poor girl.