Senior pics...

My good friend Suzanne took Ashley's senior pictures on Thursday. She did an amazing job! She's definitely got a photographers eye! I got to watch Suzanne's two little boys while she and Ashley were out and I had so much fun with them. I learned from Erik that you can't just sing the alphabet, you have to sing it very loud! And I learned that Owen could live on Otter Pops. 

Thanks Suzanne!!

Hasn't my little girl turned into a beautiful young women! I love her so much!

senior happenings...

This last week has been full of senior year activities...

The weekend started with a great dinner at the Bishop's house for all the graduating seniors and their parents. It was so fun. Our Bishop's wife made a really cute video of the bishop talking about each of the kids and then the activities committee made a wonderful dinner! Thanks Janae and Jan!

Then Saturday was Senior Prom. Ashley had great time. The boys picked up the girls early Saturday morning and they went to breakfast and then had a swim party at Christian's house... then she came home and got her hair and makeup done. She looked beautiful. Eddy picked her up around 4:00 and then they went to Brandon's house for pictures.

It was tough tying the perfect bow.

A good-looking group!

After pictures they went to the North Las Vegas Airport and got to ride in Christian's Uncles airplane! Ashley said it was so cool. They flew around the city.

Ashley enjoying the ride!

The view!

After the plane ride they had dinner at Christians house... then they went back to Brandon's house and Sherwood and Lynette gave them some dance lessons. Then they went to the dance and had a good time there. After the dance they went to The Cheesecake Factory for dessert! It was a great night!

Monday night was the Senior Awards night at Bonanza. Ashley got a few awards and we are so proud of her. She has worked very hard for the last 12 years to get good grades! She was given a few awards.... Honors Diploma, High Honors Graduate, Honors Medallion Program (she got this cool medallion she gets to wear with her cap and gown) and she got the President's Award For Educational Achievement. She got a certificate that has President Obama's signature printed on it... we aren't sure where she got her smarts?? Not me, must be from John. Here are a few pictures and a video from the night... 

Ashley and Jennifer Ballard

Ashley and her English study buddy James.

One of her favorite teachers, Mrs. Barnish

Her good friend Alex and Ned in the back!

We are so proud of you Ashley!!! I can't believe my baby is graduating in a few weeks... time has flown by. It seems like yesterday that she was graduating from preschool!

watch this!

I love this video!!

Happy Mothers Day!!

Just wanted to say Happy Mothers Day to my mom! She is such a wonderful mom. I love her so much!!! My brother had to speak in church today and we had a fun time chatting yesterday about our mom! We love all the funny little things that she says and all the cute little songs that she sings. I often wonder how she kept sane with 9 kids.... She was so patient! I don't think she ever had time alone... she never went on girls night outs or away to women's conference or away with dad for a little break. I do remember her talking on the phone a lot, but that wasn't in private either. We didn't have cordless phones back then, it was right in the kitchen and we usually made fun of her laugh and her funny sayings while she was on the phone. Sorry Mom!! Mom helped me gain a love for the outdoors and I appreciate that so much. I know it wasn't easy to load us all in the van and take us to the mountains and the beach. Thanks for your patience MOM!!! I love you so much!!!

I love this picture of my mom... at Women's Conference we went to the Thursday night concert and people were holding up their cell phones while they were rocking out to this one group and my mom thought that was so cool so she did it too! It was so cute!!


I had a great mothers day today. I woke up to breakfast in bed! and some fun presents. Ashley had to speak in church and she did such a good job. All the graduating seniors spoke. It was really nice. After church John bbq'd some flank steak and chicken. It was delicious. Then we watched the movie Australia. I loved it! Then we made some fondue! yum!!!


This picture is to make my family jealous that I get to babysit Afton! Scott and Jenn stopped by for a visit and i talked them into leaving Afton with us while they went to Kohls. We had a nice little nap on the hammock! She is SO cute.


As i am writing this Tanner decided to read his pamphlet he got in the growth and development lesson they had at school this week... let's just say that he almost fainted and he cried when we explained circumcision. I won't embarrass him by writing anymore details of our family conversation tonight... I can't believe my baby is growing up so fast!!

Women' Conference

I can't believe it has taken me a week to write about Women's Conference...  I went up to Lehi on Wednesday the 30th. I drove all by myself. It was so peaceful!! I had a lot of time to think and listen to music that I liked and I listened to part of a book. My sister Julie came down from Seattle and we met up with my other sister Cindy and my parents. We went up to Midway on Wednesday night to have dinner at my brother Todd's house. Sharolyn made a yummy dinner and we had fun hanging with them and the kids. They are all so cute! I can't wait for their new baby in June!! 

Thursday morning we headed down to Provo for classes. We enjoyed the classes and really enjoyed being together! Women's Conference is so powerful. There are thousands of women there and they all wanted to be uplifted. Its a great experience. 

On Thursday night they have a huge service project night. They have stations set up all over the Smith Field House and the Richard's building. We helped make puppets for kids and we helped tie a quilt.

We stopped at the new President Hinckley Alumni building. It's beautiful. I loved this picture of President and Sister Hinckley! In this picture I was reading the cutest story about this chair...  Sister Hinckley's mom embroidered the top of the chair and before Sister Hinckley passed away it was donated to a department at BYU in her name. Then when President Hinckley was speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for this new building he said "She has, on this campus, a chair which carries her name and now I have a building," President Hinckley said. "Maybe we could move her chair into my building and we'd be together again." it was so cute!! Can't you hear his voice saying that!

Friday we went to more great classes. I loved Sister Beck's talk on strengthening the family. you will have to watch for it on BYU-TV. At the closing session we got to hear from Elder Perry. He was great. He spoke on missionary work. 

On Saturday morning we all headed to Vegas because Scott was blessing baby Afton on Sunday. ( I will post pictures of that tomorrow)  So, Cindy and Julie and Spencer drove in Cindy's van and my parents drove with me. Just outside of Nephi Cindy got a flat tire and it was POURING down rain!!! By the time we got turned around and back to their car, Cindy had gotten started. I was impressed. Not sure I know how to get my spare tire from under my car?? A nice man stopped to help and he had a huge umbrella! It was yucky weather all the way passed Cedar City. We stopped in Filmore and got a new tire. It made for an exciting ride home. 

Volleyball torunament

I had a great time at BYU's Women's Conference and I will post more about that soon... I rushed home from Provo on Saturday for Mitchell's volleyball tournament. I missed the first 3 games and it seems that I must be good luck, because they lost 2 of those games. So they got put in the silver bracket... but once I arrived they won all of their games!! They ended up taking first place in the Silver Bracket. They beat Palo for the championship game!! Good job Bonanza!!!

Mitchell is really enjoying volleyball... I am wishing that we had signed up for volleyball camp this summer... I will have to see if it's not too late. I am sad that they only have 2 games left this week. The season went so fast! They have only lost one conference game! (I missed that game too... see, I must be good luck!)

We had a great cheering section, my parents and sisters were down for baby Afton's blessing on Sunday...

I think Afton really enjoyed the game!!

Good job guys!!!