Spring Fest Activities

Our Parade entry that won FIRST PLACE!! Our parade coordinators Chuck and Ginger actually mounted/welded some bars on top of a trailor!! The whole set-up was lit because the parade happens at night. It was by far the best float we've ever had!! We were the "Grand Marshalls" and got to be the first ones....the girls tumbled along the side, with our princess characters walking with them, the coaches helped girls tumble on the trailor and swing on the bars. The crowd loved it, especially our little 3 year olds that would skip along side then show off their donkey kicks! This was a great ending to our "Stick It For the Cause" theme this year. We raised over $500 for the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation through our Fun Meets this year.

A few of our team members and parents who participated in the 5K fun run the morning of Spring Fest. We had a few top finishers! The others we need to teach the how to "pace" themselves. It was RUN full speed, then walk, RUN full speed then walk. I was getting a little dizzy!!

If you can tell, Alizah LOVED the bars on the float. She was a "tiny"( hear the exaggeration) upset at Aunt Kiki who was supposed to bring her her smelly Sketcher shoes, and forgot them. When she wants something she won't let it go. Through the two hour wait and three hour parade, she kept asking for the sketchers (all the other girls had tennis shoes and she had INSISTED she wear her pink diamond sandals). Korbi had parked near the end of the parade and ran and got the shoes that she had left in the car. Alizah had them on her feet just as the last spectator saw our float!!

Coach Amy swinging Alizah on the bars. I didn't get any more of Hanna and Piper except in a few group shots. We were so busy during the parade. It was a fun, but busy weekend, but I think the kids will remember the cheers for them for a long time! Thanks to all the parents who made that possible!


SO this am I'm up bright and early. Brandon informed me last night that if I am going to get up and work out (we've started an adult fitness class at our gym at 6 in the morning) then, I could get up and clean the house and finish my work then. So I'm blogging, does that count???? I did at least throw in a load of laundry and do the dishes....So I'm finished, so off I go to pick up the swimming stuff that hasn't made it past the front door. The kids have already been to the Aquatic Center three times and are going again tonight. We love that place!!

First Canoe Ride of the Season

Last week there was a huge flock of ducks right at the edge of the creek. Alizah's friend Auna was over so we took a loaf of bread to go feed them. We got in the canoe and tried to get closer, but the dogs wanted to go with us and scared the ducks further down the creek. It's the start of a fun summer season and we all can't wait! We're headed to the aquatic center today if we get all of our work done. ALizah last night was begging to go to bed. I asked why. She said, "Cuz I'm so excited for the Aquatic Center tomorrow." She's got it figured out that the faster she goes to sleep, the faster she gets to go swimming. Funny, but she's not up yet this morning! Brandon has already left to go golfing. It's a beautiful day here in Moses Lake we are going to have a fun day off!

School Pictures

We always get great pictures from my friend Jenn. She comes to AIM to do our school pictures, so I make her do my kids too. Hanna is always upset because I don't let her get her regular school pictures and I take her out of her school (shh) to come get my school pics. Well, it's all for memories sake! The kids are just growing up too fast. A funny story about these pics is that I was curling everyone's hair and Alizah just stood there and silently took the "torture". After I was done she ran away without saying a word and came back with soaking wet combed STRAIGHT hair. She has her own little way of dealing with things, she'll just take care of it herself!
It is Spring Fest in Moses Lake and we have had a busy weekend. Thursday we took the kids to the carnival, Friday was the lip sync at the amphitheatre, Saturday morning-the gymnastic team in the 5K, and tonight is the moonlight parade. Good thing Monday is a day off! I'll hopefully get pictures of everything and post more this weekend...

Hanna's Baptism Weekend

So many people attended Hanna's Baptism this weekend. She is well-loved and supported. I guess coming from a big supportive family, I can't imagine anything different. We are very lucky to have a family that wants to share these special days with us. For Hanna's sake (since this our journal and scrapbook all in one) I'll list the people so she'll remember. Grandma & Papa Nelson, Megan & Cade, Dusty, Joycelyn & Fallon, Great Grandma Bowen, Maimi Dawn, Papa Goose, Kalan, & Justin, Britni, Colllin, Bridger, Branson & Broxton, Korbi, Steve, Beck & Paisley, Jakobi, Chad, Jax, & Lizzi, Bishop & Sister Redford (primary teacher), Ginger, Chuck, Taya (friend) & Chase, Amy, Chad, Kylie (friend), Heuser kids , Melanie, Milo, Kathryn (friend), Bushman brothers, Sister Rigby (Primary president), Sister Leavitt (primary presidency) & Callan (friend), Lindsay Ries (babysitter). WOW, I hope I got everybody....We are again very blessed to have this many supportive people in our lives! After Hanna got baptized, she told me, "This is the best day of my life." She thought the water was a little chilly and was freezing afterward. I thought she was the most beautifull one getting baptized this weekend. She had her updo from Melanie, so her hair even looked pretty after she was all wet. Her dress was gorgeous too. It came from her Nelson grandparents. She got "What I always wanted!"-her maroon triple set of scriptures from Beck grandparents and many cards, necklaces, and bracelts, books, and scriptures holders from other friends and family. We had a dinner at the gym afterward and now everyone is gone! Whirlwind weekend, but so nice to see everyone. I hope to have pics to post from our fun meet on Saturday. I have to hunt them down cuz I left my memory card at home!

Hanna State Level Four Weekend

Hanna at the Pacific Science Center.

Her favorite visit-The Space Needle!

Toothless Hanna and Coach Mom

Hanna and some teammates from AIM

More teammates

It was a big weekend clear back at the end of April that I'm blogging about today. Hanna made it to State for Level Four. She had had a rough Sectionals meet with a few falls, so barely slide by, but still got to go. State was a huge deal with so many teams. She did her best ever on Bars (8.9) and Vault (9.4) and did fairly good on the other two. She had a fun weekend with her friends at the motel swimming and eating out. The next day I had to coach other sessions so she went with dad to visit the seattle sights. The two younger girls were in Idaho at this point, with Hanna being extremely jealous about this fact, so she got to do the big things in Seattle to make up for it. Her favorite was the space needle. She has wanted to go for so long and talks about it non-stop. She also got to go to lots of fun places to eat and a little shopping. It was a great family weekend, but we really missed the two little ones.

So this morning, I'm enjoying a lttle calm before the storm. I'm blogging when I should be cleaning, cooking, preparing etc. But I'm in for a big weekend and I hope we all survive. Family starts arriving today for Hanna's baptism. We also have to set up for the fun meet that is tomorrow and cook for the baptism dinner. I should have tons more pictures after this weekend! We also have new tile in our house and a new toilet! When the toilet was outside for the tile to be done, the wind knocked it over and it shattered....it's been a week to say the least. So Korbi is pulling in for me to babysit her kids while she goes to a doctor appointment in Spokane, so here goes the weekend. We are off and running. Pray for us:)

Busy Idaho weekend!

Our Idaho trip included a stay at Aunt Jake's house with lots of holding,
bouncing, and rocking baby Lizzi! At Uncle Kalan's thesis presentation, Great Grandpa Beck posed for a few pics with the kids. I can't believe he made the trip! He looks great (hard to believe near 100). I think the wheelchair is a trick. Any minute he might be jumping out and grabbing a kids' ear at the way some of them were behaving:)

We were lucky to see Grandma Mimi and Cousin Sommers too! So much family in such a short time. My two uncles came along with Sommers husband and little boy.

I'm not sure how many of us really understood Uncle Bubba's presentation. The one thing we understood was that he's some sort of architechure genius and smarter than the rest of us combined! Congrats Master's Degree Kalan....You made it!! Proud of you and in some sort of sick way (in your mind) we hope you end up in Seattle.....:) We miss you!

All the cousins had such a great time at a "get your energy out before the two hour thesis presentation" stop! They ran, jumped, climbed, and screamed. A little gym away from home. Thanks aunt Jake for the great idea! The sisters and Maimi got to catch up a little while the kids played. Not too much though, it's seems like forever since we've been together.
School needs to be out soon!

It's raining, it's pouring!

I have so many of our past events to post, but today I chose a picture of Alizah during one of her moments of sheer joy to post in hopes of reminding myself that you don't need an event to create memories! It was pouring rain and Alizah wanted to play outside, so she grabbed her raincoat, boots and ran outside. When I saw her standing underneath the edge of the house letting a sheet of rain pour onto her head, I knew this would become one of my favorite memories of her. She would look up and giggle as the rain poured off her nose. We only had one raincoat, so Piper was waiting impatiently at the door for her turn or the moment would have lasted longer. So next time I'm at the store, we're buying everyone raincoats and boots and that will be my goal to stop what we are doing when it starts to rain and go outside to play!

Hanna's Baptism

Anyone reading this is invited to Hanna's Baptism on Saturday May 16th at 6:00 at the Stake Center. So there it is.....the baptism announcement. Poor Hanna...Aunt Kiki and mom had great plans to make cutesy invites, but life has gotten in the way and a blog invite will have to do. We would love the support if you would like to come. We will be doing a dinner after the baptism at the gym with some yummy food, just don't have that part planned yet. We know Hanna will look pretty though cuz we've already tried the dress on, dressed up and did a few pics! She is super excited and has waited for a month already to do this. We look forward to the family who is traveling from Idaho and can't wait for the fun weekend.



If you know me, I'm frantically trying to make everything go my way to prepare, but so far, we're behind in preparations but I'm sure we'll pull it off somehow. We've been visited this week by little furry creatures, so now my entire house has been bleached. We love the spring and living in the country..... We saw our first snake of the season too, at least they are coming out to eat the mice! I have been so bad at the blogging, but just spent the evening organizing pictures, so hopefully I can catch you up on the last two months!