Calls in Colorado

Call Family 2011

2011-12-27T10:19:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and here's to a great new year!

Tebowism

2011-12-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

We have found a new hobby that we all love! It's watching the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow. It's brought us closer together as a family and a team to cheer for. Thanks Tim!

My Baby Turned One

2011-12-07T12:49:00.001-08:00

Ryder turned one while we were celebrating Thanksgiving in Vegas with all of the Calls. We love this little guy so much and we are so happy that he came to join our family. Thanks to my sister-in-law Kelsey ( of Kelsey Call Photography) for snapping a few shot of Ryder for me.

It doesn't get any better than this!

2011-11-15T08:37:00.001-08:00

Tanner was shooting off a rocket in the bathroom and Ryder loved it! I just love my kids!

The Party

2011-11-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

One month ago my mom turned 60! The sisters that live here in Colorado planned a party for her. My mom and dad flew out for the weekend. The weather did not cooperate but we had a great time. The party was on Saturday night followed by a sleep over. It was fun to have everyone spend the night and be together in the morning too.

The decorations were 50's style since she was born in 1951.

The adults enjoying some ambiance while eating in a room separate from the kids. We had a Cafe Rio style meal. It turned out delicious. And we even had enough leftovers for the next day.

Kids awaiting for the party to start!

Carin was in charge of the games. It was so much fun. One game was family feud. And of course it was boys vs. girls. This is Haylie and Cade trying to hit the buzzer first. The questions were all about mom and we had answered the questions a few weeks before. It was fun to hear what everyone thought about mom.

Time for presents! All of the kids crowded around to watch her open the gifts. It was just like at a little kids party when everyone wants to see what the birthday person is opening up.

We made my mom a Shutterfly book. The book was "The 60 things we know and love about mom!"

Happy 60th birthday mom. We love you!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

Last month Matt's parents came for a visit. We had so much fun with them here. On Saturday afternoon we went to a local pumpkin patch. It was the best pumpkin patch I've ever been to. There were so many different activities. We had fun going through a corn maze. This was something I had never done before. Everyone got to pick out their own pumpkin. Haylie wasn't with us because she was busy getting ready for the Homecoming dance.

Homecoming

2011-11-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little behind with my blogging so I'm hoping to catch up.

Haylie wanted to go to Homecoming with some of her friends from church. I knew it was going to be hard to find something modest. I thought Haylie looked beautiful and I am so grateful that she knows who she is and that she had enough confidence to be beautiful and modest.

First snow

2011-10-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

The kids couldn't sleep last night. They were so excited for the first snowfall. They were dressed and doing snow angels by 6:15 am. It was still totally dark outside. It was the funnest thing I've ever seen. After school the boys went sledding and they had a blast. There was at least a foot of snow that fell today. All of the trees still have their leaves on them and so the trees really suffered. They were completely sagging down to the ground. Tonight Weston said that it was the coldest and funnest day of his life.

Worst nightmare

2011-10-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

So I never thought I would ever have to write about something as horrible as this. I'm mostly writing all of this down so that I don't forget the details of this day. All of the pictures were taken from my phone.

Wednesday morning, September 28th started off normal. I got Haylie off to school for 6 am seminary. Matt left earlier than normal for work. He was gone around 6:45. The boys were up early too. We are reading Harry Potter right now so I read to them around 7:30 am while they were eating breakfast. We read our scriptures and said family prayers. I took Cade to school. I got home around 8:05. Weston and Tanner love to play outside before school starts and the weather has been so awesome lately that they ride their scooters or bikes around before leaving for school. I got home from taking Cade and Tanner was not home. This is not unusual. He often goes to the park which is across the street to ride around or catch bugs. I started picking up the house and doing the dishes. Ryder was with me in the kitchen. Weston said, "I'm going to go find Tanner." Looking back now I have to think this was a prompting that he listened to.

Minutes later he came running through the door out of breath yelling that Tanner had been hit by a car.
I asked him where he was. The park he said. I told him as I ran out the door that he had to watch Ryder and that he could put him in the stroller and find us. I ran as fast as I could. I rounded the corner and I couldn't believe what I saw. A firetruck, ambulance, police man, all sorts of neighbors, cars parked everywhere, and my little Tanner in the middle of it all being huddled over.

"Are you mom?" This was the first question I was asked. I was grabbed by the arm by the paramedic and given the report. I was asked his name and birth date. I was so happy to see him screaming and being difficult for the people. This is what made me know he was going to be alright. He was being very vocal that he did not want the neck brace put on him. They told me to try and see if I could calm him down. He was in shock his poor little body was shaking. He has to go to the hospital to be checked out is what the paramedic told me. I wasn't allowed in the ambulance. They whisked him away pretty quickly. Someone on the scene called Matt for me. Weston turned the corner with Ryder in the stroller. Weston had some very teary eyes. The neighbor that I sent to check on the baby was with them. I found out later that the first people on the scene were a nurse who teaches CPR and first aid, and then a doctor. Really?!? The miracles keep adding up.

I finally look around. There is the car that hit Tanner in the middle of the street. It has cracks all through it's windshield. Dents on the side of the car near the headlight and a broken headlight. Wow is all I thought. The police man approached me and told me that the car had been going 20 mph and saw Tanner at the last second and realized that Tanner wasn't going to stop and hit his brakes. It was Tanners "fault" because he had not stopped at the stop sign.

Matt gets home. He is wheeling the bike and Tanner's helmet. He was wearing a helmet!!! What a blessing. I show the neighbor where the baby's things are. The principal walks Weston to school. I call my friend Shannon from church to come take care of Ryder. Matt and I drive to the hospital together. We get there and they escort us through some back door. Tanner has all sorts of nurses, and doctors surrounding him. They are doing an ultrasound to check for internal injuries. It all looks fine they say. An IV had been started in the ambulance and they begin to give him pain medicine. This really helps calm him down. He hates the neck brace and the Mickey mouse stuffed animal that they gave him. Next is X-rays. The doctor says there is a good chance that his right femur is broken. That is the leg with all of the injuries to it. All X-rays come back perfect. No broken bones. The cat scan is next. Also perfect, no damage to the brain or bleeding. The only explanation is a miracle! It is finally quiet for a minute. We are alone with Tanner and Matt is able to give him a priesthood blessing.

His Phineas and Ferb shirt and the shorts he was wearing were cut off of him by the ambulance medics. He was very concerned about his shorts and asked me if we could go shopping to buy some new ones. I'd have to say that I think Phineas and Ferb have seen better days.

I talked to all of the kids on the phone while they were at school. Tanner's principle had contacted their principals and they were taken out of class and they each called me. That was some of the hardest things I did that day. Each of their voices were very shaky. It was hard to reassure them over the phone. I told them they could pray. I hated those phone calls. It still makes me sick thinking about it.

All of the siblings came after school to visit Tanner. They thought he was lucky because he was getting "free" food. Matt and I just looked at each other and laughed. I thought this was the cutest picture of him and Ryder. Tanner had so many visitors in the hospital. His football coaches and teammates, friends from church, the principal, and his siblings. He received letters and paper airplanes from his classmates. Tanner and I stayed in the hospital overnight just so the doctors could observe him because he does have a concussion.

We came home from the hospital the next day at 10 am. When Weston came home from school that day he had all sorts of trinkets from Tanner's classmates. Some pieces of Euro in tupperware, a sweatband, more cards and this most adorable homemade teddy bear. Tanner loves the bear. And I can't believe someone I've never met would take the time to make it. Isn't the world filled with wonderful people? This is a picture of what Tanner looks like today with his new teddy bear. 3 days later. Just a black eye. He is still limping some but he is acting like his normal self. We are so grateful. There were so many miracles that day. I am grateful that the Lord protected Tanner. I know miracles are real. We love you Tanner.

Fall

2011-09-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

I can feel it! Fall is in the air. The mornings are crisp and the leaves are changing. This is my front door. I'm loving all of the the flowers and their bright colors. I think this is going to be my favorite season in Colorado.

Steamboat Springs

2011-09-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

We spent a week of July in Steamboat Springs Colorado. This was a super fun week and we loved discovering this fun city. This was the whole family except for Tim's family who is in London.
I seriously could move to Steamboat.

Matt and Sara on the Alpine slide.

Sara, Sawyer, and Lilly on the way to check out the down hill ski slope.

Tanner on the fake horse outside a shop. We all went horseback riding later in the week but he ended up getting off his horse because he was too scared. You can't blame him, he has been a city kid all of his life.

All of the grandkids bought this cute cowboy hats. They wore them later on in the week to the rodeo.

I had the best steak at this restaurant but I also wanted to show the beautiful hanging flower baskets that were all over Steamboat. They really were so beautiful.
It was such a fun week.
If you ever get a chance to go to Steamboat you have to go!

Ten Years Later

2011-09-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Where were you?

What was your story that day?

It would be impossible to forget.

It's permanently scarred in your brain.

What a terrible day that was.

The loss of loved ones.

The stories to be told.

I am grateful for heroes.

The everyday person who became a hero.

What I do know is that our Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us.

Really bad things do happen to good people.

But that is because we were given the gift of free agency.

Evil people use their free agency differently than we do.

I know we chose to come to the Earth to gain these experiences.

We chose to follow our Savior and we accepted the plan.

I am grateful to know that I am a Child of God.

I am also grateful and proud to be an American.

God Bless the USA.

Thunder and Lightning

2011-09-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

There is some crazy weather in Colorado.

Storms just seem to come out of no where.

Last week I was at Haylie's cross country meet. She was lined up ready to start the race.

It started to sprinkle and lightning. They postponed the race and sent the athletes to their buses. But this left the parents and siblings in the rain. We found shelter under a pavilion.

Then there was a sudden noise. It was unlike anything I've ever heard.

Lightning struck that tree in the picture. I was sitting exactly where I took this picture from my phone. Probably about 20 feet away. I didn't see the flash of light. I only heard the sound. It was deafening and powerful.

My head was ringing for the rest of the night.

A man was standing under the tree.

He was knocked down.

The police came so I don't know what his final outcome was.

The police cleared the area and told us to get our cars for safety.

The tree was smoking and spliced.

Mother nature really is powerful!

Milk Man

2011-09-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Now that we've moved to the country...

I've decided to fully embrace it and have the local dairy be our milk man.

We get fresh milk (milk from the cow 36 hours or less) delivered to our doorstep.

I don't drink milk but everyone else does and they say it is delicious.

The fun part is that it is packaged in old fashioned glass bottles.

I like that the milk is healthier for my family than the stuff I was buying from the grocery store.

Spider Bite?

2011-09-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Something bit me about 3 weeks ago. Ouch! I don't know what it was but this is what it still looks like today. It has felt like a sprained ankle and very tender.

This is what is looked like about 6 days after I was bit. My whole ankle was swollen. I hate spiders and bugs but now I think I hate them even more.

The Beach

2011-09-02T10:38:00.001-07:00

Most of the time we spend at Newport is spent on the sand. This was Ryder's first experience in the sand and the water and he loved it.

Tanner is usually the first one out in the morning and he will stay all day.

Cade is usually looking for some sport to play and baseball is always a favorite.

There were a few days this year that it was way too crowded on the beach to play baseball so we had to fit it in when we could.

Grandma and Ryder watching the game.

Matt safe at 1st.

Please don't peg me! Cade can throw it hard now. Ouch!

The best games are always boys vs. girls. Of course the girls win every year :)

Weston will stay in the water all day. He's a fish.

The evenings are spent in the plaza hanging out and watching the sun set.

What a priceless picture of Grandpa & Ryder (and Kyle).

The last night was cousins night at Balboa. No adults allowed, unless you count me and Matt who were a decade older than any other cousin. Talk about getting old.

We closed down the arcade with a game of Deal or No Deal. Go Rob. I think he won a lot of tickets. It was so funny.

This year will be known as the year Wayne guaranteed perfect weather. And he came through. It was perfect every day.

911 Emergency!

2011-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

How come there is always something exciting happening when you have kids? I'll tell you there is never a dull moment. Yesterday Cade had to be picked up 15 minutes early from school because he is on the school football team and they had an away game. So there I was with Ryder signing him out of school. It was a super hot day 97 degrees. We walked up to the car and I opened the back hatch so that Cade could get out his football clothes because he was going to change in the car. I started putting Ryder in his car seat and I was feeding him his bottle as we were waiting for Cade. I put my car keys on the front driver's seat and Cade opened his front passengers door. Then he said out loud, " I don't want to change in the front seat." As he was saying this and closing his door I was also closing Ryder's door. I heard the doors lock as they closed. What!!! Cade must have accidentally hit the lock button as he was closing the front door. I frantically go around trying to open each door but no luck. Remember my keys are on the front seat and now Ryder is locked in a boiling hot car. My first reaction was to break the window. But then I told myself to stop and think. I tried calling Matt but the call didn't go through. The service on my phone wasn't good in that spot. I left Cade standing next to Ryder's window. I ran into the school and asked them to dial 911 because my baby was locked in the car. The desk lady did and then I ran back outside. I tried calling Matt again and this time it worked. Thank goodness. I told him he needed to run home and get the spare car key and meet me at the school because I had locked the baby in the car. I always wondered what he must think when I call him with these crazy stories. Suddenly we had two school administrators at our car with us. They were really nice. Still no police or emergency people. I didn't know how long Ryder would last. Luckily he wasn't crying at all and he had his bottle. But still imagine how stuffy and hot the car felt. He just sat in his car seat looking at us. I would say after 10 + minutes the police finally arrived and it was just when Matt drove by on his way home. The police tried to open the door with some tool with no success. Then about 4 minutes later Matt pulled up and saved the day. My poor baby. I few more minutes and we would have had to break the window. Cade and I were both a little frazzled but a bad situation turned out OK.

Beach House Year #17 - Sunday

2011-09-01T08:36:00.001-07:00

One of the best weeks of every year has to be the week we spend in Newport Beach. It is the Hart family tradition and this was our 17th year. We are all lucky to have Grandma is our lives and since she and Grandpa started this whole family I thought I would give a shout out to her. I've often thought that if everyone in the world had a Grandma like her the world would be a better place. People would be kinder and think more of others. They wouldn't judge others-just like Grandma has taught us.

Ryder's first year at the beach house!

Sundays have become one of my favorite days at the beach. After church we eat a family dinner and then it seems like the tradition is to go to the park at Newport Elementary. A school and park right on the ocean! What could be better?

I love these next two pictures. The first one the brother-in-laws are relaxed and spread apart. Enjoying some peace and quiet.

And now they have some company.

We usually play a game of baseball or duck, duck, goose.

I think the kids were waiting and begging for the game to begin.

It is so much fun to spend time with our families. Now Sara and Mike live far away :(

We will miss seeing them as often.

I'm already dreaming about next year. How about you?

Back to Cali

2011-08-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

Now that school is back in I feel like I have some time to catch up on what we did this summer. We had the best summer! We were able to see so much family and visit a lot of great places.

Haylie turned 14 while we were in California. We spent the day at the Santa Monica Pier and ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp. Haylie is such a great young girl, really just the perfect daughter.

We had so much fun seeing our cousins, even though we live by them now. But it was fun to hang out with them in the early morning hours. We had fun seeing our "old" friends and catching up with them. We miss our California buddies.

Oh how we love California. We were able to go back for a visit in June/July. It was strange to be a visitor instead of living there. Everything felt so comfortable, normal, easy, and familiar. More on the beach house in another post.

Ryder at 9 months

2011-08-31T09:17:00.001-07:00

Ok so I know people always say that time goes by so quickly but really the past nine months have flown by.My favorite part of any day is watching my big kids interact with Ryder. All of the kids call him "baby" and it is just so cute.
He literally lights up when the kids come home from school. Sometimes is just goes crazy with excitement.
We often have to tell Tanner to stop tickling him.
I've also enjoyed that Ryder has not reached any milestones too quickly. I think he enjoys being the baby. He still has no teeth. And he is barely starting to figure out the crawling thing. I'd love to keep him young forever.
I love this serious face.
This guy spend a lot of his day in the car. Only appropriate that he is driving one.
When I think about how much our lives have changed in the past nine months all I can do is smile. A new baby, a new house, a new state, a new life.
One of the Young Women at church took all of these pictures. What a talented young lady.

So big

2011-05-10T16:06:00.001-07:00

I just want to freeze time...I can't get enough of this sweet little boy. His squishy thighs and his warm cheeks.
I just love being a mom...again.
What greater joy are we given than being with our families? I've been so blessed.

Easter

2011-05-02T12:47:00.001-07:00

The kids on Easter morning

Coloring Easter eggs

The cupcakes that we made from a kit that Aunt Susan sent.

I think these two look a lot alike-what do you think?Haylie and Cade joined the track team. They both have done a great job. This is a picture of both of them running the mile and they are way faster than me!

We've moved

2011-03-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ryder turned 4 months old yesterday. Not a great picture because it was taken from my phone. The kids love sticking him in his Bumbo. I was thinking about how different our lives were one year ago....

We have left the sand and the sun and we have changed it for the mountains of Colorado. We moved about 10 days ago. What an adventure we've been on. It's been busy and tiring but also we feel very blessed. We have had many miracles along the way and we are grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Tanner's Big Day

2011-02-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

Tanner is turning 7 today!

Here are a few tidbits about Tanner...

No matter what, he wakes up before 6 am each and everyday.

He doesn't like anyone to see him in his pj's- so he gets dressed before 6am everyday.

He has perfect handwriting.

He is a math whiz.

He made a 3 point shot in a basketball game this year.

He loves finding trouble and pushing the limits.

He loves his baby Ryder.

He hates cereal.

If it is after 8 pm he will fall asleep anywhere and it's impossible to wake him up.

He hates being trapped indoors and loves playing outside.

He keeps up very busy. He has taught us so much. We love you Tanner.

2011-02-20T22:21:00.000-08:00

I'm so grateful for the wonderful three months I've had with this cute face.

I love these kids

2011-02-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

I love my family. I love these kids. I love being a mom. I love being married to Matt. I have been blessed with so much and I am forever grateful!

Another month of memories

2011-01-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

Ryder turns 2 months old tomorrow and as always I don't know where the time goes. At Christmas time he was just a month old and it was so fun to have a newborn in the house for the holidays. He has already changed so much in this past month.

The day after Christmas we headed to Santa Barbara. We stayed in little cabins at El Capitan. We enjoyed being outdoors together and the ocean views.
For New Year's we went to the Rose Parade. Tanner was our photographer for this event. So please enjoy the picture of the Pac Man float.This is the same outfit that Ryder came home from the hospital in. It amazing how fast they grow and change.
Cade on his 12th birthday!We blessed Ryder on the same day that Cade was ordained to the Priesthood. I was a really nice day for our family and we were happy to have two big events to celebrate. We feel really blessed.Tanner with his "class pet" aka Curious George and his baby. Happy January!

Too Sweet

2010-12-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

Tanya has been so wonderful to take pictures of of my kids. We had a photo session with Ryder today and she just sent me this one as a sneak peek. Great job Tanya!

Baby Ryder

2010-11-28T20:36:00.001-08:00

Before church today Ryder got his picture taken with all of his siblings. They can't get enough of him!

So tired!

Our Bundle of Joy

2010-11-22T21:40:00.001-08:00

We are thrilled to introduce our little one. Ryder Hart Call was born November 22 at noon. He weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and is 19 1/2 inches long. He is healthy and we are so grateful. He is welcomed by all of these adoring older siblings.

waiting...

2010-11-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

Just one week left and a new little one will be joining our family. I am so excited that it is finally the week of because through the nine months some of those days are very long and it feels like forever away. One of my favorite things to do now is to look at the crib and know that shortly there will be a baby in it. What a miracle. The blanket in the crib was made by my Grandma. What a lucky baby to have a blanket handmade for him by this great-grandma.

sweet teenager

2010-11-05T11:47:00.001-07:00

My wonderful sister-in-law Tanya took Haylie out for a photo session. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful and sweet teenager living in our home. She is a really great example to me. And I love her tons!

Costumes and Candy

2010-11-01T20:34:00.001-07:00

We had a great time for Halloween this year. The kids all liked their costumes and of course they have had a lot of fun eating all of their candy. Tanner as "Mario".
Cade as a "Harlem Globetrotter".
Haylie as her very own "Super Haylie".
Weston as a very spooky skelelton.

Weston's baptism day

2010-10-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Weston was baptized in September. It was a really special day for our family and Weston was so excited for his big day. He was all smiles as he entered the font and after he was baptized he had the biggest smile on his face. We are proud of him for his decision to follow our Savior.

April Fools

2010-10-22T04:54:00.002-07:00

Way back on April 1st I had my kids call each of my siblings and my parents to tell them something! We've had some fun with April Fools in years past and I knew I had the best idea to fool them. Now that all of this time has passed I think they are finally believing us. Baby #5 is just one month away!
We led the kids on a scavanger hunt the morning we told them. At the end there was a "treasure box" filled with baby things. They were so confused at first and then so excited. They have been begging for a baby for years.

Spring Break in the City

2010-04-18T21:16:00.001-07:00

We spent our Spring Break this year in New York. We visited and stayed with our wonderful friends the Peos. We had such a great time seeing them. The week started out with a fun Easter egg hunt on Easter morning. The Peos have an amazing, huge yard so it was the perfect place for a egg hunt. Thanks to the Peos for a fun week.
While in NYC we planned a trip to Philly. We took the train there for 2 days. We were lucky to have such amazing weather. We loved this city. We saw Betsy Ross' house, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Mint in Philadelphia and we went to an amazing Children Museum. The city is beautiful, clean and full of history. This is a picture of Haylie and Cade waiting to board the train.
The beautiful and historic Independence Hall.
The famous Liberty Bell. We checked out a few books from the library before our trip to Philly. It is amazing to learn the history of this famous bell. It is beautiful.
We ran into a few famous people in NY. Look closely and you will see Steve Carrell stepping out of his limo and onto the red carpet for his premier of "Date Night."

Haylie and Cade on the set of Regis and Kelly. I think they had a lot of fun seeing how a TV show is taped.
We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge one day. It was a hot, beautiful New York day. The bridge had amazing views of the city and really great pizza on the other side.

Remember When...

2010-02-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

You could party all night long.
Remember the year that you turned 23! I hope it's a party all year Sara. And Oh to be 23 again...

A Great Way to Spend the Afternoon!

2010-01-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

A Temple + Beehives = A Priceless Event
Or on Rainy Afternoons...
Build a Tent and Play in it for hours!

11 years old and A New Year Vegas Style

2010-01-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

Cade has had big week. He turned 11 and earned his Webelos and become a full fledge boy scout. We sure love him and he adds so much excitment to our home. Happy Birthday Cade!
For New Year's Eve we headed to Vegas. I love this picture of Tanner showing Marisa around the town.
We ate dinner with my favorite brother at PF Chang's for his birthday.
All of these beautiful people are my relatives awaiting the water show at the Bellagio.Who knew that water could dance?
We decided to be adventurous and ring in the new year down on the strip. We made the trek with 3 of our kids and a niece and nephew. We saw some pretty interesting people and made some memories. The fireworks were amazing. I don't think the kids will ever forget being on the strip with thousands of others for the beginning of this decade.
Happy 2010!

It was a Merry Christmas

2009-12-27T07:25:00.000-08:00

I spent the first three days of the week with Weston in the hospital. We were all happy to be reunited and grateful to be "Home for Christmas!"
The weeks of shopping, wrapping and anticipating and this is what it looks like just moments later.
Weston with his ipod.
Cade with a docking station.
Haylie trying on her new uggs.
Tanner refuses to look at the camera.
Santa brought the Wii. Please don't bother us - we're busy trying to play.

Some very cute cousins came for a visit.
It was a Christmas to remember.

A Wonderful Wedding Day for Mike and Sara

2009-08-24T09:19:00.001-07:00

Sara and Mike were married Saturday in the Los Angeles Temple. It was a beautiful day and all of the details came into place. It was a wonderful day with the whole family there. They looked so beautiful and they were so happy. We love them.
My parents with Sara and Mike.
Bridesmaids and groomsmen
My siblings and their families.
Cousins, Aunts, Uncles... Oh how I love these people.
Grandkids and the newlyweds!
The Call family
Sara and Kari. OK maybe we do look a little bit alike.
Mike and the nephews.

Sara and Mike have been telling the kids for months about the chocolate fountain and they couldn't wait. It was like waiting for Christmas morning.
Mom just told me that I couldn't have any more chocolate. I don't understand what the problem is?
What could be better than full reign of the chocolate fountain. Obviously he couldn't get enough of the chocolate heaven.
The kids hanging out in the playhouse. They are waiting for the dancing to begin.

Lisa and Logan's Big Day

2009-08-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Lisa and Logan's wedding was such a special day. She looked so beautiful and they were both so happy. It was really wonderful to be a part of their wedding day.
The Hart family with the bride and groom.
Weston has always loved Lisa. He was excited to dance with her.
Cade gets to dance with the bride.

I love the summer

2009-07-17T15:07:00.001-07:00

The first week of summer vacation Haylie and I spent at Girl's Camp with our ward. We camped near Santa Barbara. We enjoyed so many activities like kayaking, horseback riding, hiking, eating great food, doing crafts, and learning more about our Savior. We had a wonderful experience.
The camp theme was "Life is Swell." Swell stands for Stick With Essentials Life Long. We focused on the essentials of prayer, scripture study, and partaking of the sacrament.
Making it to the top on our sunset hike. It was an amazing view at the top.l
One of our activities was kayaking in the Santa Barbara harbor and then out in the open ocean. Once we were in the ocean we saw dolphins and seals right next to us. It was a fun experience.
Eating ice cream on the Santa Barbara Pier after kayaking. It was a beautiful day.
My finished oil pastel art project at camp.
These are my two graduating Seniors. Boy am I going to miss them.
Haylie finally did it - she turned 12. We all have been looking forward to this birthday for a long time. We had a Young Women's activity at our home the night of her birthday so we were able to celebrate her birthday with lots of friends. We love you Haylie.
We spent the 4th of July in Newport Beach. For the past 15 years my dad's side of the family has been spending the week of the 4th together at Newport. This is a week that I look forward to all year. I get to see my Grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins and catch up with them. We have this week down to a great routine. My dad walks all of the kids to the donut store each morning for chocolate milk and donuts. Then we spend the day at the beach playing in the sand and water, playing baseball, Ultimate frisbee and taking naps. The evening is spent deciding where to eat and staying up late talking.
So excited to spend a relaxing week at the beach with my family.
The boys preparing for some early morning fishing and tennis.
While we were at the beach house we had a bridal shower for my sister Sara at Ruby's on the Balboa Pier. All of the girls had fun eating breakfast together and celebrating Sara and Mike.

Haylie loved playing with the two year old cousins.
This is a picture of Haylie buried standing up.

These are pictures of my newly redone kitchen.
It's been a busy month with so many more exciting things still to come.

Spring Break in New York City

2009-04-26T17:58:00.000-07:00

We spent Spring Break visiting our wonderful friends the Peo's in New York. They moved there last summer and we were excited to explore the city with them. They were wonderful hosts who knew all of the secrets to this great city. Our first day we set out to see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Ground Zero. It was so cold that day. We were definitely the wimpy tourist from sunny Southern California.

We were in heaven in M&M world. The Call's love chocolate!
Haylie and Cade in Times Square.
This picture was taken from the "Top of the Rock" or the Rockefeller building. It had amazing views of the entire city including the Empire State Building.
Tanner was instantly interested in the poster of pictures of the fallen firefighters at Ground Zero. He knelt down next to it and studied it for a few minutes. This was a touching scene for our busy Tanner.
One of the monuments on the wall to those who died on September 11th.
Ice skating in Rockefeller Center. This was one of the kids favorite things that we did.
We found a beautiful yellow tree on our day in Central Park.
We ate hot dogs in Central Park. We had beautiful weather that day and the kids had a great time climbing all of the huge rocks.At the Museum of Natural History Weston kept telling us that he wanted to see "Dumb Dumb give me Gum Gum" The museum workers knew just what we were talking about. This was the museum were Night at the Museum was filmed. The kids were excited when they finally found "Dumb Dumb."

What's for Dessert?

2009-03-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

My kids love to ask, "What's for Dessert?" Matt is the cookie maker but he was at church meetings tonight so they decided to take matters into their own hands and make cookies by themselves. I wanted to see if they really could do it and they really did it all themselves. I was even served cookie dough while I sat on the couch. The little boys even got to crack the eggs.
Serious supervision to make sure there were no shells in the dough.
This picture is for the out of state relatives. Thursday Lisa came down to visit and as Lisa was out playing basketball with the kids I realized that Cade was about her same size. This picture is to prove that.
With Lisa down for the day I got to hang out with two of my favorite people, Lisa and Tanya. We were having the best day. Shopping(Lisa even bought her bridesmaid dresses), lunch, and then me doing about the dumbest thing ever...
I ran into Tanya's car in my very own driveway. Tomorrow her car will be in the shop to fix the "sister-in-law dent."

Tanner Turns 5

2009-02-25T21:42:00.000-08:00

Tanner has talked about this birthday for months. He has been so excited to turn five. He is so full of life and with Tanner you never know what the day will be like. He has kept us on our toes since the beginning. Life would certainly be boring without him. And we love him for it. Happy Birthday Tanner!Tanner woke up early which is not different than any other day so we let him open his first present at 5:15am. He has always been my early riser. One funny thing about Tanner is that as soon as he wakes up he changes into his clothes for the day. He doesn't want anyone to see him in his pajamas. Often times you can find him on the couch at 6am fully dressed and with his shoes and socks on. Now that is what I can an early bird.
Tanner kept telling me that he wasn't five until he had his cake. I guess now it is official.
Tanner, Weston and Marisa ready to play some pin the tail on the donkey.

One Decade of Cade

2009-01-05T06:12:00.000-08:00

How can it be that 10 years ago today my Cade was born? We were living in Carson City, Nevada then and it was a very snowy day. He was born 5 days late and was supposed to be a New Year's Eve baby. He was my biggest baby weighing 8 pounds 10 ounces and he still has those cute cheeks. Cade has brought our home so much laughter and fun. He is a sensitive boy and he has a lot a talents. We love everything about him and want to wish him a very Happy Birthday.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T11:48:00.001-08:00

We did a fun zip line. The kids thought it was great.

Fun in Maui

2008-12-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

Aloha! We've arrived in Maui and we are having an amazing time.
We went on an awesome hike. Everything was so beautiful. Our favorite were all of the banyon trees.
This was the view from the top.
14 grandkids and 2 grandparents at the Luau.
What could be better than a virgin lava flow at a luau?
Tanner sporting the snorkel gear.

I'm Dreaming of a White (Sand) Christmas...

2008-12-19T17:53:00.000-08:00

Suntan lotion = Stocking Stuffers? We're off to Maui for a dreamy Christmas vacation. We are going to be there with 26 Call family members and we are so excited. I have successfully packed all of Christmas in one small suitcase including the stockings. Mele Kalikimaka!
Sunday we had a mini Christmas with my family because we weren't going to be together for the holidays. My siblings and I went in on an i-pod and docking station for my parents. Who needs presents when you've got all of these cans?Cade flying his new remote control helicopter.
Total pre-Christmas choas. Oh what fun!
Weston excited about his new baseball mitt.
Tanner just excited to have a gift and to be the first to get to open his present. You know the good old youngest to oldest thing.

Thanksgiving Week

2008-12-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

The week started out with a great day at the beach. Nothing beats going to the beach in November. My crazy kids even swam in the ocean.
Pre-Thanksgiving dinner family soccer game. We had so much fun playing in the mud.
Matt, Tim and Marisa doing the first round of post Thanksgiving dinner dishes.
Tanner with his new best friend Mike. Who loves Mike more, Sara or Tanner?
Breakfast at Ruby's on the Huntington Pier.
Tanner being disciplined by Scott.
A crazy family baseball game.

A busy fall season

2008-11-09T20:16:00.001-08:00

We have survived a very busy fall. I always knew that someday all four kids would be playing sports at the same time and this was the first season that we actually lived through it. We saw a lot of fun soccer games and with Cade playing his first season on Pop Warner football we have spent a ton of time in the car. With going back to school, the election, and sports we have kept ourselves busy but we've had fun too.
Cade as a box of Wheaties.
Look at those muscles on the "Hulk."
Tanner as a very tough SWAT officer.
The cutest bee I've ever seen.
Haylie on her way to school as a "cave girl."
I dressed up as Pippy Longstocking for the Youth Dance.
This is us anxiously awaiting High School Musical 3. The whole family went and we had fun watching them sing and dance.

I love this

2008-10-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

Can't wait for Nov. 4th

2008-10-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

This picture is so inspiring. Over 75 people came out to hold signs and be apart of the "Yes on Prop 8" sign waving. It's a thrill to be apart of this experience.
Matt on his morning sign waving shift. It is fun to hear the cars honk in support of Prop 8. So many people have worked so hard and I can't wait for the election on the 4th.

The Birthday Girl on her Bongo Board

2008-10-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl one of my favorite things to do at my Grandma's house was to Bongo Board. This year my siblings and I decided to get my mom a Bongo Board for her birthday. There's nothing like trying to recreate those childhood memories! Happy Birthday Mom. We love you and we feel extremely blessed to have such a wonderful mom and grandma in our lives. Haylie and Marisa enjoying the bongo board.

Open Minded

2008-10-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

I was recently knocking on doors for the Yes on Prop 8 campaign in California and the answer I got from one lady was that she is "open minded." I left her door realizing that she was saying that I was not open minded and this was not meant as a positive thing. I have thought a lot about this simple statement. And in this case, I know what I believe and I know in my heart what is right. I will not be swayed with my environment and by what pop culture decides is right. I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I bleieve that marriage has been ordained of God and is between a man and a women. The family is the fundamental unit of society it has been since Adam and Eve. I love all peole and celebrate that we all have differences but this does not change how I feel about traditional marriage. So in the end I learned something important from that lady at the door and that is that my beliefs are set and in this case I'm not open minded but instead steadfast and immovable.

Vacation in Paradise

2008-08-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

The Atlantis in the Bahamas was our home for a week. We had a blast there with my parents, siblings, spouses, and no one under the age of 21 was allowed. Or in other words we got to spend a week without the kids and it was a heavenly getaway.

When was the last time you got to ride in the back of a pick-up truck? It's totally illegal in California but apparently it doesn't matter in the Bahamas. We drove like this to pick up the scooters that we rented for a day. Riding scooters around the island was one of my favorite things that we were able to do. They drive on the left hand side of the road which made everyone a bit nervous. While riding scooters we got caught in a huge rain storm. It was so fun to just be standing outside getting totally soaked. We stopped in front a local church and they took us in and let us wait out the storm on their patio. The people there were so friendly and they went out of their way to be helpful and give directions to lost tourists. We ate at some amazing restaurants. And since there were no kids with us it didn't matter that our reservations weren't until 9pm.

Me, my sisters and my mom.We spent our time snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, going down some fun water slides at the Atlantis but most of our time during the day was spent at the mile long lazy river. It couldn't have been a more perfect week.
These are some of the beautiful flowers.

We all left with a conch shell and huge starfish. It was fun buying things from the locals. So long paradise and welcome back to real life. We got home late Saturday night and so I didn't check my email until 7am on Sunday. While checking my email I was thrown back into reality quickly...I was needed at the church at 8am for song practice, Haylie was to give a talk in Primary that day, Tanner the scripture and prayer, and then I was supposed to go to a special meeting at 12:30 after church. Suddenly the Bahamas were just a memory.

8-8-08 is Weston's big day!

2008-08-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our big 6 year old. Weston does have a super cool birth date especially this year being 2008. What was also amazing was that he weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces and was born on 8-8. This is one of my favorite pictures of Weston because it reminds me of how funny he is. One of the best things about Weston is his contagious laugh. Anyone who has heard it knows what I'm talking about. You can't help but smile and laugh along with him. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful boy in our life.

Summer Time = Family Time

2008-07-19T20:09:00.001-07:00

Our first month of summer has been so much fun. We have been with our family non-stop and we have loved every minute of it. We are so grateful that we have such wonderful families. My sisters drove with their children from Chicago and Denver and we had a blast being together again. The first week of summer I spent at Girl's Camp and I had a blast. Thanks to all of the relatives that helped watch my kids while I was gone.
We spent a week at the beach with our extended family. This year was our 14th year at Newport and there were 62 of us and each year it just gets better.
They are so well behaved when they are buried!
Haylie celebrated her 11th birthday at the beach this year. Happy Birthday Haylie. We love you!
Haylie's birthday breakfast friends.
My super cool Grandma with her super cool glasses. I'm lucky to have such an awesome Grandma. She is the one responsible for all of this fun.
Haylie & Cade ran in the 4th of July 1K race.
4th of July family BBQ with the cousins.
All 12 of the Wayne Hart Grandchildren at the beach for family pictures. Remarkably they all did very well.
Sara & Kari are twins at family pictures.
Nothing is better than summer. Especially when you get to sleep over at Grandma's, eat popsicles, run through the sprinklers, and play with your cousins.
Haylie and I went to see Wicked in Hollywood for her birthday. Here she is standing in front of Michael Jackson's star on Hollywood Boulevard. I'm not a fan but no one is more famous than Michael Jackson. The funny thing is that Haylie didn't even know who Michael Jackson was.
The show was so amazing. The performances were incredible.

Just three more days!

2008-06-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

We went to the beach yesterday and we can't wait until school is out so we can have more days like these.
Surfer girl Haylie. It is so much fun to watch her stand up on that board.Happy Father's Day to Matt! The kids have so much fun surfing with him. Even Weston can ride a wave all the way in. Weston loves the water and isn't afraid to keep on trying.
Mormon Night at the Angel Game.

Haylie had fun sitting next to her friend Madalyn at the game. She came up to say "HI" a few times and to get money for a treat but for the most part it was much more fun to sit next to a friend than her brothers.
I came downstairs last week to find Tanner like this. It must be exhausting eating chips and dip. (This picture is not staged.)
Weston at his final Kindergarten performance. We can't believe he is about to be a big first grader.
Happy Summer!

He's a Champion

2008-06-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

Cade's team, the Notre Dame Fight'in Irish, took home the Championship last night. It was really fun to watch them play and the final score was 20-7. Cade had a couple of really great hits in the game along with some awesome defense on the field. Congratulations #44!
Grandma & Grandpa showed up to cheer Cade on.
All 6 of us in one photo. This must be a special occasion.

Go Cade!

2008-06-02T08:39:00.001-07:00

Cade asked me to put this on my blog and of course I can't tell him no. Tomorrow night Cade plays in the Championship game for his division of our local Little League. We are so proud of him and have had so much fun watching him enjoy this season of baseball. This is the first time as parents that any of our kids have made it this far in any sport. Matt and I were both lucky enough to play in Championship games as kids and I remember being nervous before the game started but I think I feel the same now. I am the scorekeeper for Cade's team and on Saturday we had a real nail bitter. His team was down early, 0-7. And they made an amazing come back to win the game 9-8. By the end of the game I had a hard time writing straight lines in the book because I felt shaky. It's almost embarrassing to admit that I was that into it but it was just so exciting. Have fun playing tomorrow night Cade and I hope you can remember this for a long time! Go Irish!

Sara is a Master

2008-05-29T15:22:00.001-07:00

My sister Sara just found out that she got into the Master's program for Accounting at BYU. So we told the kids and they seemed really excited for her. Well, yesterday Cade asks Matt, "So dad is Sara going to be with just the girls?" Matt is totally confused as says, "No, she will be with girls and boys." And then Cade says, "So Sara is going to play against Tiger Woods in the Masters?"

VS.

Matt's Birthday!

2008-05-27T20:30:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to Matt! I am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful, kind and fun guy. We spent the weekend celebrating with Matt's family. We had a nice steak dinner with his parents and siblings on Saturday. Monday morning Matt golfed with his dad and brothers and then we went to the Angel game. I asked the kids what they liked best about their dad...
Haylie said that she is glad that he signs her up for her sports and that she is glad he takes her to all of her practices and that she really likes it when he reads to them. He just recently read the Narnia book, "Prince Caspian" to the kids.
Cade said that he likes it when Matt plays baseball with him and teaches him about sports.
Weston said that he really likes it when Matt plays games with him and his favorite game to play with Matt is Stratego.
Tanner likes it when Matt wrestles with him.
We all love him and are so grateful for all that he does for us. We hope he had a wonderful birthday.
Jared and Kelsey and their cute kids were visiting from Texas for the weekend. We had fun spending time with them and going to the beach with our cousins. They came over tonight and helped us celebrate Matt's birthday. This is Haylie & Summer.

Here's what we've been doing

2008-05-23T20:15:00.001-07:00

It's Baseball season and we have been watching and playing a lot of baseball. Cade's team the Notre Dame Irish are in the Semi-finals of the playoffs and they are an awesome team and a lot of fun to watch.
We went to Legoland during Spring Break and fought Darth Vader!
Then we were off to Vegas for the end of our Spring Break week. I think we wore these guys out.
We went bowling with Grandma and Grandpa.
We had so much fun watching Marisa celebrate her 1st birthday. She is so cute.
Remember the 80's!
Haylie's science project was comparing the temperature at the beach to different places inland.
And last weekend was Youth Conference. Here are some of my Young Women doing the service project. They are such great girls and a ton of fun to be with.

Welcome Back

2008-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know if any one will even be checking my blog anymore. March was a busy month for us and so my blogging suffered. We had the Roadshow, New Beginnings, combined Young Men & Women activities that I was in charge of and baseball season that is in full swing and somewhere in the middle of all of that I got sick for the first time in years and it took me 10 days to feel back to normal. Now we are on Spring Break so I feel like we can breathe again. Here are the pictures from our last month.
Here we are celebrating my wonderful father's birthday. I am lucky to have the best dad ever.
Happy Birthday Grandpa!
If you look closely this is Tanya and me dancing in the same Roadshow number at dress rehearsal!
Haylie entered and won a photo contest with this picture. Check her blog for more details.
Easter morning.
Weston's first baseball season.
Wacky wear and Crazy hair day at school.

My Baby is 4!

2008-02-24T22:07:00.001-08:00

How can it be that 4 years have gone so quickly. Tanner has grown so much in the past 4 years and he has brought so much excitment to our family. Imagine how dull life would be without Tanner and the endless amount of adventures that he gets himself into. We love you Tanner and Happy Birthday! We hope you have a super fun day.

Happy Birthday Sara!

2008-02-22T12:16:00.001-08:00

I remember the day that Sara was born. My parents didn't know what they were having and I so wanted to have another brother. This was pretty much so I would have my own room. But now that 21 years have passed I couldn't ask for a better younger sister. Everybody loves Sara. My kids think that she is the greatest. Sara is so much fun, easy going, and kind hearted. This Christmas break I got to spend a whole week with Sara at my house and it couldn't have been more fun.
Everybody needs a sister, daughter, granddaughter,aunt and friend like Sara. She simply is the best.

Some great memories with Sara...I use to take her on dates with me. She sat on my lap every Sacrament Meeting until I left for college. She was the only one who cried when I left for college. When Sara was 7 she met Matt. When Haylie was born Sara was only 10. When she was 12 she use to fly out and stay with us for the week. She was in the delivery room at the age of 15 when Weston was born. When she turned 16 we loved asking her about the boys she was dating. We have always loved being around her. She is a great example to all of us.
We can't believe you are already 21, legal and a true adult. We love you and have a Happy Birthday.

Peer Pressure

2008-02-13T20:42:00.000-08:00

Everyone in my family has done their list so I'm giving into peer pressure, mostly because I enjoyed reading theirs.

1. What was the best thing you cooked last week?
Hawaiian Haystacks. It's one of the only things all of the kids will actually eat.

2. If time, money and babysitting were no object where would you go and with who?
On a Disney Cruise with my family.

3. When was the last time you cried?
Last week when Tanner was being extra naughty. The story is too terrible to even post on a blog.

4. Five things you were doing 10 years ago.
Figuring out my new living situation in Carson City, driving Matt to and from work because we only had one car, taking care of an easy baby (Haylie), painting crafts, serving in Young Womens.

5. Five things you were doing 5 years ago.
Taking Haylie to Kingergarten, doing preschool co-op with Cade, carrying around a very chunky, cute baby (Weston), Primary President, and going to the park a lot.

6. Five things you were doing 1 year ago.
Jogging in the mornings, cleaning the house during the day, doing homework in the afternoons, doing dishes in the evening, and sleeping all through the night.

7. Seven of my favorite hobbies.
Watching my kids play sports, talking, baking, jogging, hanging out with Matt, going to Young Womens, watching reality TV.

8. Five favorite foods.
Shrimp & crab cocktails from the Crab Cooker, lemonade, bread, frozen yogurt, any Mexican food. And right now I'm starving.

9. Five places you've been.
Oh this might actually be impressive. France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Canada, Hawaii, Cancun. Oh that's not 5, oh well everyone knows I'm bad at math.

10. Five (or 7)favorite memories.
Being married in the Los Angeles Temple to Matt, being at my siblings weddings, jumping off Black Rock in Hawaii, walking through the streets of Venice and eating the food, giving birth to 4 children, winning CIF in soccer my Senior year, Pioneer trek.

Me & Matt in Venice. Happy Valentine's Day. I love you.

President Monson

2008-02-04T21:58:00.000-08:00

The Church has order and I love that. No one is campaigning for positions and isn't that wonderful considering the world we live in! When I was a little girl(and a teenager) I use to think that General Conference was so boring. Remember we use to have to actually sit through it all in the Stake Center folding chairs because it wasn't on TV, anyways, my favorite speaker was always President Monson. He was the only one I ever felt that I could relate to or actually understand. And that of course was because of the awesome stories he tells. He is a great story teller and my family knows I love a good story. My one personal story about President Monson is from the weekend that I graduated BYU. It was August 1997, and it was the main graduation in the Marriott Center. I was one of the last people in line to walk into the Marriott Center with the line of graduates. I was standing in line with my cousin and my friend since elementary school. The line got backed up in the tunnel of the Marriott Center and we were waiting and into the tunnel walked President Monson. He was standing right next to us. We were too nervous to know what to say besides "Hello" but he said to me, "You sure seem happy." And I said, "I sure am." I will always remember how it felt to be standing next to him and I am grateful for his kind words. He will make a great prophet. Also how cool is it that his favorite color is yellow because that's mine too. And only my family will get this joke and I'm dying to say it (I apologize to all the other readers) so here it goes.

"your favorite color is yellow? - my favorite color is yellow!" (Beach house 2003?)

President Hinckley's influence on me

2008-01-28T13:29:00.000-08:00

President Hinckley passed away last night after living an amazing 97 years. I love him and will certainly miss many things about him including his sense of humor, his love for the gospel and his energy. One of the ways President Hinckley has changed my life is by building the smaller temples. The Newport Beach Temple was one of those and this makes it so much easier to get to the temple more often. I am grateful for this blessing. I was in the temple when he dedicated it and when he bore his testimony about the Sacred Grove he bowed his head and cried. This was a very spiritual experience that touched me. He also spoke just 2 weeks ago at our Stake Conference (via satellite) and the words he spoke I happened to write down. He talked about marriage and the 4 cornerstones to a succesful marriage. 1. Mutual respect. 2. A soft answer. 3. Financial Responsibility. 4. Family Prayer. The last thing we heard him talk about was family prayer. How important this is. President Hinckley was an amazing prophet but I am excited for him that he has returned to heaven and is reunited with his wife.

Are you smarter than a 5th Grader?

2008-01-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

Haylie left this morning for 5th grade science camp. She was so excited to go. She is going to be at an elevation of 6500 feet in the local mountains and this week it is supposed to snow everyday that she is there. How much is she actually going to learn about science? That remains the big question. I have a feeling she is going to learn more about her friends than she is about science. It is a weird feeling to send your first child off by themself for a week for the first time. She is certainly growing up and that must mean that we are too. Have fun Haylie!

Newsflash

2008-01-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

My children have started their own blogs and they want an audience! Check them out please. Their addresses are on the sidebar.

Have you met these guys?

2008-01-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

When we were in Utah for Christmas it came time for the Christmas Eve program at Grandma's and my cousins took my children to Grandma's dress up closet and created costumes for the kids nativity parts. They told me I wasn't allowed to see and it was a surprise. When Weston & Tanner entered the room at the part of the wisemen the room went up with laughter. This made for the best laugh of the week. I know my pictures are terrible but hopefully you can see through the blurriness. (Do any of the relatives have better pictures of this?) It was so funny because they were both carrying purses where their wiseman gifts were stashed. That is Weston with a blonde toupee. They both realized they were getting a lot of laughs and started to really ham it up. Speaking of toupee's - Does any one remember the man that use to live in Grandma's ward that we called "Toupee Ray" now he had the best toupee ever! Those are good memories.

Christmas in Utah

2008-01-09T12:05:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun on our trip to Utah. We saw more snow than we ever could have imagined. It was beautiful. We had lots of fun seeing family and staying with Grandma is always enjoyable. We went skiing at Snowbird and sledding with cousins. We saw Temple Square and ate a lot of great food. Christmas day was wonderful. The kids were excited to see what Santa brought.

Before driving to Utah we stopped off in Vegas for a day. We went to the Vegas Bowl Game. BYU beat UCLA and it we had a great time. We rushed the field at the end of the game. This was Cade's dream come true.

The Birthday Boy

2008-01-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Cade! We love you and we can't believe you are already 9. Have fun hitting the waves. You crack us up everyday. Thanks for being such a great kid.

I can't see him, He can't see me!

2007-12-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

This is yet another great story about Tanner. We have 4 advent calendars that have a piece of chocolate for each day in December. At the beginning of the month Tanner decided why wait. He got his "Claw" and in this picture he is actually standing on a chair and with the help of the claw and with a lot of determination he was able to get to the advent calendar. Needless to say he ate many pieces of candy in one day and is sad now when he doesn't have a piece and everyone else does. The advent calendar has turned into a nightmare calendar for me!
My favorite thing to tell Tanner this month is that he needs to be good because Santa is watching. His reply to that is, "I can't see him, He can't see me." He is already a skeptic at age 3.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. (And some Playstation games!)
Cade had both front teeth pulled last month. He is almost 9.

This is my table set for dinner as part of our ward Christmas party. We had 8 people at our house for dinner and then we went to the Bishop's house for dessert and a program.

Weston as a wiseman for the ward party.

I went in to close Haylie's door before I went to bed and this is what I saw. Hillarious!

Haylie changing her first ever diaper. Doesn't Marisa look thrilled.

This is Cade at his first game as a Laker. Look at that fan club.

It's been awhile

2007-12-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

Hello bloggers! I am finally back in action. I seem to have taken a long break. We spent Thanksgiving at the Calls house in Las Vegas. I spent a lot of my time there doing crafts. Such as those that you can see below. Also we saw the Hoover Dam and we are glad that Tanner was not arrested since he threw a water bottle cap down to the bottom.

Soccer season is finally over. Matt and I were the coaches for Weston's team. Let's just say that our team was so bad that we had to recruit the 3 1/2 year old brother to play on the 5 year olds team. Weston did finally score a goal in the last game of the season.

Halloween & Disneyland Surprises

2007-11-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

We went to Disneyland the day after Halloween because the kids had the day off of school for Parent Teacher Conferences. And look who we ran into! I was walking off Big Thunder Mountain and there was my Aunt Laurel (from Utah) sitting on a bench. After I did a double take, I called her name and she was shocked as well. Brittany, Brooke, and Kathy were about 10 minutes behind us in the same line. This picture is us standing in line together at Indiana Jones. Brooke decided she didn't want to wait in the long line and then Tanner was told that he was too short (which we already knew) for this ride and they wouldn't even let him just wait in line with me. So by default Brooke was left with Tanner. It ended up being an hour long wait even though the sign only said 25 minutes. Tanner had the time of his life with Brooke. She bought him a cool Pirates of the Caribbean gun and an extra large rice krispy treat. When we finally got off the ride this is how we found Tanner (right next to Brooke on the wall.)

He was out and he is very heavy and I had to carry him all of the way out of the park. I couldn't for the life of me get him to wake up. Anyways it was so fun to see Laurel and the girls and fun to ride Indiana Jones with them! Thank you Brooke!

Haylie the 50's Diner Girl and Marisa as "Tigger"

Cade as "Anakin Skywalker."

Weston as a very scary T-rex.

Tanner as "Buzz Lightyear."

A bunch of very excited kids.

This is the pumpkin that Grandma and Grandpa grew. This is how thick the lid was compared to a normal size pumpkin. The seeds were enormous too. It was so much fun to carve.

We survived!

2007-10-29T14:57:00.001-07:00

After a week of fires we have survived. Sunday was the kids Primary Sacrament Program. After church we had the family and some friends over for dinner. Tyler and Kathy were able to come up from San Diego and it was lots of fun to see them. They had some great stories of what they went through last week. We are glad they are safe and their house too. Friday night was Haylie's 5th grade Halloween Party. I was on the planning committee and was able to go and be at the shindig. There was a DJ (just imagine how fun to was to watch a bunch on 10 &11 year olds dance!) and there was a spooky-walk through. This was a miniature version of Knott's Scary Farm. There was also food and a few games. Since the kids had be cooped up all week they seemed to have a real good time. But it made me realize the teenage years are not far behind. Oh boy!

Pumpkins & Presidents

2007-10-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

Tanner is mad because his favorite pumpkin "broke." You can't really tell in this picture but there is a big crack going right through it. Maybe it's because he carries it around the house all day and this time when he dropped it - it actually broke. Haylie is running for President of her school. Or as she puts it, "President of the United States of America." I would rather vote for her than Hillary! Who would you vote for?

I caught the boys pulling leaves off the trees. They said they were just making confetti. Maybe they were really doing some clearance work for all of the fires that we are having.

And although poor California is burning up - We still love it here.

Jay, JJ, or Janna

2007-10-19T08:28:00.001-07:00

I had a hard time picking what picture to post for Janna's Birthday so I just picked lots from the last couple of years. Yes, today is another family birthday for my much younger sister Jay. She also lives way too far away and so we don't get to hang out and have as much fun together as we would like. But Janna have a wonderful Birthday. I miss you and I love you. The official story behind the nickname for Janna is this. When Janna was in Kindergarten and I was in 4th grade, I saw her playing at the Kindergarten playground while I was at recess too. So, I went over to the fence that separates the two playgrounds and I starting yelling her name so that she would see me and so that we could say "Hi" to each other but instead of yelling "Janna" I thought it would be cool to just yell "Jay!" I had never called her this before and so of course she didn't respond. So as I remember the story we never did say "Hi" that infamous school day but it was the beginning of a wonderful nickname.
*I am sure my sibling are going to tell me I am wrong and that I am remembering it my own way but to the best of my recollection this is how the story goes.
**Also if anyone cares, I always wanted to have a nickname because apparently I thought it was cool but no one ever gave me one. So for the record I think Janna is super lucky to have one.

C-A-R-I-N- 31 has never looked better

2007-10-14T08:35:00.001-07:00

Carin turns 31! So grateful that I am not all alone in my 30's. Happy Birthday Carin. Having sisters is one of the greatest blessing in my life but it sure stinks now because all 4 of us live is 4 different states. But Carin, if we were together today, I would hope we would play a little Balderdash, watch some funny old home movies, eat some junk food, and of course laugh a lot. Have a great birthday! I sure wish I could see you and spend the day with you. I love you.

Mom's Big Day

2007-10-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mom! We love you! Grandma -We all think you're the best. Have a wonderful day.

I thought this was a pretty classic Mom situation. Atleast all of my siblings will think it's funny.

Thanks for all you do for us mom. Especially for making us laugh!

A Day in the Life of Me

2007-10-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

I found this Halloween picture from 2005. I thought it was too cute not to post. Happy October! Having four kids makes for some interesting, funny, and frustrating experiences. I thought I would share some of them from this week.

Weston informed me that he must have Cheetos is his snack for school everyday and that I don't need to bother packing any grapes.

Last Thursday Tanner came home with the preschool "share box." He immediately knew what he wanted to put in it. The Police Man from the movie "Cars." He wasn't going to be going to preschool until Tuesday, and wouldn't you know that the Police man had been in and out of the share box so many times that by Saturday he went missing. I don't think anything is more frustrating that looking for one small toy throughout the whole house. By Monday night, when Tanner went to bed we still had not found the toy. I was starting to think of a new idea for the share box, knowing that Tanner would be extremely disappointed in the morning. I was picking up the house Monday night and one cushion on the couch was tipped over and there was the Police Man just sitting on the couch looking at me like, "What's the big deal lady." That was my small miracle of the day.

This is what happens when you decide to scale the pantry shelves while mom is cooking dinner.
And even though I had already told Weston that we wouldn't be having any snacks he figured why start listening to mom now. How come it looks like I'm the one being punished? What a mess!

Yesterday I bought bags of candy corn to fill a glass pumpkin. This resulted in being way too much of a temptation for Tanner. Throughout the day I could hear the glass lid being taken off and I would see him shoving a hand full in his mouth. Of course I hid the pumpkin. After dinner I let all the kids have a few pieces of candy and he must have been paying attention because a half an hour later I was leaving for Young Women's and Matt has helping me load things into the car, Tanner knew this was his chance. He darted for the hidden pumpkin in the bowl, in a cupboard way up high. Matt said he walked in the door and Tanner was literally shoving handfuls in his mouth. His mouth was overflowing with candy corn. Notice the leftovers on the floor. It looks like we got attacked by the candy corn monster.

I have been busy for a month reading books (which is something that doesn't happen often.) I saw so many people's blogs talking about the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer (a Mormon author from BYU and my age too.) Anyways I read all three books and loved them.

Disneyland

2007-09-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

With school back in our Disneyland passes are working again. Yesterday was a minimum day and so we ditched real life and headed for Disneyland. In 4 hours we rode 10 rides. Including Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Splash Mountain, and the new Nemo Subs. It's so nice when it's not crowded. This was the kids first time on the Submarines and so they were really excited.

Notice Tanner licking every germ off the hand rail. Mom does not freak out because he is kid #4.

Saturday we had a very unusual day of rain. All three soccer games were cancelled and so this is what the kids did. Of course it was sunny and dry by the time two to our games would have been but that was OK because we had a nice day from the normal hectic Saturdays.

Haylie got her hair cut 2 weeks ago. She looks all grown up and ready to start those pre-teen years.

Cousins

2007-09-10T08:09:00.001-07:00

We can't get enough of Marisa!

We are all so excited to have Tim, Tanya, and Marisa living close by now. The kids love Marisa so much and they always want to be right by her. Weston asked if he could feed her on Saturday when we were babysitting her as they were moving in, and of course, Tanner was right there to help out. The pictures of Tanner and Marisa playing Gameboy are not staged and I think they are the cutest things ever. We love all our cousins and we certainly wish we could see them all much more often.

Back to School

2007-09-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

We are back into the swing of things at school. This is my one and only year that all of my children will be going to the same school. Haylie is in 5th, Cade is in 3rd and Weston started Kindergarten, and Tanner goes to Preschool at the elementary school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Everyone was super excited for the first day. It was a lot of work getting everyone ready, (including me) and out the door by 7:20 am. On the first day of Kindergarten the parents stay with them and it only lasts an hour so today was actually Weston's first day to stay at school by himself. That top picture is of him walking away this morning. He looked so cute and as a looked around I saw several moms crying. That will be me in 2 years. So tomorrow is my first day with 3 1/2 hours to myself. I have so much planned to do but I know the time will go by fast.

The Calls in San Francisco

2007-08-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

My mom thinks I'm too cute to be in prison. We had a really fun 5 days in San Francisco. We saw the whole city and we loved it. We ate a lot of great food including chocolate from Ghiradelli Square. We loved the cable cars and we used all of the public transportation to get around. We stayed in Union Square which is right in the middle of downtown and the center of the shopping district. We had a really fun hotel and a nice sized room where we slept in three beds.

We walked across Golden Gate Bridge. Even Weston did it who is totally afraid of heights.

We rode the cable cars all over the place. This was everyone's favorite way of getting around.

On the way to San Francisco we drove up the coast. We stopped for a short walk which led us to a waterfall that ended up at the ocean. It was beautiful.

We also saw the Hearst Castle. The kids were amazed by the size of it and we loved the views from the top of the hill.

Family Tradition

2007-08-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

When the kids turn 5 we get a handprint done for them. Weston just got his back yesterday and he is pretty proud of it. I think his hand is just a little bit bigger than Cade's at the same age.

Perks of Serving in Young Women's

2007-08-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is the third time this has happened this summer. This last time we found out was from some of the Young Men. It was the worst one yet. All of these pieces were individually torn up and yes that is shredded paper in the backyard. It took an hour and a half to clean up. And we don't even have teenagers yet. We surrender!

I, along with another leader purchased these high-heeled jelly shoes for one of the girls birthday. They were obviously a joke, but Sunday morning rolled around and the young women showed up on our door step with a matching set. They told us we had to wear them to church that day. We obeyed and now most of the young women also have a matching set. They are available for purchase at Wal-Mart for $7.97 and the brand - Oh no you might mistake them for a similar pair made by "Nine West" but this brand is "White Stag." It doesn't get any better than that.

I'm Five

2007-08-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Weston!

Weston woke up this morning with the biggest smile on his face and the first thing he said was, "I'm five! " He has been looking so forward to this day and I think he had a lot of fun. This morning we just hung around the house and of course had to open the presents before Matt left for work. So the new toys occupied them for the morning. And then after lunch we made our way down to Jump 'n Jammin for his birthday party. He invited 7 friends that were all able to come. They had a good time all playing together and then we went outside to a table and had cake and opened his presents. He got a lot of fun toys and games, which will be helpful to make it through the last few weeks of summer. Then we went back to the house and hung out until dinner. Of course we decided to go to Ruby's. It was another great meal. I love that place. Happy Birthday Weston. We love you and it's been so fun to watch you grown these past five years and time sure has gone by fast.

Happy Day, All is Well

2007-07-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

Our pioneer family, which we loved.

Ten people's stuff had to fit in this for the week.

And should we die before our journeys through, happy day all is well. I would not have lived long as a pioneer. I thought I was tough but I've been humbled. To sum up the trip... 22 bug bites, 4 days without a shower, 170 teenagers, beenies and weenies for dinner, sleeping under the stars, all of this equals one priceless experience. Everyone should get a chance to do this at some point in their life. It's truly amazing that any pioneer ever lived through the trials they faced. This was the hardest physical thing I have ever done in my life, but totally incredible at the same time. Pulling a handcart is much harder than I ever thought it would be but I will miss the rise and fall of the handcart as it goes over the constant rocks and bumps. I will miss the squeeky wheels and the dust in your face because all of this helped me realize how grateful I am for my heritage, my comforts of life and of course the Gospel.

3 Cheers for Sara

2007-07-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to tell Sara that we are way proud of her for being accepted into the BYU Accounting Program. We are so excited for her. I think that she is such a great girl and I also love that she doesn't mind hanging out with all of her older, married siblings. The grandkids think she is awesome and I am grateful for her good example to them. Weston is going to have to fight off many boys as he still says that he wants to marry Sara. Way to go Sara and great job on all of your hard work.

Getting to Know You

2007-07-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

I need some help. Wednesday morning when I meet my Pioneer Trek family I should have a short getting to know you game. I don't want it to be too cheesy. Does anyone have any good ideas? Help me please.

PS. This child needs help. We told him to go find a shirt to put on and he picked out an old, long sleeved shirt in the middle of the summer. And if you can tell, he didn't quite get it on the right way either. The Spiderman underwear are quite attractive as well.

Good night Sara

HAIRSPRAY

2007-07-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

I took the kids this afternoon to see the movie Hairspray. And we all loved it. It's a must see. I could picture all of us dancing in the family room with Dennis, doing the mashed potato of course.

Summer Time Fun

2007-07-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Any one missing some toilet paper?

Two weeks ago we took family pictures with the whole Call family. It was Henry's birthday and so everyone was in town for the big 70th birthday party. For how many little kids that we had, the picture session actually went really well. Now we just hope there were some good pictures taken. Next week Matt and I go on the Pioneer Trek. That is me in my pioneer outfit. The last couple of weeks I have spent reading books about the Willie and Martin Handcart companies and I think I have some great stories to share on the trek. I certainly am more aware and grateful for the great sacrifices that pioneers made and I am so grateful to them. They certainly had amazing faith.

Beach House

2007-07-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

Tanner is in a time out between Grandpa and Matt. Moded.

Haylie on her 10th birthday. Girls won the overall baseball tournament!

Weston, Tanner & Grandpa on one of the many donut runs.

Nothing is better than a week at the beach. We were looking forward to relaxing on the beach and we had a great time with our family. The kids love eating candy, chips, and soda all day, staying up late, and playing in the ocean all day. This was the easiest beach house for us because we didn't have any babies that needed their diapers changed or who needed to go back for a nap. We were just out at the beach all day. All the kids loved boogie boarding, especially Weston who got pretty good at riding the waves this trip. Tanner's highlight was for sure hitting the baseball.

My Birthday Bash

2007-06-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

The boys wrestling and Marisa wondering what is going on.

Weston and Tanner are loving the free ride.

We love Ruby's.

I am officially 32 and I know I'm getting older when I have to spend my birthday at Cub Scout Camp. It was actually pretty fun. Grandma, Cookie, Maddie, and Gabi were at my house when we got home and we went to the water park and then out to dinner at Islands and then to Golden Spoon for dessert. I was a wonderful birthday. These other pictures are from Haylie's 10th birthday party. We went to the Balboa Pier and ate Breakfast at Ruby's and then rode a huge bike along the Boardwalk. We fit 12 people on the bike and we got lots of crazy stares. She had a fun time with her friends. Now I have to go to bed because I have to be a Cub Camp at 7am again tomorrow. We wanted to wish Abby a happy baptism day and we wish we could be there with her.

Mom's Birthday

2007-06-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorow is mom's birthday. Mom has to go to cub camp on her birthday. She is moded. All of her family is coming to stay at our house. We are going out to dinner. I love you mom, have a good birthday!