The girls are home!!!

The girls are back down here in AZ with us!! We are so happy! Their dad drove down here to drop them off-which was nice because it meant NO driving for me-which is always a good thing, because we all know I don't do well on road trips.

The girls cuddled with me and then went up and took a shower. We did their hair and then Lizzie did a fashion show for me with some new school clothes. Halle didn't want to do the fashion show-she was just fine in 1 outfit-she didn't want to keep changing-actually I think she just wanted to get back up to playing her V-tech video game she hasn't played for a while.

It's so good to have the girls back! Our schedules are back to normal and school starts in about a week and a half. They are both so excited to go back to school. They both have not only missed us, but their friends too!

Here are a few pictures of Halle and Lizzie doing the fashion show.....enjoy.....

Aren't they cute??? I've missed em so much. They came home with cute little tan lines. They went swimming alot up in Utah. Fun times.

Our new piano

I have been looking for months on Craigslist for a piano. I started playing the piano when I was 4 years old and I love it! Since I moved to Arizona, I haven't played much at all. I miss it! We went and looked at a piano, but it was in terrible shape. Some people just have NO idea what a shame it is to damage a piano. So, I kept looking. I had no idea I would find the deal of a lifetime on Craigslist-but I did.

Steve headed to the gym this evening and I was cleaning up the house. I happened to look on Craigslist today and saw a piano for $100. It looked like it was in decent shape-but people put up really deceiving pictures when they want to sell something. I left a message with the lady anyway because for a hundred bucks, it was worth looking at anyway. She called me back and she gave me directions to her house to come see it. I called Steve and he left the gym early for me to go see this piano. I wanted him to come with.

We got there and when I saw the piano I was pretty excited because NONE of the keys were chipped or broken. There are 2 keys that don't work, but that's ok-they can be fixed. Well, I bought the piano right there for $100. She even threw in the piano lamp and some beginners books I can use with the girls when I start teaching them.

Steve called his cousins Leland and Trent. They came right over to this ladies house and they used their strong muscles to lift it in the truck and brought it to it's new home. It's now in the living room and I love it! I can't wait to get it tuned. I played it a little this evening and it's great.

What a bargain~!!! So I have a few people interested in taking piano lessons. I want to freshen up on my skills before I teach other students though. I will start Halle as soon as she wants-which will probley be the day she gets home from Utah. She has been wanting a piano for a while. Whenever we go to Steve's Aunt and Uncle's house, Halle loves to play the piano. She is ready for lessons. She will get on and start learning a primary song by ear. Talented girl. I hope Lizzie will fall in love with the piano too. I guess we will see.

Pioneer Celebration

We had the chance to go stay at Steve's grandma and papa's cabin this last weekend in Heber. The drive is only about 2 1/2 hours which isn't bad at all to escape from the heat. We left Friday after work. Saturday morning we got up and drove about a half hour to Snowflake for the annual Pioneer Celebration. I have no idea why they did it a week before. Anyhow, We went to the breakfast put on by the scouts and then walked a few blocks over to the parade. The parade was so much fun-but not as much fun as it would have been with kids. I think parades are totally for kids! At the parade we got a flier for a crafty boutique. So after the parade, we headed to the boutique at some ladies house. It has so many fun crafts. I love going to get ideas. We also headed to the cities Arts and Crafts Fair down at Pioneer Park. I came away with nothing. I got some ideas, but I didn't want to spend the money on stuff I could make. By this time, I was tired and it was HOT. Not as hot as Mesa, but it was up in the high 90's.

We headed back to the cabin to relax for a bit. There was no A/C in the cabin though, so I didn't get a good nap in. Later that evening we drove about 45 min to Pinetop to say hello to Steve's cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents who were up at the Burgess cabin. It was kinda fun visiting them away from Mesa.

From the cabin we drove to the Stake Center in Show Low for a pioneer celebration. Steve's cousin and his wife were part of putting this shin dig together. We had some great food and enjoyed a wonderful program. There was singing and dancing and story telling.

It was an enjoyable trip away from the heat. I just didn't want to come back to work today. Sorry the pictures are kinda in a random order.

One of the crafts that I want to make for my home.

Part of the Pioneer Celebration program

The program

Steve wanted to get a picture with the flag flying in the background. The skies look pretty grey, but it never rained! It was such nice weather. Steve before the presentation

They grilled some yummy hot dogs and hamburgers with homemade rootbeer.

I had to take this picture from the parade because it reminds me of all my brothers and dad back home who are always in that cage. This guy was doing all sorts of tricks. It was pretty cool.

I had to take this picture because as we were driving up on Friday night we were just leaving Payson heading to Heber and about 7-10 fancy cars like this were heading the same direction. They got ahead of us-so I kept saying to Steve that he needed to keep up with these cars. That was actually impossible. I guess our little Altima just couldn't keep up. The next morning in the parade, all the fancy cars were lined up and in the parade.

The girls are coming home!!

Halle called me on Monday evening while we were over at Aunt Lawanna's swimming and she mentioned that she would see me in 2 weeks. Well, that wasn't the original plan, so I told Halle it would be longer than that, but that she would be ok because she's having alot of fun up there and it wouldn't be ver long until I saw here again. She handed the phone to her dad and he asked me if he could bring the girls home early because Halle was ready to be back home. He has had the girls since Fathers Day weekend. Anyhow, they are coming home this next Thursday the 23rd. I am so excited!!!

That gives us a week to adjust back to normal schedules and get ready for school to start on Aug 4th. I love this time of year when the kids go back to school because that means fall is coming!!! My favorite time of year.

More bows

All of these bows were made today with ribbon I had laying around the house. It takes about 2-3 minutes to make these bows. I talked with Halle and Lizzie today and they told me to keep making the bows for them, so here are more-just for them. They got online with my mom today and saw the ones I had already made. Lizzie could care less really about bows-but Halle loves em. She asked me to make some for her best friend Audrey so they could match. How cute!

Girlie Bows

I always love bows in my girls hair. Since the girls have been up in Utah since Fathers Day weekend, I have been quite bored without them. So this last week I took a bow class. I have made bows for them before, but I wanted to learn how to make them better and get different ideas. I loved it! Such cute bows. I started out making a red, white and blue bow because I knew they would match the girls' uniforms for school. Today while I was bored to death, I decided to pull out some ribbon that I had here at home and make some more bows. Why not. So here so a few of the beginners. I need to go back to the ribbon store and get some more cute and fancy ribbon. I will post some more as I make them. A note to all my sisters and sisters in laws and friends-if anyone wants a bow for their girl, let me know and I will make one. I love to make them. It's actually quite easy!! However, I probley need the practice.

4th of July 2009

We started the 4th of July with the 7th wards bike parade and pancake breakfast. It was fun going back to the ward to see all the "oldies" and the "newbies". We even had red, white and blue pancakes. Dad brought the horse "Seven" over to the ward to let my 3 year old niece AnnaLee ride in the parade on. She loved riding the horse-until LeeAnna and her had a little incident with the horse. Good thing nobody was hurt.
After the Bike Parade and breakfast, we relaxed at home for a bit and then headed down to Sandy City to the carnival/festival. This is a yearly tradition for our family. We park down at target and walk down to the booths. It's so fun walking around. I must say though-it's much more fun when the kids are with me. We saw these bubbles all over the place and then noticed they were coming out of a toy bubble gun. We loved them! My mom, brother Jesse and I each bought one. I thought the girls would love it. Mom thought all her grandkids would love it and Jesse thought his daughter would-well we were ALL right about that. They are so much fun. Steve was attacked by bubbles at the family BBQ party later that evening.
LeeAnna, her friend, Steve and I all went down to the Sandy City Parade. We sat on "Our Corner". Front row seating with the sun behind us, rather than in our eyes. We watched most of the parade, but left about about an hour and 20 minutes. I was getting too hot and sunburned-although the parade didn't even start until 6pm.
After the parade we went back to Mom and Dads house for the BBQ. It was so much fun. We had one of my dad's brothers there with his married and unmarried kids, my dad's sister and her family there, Grandma Wright, some of my siblings and some other friends. It was nice visiting outside without burning up. We sit on the swings and chairs or the lawn and just enjoy each others company with some good BBQ and food.
By the time it was getting dark, we had the line of fireworks ready to light off. Jon always does such a good job at being in charge of the fireworks. All the kids loved getting to help light the fireworks. LeeAnna and her friend did a great job at monitoring the sparklers.
We finished our fireworks and then all turned West to see the Sandy City fireworks. We all just layed on the lawn or relaxed in the chairs as we cranked up the stereo to patriotic music and we watched a great fireworks show.
It was such a fun night! It was so nice to visit with everyone! OH---another thing-there were some who were playing "Horse" with the basketball. I didn't want to play-but after the fireworks, my cousin Chase and his friends were all playing hoops. I got the basketball and shot it clear from by the garage door-which is about a half court shot-and guess what??? The first time I barely missed it-it did the ring around the hoop and missed. The second time, I MADE IT!!! I should have challenged them all in "Horse". I would have won :)

Sandy City Fireworks

LeeAnna and her friend-I just liked the sparkler effects here.


My niece AnnaLee-we did her hair and Aunt LeeAnna put sparklies on her eyes. She's so cute!

Some of th kids jumpin on the tramp

My grandma Wright-dad's mom

Sister Cindy and hubby Corey

Nephew Tommy doing his dance

Steve with the punk lighter Some of the company we had over on the 4th My dad and mom

My niece AnnaLee. She was sad I put the flag in her hair.

Steve being attacked by bubbles.

At the Sandy Parade

Brother Jesse and his daughter AnnaLee

Mom, LeeAnna, AnnaLee, Jesse

Dad in the bike parade

Steve and me at the ward breakfast

AnnaLee and Dad