Tagged by Paige

Tag yourself! Copy and paste into your blog. Put an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not, then answer the questions at the end. This is for your entire life! (Paige, I changed a few things)

(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
(x) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
(x) Been to Washington , DC
(x) Been on a cruise
(x) Been lost
(x) Cheated on a boyfriend
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x)Paid for a meal with coins only
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
( ) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Been skinny dipping outdoors
( ) Gone to the movies alone
(x) Got a speeding ticket
( ) Stolen a traffic sign

1. Any nicknames? Momma Joe, Birdie, Scrangie, Sebastian, Angie babe, Showpony

2.Favorite Drink? Virgin Margarita

3. Mother's name? Bonita

4. Tattoo? Never

5. Body Piercing? Ears, used to have belly button

6. How much do you love your job? I LOVE being a stay at home mother and wife

7. Birthplace? McKay Dee hospital in Ogden

8. Favorite vacation? Italy

9. Ever been scuba diving? No, but I've been snorkeling

10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? No, I’m not a big cookie fan.

11. Ever been on TV? Yes and had my name on the news for a picture I sent in too.

12. Ever been skydiving? Yes

13. Ever been in a car accident? No, except for fender bumps at stop lights.

14. Favorite car? Lexus Landcruiser

15. Favorite salad dressing? Ranch

16. Favorite pie? Raspberry

17. Favorite number? 21

18. Favorite movie? Meet the Parents

19. Favorite holiday? Christmas

20. Favorite dessert? Sticky Popcorn

21. Favorite food? onions

22. Favorite day of the week? Thursday

23. Favorite brand of body wash? Walmart brand Equate, (St. Ives imitation I think)

24. Favorite toothpaste? Crest

25. Favorite smell? Chlorine and baby oil at a swimming pool

26. What do you do to relax? After my kids are in bed, watch recorded shows and eat a snack.

27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Tierra will be 25 so hopefully I'll be a grandma! Hudson will be a senior so hopefully I'll be a missionary mom soon. Parks will be 15 and learning to drive so I'll be worried just like I am now with Tierra. Logan will be a teenager at 13, my last boy to receive the priesthood and attending YM's. Probaby all 3 of my boys will be involved in sports so I'll be running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. I can see us living in a newer house and me still in the routine of getting up with my 3 boys for school, cleaning house and I have a fun part-time day job, unless I'm babysitting for Tierra. :) But I hope she is lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom like me.

Thanksgiving Day at the Rec Center

This year was Thanksgiving Dinner with my side of the family. We weren't overly crowded that we needed to rent the Rec Center, but we had enough people that we wouldn't fit comfortably at my house or my brother Darren's.

It was perfect because the kids younger kids could run wild, the older kids could play sports in the gym and we all worked off our big full guts. Here's Parks and Tierra getting a munchy before the dinner's ready.

Larry carving the turkey and my sister-in-law Joy and my mom keeping the food warm.

I'm mad that I forgot to take pictures of everyone actually eating dinner. Here is Hudson, Logan and cousins Micaela and Hunter enjoying Pumpkin and Banana Cream pie.

Then the kids played some basketball.

We played dodgeball, me and my kids favorite! We played last year at the church and had so much fun that we were excited to do it again. The next day I was so sore! That tells you I need to get off the computer and lift some weights! Here is THEIR team. At first it was Darren's family against mine. Which they have older teenage boys. But my little boys skunked them over and over! And his kids weren't taking it easy on mine either. They learned to get Hud out first because he would catch all their throws to keep our players in and get them out at the same time. Hud and Skrap are use to playing dodgeball after school here against older kids. When my older brother came with his two kids to play then we switched it up a bit. MY team.

Our side bench sitting out. Their side bench sitting out! ha ha

Then we also played lightening. The guys between 6'1 and 6'7 were always the last 3 in the game for some reason! Tierra working the stereo while my niece Allie tried to do Arial's. (sp?) Cartwheels with no hands.


Our family pic. minus Hunter???

Pioneers arrive in SLC, Nov. 30, 1856

The Saints arrived on a Sunday 152 yrs ago today. It is so fitting that today is the Sabbath Day and I will be thinking of them.

Larry and I were lucky enough to be chosen as a Ma and Pa to go on the Martin Cove's Trek this past summer. We attended monthly training meetings (4hrs long each) starting back in February. It took a lot of preparation, both physically and spiritually. I really wanted to go this year because Tierra would be going also. This opportunity only comes every 4 yrs. and there are rumors that the church may stop going to the actual Martin's Cove and Rocky Ridge sites because of the cost. The buses alone to transport all the youth and leaders to Wyoming was $27,000. But our prophet knows how significant this Trek is for the youth and how it has changed many lives.

We were "blessed" with 7 kids not including our doll baby. Alexis, Elise, Lisa, Ryan, Josh, Jordan and Camille.

Me, 2 of our boys and Larry pulling our hand cart.

2 of our daughters and our baby girl that had to be carried all the way.

I didn't get any pictures of us on the buses, but I felt that was the funnest time and the place our family bonded most since we spent almost 6 hours on them each way. We met our kids for the first time as we loaded up on a July morning at 5am. We played lots of get to know you games and one activity was to decorate and name our baby doll. We chose Sha-nae-nae. We also made our family flag and voted on our family name which was The Covenites and our motto was"Choose to Remember" (CTR).

Here is Tierra pushing her cart with her family and stopping for a water break. She didn't wear her bonnet much and got burned on one side of her face and her lips and nose got blistered. Kids!

Tierra and Larry. We were always glad to see our "real" child and know she was OK.

We either had to pull up front or push from behind. It helped to have our wagon loaded properly. We had 2, 5 gallon jugs for water and gatorade, and all 9 of our buckets full of our personal belongings. Plus one crate for snacks and supplies to load and make balance. We were lucky because we didn't have to take our sleeping bags. The team in charge of food, rode to camp and took all the tarps and sleeping bags for us.

Tierra at camp with her family.
We met up with Shae. We were divided into 4 colored groups. I was in the green (thus the headband) and Tierra was in the blue. Shae and Tierra sharing their stories and looking at their sore feet.
The women had to do a "Woman's pull". We had to pull our carts up a steep hill by ourselves. My daughters and I tied our aprons around our necks for a cape, so we could be "Super Woman" and have the strength. It was very spiritual (after we got our capes on). The men and boys were at the top of the hill watching. They were touched and many were crying, wanting to help their families.
Our cart coming up the steep hill. Some girls went down after they were done to help others, but we didn't want help. We wanted to know what it felt like to do it ourselves and remember the true women pioneers who lost their husbands and struggled on their own.

Larry and I at camp that evening. I only had a disposable camra because the dust might ruin our good camras, so the pictures aren't that great.

Tierra, Kiersten and Emily. We spread our sleeping bags out on tarps to sleep. This is what camped looked like at 6am when the siren went off for us to get up and come get our breakfast. We had it easy compared to the pioneers. Most meals were made for us and it was good food.

Tierra and I ready for another day of Trekking. This day we would go to Martin's Cove then return back to this same camp for a total of 17 miles!

Ryan, Josh and myself pulling and singing pioneer songs. Each family took turns being the leader, thus the red, white and blue flag. Then we'd move to the back for rotation.
Periodically, we would have a water and potty break at these outhouses along the trail. We stopped often to drink from our waterbottles, but many trekkers still got dehydrated.

Me and my boys giving the gang sign for South Weber, I think. he he

Larry and his 3 sons.
Martin's Cove looked like a slight mound of grass up against the mountains to the left and a little behind Larry from this view point.

I thought we had arrived at Martin's Cove when we came here, but this is Dan's Cove. This was before you reach Martin's Cove. We had a devotional and it was so hard not to fall asleep in the shade.

Camille and I. Going up and around to Martin's Cove took a toll on Camille. She was exhausted and her feet were sore and blistered. I had to link arms with her to keep her going. She was a real trooper.

Our family, (minus one son and one daughter) at the dedication plaque coming out of Martin's Cove.

Crossing at the Sweet Water. It was very sacred here, and there was no talking. Many Pioneers lost their lives from exposure after crossing this river.

Then we were able to wade across ourselves. (Tierra second girl back.) The water felt so good on our feet. We wish we were able to let loose and have a water fight, but not on sacred ground. Back at camp. My family too tired to even set up camp. We shared a camp station with the Poffs.
My feet and hips ?? were killing me. I didn't have any blisters though.

Day 3. Heading down the final stretch.

Veil Crossing. This plaque represents the people who were thought to have had their work done, but hadn't and weren't discovered until 1992. They had been waiting over 100 years to have their temple work done.

The crevice in these mountains is Devils Gate.
Larry washing out our wagon after a long dusty journey.

We had a couple missionary from our ward serving there at the time. They gave a devotional one night at camp.
I have a testimony of the pioneers and their sacrifice. I'm grateful I was able to experience just a taste of where they walked and to read and hear of their tragedies and triumphs. I read "The Price We Paid" before going on Trek. It is one of my favorite books now!

We have had wonderful weather this fall. But those pioneers were caught in early winter storms out on the plains of Wyoming with no shelter or food. I know I don't have the faith they had, but I'm learning through them.

Happy Thanksgiving from....

To yours!

Indian Pow Wow

Today Parks had an Indian Pow Wow party in his Kindergarten class. We had 4 centers. This one he painted a clay pot they had made last week and then they got to look at books in this Tee-pee. They also made a sand drawing, and a "buck-skin" map with hieroglyphics. I was over the Indian Fry bread center. The kids flattened out their own piece of dough. I deep fried them and they ate them with honey butter and cranberry juice.
Logan loves to come to Skrappers class. Mrs. Farr is so nice and lets him play with all her toys. Logan had a few other class siblings to play with today, but he'd rather hang out with Parks most of the time.
They have been very busy making these Indian faces, "buck-skin" vests, drums, shakers, necklaces and headbands during the past week.
They chose their own Indian name. Parks made up "Wild Turkey". A few of the fun names I saw in class were...Spaz, Soaring Eagle, Jumping Turtle, and Dancing Lily. Notice they even have a place on their vest to carry their Papoose's. Parks didn't have time to finish his.
Tomorrow is another fun day, they are having a "Pilgrim party" with all the Thanksgiving fixings. Then they will be out for 5 days for the holiday!