THE STRIKERS

Sophie played soccer this summer after taking a 18 month break from it. She is so much fun to watch, she is a go getter and really gets in there. She plays the position of Forward(I think thats what they still call it) After her first game in July, a couple of parents asked if she played club soccer, so now we have signed up for club soccer that will take us to tournaments in Phoenix once a month and one in Colorado next May. She is so excited about being able to still play a game that she loves and is learning to get really good at it... I'll let you know how the season goes.

I am officially a Soccer Mom!





PS I will post her official soccer photo when I can get my Scanner to start working! Also, I need to go MOM MY RIDE!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

This is Helen Lucille Olsen Wright and today she turns 91 years young. She is an amazing women, she still goes to water aerobics, volunteers at the hospital and plays with her Bridge group weekly. I can only hope that I can still be going like that when I'm her age. I love that my children have been able to meet most of their great-grandparents, it's amazing having all four generations together.

Yesterday, we drove down to Mesa and had a big BBQ with my extended family of Aunts, Uncles and cousins and their kids. We had a great time and I love seeing and catching up with them. The kids had a great time swimming, we are almost out of swim season here in Flagstaff, but I don't know if one even started! The food was great and my Grandma was so excited to have so many people there to celebrate HER!

I love you Grams!

Olympic Spirit

Who has gotten into the Olympic spirit this year? We have! We have loved the swimming, gymnastics, beach volleyball, track and field, and of course, speedwalking! (Loved it) Fred and I were laughing so hard I thought I was going to wet myself.

This year has been great for the US, Michael Phelps, Sean would scream at the TV--Go Michael Phelps Go!
The women's gymnastics team did awesome
and I just can't believe people can run so fast. I would still be getting into the blocks as they were crossing the finish line. The Women's soccer scored the Gold and so did the Beach Volleyball, both men and women! We even loved watching the Redeem Team play basketball, but my most favorite thing to watch is the medals ceremony-I love to watch them raise our flag and it gets me all teary eyed. I love our Anthem! I am so grateful for this beautiful free country that we live in. What an exciting summer! Let me know what you enjoyed about the Olympics this year!

I hope that everyone had a great summer and are ready to settle into a new school year! I know I am, I start school next week and I'm ready for the challenge. Summer school was great, glad it's over and I got A's in both of my classes.

ROCK STARS?

OK quick blog...

About a month ago Fred was asked to serve in the Elder's Quorum as 2nd counselor. He has enjoyed the calling very much and by him taking it, we have truly been blessed. (We now get the soft benches at church) So anyways, last night they held their weekly meeting at our house and after it was done, Fred asked if I would set up Rock Band for them. As soon as I got them going, I snuck down with my camera and recorded them! I thought it was so funny to see these 3 'grown' men take turns and becoming 'WANNABE' rock stars! They are singing Nirvana, hence the Nirvana picture, do you see any similarities? That's what I thought! Enjoy!!!

Words of Caution--It's pretty intense so look away if you have too!!

1st Day of School

TODAY, August 19, 2008 is the day that I've been looking forward too all summer. TODAY, the girls started their first day back to school at Mountain Charter School, not that I haven't enjoyed the summer spending time with my girls, but come on--they need a BREAK from ME!

Sarah starts the 6th grade, Sophie is in a 4th-6th grade multi-age class and of course, Sydney is in Kindergarten. They have all grown so much since last year--I found last year's pictures so take a look and see how much they have changed!





I hope that every mother has a GREAT 1st day of School!

Hit the Road Jack!

Sydney and Mrs Joni

Sydney starts kindergarden tomorrow after being at home for nearly SIX years! I thought the day would never come. We met her teacher, Mrs. Joni today and I know that she is going to have a great time. As for me, I think it will be bittersweet, I've wanted this child to go away for a LONG time and now she's leaving me, I think I might get sad. I LOVE Sydney and I hope that she has a great time and makes lots of friends, because as her preschool teacher told me, "She probably won't be your valedictorian, but she will have lots of friends." (she meant this as she is a social butterfly and she can talk and do assignments at the same time)

GOOD LUCK SYDNEY!!!!!



Sydney's Signature (Do you think I gave her a hard enough name to spell?)

Let's Go Edward! Let's go!

If you haven't figured out which "team" I'm on, then you need to read the Twilight series! I finished Breaking Dawn on my trip to Vegas and I LOVED it. (My family is super glad that I finished it especially Fred) If anybody else out there has finished it let me know what "team" you're on! If you haven't seen the latest trailer check it out!

Save the date-12/12/08

Let's make it a girls night and don't forget your Team Edward Shirt!

WhaT HaPPens in VeGas. . .

What does happen in Las Vegas? Apparently a lot when the Reese's are in town for 5 days. Fred had a conference in Vegas so we decided to take the kids on one last romp before school starts. We headed out last Friday, on I-40 and stopped at our favorite Route 66 dive The Snow Cap- they have great food and a fun atmosphere and of course, Sheriff from the Cars movie has retired there.



SATURDAY- We played with our friends, the Beans, apparently I didn't take any pictures at their house so you'll have to check out the Bean's blog! We had a great time catching up and enjoying each other's company. It was like we just moved away from each other yesterday! We also ran into our other Tucson friends, the Spalding's, they were lucky because they didn't have their kids. I kept telling Fred I wanted to go and watch Mamma Mia and kept singing the song-Sean picked it up and here is his rendidtion!!!



SUNDAY- YES-we were good and went to church with the Beans, with all of the sinning going on around us how could I not go to church! Fred and I had a dinner that night so I got to get all dressed up and we went to some "fancy" Wolfgang Puck restaurant and ate with some of the people that work at the Grand Hotel in SLC.



MONDAY-the Bean's came over and swam with us at our hotel, Mandalay Bay, we had a great time hanging out at the wave pool, the kiddie pool and the lazy river, OK to rent a tube there cost $20, now Sarah was the one who checked on the prices, so I can't verify the accuracy of what she was telling me, so we floated along the lazy river, actually it felt like a workout doing squat walks going around that thing a million times! (tiny exaggeration)



TUESDAY-We met the Beans and went shopping-let me just give you the equation and you can guess how it went- Two moms and EIGHT kids! Yeah that's what I thought! That night we went to the Shark Reef aquarium with Fred, it was fun, but jeez EXPENSIVE!! (am I sounding like a cheap skate-because I meant too!)



Video of the Shark Showcase, enjoy it so you don't have to spend thousands of dollars when you take your family there, just say we already saw it on Elisa's blog!


Then we took the kids to the M&M factory, more EXPENSIVE crap, so I let my kids get the $2 tube of mini M&M's. They were just excited to get their own M&M bag!



After the M&M factory, Fred had to go back to his closing reception, the Styx played and he caught a drumstick! So I decided to take the kids to see the Bellagio fountains play, I love them and I could sit and watch them forever! The kids loved them and had a great time watching them. Now I loved the Mandalay Bay, but Holy Crap that hotel is the last one on the Strip, so as were walking back to the hotel, I just kept telling the kids, just keep looking forward, don't look down, don't look around, just keep looking forward! I swear the next time I go back I'm not taking Kids! The NKOTB are playing Oct 11, anyone want to go! Loved them in HS!



The Bellagio Fountains!


So I didn't get to go to France for my Anniversary, but I did get to see the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas, I bet it's even more grand in Paris and that's something I'm willing to BET on!

Who Pooped in the Park?

Not me, but the Grand Canyon sure would like you to know who does. Wednesday we took Parker to the Grand Canyon, because when we asked him if he wanted to go see the Grand Canyon,he said "What's that?" You can't come to AZ and not see the Grand Canyon. We decided to drive the back way and go through the Reservation- we saw some Native Americans (Politically Correct), but then we saw a sign and I couldn't resist, we had to stop, but we couldn't find the nice Indians behind us!

We finally got to the Grand Canyon, we now know why they call it GRAND, it was beautiful, and I think we were the only ones that spoke English! I made sure all of the kids didn't get to close too the edge. Because that is one long fall and nobody is recovering from that!



This is the LAST thing you see IF you were to fall at the GRAND CANYON!

Please enjoy the slide show, too many pictures to post separately!

This is what happens to a GOOD camera when BAD kids get their hands on IT!

We had a great time--We are off to Vegas tomorrow and I have my math final tonight! Wish me LUCK!