Fun family picture.

TREK

What a great month July is...I usually think about how lucky we are to live in this great country and have the freedoms that we do. This year our ward decided to go to Wyoming and do a pioneer trek for Youth Conference,so I had a lot more to think about. What an amazing experience it was. I was pretty excited to go but had no idea it would be as great as it was.

It was great to be able to go and have Garrett there as well. What amazing kids Jason and I have. Garrett had to talk about a pioneer story he read and then give a spiritual thought. He talked about the wonderful heritage he has from both the Marshalls and the Stahelis. He shared a couple of experiences about Grandpa Staheli and Great Grandpa Marshall and then bore his testimony. I am so proud of him.

I am so grateful for the fact that I did not have to come across the plains. We walked about 18 miles in 3 days I can't imagine walking that far in 1 day. Over all it was a lot of fun and a very spiritual experience.

YEAH!!!!

Tonight for the first time since July I had a piece of chocolate cake. Since I was diagnosed with Celiac I have just gone without a lot of things because I didn't think a gluten free substitue would be very good (I have tried a few and it was better just to go without). Last time we went to the gluten free store I picked up a Kinnikinnick chocolate cake mix, thinking maybe I would get desperate one day. Tonight for family home evening Ash made brownies and I was very jealous so I decided to try the cake mix. I was extremely surprised that it tasted great. Even Jason and Garrett said it was good. Now I can add 1 more thing to my list of gluten free foods that I like. Yeah!!

Well we are off and running again. As spring approaches things seem to get more and more busy at our house.

Ashleigh had her first dance competition on February 27 & 28. She and her two dance friends performed their trio on Friday night . It wasn't the best we have seen them do it but it was certainly good enough to win 1st place and Queen. As you can see from their smiles they were thrilled. As a team that took a 1st and a 2nd. Not too bad for their first competition.

Garrett tried out for the new 8th grade baseball team for West Lake High School and made it. He was very excited and we are very proud of him. He now has practice almost every day and is really loving that...he is always frustrated when it gets canceled because of weather. He loves baseball!

As the mom, I love watching them. Typical of every mother I am so proud of them and think they are the absolute best kids in the whole world.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!

2-4-6-8! I think Cindi's really Great

Well I got up at 7 this morning to take Ash to dance practice. Garrett had spent the night at a friends house and Jason is in England so it was just the girls.

But back to my title.....

I got home at about 9 and around 9:15 the phone rang. When I picked it up I was a little suprised, but always glad, to hear my friend Cindi's voice. She had called to get my password for my blog so she could change it for me. It was about time I got rid of the Christmas stuff. The funniest thing however was that she told me...."I am getting rid of your christmas stuff so that you can blog again." lol. So Cindi, here you go.

Yes, I know I am terrible at this whole blogging thing. If you see new stuff more than once a month I am doing great. So I thought a little bit about why that is and came up with a short list of reasons. Mostly I am just a slacker.

1. Time - I am usually so busy between running my kids around, doing stuff for Young Womens, and trying to keep my house from collapsing because of the mess and dirty laundry, that I rarely sit down at the computer once I get home.

2. Lack of Memory - Honestly, once I sit down at the computer to blog, it has been so long since the last time that I can't remember everything I need to blog about.

3. Content - Our life lately seems to consist of the same old same old. Ash - School, Dance, and musical, Garrett - School and friends, Stacey - Work, family and Young Womens, Jason - Work, Bishopbric stuff, and family. Ash made the somment..."We need to go and do something soon."

4. Pictures - Jason gave me a fantastic new camera for Christmas and we have taken a lot of pictures...I just have never gotten around to getting them transfered from the camera to the computer.

Don't get me wrong, I am not whining. I love the stage of life we are in and we are having a great time living it, I just think it would be nice to be able to hit the pause button for everything going on around us and take time to just relax.

FInally!

Yes, believe it or not I am finally blogging again.  

Obviously, a lot has happened since the last time I blogged.  So lets start at the beginning. 

Ashleigh had her wax museum at the first of November and dressed up as Clara Barton.  She looked so cute in her costume and did a great job memorizing and telling her 10 facts.  She is back in dance and loving it.  She has been working hard and is excited about her team dances and trio.  She is dancing to "All that Jazz" from Annie and they have had a great time learning and practicing their dance.

Garrett has been having a great time at Junior High.  He sings with the audition choir at Willow Creek and had had 3 concerts so far this year.  Not to mention the Festivals he has already been to.  His latest interest has been skateboarding.  He has been having a great time at the new skate park in Eagle Mountain.  Or at least he was until he broke his arm.  Of course the cast didn't stop him from skating.  Oh, well at least he hasn't broken it again.  He has only been out of his cast for about 2 weeks but so far so good.

As for Jason and I as usual we just work, do our church stuff and chase kids.  Jason is still in the bishopric as the 2nd counselor.  I can't say that he loves it but he certainly loves the people he works with and we receive lots of blessings because of it.

Needless to say we are all really excited for Christmas.  We finally got snow here in Eagle Mountain, so it is finally looking like Christmas.  Now if we could just finish all we need to before Christmas gets here.