Lebron???

Travis and Allias are coaching a boys 10U basketball team this year. I was gone one night and Kailyn had to go to practice with them. The 10U girls team was practicing at the same time and she ended up practicing with them for fun. They ended up inviting her to be on the team.....
She had never really played basketball and is scared of flying objects so I was pretty surprised that she wanted to play.
Her coaches have been great, taking her aside and working one on one with her and giving her lots of encouragement. They really enjoy her quirky personality and call her their super star. She has been trying really hard and having a lot of fun. She actually plays pretty aggressive defense and has had at least two or three steals per game. She is also really good comic relief for her little team.
The other night during a time out she told her team they just needed to go out and play like Lebron James. As she walked out onto the court she threw her arms in the air and yelled "The king is in the building!" Then as they were playing she did a few leaping skips across the court. I am pretty sure that if she had seen someone eating fries she would have taken a couple. (if you saw clips from the Cavaliers vs Bulls game you will understand). The coaches and all the parents were cracking up.
Allias and Tyler have been super supportive. Allias even makes signs and brings them to the game. One sign said "#34 The Queen".
It has been a lot of fun watching her. Tyler and Allias are both playing on a church league basketball team but I haven't been able to watch a game yet. Hopefully I will be at the next one!

Memories

Kailyn told me she wanted to make a scrapbook with pictures of her childhood
memories. I told her that was a great idea and let her borrow my camera.
Here is one of the pictures she took!

Not quite sure why she wants to remember this- actually I am not quite sure how anyone will forget it. This is how her room always looks.

Brrrrrr Baseball

New Year's Day we took the kids to the park and played a little ball. It was FREEZING but we had a blast. Travis, Kailyn and I were against Tyler, Allias and a neighbor girl (also a Tyler). The teenagers were no match for us. Especially my AWESOME pitching.

First post of 2010?

Mom if you are reading this I am sorry I have taken soooo long to update.
I guess I will start with Christmas and just go from there.
Kailyn's favorite part of decorating for Christmas is setting up the Nativities.
We got this tree at Lowes for FIVE bucks a week before Christmas!
Travis and Kailyn did most of the decorating.
Christmas Eve- Opening our traditional Christmas Jammies. Kailyn was with me when I bought them and picked hers out but the boys didn't know. When she opened hers she said, "these aren't the ones I wanted but I'll deal with it." She stole that from a video we saw on America's funniest home videos.
Isn't he getting so handsome?
It has been great having Tyler home!!!
Travis liked his or something.
Dorks!
The boys
Girls!
ummmm seriously I can't even think of a caption for this picture......
awwwww
Kailyn and Allias wanted pictures in front of the tree with their dogs. Here are Kailyn and Molly.
Allias and Maisy.
Reading the story of Jesus' birth from the scriptures
Christmas morning- Santa decided to individually wrap each item in their stockings to make the morning last a little longer.
Love her cute little face.
Tyler sporting his new flannel
MORE webkinz!!!!
Allias with his new game. My mom and step-dad got us a Wii and some games but I only have videos (taken on our new video camera that they got us) of the kids opening it. We love it though!!
Travis was adorably sneaky and bought a few things I didn't know about so the kids and I each got a new pair of jeans and I got the Dave Ramsey book and some work out clothes!

We went to our friends the Jensen's for Christmas dinner. We had a lot of fun and some amazing food. Here is the some of the gang playing a little rock band.

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!!! I promise a more recent update very soon!

Everybody wants to be my favorite

And things like this certainly help!
Thanks Jaimee and Becca for my beautiful gingerbread pinata!!!

I didn't want to break it open it was so pretty!
But I eventually gave in to the lure of something yummy inside
my FAVORITE!!! I didn't even know these came in minis- not sure it is a good thing that I know now.
ummmm I am thinking this poem added to the fact that Caitlin treated me sooooo poorly on Sunday may have elevated Jaimee to the top of the favorites list

I know I promised......

pictures of Tyler's graduation and Allias performing but we couldn't take pictures at the graduation and Allias was sitting too far back during the concert to get any good pictures and then our camera battery died so we didn't get any after the concert was over. SORRY!!!!

To make up for my broken promises here are a few consolation pictures and videos!

The first one is from the Smithfield Christmas parade which seriously was the lamest parade I have ever seen in my life and I froze and West didn't even really play but Kailyn still managed to look totally precious!
Here is Tyler in his cap and gown. They are supposed to be mailing me a picture of him getting his diploma and I will scan that in when I get it.
Home!!!!

And as an added bonus that hopefully will make you all forgive me for not keeping my word here are some adorable pictures of Kailyn. Travis put her hair in curlers. What a sweet daddy!!!!!


Taking them out- she wasn't quite sure what she thought at first



adorable drama!!!!
Here are a couple videos of the West Johnston High School Band Christmas concert. You can see Allias' feet if you look really really hard. LOL- this performance made us totally realize why Allias plays the air clarinet all the time.



(oh and in case you care about my SYTYCD opinions- I didn't love the finale- I like it better when it is only four finalist and every body dances with everybody- and I hated that there were no solos!!! I voted for Ellenore- she has been on my favorites list since day one. After Ryan and Ashleigh danced I told Allias- "guaranteed one of the judges are going to say they had more chemistry with their other partners-and sure enough it happened- so annoying")

Prayers for Ella

I guess I am writing this out of a need to do something about a situation I know I can do very little about.
An amazing couple and their family are going through a very trying time right now and I ask that you pray for them and for their daughter Ella. Ella's daddy is blogging their journey at http://www.ellastouch.com/. I can't imagine what they are going through right now. They have been through so much (their six month old son Carson passed away unexpectedly last September). My heart aches for them as they watch their daughter struggle for life.

Can't they all stay????

So You Think You Can Dance was UH MAZING last night!!!!!! I am pretty sure I am going to have my heart broke every week from here on out. I just LOVE them all wayyyy too much.
I voted for Legacy, Kathryn (first time I have ever voted for her) and Ellenore. Allias voted for Russell. If I had to choose anyone to go home it would be Ashleigh and Ryan. I think it would be cool for them to go home together. I like them both it's just I like the others more. I am pretty sure Ashleigh will get the sympathy vote especially after her husband's tearful plea but seriously ACK!!!!
ACK!!!!
I think Jakob is the best dancer but I think Russell could win it all. His joy is totally contagious!


My favorite dance was the contemporary piece choreographed by Travis Wall for Ellenore and Legacy. It was super super fantastic!!!!!

I am scared for the results tonight!!!!
ACK!!! ACK!!! ACK!!!!
I am sooo going to watch this top ten on tour! (I know I know I keep saying this- you will probably hear it several more times before the season is over)

Update?

It has felt weird to not blog everyday- I loved doing the 30 days of thankfulness and there were SOOOO many more things I could have included.

Tyler graduates on FRIDAY! We are sooo proud of him and excited to have him home. I promise we will take lots of pictures and post them asap!

Allias is getting ready to march in a few Christmas parades and then the band will have a Winter Concert next week. He is also helping Travis and Ralph Keaton coach a 10U basketball team and he loves it. He has also taken it upon himself to organize and help coach a church basketball team as well. When this kid gets something in his head he gets pretty zealous about it. I promise to take lots of pictures and maybe even a video and post them asap.

Kailyn is plugging along with school and growing up way to quick. She has made some great friends in the neighborhood so it has been really nice for her to have someone to play with on the weekends.

Travis is working two jobs so we love it every time he is home. He is going to take a few days of vacation this week and next so we are super excited!!! We also just volunteered to be a Ma and Pa on the Pioneer Trek the youth are going on this summer!!! I can't wait. Now I just need to find a house/pet sitter!

I have continued to exercise and eat better. It has been really great to realize that I can make the time to get in shape and stick with it. After one month I have lost eight pounds!!! My waist is two inches smaller and I have lost two inches off my hips as well. The crazy thing is I am really eating more then I ever have. Just more of the right foods and getting myself MOVING! I feel really great!!! I am using a website called nutrimirror.com to journal my food intake and exercise and it has helped a lot. (Thanks Maren for sharing it with me!)

I promise to take lots of pictures in the very near future but in the meantime here are some pictures of Allias and the loaf of banana bread he baked last night.

(I took a bite out of it before we took the picture- sorry)

I think this face means he liked it

Here is one of the adorable socks the Judd girls (and their mom) bought me to wear to Seminary! They also got me a pair of totally adorable penguin toe socks! I love them!!!!
Thank you guys!!!

Kailyn "working" on her school work with Molly