Ahh Winter! What Christmas is coming?! And other Musings...

Winter is here and in Santa Clara it is cold!!! But not as cold as it is in Provo. Here I sit watching the news while I am coughing, sneezing and feeling achy. Yet, I am thinking about how beautiful that white stuff is, but thankful that it is not here where I live. I am sure that there are others out there that feel the same way! Right Dad?

Anyway, with Winter is the knowledge that Christmas is coming, and the joy and stress of finding the right gift for those that you love. My friend Andrea keeps asking me what I want and I just keep telling her that I just want her friendship and yet, presents are fun! But Ireally don't think that I NEED anything for Christmas except time with family and friends.

Maybe it is because I know that there are things that the kids need, Mckenna a dresser and a new mattress, Kyler doesn't really need anything, but want's a XBox 360, which he will not be getting since it cost $300! and Devin needs his room decorated and new bike since he has outgrown his so much that his legs hurt when he rides. But the biggest thing that Devin wants is a new IPOD. Wow, that one cost anywhere from $299 to$499 depending on how many Gigibites you want.

But, I guess, none of that stuff is really anything that anyone really NEEDS to live life. Yes, I would like Mckenna to have a dresser so that her clothes are not sitting on her closet floor, yes, a new mattress would be great since then she would be more peaceful sleeping, but does Devin really NEED that room decorated or the IPOD? Does he really NEED a Bike? Not really, but I know that it something that he WANTS. And what is Christmas for kids, but for Wanting gifts??? Will they get what they want? Not the expensive stuff, will they get games, and clothes, and new movies and Cd's? Yes, but most importantly they will be getting family time with there parents who love them, while they are skiing during the Christmas Break. They will be storing memories to hold in their hearts when the hard times come and they can look back on the fun times and smile.

Like I do with my childhood memories, the skates that I used on Zanadu Hill, the dolls that my sisters and I played with, the Greenmachine that Jennifer and I rode all over, but especially, my mom taking me to the movies at the Scera Movie theater, walking to McDonalds and having apple pies and hot cocoa, building snow men and making snow angels. Playing games whether they were with our parents or with the older "kid" games which had missing pieces, but nevertheless were our very own to play with whenever we wanted. Or, going sledding in the mountains, or the Murray Park hill and freezing, but having the time of our lives! Those were great times and I cherish them dearly, and that is what I want for Christmas for my kids, matt and I to have, more wonderful memories to hold in our hearts for those times when we are apart.

So, we start our memory making time with our Christmas Tree cutting day and move on from there to our 12 Days of Christmas Santa Elves gifts to a family that might need a little something to look foward to also and build laughs about how close the family got to finding out who was giving them gifts like a few years ago. Those are the gifts that I want to give my family good, clean fun, good memories and the biggest gift of understanding what Christmas is really all about, the Saviour giving us the best gift of all~ the gift of Choice and also Eternal life! So, we do our Nativity stories and watch Mr. Krueger's Christmas, and read all the fun stories that help bring the spirit into the season and hopefully that will be looked back on fondly also.

And with that thought, for those of you that are included in my memories, I thank you for your love, for those of you who are brand new in our family; like Josh, I look forward to building memories with you too.

Love to all, Sandi

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays~

How many Birthday's can one family have in November? Well in my immediate family we have 4 and then one niece.

I love November it brings the color changing of the leaves, crisp cool air and the yummy smells of baking and soup, but at our house it also brings a lot of birthday cake and friends swarming in the house. This year was no different! We started with Kyler's birthday here was a pre-tween who had TWO parties, how is that possible do you say? Well, Kyler decided to have a party at the local indoor swimming pool which only a few friends could come since they also had basketball camp that weekend. We didn't know about camp because Kyler isn't playing basketball, so a few of his friends didn't go to camp so that they could spend the day with Kyler which we thought was really nice of them! Then after he recieved his birthday present from us, he decided that he need to have a party with all of his friends and Devin's friends so that they could have a paintball war! This is the biggest rage in the neighborhood. Paintballing is a very expensive habit, but it does keep the kids doing their jobs and not whinning about it so that they have allowance money for paintballs.
Kyler also had a very large friend come and play paintball with the kids~ Matt wanted to play and the kids loved having him, so much so that they asked him to play again the next Saturday, but heavens, he couldn't play because the big game was on... BYU vs. UofU! That was a great day (well, maybe not for BYU fans, or our friends,) especially since we watched the game with friends, had a tailgate party and delicious cake and icecream for Devin's birthday celebration that he had for his 15th birthday.

Devin decided that he was having a Paintball party also and had invited all his friends, and Kyler's friends and then sad for Devin his gun was jammed with a paintball and the game was over for him. His friends (and Kyler for that matter,) kept playing and then decided that it wasn't cool for them to be playing while Devin was gone and came back to watch the rest of the game. We all know how that game turned out so we won't talk about it- unless your Matt and he will talk about it over and over again! hehehe...

I can not believe that Kyler is really 12 and Devin is really 15! I remember being each of these ages and I am sad that it is going so fast! Where is the time going? I am sure that we all ask ourselves this same question over the years and the answer is never easy to take. The answer is that, Time goes forward and because of that our children get older, we get older and those around us get older. I know someday that I will be so old that I will forget what it was like to be young, but I also believe that the saying of "your only as young as you feel" is still good for me. I think it is fun to be thought of as Devin's sister at times, (i am not sure it is for him, but usually he just laughs and goes along with it and make it all a joke,) I think it is great that people have a hard time believing that I am 36 years old, have been married for 18 years and have 3 kids with Devin being 15 and yes, I was old enough to have him and be married! I have had that alot in the last few months, usually some younger person that is very unexpecting of the answer and the shock shows on their face as if they were slapped with the reality of it all. But I also hate it when sometimes people don't take me seriously because they think that I am younger than I am. That makes it frustrating to be so young looking. But that is usually in the minority of my experiences, so it's not so bad.

Okay, so we have had lots of birthdays and I hope that everyone who has had a birthday in the last month knows how much I love them and that I love being part of this family, mine and yours! I love you all.

Oh, by the way, I would have put in pictures, but my computer is down and so I am using Matt's laptop to finish this post. I started it weeks ago, but didn't have time to finish and then the computer crashed and I decided it might never get done if I don't do it now. So, please forgive me for no pictures, but you will have some soon. Well, okay, not as soon as you think, but within the month. Love to all, Sandi

What in the World? What is Kyler doing in Idaho?

Kyler isn't really in Idaho! A team from Idaho came to play in a Rocky Mountain Baseball Tourney and needed another player, so they called the director who thought of Kyler and they called Matt and asked if Kyler would play with them. Since Kyler's team wasn't playing during UEA he said, "I would love it!"

He had such a fun time. He got to play all the positions that he wanted to and he pitched during one of the games and did real well!

The kids were put together two weeks before coming to St.George from various towns in Eastern Idaho and then they disbanded after the games were over, so Kyler got to keep the uniform, the team gave him the game ball and a really nice tourney shirt with all the kids and coaches signitures on it! We gave the team treats and a really nice card in their team colors with a picture of Kyler and his phone number so that when they come into town they can call him.

We loved it because he had to break out of his shy shell and was able to meet new kids and build a relationship with others that has turned into a penpal experience. One of the kids is coming back during Christmas time and they are going to call Kyler up when they are here.

I think that it was a great experience for him! 

The many views of Halloween (or) where is Kyler?

So! is anyone wondering where Kyler is besides carving pumpkins? Well I sure do! I guess I should tell you that he is dressed as the invisible child!

No, really, Kyler was never home when the camera was out. In the morning he went to school dressed as a football playing granny with shocking bright red hair! it was awesome!

Then for trick 'n' treating he went just as a football player, I guess the wearing of the dress really bothered him!

He went with his friends down in the valley, because that is were the richer folks are and he wanted really good candy!


Devin changed costumes too! First he went to school as a injured Paintball player, then during the evening he went from Devin to a Gorilla (or as his sign said, "The Gorilla unit!,) but then the costume got hot so he came home with all his treat or treat gang and changed back into the injured Paintballer! He had a lot of fun, in the group picture you can see all his original gang or as we call them " THE TROUBLES AND THE 4 MUSKATEERS!" Can you tell which one is which?

I think that Mckenna had the most fun of all but with regret and no fun for her mom! This year Mckenna went just with friends around the neighborhood. She told me that she was old enough and didn't need me or Matt anymore! So, we have crossed the threshhood of not being cool anymore with any of our children.... Boo Hoo. Hey, does anyone like the dead hip hopper in the pictures? Isn't that an awesome scar? Thriller was the inspiration for the makeup! Thanks Michael Jackson for that one! Does anyone remember how Dad taped the Thriller video about a million times because he thought it was so cool and could never remember if he had it already? Sharon do you have that video on a million of your VHS?

It was really fun though because Matt and I decked out the porch with a fog machine (skull head where the fog comes out of the skulls nose holes,) red lights, lighted pumpkins, bag lumiaries and torches complete with spider webs, spiders and very spooky music, even though I think that sometimes it had "watch out Darby Circle!" and in with this spooky music was some really awesome screams for help from someone that sounded really familiar(Who is it anyone?) I love the memory of it all plus the carrying over of traditions. Matt and I sometimes fought over who was going to answer the door, but he dressed up and I didn't and so I let him open it more! But I did get to work the fog machine.

Next year it is going to be even more fun because we are doing a spooky porch walk complete with skeletal pirate and warnout black sail cloth AND a party for Devin's friends since they have now decided that they are too old for trick 'n' treating!

Sometimes it is just sad how time goes so fast and the kids grow up, so for those of you with little ones get as many pictures and video as you can so that you can have great smile memories later! (hint, hint, Sharon and Diana!) 

Life as a playwright and other exciting stuff

Wow! Has it really been 2 months since I last wrote?
I have been so swamped with life that I haven't had time to sit down and write any updates, but I feel as if I have lost contact with my family!
Besides, just living our busy life, I have been busy trying to help Mckenna's friend Madison's family find a new house in Santa Clara. They are moving back from Idaho and with the house prices the way they are, I think that they wish they had never moved since houses have skyrocketed in price. We found a house for her just around the corner and you will not believe the price: 3100 square feet of house with 5 rooms, and a pool all of the low price of...$354,000.00! They dropped the price $30,000 but that is still insane!!! Most houses here are going for $400,000.00 bottom price, but this house is 20 years old and so it is a little less in price.

I have also been spending my days writing a Christmas play for our ward party! It is about spending Christmas with the Smiths. Unfortunately for me, the Prophet Joseph (or anyone else for that matter,) only wrote about 2 Christmas that they celebrated and that doesn't give much to work with. I have really enjoyed the research that I have done to fill in the story line. The reading has really helped make my testimony stronger about the restoration of the Church.
The play is only 30 minutes long and so isn't too bad. I am done with the script and am working on logistics such as cast members, music and props. The props are very simple, a table and desk which I already have, a book, a pen for Joseph to write in, a rug, a rocking chair and a few benches to sit on. I think that we will have some garland and battery operated lights (candle looking.)
Music is a problem right now. Our choir is so busy with their own program for Sacrament that I don't dare ask for anything more, they are also doing some music appreciation stuff for Relief Society, I may just have 4 people be carolers and call that good. I also am planning on having a fiddler for the dancing scene at the end of the play, but the rest will just be recorded music. I am looking for the correct period of music that they had then. I have a few songs, a few hymns that Emma compiled into the first hymnbook but I need some good prelude music and postlude music while we are moving to the next activity during the evening. If anyone has any great ideas PLEASE let me know (hint, hint dad!)

Halloween is coming so I will post more than!

Hey What's this party all about?

Here are a few hint pictures!


Who's is it?


Ah, it must be Mckenna's! But why?


Because Mckenna is NINE today


Happy Birthday Mckenna! We love you!

Nieces, Nieces, Nieces AND a NEPHEW!

So, I get to Provo and a new little wonderful person has joined our "Field" family!
I wonder what this little guy will be like, what will his personality be, will he be dark haired or blonde, what is his name going to be? And then I think, ah, it doesn't matter because I am his aunt Sandi and my job is just to make him laugh, spoil him rotten and make sure that he knows that HE should love me best!

But what in the world are those parents of his going to call him anyway? Just kidding by the time I have written and published this everyone knows that this little man's name is Joshua Hunter Allen. So, not only don't I have the only boys in the family anymore, but I also don't have only nieces. Cool! But we DO still have the winner on the number of girls in the Field Family with a total of 4 girls vs. 3 boys, sorry boys, but, the girls still have the vote! That will be something that will haunt the boys when they get older and are trying to decide who gets to have Grandma take them for Ice Cream or humm... will be shopping for clothes instead!?


Diana and Josh

AH, the joy of babies, you can add to the family and it makes it more exciting, more glorious because of the noises, the babbles, the funny faces and then I realized that the funny faces and the babbles are coming from Josh's sister Kira!


Look at messy face but most of all look at that SMILE!

What a great little girl that one is! Diana and Lou should be very proud of her! The two days that I spent with Kira was smiles, laughter and funny pictures plus swinging in swings, sliding down slides, driving pretend trucks and tic-tack-toe! Only me and Kira know what the tic-tack-toe is about!! We also took a VERY LOOOONG walk to Smiths, because I wanted to walk, had to get a welcome home Diana present and I thought that Smiths was just around the corner but, after finding out that my walk turned out to be about 2 1/2 miles long and hot! We finally made it home. I put Kira down for a nap and read a very appropriate book entitled, "BETWEEN SISTERS." Then Diana and Lou came home and relaxation was coming Diana's way for a few hours until Josh came home and the fun of learning to be not a family of 3, but a family of 4 started and on to the excitement that we all call living!

Diana and Lou congratulations! You have an awesome family! Remember, that we have all gone through the lack of sleep, the grossness of barf on our shirts, the smiles that come from the kitty noises that babies make, the big toothless smiles when they are looking at you and the humor that we all need to find when it just seems like it is just too much. We all love you because we do don't hesitate to call on any or all of us at once and we will be right there!

Isn't that right folks?

HI HO, HI Ho it's off to Diana's I go!

Hopefully, by the time I get there I will be able to meet that next little boy that becomes the 3rd in the Field family of Grandsons!

I am excited that Sharon called me to see if I could help watch Kira because Kira is a great baby and I think that this will be a fun time to see Diana and Lou's little boy.

I will let you know, how every thing is and update you with pictures etc, when I get home!

AHHHHH, The secret is out!

The bad thing about having a friend whose husband is in the bishopric is that when they come to your house to drop of home made bread for your sweetheart who is having a bad week (okay, maybe year!,) and the 2nd counselor has never been in your house and he notices the really awesome black grand piano and asks who plays the piano in that really excited voice, you know..., that yes, you will someday be playing the piano for the primary or the relief society or WORSE, Sacrament meeting.

AS much as I explain that I don't play for anyone but myself, you can tell that his wheels in his brain are working. Then he tells you that the Primary is hurting for an accompianist. Then you hear Matt and Nola (my friend,) saying if you ask she will except and you are screaming in your head WHAT, DON"T YOU PEOPLE LISTEN TO ME? I SAY NO!!! Luckily for me, Sunday has not come, there has been no Executive Secretary calls yet and after this Sunday we will be out of Town for the next 2 Sundays!

I don't know why but I just like to keep this piano stuff to myself, it is my destressor, it is my private time and I don't want to ruin that by HAVING to play for others.

I know that I am not sharing one of my talents, that this gift was given to me and I should share it but I don't want too, what's so wrong with that?

Well, does any one have anything to say about that?

Also, did anyone find the answer to my question in the question blog?

Let me know, okay?

Home is always fun even when it was never where you lived...

Being with my Mom, Dad and Mary was really fun. We ate very delicious pizza, hung out at the pool, had a great barbeque and the highlight of our time was spent playing SkipBo and Kyler beating us 90% of the time.


our fun time of playing SkipBo. We ended up having to buy the games os that he could keep winning us all


The beautiful sunset from my parents house -I caught this the 2nd day we were at the beach. It was spectacular, unfortunetly, you can't really tell from the picture.


I love being with my parents it is really fun to talk to them, give them hugs and be able to just look at them anytime I want. Mary, Mom, Mckenna and I went shopping (or looking) at a really great mall and ate at the Cheesecake Factory. That was really fun, because the resteraunt was fancy, not so expensive and yet you felt like you were living like a queen. And we participated in the North Redington Beach Patriotic Parade- and had hotdogs, drinks, chips and icecream afterwards.


On the 4th of July we went to (or should we say were in,) the North Redington Beach patriotic parade.


The beautiful view of the bay. I have this one as my background on my computer because it is my most favorite view of all. I could get a chair sit looking at the bay for hours because it is so relaxing and peaceful.

It was so very hard to say goodbye to my parents and Mary when the time came but, when push came to shove we had to leave because Hurricane Dennis was coming and we needed to get to the Airport. We ended up staying at the Airport for 3 hours before we actually could leave for Atlanta, not because Tampa was having problems, but because Atlanta was having problems. We would get on the plane and then they would deboard us, then we went get back on the plane and we sat for an 1 1/2 til we could take off. Then we were stuck in a holding pattern because Atlanta was so packed with other flight traffic. But finally we landed in Atlanta, and had to board a flight that was not the one I had booked because we had missed our flight.
We arrived in Las Vegas at 12:30 a.m. and the family that had our car was so extremly nice to come and get us at 1:30 a.m and let us sleep at their house even though Matt told them that we would sleep in the Airport. We left Sunday morning for home and then vegged out all of the rest of that day. Whew.... I didn't know it would take two days to get home, but it sure was nice to walk into our own house and all the kids toys and large space after sitting on the plane and in the car cramped together.
Also, I needed to get home so that we could have our carpet installed in the living room and family room!

I loved our trip, I miss our family, the humidity and the beach, but we do get to see some Florida Family when Sharon, Rich and the Girls come in a few days!

Thanks so much for all the fun, Hope we can do it again! Sandi

Fishing on the Gulf

One of the Days the boys and Matt spent half the day on a Private fishing expedition. Mckenna and I were going to go, but Mckenna decided that she didn't want to see the sharks. They had had a lot of Shark attacks the week we were in Orlando and so she was afraid of the Sharks. Mckenna and I ended up spending the day at the beach.

Matt said that the boys had a lot of fun, caught a lot of fish which they gave to the crew of the ship (or Mates,) and got really good sun.



Matt and the boys on their fishing expedition


Kyler and the fish that he caught


Obviously, Devin has the sun in his eyes, but he did have fun fishing

Here comes the sun, or Why would anyone want to live in the snow when they can have the beach?

Well maybe people would like to live in the snow when your other option is to have red tide and the beach smells!

Okay, so for a little while the beach was smelly and yet, we still had so much fun! mckenna met 2 girls that were staying in the apartment above us and they played everyday that we spent at the Beach Flower. Then she made a friend at Grandma and Grandpa's house at the pool.

mckenna and her friends at the beachflower, Gabby and Hannah

What the beach flower looks like. We stayed on the right hand bottom apartment.

The BeachFlower is awesome because they have beach toys, chairs, a washer and dryer (which we have to pay for but it is worth it to have clean towels all the time,) and seasonings for cooking. Deanna the proprietor is awesome. The first time we stayed she bought us sprite and popcorn as our welcome treat!


This heron decided that after it was on the beach for a while that it would visit our apartment and actually walked into the house. (Sorry, I only have it on video)


We spent some time on the beach and the boys ended up getting skimboards so that they could skim in Florida and at home. Near our house there is a little ditch that has a low level of water and sand so that the skim with their friends. Kyler was just learning to skim in Florida where Devin had been skimming for quite a while already.

Matt and Mckenna decided to make a devin mermaid


Kyler getting ready to skimboard his way into the ocean.

We also spent time watching a baseball game between the Tampa Devilrays and the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers won. The Stadium is an enclosed Stadium which was really weird for me being used to Turner Field. But it did feel a little more intimate and we had really good seats.

In the other Kingdom's we will find...

While we are in Florida we are staying one week in Orlando and One week in Madeira/North Reddington Beach area.
Our last days in Orlando we spent in the Wonderful World of Disney! Now, we had been to Disney World in October 2 years before and so Matt and I wondered if we really needed to go again. Mckenna really wanted to see Minnie Mouse and the boys really wanted to go on the Rocking Rollercoaster and the Tower of Terror, but that would be 2 different kingdoms and I wanted to try and save money, so I only wanted to go to one kingdom and call it good. Since the boys were going to be at Universal on the cool rollercoasters, I thought that we would make Mckenna's wish come true by going to Magic Kingdom. But then I found out that Fairfield had a discount for parkhoppers that was the same as buying tickets on line, so we would save a little money, plus if you went to the owner breakfast (which they said would take 45 min, but ofcourse didn't, it took 2 hours,) you got $75 disney dollars which I used for tickets and I bought 2 day parkhoppers and off we went...

Mckenna wanted to go into Cinderella's castle, which by the way I am wondering why they have all the Sleeping Beauty stuff in their if it is Cinderella's home? What a bummer, I mean,Cinderella becomes a princess and then has to share it with some one else? Why doesn't Sleeping Beauty have her own home?


Sweet little Mckenna Marie


We walked around the Magic Kingdom, then went on Splash Mountain, some of the space rides, even though we didn't go on Space Mountain (way too busy,) and the kids and Matt raced each other around the race track!


Devin riding in his race car. Do you think that he really wants to win Mckenna and Matt?


Mckenna driving Matt around the race track. look how nice those smiles look.


After the car race we headed over to Epcot, so that I could go to the different countries... we went to the mission space area first so that the kids could go on that ride (3 times,) and then went on the circle of life ride and a few slower rides. Epcot was so busy that Soaring California had a fastpass wait of 22o minutes. We never did get to go on that ride because they had so many passes out that they shut down the fast pass option and everytime we went to get on it had over a 3 hours wait! After all the crazy fast rides the family went on, Kyler got a really bad headache and we ended up going back to our condo without going to a single Country! That was a really big bummer, so that is something that I will have to do when the kids aren't with me on another visit to Florida.


Every one ready to go back to the hotel after a busy roller coaster day. Kyler doesn't look like he has a headache does he?


The next day we took a break and spent the day at our condo swimming, playing board games and bingo in the Activity Center. That was a really fun, relaxing day! The thing that I love about the Fairfield Resorts are that they have a great Activity Center where you can check out different board games, play arcade games and they have a movie night on Monday's. They also have a playground for the kids, which Mckenna was going to go play on until she saw the "DON'T FEED THE ALLIGATORS," sign near the walkway from the pool to the playground. Needless to say, she never went on that playground even with me telling her that I would walk with her. If I was going to own a time-share it would be with the Fairfied Resorts for the many options that they have for keeping the kids happy when you need that one relaxing day in between the really fun, but hectic days.

Our next day at Disney World we went to MGM as soon as it opened so that the kids could go on the Rocking RollerCoaster before it started getting crowded. The wait was perfect and while we waited we ordered fastpasses for another time when we got off. I was in line ready to go because Matt told me that it wasn't that bad of a ride when we passed the sign with the back/neck warning and the huge message of the ride causing Naseousness. The kids had kept saying that I wouldn't like the ride and so I chickened out and didn't go. But while I was waiting I met a really nice lady and her little girl from Scotland waiting for her boys and her husband to come off the ride. They were really fun to talk to, they were on Holiday (which is so fun to hear with an accent and the saying "holiday" instead of Vacation,)


My view of the Tower of Terror while I was waiting for the rest of the family during their ride of the Rocking Rollercoaster. We never did go on the Tower of Terror because it was closed.

We went on alot of rides at MGM while it was raining we ran into one of the gift shops and Kyler found the perfect Mickey for his collections of small stuffed Mickey's. He found a Jedi Mickey near the Star Tours ride. He was very excited about that.

After spending half the day at MGM, it started pouring more than it had been all day and so we decided to try one of the other kingdoms that we had never been to. We stopped at guest services and talked to them about going to Disney Wide World of Sports, but they told us since it was raining that we should really go their because every event their that day was outside. So we decided to go to Animal Kingdom

Wow, why in the world did we wait until 4 p.m. to go to Animal Kingdom? Matt, Kyler and I loved this place the best. Kyler was in seventh heaven with all the animals, the plants and that great big tree with all the animals carved into it! Even though it rained it didn't bother us because it was just like being in the rain forest and unfortunetly for us, we only had 3 hours left of this kingdom since it closed at 7 p.m.


Isn't that the prettiest Red in the middle of all the various greens?

Matt and I decided that if we ever went to Walt Disney World again it would be Animal Kingdom and MGM, but ultimately Disney is best being visited every 5 years or so.




This is the only picture of Kyler that I could get that wasn't so obvious of his aversion of me taking pictures while we were at Disney World. This picture was taken waiting for the safari ride in Animal Kingdom

Kennedy Space Center

So, one day we spend at an earthly amusement park and the next 2 days we spend at the epitome of Matt's realm of the Universe; Kennedy Space Center. We started out in the afternoon on Saturday and found out that the center was closing in about 2 hours, but if we bought our tickets we could spend the next day free. The first day, Saturday, we watched an Imax film about space, Which I think was called INTO THE DREAM, and was a movie that I had bought Matt when we lived in Florida and some how in the years that we lived in Utah it disappeared from our collection of videos, (maybe it went to where ever our wedding video went- the missing sock scenario but without the dryer.) WE also had the kids check out the gift shops so that they could decided on their memory purchase of this part of the trip. Mckenna ended up picking out a snow globe for her friend Kyleigh who collects snow globes.

Yes, the next day was Sunday, but Matt really wanted to go back and so we spent the entire day at Kennedy. We scheduled a really cool first activity with a Lunch with an Astronaut.
We ate a buffet style catered lunch and then a guy came out and showed us a film on the NASA program, (Mckenna the whole time kept saying," where is the Astronaut, I thought we were suppose to have him sitting here eating lunch with us," after awhile she just said," this is a rip off," and then the Astronaut came in and she was okay,) Astronaut Jon McBride told us about his career at NASA gave the kids a great message about how Drugs, alcohol and the like will ruin your chances of getting in the Astonaut program and how it is better to be a leader and if someone asks you if you want the drug that they have say no, and then talk them out of using it themselves. It was a great start to our fun time at Kennedy Space Center. Mr. McBride also did a Q&A session and pictures. You could take a picture with your camera or buy one of theirs. Our picture came out better so we were lucky didn't have to pay out anything for that.

The next stop was to take a behind the scene tour near the Launch Pads. It was very neat to see the shuttle on Launch Pad B ready for it's first mission since the Challenger disaster, the launch was suppose to be while we were in Florida, but they had to scrub it til the middle of July (about a few days after we left,) and then they scrubbed it again for another week later. I ended up watching the launch at ReZults while walking on the Treadmill. It was an amazing sight. It remind me of our time where we watched a night launch when the boys were really little and caused me to reflect on so many memories from our time living in Florida.

While we were on the tour we visited an area where they held sections of the International Space station modules, that was really neat to see, because some of the modules the shuttle was taking with them to help restock, add to and make the space station more liveable. Matt absolutely loved this part of our vacation. The tour guide was a gal who was a volunteer but worked for a company that made some of the parts for the shuttle. She was so filled with information and you could tell that she loved her job and wanted to help others enjoy their Space experience. She and Matt talked when everyone else was just looking around, he got to ask great questions and she had very good answers that help him to quench his thirst for information.

We also got to see the building where they filmed the T.V. series, I DREAM OF JEANIE. That was fun because I always liked that show. The guide told us that they use the building for administration purposes, but not like they did during the glory days of the Apollo program. Now, it was just for non-consiquential staff where during the Apollo program, they had all the head staff and big wigs working their.

After the tour we stopped at the Rocket grave yard and walked over a bridge that lead to the area of the memorial to all those who have lost their lives for the Space Program, the kids weren't very interested in this until they noticed the Alligator's under the pier to the memorial. You would think that they hadn't seen an alligator in their whole life! When they had just seen one the day before, we spent a half an hour looking at those alligators, who were residing with a bunch of fish and a few turtles. Kyler couldn't understand why the alligators didn't eat the fish or turtles, I told him that they probably ate the fish but he turtles were protected by their shell. He had been really worried about the turtles, because we thought that they were cute and so he felt better with my non factual information. I mean really, I have no idea if they would eat the turtles or not, but it made sense to my mind.















Hey, does any one know the Answer to this question? What is the difference between Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral?

Write me and let me know, if no one answers I will let you know...

Our wonderful Florida break

Wow! What a great trip! We arrived on a very Humid day ( i guess that all days' are humid, but to me if felt great,) and stayed at a reasonable hotel. Which compared to the night before in Vegas felt like a 5 star instead of the 1 star that the Vegas hotel was. We were right near Universal which is great since that was where we were going in the morning to see all our Florida family! Island of Adventure was nice except for the rain which I guess kept us all from going on more rides. What I am wondering is this; what was the other part of Universal like? Did we pick the funnest park or what?

The kids were so excited to see their Grandparents, Mary, Sharon, Rich and the girls. Mckenna just feel in love with Kiara and Indigo. Poor little Kiara was sick and so we didn't get to see so much her really fun personality until about 3 weeks later when they visited us in Utah. But she is absolutely adorable and we could have kept her and Indigo for life.


Devin and Mckenna, I think that all of the next few pictures are all taken during the missing Sharon escapade. "oh, where oh, where did our Sharon go? Oh, where oh where can she be?"


Here is little Indigo. We were all singing songs while we were waiting for Sharon to show up ( see that story in the finlinson blog.) I Think that we sang popcorn popping on the apricot tree about 2 trillion times, people who have never heard that song were giving us some really interesting looks. Funny how in Utah you get a smile, in Florida you get a look of "wow, you people are really weird!"


Matt and dad doing what they did all vacation long! Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk! Are you sure dad that you don't like to talk? I love that you and Matt love to talk!


Sharon! look how cute she is! I love having Sharon around. It is sad that we live so far apart.


awwwwwwwwwwww! The T-Rex has me!!!!!


Hey, that T-Rex is trying to get me too...............

Which one of the kids will get eaten first? Who will save them?



oh, mckenna look at the sign above you! Doesn't it say "Do not climb!" But look at how cute she is. What person could stop a little kid from climbing in the middle of an amusement park?

Universal was a great start to our 2 week Vacation.

The water is warm in our hotel pool, So jump on in and enjoy the rest of the trip!

more inside pictures of the house. L to R: view of the dining room from the living room, dining room again, view of dining room from side porch, lamp in dining room, side porch (this is accessed from the french doors in dining room, entry to bathroom hall (right off kitchen,) left side of bathroom, right side of bathroom. Window in our bedroom, backyard windows (nice candle scounces from BLVD,) wall leading out of bedroom, my bathroom vanity, jetted tub, matt's bathroom sink, view of side yard from bathroom window, and another view of side yard.

pictures of the inside of the house. L to R: 2 views of the living room, staircase entryway, entryway plantshelf and window, "picture window" to give you a height prospective, back french doors out to backyard, kitchen view of family room, family room from front of house, another view from kitchen of family room, laundry room, kitchen (left side), kitchen (right side), under the stairs storage, view from the kitchen window (to the right,) view from the kitchen window ( looking ahead,) view from a kitchen window (looking left.)

these are pictures of the outside of our house and the view from the front door

Sing along with me....

***F* L* O* R* I* D* A*,
That's where we are going to, the beaches, the themeparks, the view of the bay... the loved ones, the mouses, the hotels and more. I can't wait to see you all, every day we'll have a ball.

FLORIDA, Here I come... Florida, Here I come.....!

Love you all! Here we go.....


**Sang to the theme of:
"California Here I Come."

Interesting Process pt. 2..

Kyler before with that beautiful blond hair!


so the color goes on yellow and turnes into...



This color!



and then you get this! Look at that awesome smile!


And then, ON TO THE STAGE and ON WITH THE SHOW!

Interesting process...

I thought it might be interesting for you to see the process that Kyler and Mckenna went through to get into the King and I, 2 years ago. I just downloaded these pictures from my friend's computer after all this time! Here is a before shot of mckenna, look how blond her hair is....



eating the yummiest stuff-- Popcorn!!!


kenna with the dye in...look at that adorable face!


ahh, now for the trim. Look how dark that hair is...


Mckenna, Kyler and two of their fellow sister and brother