A Final look at Summer ~ in Pictures

Have we had a very full summer? You tell me!

It all started for me with Girl's Camp!


Then it was all of us going to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho-Jackson Hole, Wyoming- Then Yellowstone!



Then to Posey Lake


And our Final fling of the summer was at Zion's National Park!


Everything was so much fun we also went to Lagoon after Yellowstone and took Tyler and Terra with us, the kids love going with them, it is great bonding time for the 4 older ones and this year kenna had her friend's family going at the same time so she got to go on the rides with Makyla- it was sweet! (or so Kenna said.)

First of everything.... 1st day of school, 1st memory of school, 1st school situation where everyone is in Secondary Education!

Okay that is a really long title, but very necessary!

I sit here pondering our day today and how I had been fine with the whole My kids going back-to-school for the year, summer-is-over situation, when, I, who didn't plan on getting emotional had a situation that put me over the edge! Ahh, Mothers, who can put up with them and their emotions?!!

But before I get into that let me tell you a few little tidbits first:
We are going to start with the "night before School," August 11th, thoughts; as Mckenna and Kyler start packing up their backpacks and are protesting their bedtimes, I am thinking, "okay, this is good, they are going back to school and I will finally have some time with the house clean, peace and quiet where I can read, listen to MY music, without having someone else's blasting upstairs, and go do stuff with my friends during the day and not feel guilty about leaving Mckenna behind YEAH!!!"

By the way, Kyler wouldn't let me take any pictures of him and so all turned out blurry- sorry.

But then comes "The day of school," August 12th, and boom the big realization begins!

Mckenna is in her first year of secondary school (here 6th grade is secondary at Lava Ridge Intermediate,) Kyler is in his 1st year of High school (9th grade is high school-but at the middle school, we all know that-duh!) Devin is on his first day of the last year of his childhood school experience and he is starting this day on a very similar beginning as he did 12 years ago.

commercial break: let's look at some pictures and then we'll move on with the story.

Here at 2792 Canyon View Drive is Miss Mckenna telling me that I need to stop taking pictures! Isn't her "old backpack" just disgusting? No? I don't think so either- she is getting a new one soon- but why I'm not sure!

This is the only shot that I could get of Kyler where he is actually by himself and yet, he is still not looking at me! UhGGh~ His "old backpack" is gross too?! No? He gets a new one soon also.

NOW BACK TO THE SHOW!

Wow? who is that kid? Well, that my friend is, Devin Jay Brower. Senior extraordinaire! But, wait- holy cow batman what is that on his back?! No, it can't be -is it a figment of my imagination? Nope- it is the one and only almost the same as yesteryear.... BATMAN!

Well, this is what sent me over the edge- you see, like Devin this backpack is a little bit older of a version, than the one he started out with !

Does anyone else besides Rich want to walk down memory lane? Great here we go...

How in the world did I get from here to the previous pictures? Does anyone realize that he is 9 months away from being the same age as me when I met Matt? What is wrong with this picture??? Well, this is what I feel like and it is not a very complimentary picture;

SAD AND OLD!!!!

(yes, rich I am the queen of exclamation points!)

Here is what the rest of the morning looked like- enjoy!

They all looked GREAT and arrived- IN STYLE

YEAH!! Hello Cyberworld I am back!!!

So finally after having to buy a new hard drive and upgrading to 250gb's from 40GB, I am finally cruising through the cyberworld. I have many programs to update since many have changed in 8 years, and everything was not reinstalled, but I have itunes, the internet and picasa- what more do I need?! Okay excell, but that will come sooner than later and then I will be so happy with my little computer.

I have so much to blog about but since it is 11:30 p.m. It won't be today sorry, but here is a really fun picture that I took of Kenna at her dance convention...
anyone know who is teaching her?
















It is the one and only........

Benji Schwimmer- from So You Think You Can Dance!

(by the way Kenna is the one in the florescent green shorts standing up front next the gal in the black and white shorts!)

Temporarily out of order!

GRRR! Our computer hard drive crashed! I am hoping that our IT lady can acquire all my files that I haven't backed up in the last 2 months, or I am going to be really sad. All of Mckenna's dance season and Kyler's New York trip are on there!

So, I guess I will not be blogging anytimes soon, while I am searching for a new computer.

Hope to see you soon,
Sandi

A New Look to An Old City or My, Oh, My, look at the changes that Matt has inspired!

In all the years that we have lived in Santa Clara this past year and a half has been the busiest but also the most rewarding for Matt.For those of you have driven through downtown on the way to our old house, you would be pleasantly surprised at the changes that have occurred to our quaint little Town. It has been metamorphosed into an even more attractive quaint little town.

Last week was the culmination to all the hard work that all the employees, the City Council and Matt have accomplished. On Friday, May 16th, the Santa Clara Town Hall was Dedicated after a beautiful patriotic choral number and many local dignitaries including Jacob Hamblin and one of his wives entering the Future to talk about the great changes from his time to NOW.

On the Town Hall dedication day there was also a wonderful Fine Art Show with many amazing paintings which I would have loved to buy but in no way could have afforded!

Here is a slide show of Matt's walkout and locking up of the old building to stepping over the threshold of the new building. Please notice the size difference and the architecture(but remember this is only pictures of moving day,)the change is amazing and the new building is very Parade of Home-ish! Enjoy!

Scenes from a Military honor!

I don't have the heart to write about this right now so here is a look in pictures. Needless, to say Fred's funeral was beautiful and full of love and tons of emotion!

Passing of a kind and caring Father-in-law, Father and Grandfather

Today our sweet Fred passed away peacefully about 4 p.m. in the V.A. Hospital surrounded by most of his kids.

Fred had been sick for quite sometime. About 9 years ago he was told that he had 1 year to live and here he had made it 8 years beyond that diagnosis! Obviously he was stubborn about living as he was about being kind and loving to his grandkids!

Sheila I am sure is so happy to have him with her after such a long time. I am sure that he is enjoying being loved by his father and his mom whom he hasn't known since he was a baby.

We, who are left behind are sad that we will no longer have him around to hug and talk to, to got to Micky D's, play with him in his backyard and sit on the lake side at Bear Lake, watching the kids ride jetski's.

One interesting fact about Fred that we didn't know so much about. He was a parachute jumper when he was in the military, was injured in some kind of a raid, served during the Korean War, and someone said that he earned a Purple Heart and no one knew about it! So he is recieving full military honors at his funeral. Too bad he never talked about it to Devin or Matt they would have loved to hear those stories!

Matt was able to spend time in Fred's hospital room the night before he passed away. He and Keith were there together. I am sure that was a very special time for him to spend time with the brother that he looks up to so much and his dad, even though Fred probably didn't even realize they were there.

I will miss Fred so much! I have such a special fondness for him and for Sheila because they helped take care of Devin and I, after Matt and I's car accident when devin was a baby. We would just sit for hours talking to each other, watching Nate play Soccer, Helping Sheila cook dinner (even if i didn't like Mexican food.) But by watching them together, I learned how much they truly loved each other by the way the treated each other, how Fred always wanted Sheila to be able to do what she wanted to do,talk to her about her day working in Nates class, coaching Nate's soccer teams, doing anything that made her happy and I loved how Sheila took such great care of Fred and all of us when we were all together. She taught me how to write down what I was learnign about in Church, my thoughts throughout the day, but her letting me read her journals about what she was reading in the Scriptures, what book she found interesting and what crocheting/crafting project she had going! But mostly I learned that Fred was such a great example about working hard, doing things for others just because he cared and serving no matter what he was asked to do!

I know that Fred has missed Sheila for the last 14 years and i rejoice in the fact that they are together again!

Fred we love you and will miss you, but are thankful that you were in our lives!

Another Day of Dress-up!

What in the World? Who is this Girl?

"Here's an easy game to play.


Here's an easy thing to say....New socks. Two socks.


Whose socks? Sue's socks. Who sews whose socks? Sue sews Sue's socks.


Who sees who sew whose new socks, sir? You see Sue sew Sue's new socks, sir. That's not easy, Mr. Fox, sir. Who comes? ...Crow comes. Slow Joe Crow comes. Who sews crow's clothes? Sue sews crow's clothes. Slow Joe Crow sews whose clothes? Sue's clothes. Sue sews socks of fox in socks now. Slow Joe Crow sews Knox in box now. Sue sews rose on Slow Joe Crow's clothes. Fox sews hose on Slow Joe Crow's nose."

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday Kenna dressed-up as Sue Who Sews Socks!

Dance Tracks Studio Invited to Dance at the Snow Canyon Eshelle's Year-end Review

Today Mckenna and her dance studio; Dance Tracks danced at the High school's Drill Team year-end review.

Eshelle's sure have to have a strong core for that move!

The Eshelle's coach Kristy is also Dance Track's Ballet Teacher, a daughter of our friends the Hunts and Mckenna's clean-up solo coach!

During the night Kristy was given a fond farewell and thankyou because she will be leaving in May to go on a mission to Seoul Korea! I know that we are going to miss her, but I think Kenna will miss her the most, but we will be hearing from her and writing to her since we were given strict instructions on the matter and that we were to find her a boyfriend by the time she came back! I thought that was a really funny thing to make as a request for me (not the writing but the boyfriend,) since she is so pretty and fun, that she should have no problem getting one when she gets back home!

It was a nice evening and each of the younger girls were able to dance in one of their team's competition routines. They did really well!

I really liked the highschool's prop routine! It was based on Monopoly and the set was amazing!

Here is a little idea of what it looked like:

But the best part of the evening was watching the Papashelles do a routine. Mckenna and I can't wait for the time that Matt might be able to be a Papashelle!

Mckenna's team Onbeat waiting for their turn!

Mckenna's face is all business!

Terra and Matt

On our visit to Fred while he was in the hospital ( he isn't doing well, but that is another story,)we stayed at Keith and Lynette's house. This was a whirlwind of a trip; Matt and I-one afternoon up, then next morning- gone!

Keith and Lynette were staying at the Little America for a nice break from the real world and so we ate dinner with them at Sizzler and then stayed with Terra for the night. Tyler was there for a few hours and then Trina came by and Tyler spent the night with her and her husband Josh!

It was nice to have some alone time with Terra. She is a senior this year and won't be around as a kid much longer and so we were priviledged to hang out with her, watch some of her dance videos and just find out more about what she is looking forward to outside of Highschool.

She and Devin have always been really close and done a few fun date things when we are in town, so it was a blast to hear some of her memories on those outings.

I love Matt's relationship with his neices. With Trina it was always this is my favorite uncle and we have the coolest relationship! Terra was always closer to me, but as Trina has gotten older, gotten married and moved out, She has also built a fun relationship with Matt too and her is the fun photographic proof!

I love this picture the most!

Future Job? Maybe... Career- NO!!!

As everyone knows Mckenna loves to play dress up or use her imagination of what she might be at any given time in her life- here is her new idea!

She would like to be a lunch worker at school (which by the way she has already done,) but would like to do again next year at Lava Ridge!

"No, lunch for you!!!"

I don't know- helping in the lunch room as a mom of little kids is sort-of a good job if you want to see your kids more. I mean look at me, I did it! It gave Mckenna time to be with her friends when she was in Kindergarten and didn't get lunch, it helped me see the boys interact with their friends, but it also gave me a stomach-ache when I had to yell at the kids to be quiet (which wasn't my idea but the kitchen-nazi's idea (that is what they called the Lunch ladies in the kitchen!) I mean what level do first graders have anyway- only one, a loud level!!!

Because of this I feel that Mckenna should come up with a better career than a lunch worker! But we will have to wait and see since she is only 11 years old.

Humm- what while her next dress-up session be?!

Homework Frustration & Looking Forward to Next Year!

Kyler is taking Pre Algebra this year and loves math, but since he has a teacher that he dislikes, he is having a really hard time with Math! Because he is having a hard time he has had a lot of math homework, which he has never had in the past year. Luckily Matt gets the math and can help the kids because I sure can't! I get up to 6th grade math (which is what I help the kids with in study skills,) and that is as good as it gets. So, here are a few fun pictures of Kyler doing his math;

Now on to the fun stuff; Kyler the same night applied for Year book Staff for 9th grade. He was worried because a few of his friends were applying also, but were using layouts from a girl who has already made staff this year. He didn't feel that was very fair, but no worries! He made it on to the Year Book Staff! He is so excited, he will have a lot of his friends working on the yearbook with him, so it will be really fun!

Congratulations Kyler!

Dance season has just begun!

Today Mckenna had her dance adjudication for So. Utah Performance Art Festival.

Mckenna and a few other solists!

This is a pre-competition. This adjudication is for Mckenna and Mckel to know what Kenna needs to work on and what to keep. She wasn't exactly ready for it since she hadn't had her clean-up sessions with Kristy yet, but she did okay for this spot in time.

She does look really cute in her costume though- sweet and simple!

Competitions Here we come!

Another Dance- Another Wad of Money Gone!

So this is Devin's Junior year with that momentous occasion come the big dance of the year JUNIOR PROM!

Now, on this site we have seen Devin go to many dances and this is the same routine for dinner, but not for the day date or the dance night.

For the day date the boys took the girls Sledding up at Pine Valley and served them Hot Chocolate and lunch. For dinner they once again ate at Tyler's grandma's house for their scrumptious if i do say so myself, Brower Garden Chicken Fettecinne, Olive Garden salad, Olive Garden garlic sticks and Croshow chocolate mousse Pies! Sad thing is that they took so long getting their individual and group pictures done that the fettecinne was not as saucy as it should have been (they were 1 1/2 hours late for dinner!) But they still said it was yummy.

The boys sweet host, yet again,- Tyler's grandma!

This time the boys bought the "Hot" girls to the dance instead of the "Hot & Fun close friend" girls. As a fly on the wall during dinner- Matt and I noticed that the girls this time around weren't feeling the love as much as the last group of girls. Now, in all fairness, maybe this group of girls were just really shy around us waiters and waitresses or they were just a quiet pretty set, but the laughing only came from the boys at the table and not from everyone present!

Devin said it was fun, and I could see why he would think that and so will you when you see his date!

Here is your little fly on the wall look into Devin's dance world! Enjoy!

Doesn't the table look lovely?

Devin and Michelle

Happy Birthday to Matt!

Today is Matt's Birthday!

What can I say now that he has broken over the 40 barrier? I know that we never thought that we could ever be this old but, oh, wait- I'm not that old!!! haha- i still have 3 years before I hit that rip old age of 41! J/k Matt!

For Matt's birthday as you know from my blog Mckenna and I were up in Provo so we had a get together for the family on Wednesday so that we could celebrate this important day.

For Matt's present we gave him a University of Utah door basketball hoop, it was for work, but the new office isn't done yet and so he is keeping it home for now. We have had quite a lot of fun with this hoop that is sitting in our family room. Especially Kyler who plays with it every single day!

Matt's cake was really yummy- but then again who doesn't like birthday cake?

Well, I never get in the blog for the family, so here I am getting ready to pass the ball to I think Kyler- we didn't win!

We did have a fun time though at Matt's party though. Happy Birthday again Matt!

*for some reason- none of my entries for the last month showed up on the blog so I had to write it again- sorry.

Christmas 2007

Christmas is a time of Thanksgiving for the Savior's birth- the best gift that we could receive!
I am thankful for all that He has done for us. We had a great Sacrament on Sunday that I dedicated to the Savior since I was given the talent of singing as one of my gifts from Above. I am amazed sometimes because when I sing sometimes I can hear my Grandma Field instead of myself. I guess besides the Yenta personality from her I also got the pipes! Thanks Grandma!

Christmas Morning always comes so early at our house. We actually extended the hour to 7:30 a.m. after begging Mckenna not to wake anyone up this year at 5:30 a.m.! Which was good because I am sick, sick, sick, sick, sick with a major Sinus infection.

This year we didn't get many gifts we only got a few small ones and a large gift.

• Devin and Kyler got a Xbox 360 and 2 games (one of which Kyler bought for himself.)

• Devin also got a subway gift card for 2 weeks worth of Italian BMTs, a gift card from Kyler for a xbox 360 game and a Boston Redsox Backpack from Mckenna.
  

  

• Kyler got cologne from Devin, many shirts and a zipper jacket from everyone!

• Mckenna got a Camera, a puffed fur-lined vest, the movie Hairspray and a sweater. Speaking of Hairspray- have you seen it? Cheezy but worth the laugh of watching John Travolta play Big Momma. (why oh why would he subject himself to the humility?)
  

• Matt got a Flat screen t.v. (the console was moved into our room,)Pirates of the Caribean:World's End dvd and a book about WWII (he loves those history books!)
  

  
  
  Notice that Gilmore Girls is playing on the screen?




• I got a camera (which is where all the fun pictures have come from in the last month- our camera started zapping batteries after our Florida trip- not sure if it was the heat or the humidity,) the book Eclipse (Twilight series- if you haven't read it you should. disclaimer: not for younger than 14 years old :at least I think,) some bath & body works items and a super mario ds game (from Devin.)



• Sharon and her family sent a really fun looking game that the kids can't wait to beat us with called Beat the Parents. THANKS guys!

And from my parents who were so generous to us all we ended up getting a new DVD player for the car (ours had died.) And sent me really cute mikey and minnie ornaments!

THANKS SO MUCH, Mom, Dad and Mary!

Merry Christmas!

Love the Brower's!