SPRING SOCCER 2011
All three kiddos enjoyed soccer this season. Both Jake and Amber wanted to play for the first time this year, which made our Saturday's busy. Jake played through the Tots program with a neighbor and friend; and, Amber played on a rec. league team. Hailey continued with her same rec. team that she has been playing with for years. There were a few more girls this year, which really added to the team. At the end of Hailey's season, she was invited to play on the competitive team for FC Nova. It would require a lot of travel, and it would cost a lot. In addition to time, and travel, we were concerned about "Sunday" play. The coaches promised that she wouldn't be required to play on Sunday; however, we still felt some hesitations. In the end, Hailey decided she wasn't ready for the competitive team. She didn't want soccer to become her whole life--she liked being involved in all kinds of activities. Bryan and I are proud of her and her decisions. She definitely made a grown-up decision.

Hailey's Soccer Team

Amber Miller First Season-14 Goals!

Amber's Team

My friend, Jen Tobler, took all of Jake's pictures, so we have a lot more pictures of him than any of the other children.

PIANO RECITAL; MAY 2011

WICKED

On May 12, 2011, Bryan and I took Hailey to see the Broadway play WICKED. It was a fantastic evening. Hailey absolutely loved watching a Broadway play, holding hands with mom and dad, and enjoying our undivided attention. Prior to the play, we went to dinner at PF Chang's complete with dessert--their GREAT WALL OF CHOCOLATE is so GOOD!

It was such a fun night! Hailey talks about this night all of the time. I am grateful for moments shared together. This moment will be a definite treasure in my memories.

~A WALK WITH THE SAVIOR~

I absolutely love Easter! I love focusing on the most important thing in my life, and hopefully the lives of my children--Jesus Christ. We spend a whole week reenacting Christ's last week of life. Using the Gospel are Pictures from the LDS Resources we have a mini-devotional, and activity every night. Here is a list of our week's activities:

Day 1-Christ's Triumphal Entry (Dye Easter Eggs)

Day 2-Cleansing of the Temple (Serve someone in the family by helping them clean somewhere in the house.)

Day 3-Last Supper (We have an authentic Jerusalem Dinner. I absolutely love this night! I love sitting on the floor, eating the foods Jesus would have eaten, and talking about His life and ministry. There is something about reenacting His life that brings the spirit of love and peace into our home.)

Day 4-Gethsemane (We read a story called, "You Are Priceless" and we talk about what it means.)

Day 5-Betrayal of Jesus (On this night, we serve a friend by playing "bunny" for the night, and leaving Easter eggs and candy all over their lawn. My children love the excitement of ringing the doorbell and running, and then checking back to see if the family received our gift.)

Day 6-Crucifixion (On this night, we turn off all of the lights, and talk about the Nephites and the three days of darkness. We leave the lights off for the night.)

Day 7-Jesus Burial and The Empty Tomb (This usually lands on Easter Sunday. We enjoy a day centered on Christ. We eat cookies, which represent the empty tomb [they are empty on the inside], and we have a devotional complete with testimonies.

In the midst of all of this activity, our family also celebrates the traditional Easter Egg Hunts, Easter Bunny, and everything fun life offers! It is a fantastic week!

Dying Easter Eggs is a favorite tradition in our home.

Amber at the ward party on winning in the sack races. Hailey a close second.

After the ward Easter Egg Hunt!

THE TOMB IS EMPTY

New Easter Dresses

April 2011

Jake started preschool in April... He only got to enjoy the "blessings" of being a "big kid" for one month, because school let out for the summer. He loved every minute of it, and couldn't wait for school to start again! Here are some pictures from his first day of school:

SPRING BREAK
Day 3
SALT LAKE CITY DISCOVERY GATEWAY
On day 3, we were able to meet up with some more of our dear friends in Utah. We met the Larson's when we lived in Seattle, and we have been friends ever since. They are a blessing in our lives, and we love them to pieces!

~Devyn and Amber~

~Amber, Jackson, Devyn, and Hailey~

~While in the discovery center, we ran into some more friends from Boise--the Giles, and the Fuhrimans! We were so excited to see both of these families! I was especially excited to see the Giles Family, because they had just recently moved to California. It was definitely fun to see good friends.

Spring Break
Day 2
~HOGLE ZOO~

The Hogle Zoo was fantastic! We had a great time frolicking through the zoo! The best part; however, was spending time with good friends! We absolute love the Simmons family! We have missed them since they moved away from Boise. It is always fun to reconnect.

After the zoo, we went to the monument, This Is The Place. It is a historical monument representing Brigham Young's announcement of the Salt Lake valley being the place to settle for the Latter-day Saints.

~SPRING BREAK; March 28-April 1~
DAY 1
My sister-in-law was blessing her baby in Logan, Utah on the Sunday prior to spring break. After the baby blessing, we ventured further into Utah to spend our spring break site seeing in Salt Lake City. On Monday morning our first stop was Temple Square. We spent most of the day enjoying the museums, videos, and monuments. To my surprise and absolute enjoyment, my children were captivated by Temple Square. They had no desire to leave, and when the time came that we had to leave, we were all disappointed.

Church History Museum:
~Quilt Wall~



~Fiesta Dancing~

Meeting the Forsbergs:

As we were leaving the Church History Museum on Temple Square, we ran into the Forsbergs! We were thrilled and excited to have seen dear friends from our home town. It is such a SMALL world!
DINOSAUR MUSEUM:
After we spent most of the day at Temple Square, we met up with some friends from Utah, and continued playing at the Dinosaur Museum.

Spring Break
Day 4
On our last day in Utah, we got together with good friends who were once in Boise, but have now moved on... (except the Fuhriman's...whom we are so glad still live in Boise). It was nice to chat, and allow our children to reconnect. It was funny that we all happened to be in Utah at the same time. Jill and Monica have moved to Utah, but Angela and Carrol were both visiting like us. Once we saw Angela and Carrol at the Discovery Center, we thought we should get together again before everyone left.
~Jill Simmons, Monica Walters, Angela Giles, Me, Carrol Fuhriman~