All sorts of stuff

Soccer, band, and holidays are upon us!  All of these things have the family so busy.  We love it though.  The girls have had several performances already.  They are really good, only they won't admit it.  They are true music nerds.  After every performance, they both tell us how awful they were, but to us, they sound awesome!  Besides, they both look so cute in their "suits".  It's hard to get good pictures of them on stage.  The lights are always weird, and I rarely get good seats with all my other kids.

Taylor on piano, and Jordan right behind on trumpet

 Monday, we went to Willcox to go to Apple Annie's.  This year we were joined by our friends, the Gores (aka boys best friends!), and the Haws'.  We started off on a hayride, picked some huge pumpkins, went to the enormous corn maze (took forever!), and ended at the apple orchard to buy pie and other yummy stuff.  Then we all headed to the local bbq place.  It is a diner in an old caboose.  All in all, it was a really fun day.  Now we are almost ready for Halloween and Thanksgiving. 

At the pumpkin patch

 All through the corn maze Jaxson was looking for the number 6.  He was very proud of himself for finding it.

He found it!

 17 kids just with our group on the hayride. 

Hayride

pout time

Back to school again

This summer has flown by.  I can't believe that the kids have already started school again.  It was a very busy summer, but it was also pretty uneventful.  We didn't even make it to the zoo once this summer!  Oh well, it's nice to be back in the swing of things again now that we are on a schedule for school.  Jordan started high school (9th grade), and Taylor is a senior this year.  I'm glad they have one year together.  I'm also glad Taylor can drive them to school at 6:30 in the morning.  Jordan has really struggled with the first 2 days of school.  We have determined that she suffers from anxiety, and she has a hard time dealing with the change of going from a relatively large middle school to an enormous high school.  Yesterday she was panicking on the way to school and was sick several times during the day.  Today she made Taylor bring her home as soon as she got to school cause she was feeling so nauseous.  I had to take her in later and introduce her to the school nurses.  I hope she learns to deal with it.  It is really a hard thing to have to deal with.  On a good note,  Levi and Tristan don't have to be to the bus until almost 8.  I'm liking the new later start!  Anyway, I have no photos to post of the kids first day.  I took them on my phone, and that is now off being repaired.  This aims to be the busiest year of my life, so I can only hope to document it more as I'm sure it will all be a blur.  This week I also start my women's soccer league.  I am more excited about it this time around! 

Cabin vacation

Last week we took our family to Prescott for a vacation.  I found a cabin (luxury house really) for rent up on Mount Vernon.  We had the whole place to ourselves for a whole week.  Some of you may know that I am not known for having good luck (picture a dark rain cloud over my head at all times!).  Well, this proved to be true when on the way up the mountain to the cabin we found that neither my van nor Taylor's car would make it up the steep road to the house.  But, my brother Allen who was not cursed with bad luck, was leading the way in his truck which had no problems once it was put into 4 wheel drive.  So, for the last week, we had to squeeze my family into a truck to drive around Prescott in (Thanks Allen!). 

View from the patio.

cabin

 

view from my bedroom loft

My boys and Allen's girls

funny kids

hike up the driveway

swing that goes over the ledge to a death drop!

 On the way up the mountain, I realized that the cabin we were in was not far from where I went to girls camp as a youth.  It brought back fun memories.  Also, on the way up the mountain, my girls decided that they don't like "nature".  They had spotty cell phone and internet service (hee hee), and they both had a bit of anxiety on the super steep drive up.  Oh yeah, and there was no shopping or neighbors in sight!
The cabin was beautiful.  It had 3 stories, 2 kitchens, full laundry, luxury bathrooms, just amazing.  Of course, going back to my luck, the bottom floor was out of propane for the hot water, so no showering and no hot water for laundry down there.  After the first 2 days, the air conditioner on the 2 upper floors quit working (too hot!), and the house was on such a steep incline, that I was a bit scared to let the kids play outside so the boys were instantly bored.  Ahhh, vacationing with the Leavitts is always memorable. 

We spent some time every day in "town" shopping, eating, and going to movies.  We also got to spend some time with Allen and his family who we love so much. 

Jordan sitting in the ramada on Prescott square

Then, on Friday and Saturday, I had a chance to go to my 20 year high school reunion.  It was pretty great to see some of the people I loved so much in my teen years.  It was also a bit nerve wracking for me.  My graduating class had over 400 students.  It really was a great class.  I knew almost everyone in my grade except for a few people who were social introverts.  The stressful part for me was that although I knew most everyone there, I never spent much time with them outside of high school.  I didn't really know them well enough to be comfortably social with them after 20 years of not keeping in touch.  Despite my anxiety, I had a very good time and did find people (Chino friends mostly) to reminisce with and who I enjoyed reconnecting with. 

Vel made me laugh with her name tag.

A few new friends and one old one.

Me and Kevin Harper

Shawna, Heather, Keri, Allen, and me

My old gym where I spent most of my time.

Keri, Joann, and me

After over a week away, we were all ready to come home.  When we left Sierra Vista, I watched a huge smoke cloud billow and grow in my rear view mirror (Monument fire).  Yesterday when we came home, I was so happy to see rain clouds covering the mountain that has been ravaged by fire.  It's good to be home.

monument fires

We have lived in Sierra Vista for 8 years now.  The weather is really great here.  It is a beautiful area.  Our town was built at the base of the mountains which are so majestic and lovely.  Right now, they are on fire, as is much of AZ.  So far, almost 10,000 acres have burned, and they expect much more in the next few days.  Today, pre-evacuations have started for an area that covers our ward.  Amidst all the chaos of the fire and all it entails, life just goes on for the rest of us.  It did seem strange driving out to the church for scouts with the mountain on fire in the background.  I hope and pray for rain and calm winds to slow the fire and keep it from getting even more out of control.  I have been taking just a few pictures of what I can see from my neck of the woods.  It doesn't look as bad as the pics taken at night.  CRAZY.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

On the way to church

Wednesday view from church parking lot

night photo taken by someone else.

Soccer!

This past fall, I joined a women's soccer league.  It has been so much fun playing with a bunch of other ladies.  This season we changed our name from the "pink ladies" to the "prankstars".  Mike and I coach the team.  The women on our team are amazing and fun to be around.  Last night we had our end of the season soccer dinner at Hana Tokyo.  We got to watch the chef cook our food in front of us and throw food at us to catch in our mouths.  After dinner, we had cake and passed out award certificates for everyone.  I had such a good time.  I met some ladies through soccer that I hope to be friends with for a very long time.  Next fall should be fun!

Kristen wants to murder me.

Tabby and Jessica

Coaches

Cole and Maria

prom and more

All dressed up

A few weeks ago, Taylor had Prom.  She decided to go with 2 of her friends.  Before the dance, Mike and I went over to her friend's house to take pictures.  I still haven't learned how to use my camera as well as I should, but here are some pictures of the girls.  They looked beautiful.  Poor Taylor wasn't feeling too great and ended up having to leave the dance early.  At least she got to show off her beautiful dress!

Shoes!

Double "T" (Taylor and Tessa)

This last week, the boys have said some pretty funny things.  I thought I would record them on here since this is my "journal" of sorts.  I overheard Levi and Tristan talking the other day.   This is how it went:
Tris - It's weird that Grandpa is bald and mom isn't.
Levi - That's because Grandpa is black and mom is white!
That was news to me.  I got a really good laugh out of that one.

My dad and his bald "dark" skin!

Then a few days later, Tristan told me, "mom, we are part Italian!  I said, "no, I don't think so.  Why do you think we are?".  He responds, "because we have Italian food all the time!"
Hmm, that was another thing I didn't know.  Those kids make me laugh! 

My crazy boys

Easter fun

This Easter was so much fun.  My big sister Valerie decided she needed a vacation from work, so we all got together at Nicole's house to see her and Krystal (it's been a while since we've seen those 2!).  Friday night we loaded up the family and headed to Phoenix.  Saturday, Nicole, Valerie and I did our last minute Easter shopping together, and by the time we got back to Nic's house, Allen and his family were there.  We spent the day visiting, cooking, and watching kids act like maniacs.  It is exhausting watching all those kids run around all day! 

Mike raiding the lolipops

Jordan trying to get some Easter stuff before the little ones got it all.

Just some of the kids.

Showing off the goods

Easter Sunday we all got up and went to sacrament meeting together.  We took up 2 whole pews and nearly doubled the size of Nicole's ward.  It's the first time we've all been to church together in who knows how many years.  Then we went home to let the kids hunt for eggs and pick from Aunt Valerie's lollipop garden.

We had a huge meal (yummy scones too!) and gained a few pounds.  Then we headed home to sleep like we haven't slept in weeks.  I think it made for fun memories for years to come.

Cousins!

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Spring and derby

Spring is upon us at last.  We had a fun spring break this year.  I took Jordan and my boys up to Chino Valley to start off the week of spring break.  We were lucky enough to watch my nephew wrestle in a tournament and then watch my niece in a soccer tournament.

my nephew Kendall (super cool kid)

my niece #3 Lauren (she's awesome!)

 Then we went to my sister's house in Phoenix to celebrate mine and Allen's birthday.  I love hanging out with my family! 
While I was in Chino, I took a drive past my old neighborhood.  I had my camera with me so I decided to take some pics.  When we were kids, Allen and I and our friends used to ride our bikes down a hill and up another one to this "cliff".  We used to run and jump off it to see who could get the farthest.  It still looks pretty steep to me, and I'm surprised none of us broke an arm or leg doing it.

the cliff

Across from the cliff is an OLD stable station.  I used to walk there whenever I was struggling with the difficulties of youth, and watch the sun start to set or take a solitary picnic there.  I'm surprised it is still standing . . . somewhat. 

stable in the distance.  It's fenced off now.

 Then driving back to Allen's house, I noticed all the tumbleweeds.  We have lots of them in Sierra Vista too, but nothing like in Chino Valley.  It is beautiful in it's own way. 

tumbling tumbleweeds!

 When we got back home to our place, we had to get Levi ready for his pinewood derby race in Tucson.  He won his pack and his district, so he got to race in the council.  He placed 2nd. 

getting his derby pin

Levi with his trophy

Mike says he has ice running through his veins cause he just didn't get nervous one bit.  He was really just there to have fun.  I'm happy he did so well with his first experience in pinewood derby for scouting. 
Later that night, Jordan got recognized for earning her personal progress in Young Women's.  We were so proud of her.  She was the youngest one to receive it (13) and she really finished it about 6 months ago. 

Spring is a really busy time around here, but we love it so much!