The Ashton Clan

SPRING BREAK - ST. GEORGE, UT

2009-04-06T18:53:00.013-06:00

This last week the boys had a few days off for spring break, so we decided to get away and enjoy ourselves in some warmer weather. We headed down south to St. George and had some good R & R.

Our first stop in our trip was to In-N-Out Burger. We had never eaten there before so had to go and indulge in this famous resturant. We enjoyed yummy burgers fries and milkshakes. Yum Yum.

We checked into our hotel and headed to the pool. The air was a little cool but the water was heated and it was so refreshing to feel the sun on our backs and water in our faces.

Next we dried off, ate dinner and headed to the mini-golf and arcade family fun center. The boys had fun hitting balls, earning tickets and trying out their abilities on the cycles.

The next morning, Sunday, we drove around a bit and took in the beautiful scenery of the red rock formations.

Here is the Brigham Young winter home that we toured. It was a beautiful home and we learned alot about the early Saints and how St.George got started. We learned about growing cotton, tree nuts, grape vines and raising silk worms

Here is the Jacob Hamblin home that we toured next. It was neat to see how the early saints sacrificed and had such great faith to develop the desolate desert of southern Utah. I'm so glad for the many modern conviences that we enjoy these days.

Right next to the parking lot of the Jacob Hamblin home was a teepee sitting in the yard of the neighbors. The boys really thought that was cool and it reminded them of our trip to Wallowa Lake where they got to play in and around some teepees out behind the the main cabin.

We went over to the temple and walked around the beautiful grounds. It is such a peaceful place to be in and to remember what great promises the temple represents and how wonderfully valiant and true the saints were to sacrifice and obey the will of the Lord to build such magnificant structures where we can be so greatly blessed.

On Monday we drove north of St. George to visit the Snow Canyon State Park. On our way we found some cactus that Andrew was really impressed with.

Here is a ward building that I thought looked so cool. If just blends into the environment and one that you don't see in northern Utah.

Snow Canyon is so beautiful with all of the red rock. Here is neat shot with the sun just coming out over the top.

We took a little hike and the boys climbed up the rock and were "King of the Hill".

We found this really neat small cave that we explored and I posed inside.

Here are the sand dunes that we hiked around and played in. The very fine red rock sand felt so good between our toes. We didn't get to stay and play as long as we would have liked due to the wind blowing. Getting sand in your eyes is not fun at all. So we stayed just a few minutes and had to move on.

The boys swam again and then we went to the new movie Monsters vs. Aliens. Nicholas and Andrew loved it and I thought it was pretty good.

The last morning the boys swam again and then we went over and had one more round of miniature golf. Here the boys are trying their luck at a hole in one. Nicholas actually got two and Andrew got one.

We had such a fun time in St. George. It was really good to get away and have fun together as a family.

PINE WOOD DERBY

2009-04-06T18:25:00.003-06:00

This was the first experience of this project for the boys and I. I thought for sure when I opened the box of the pine wood derby kit there would be some semblance of a car inside, but no just a block of wood. So I went to the place of all knowledge, the Internet. I found a few templates that looked like they would be good designs and had Grandpa Foutz cut out the shapes. All of us took turns sanding and sanding and sanding and sanding and sanding... The boys helped grandpa paint and I had one of my employers help out with the wheels. The cars looked good and the day came to see how they would do under pressure.

These are the boys cars. Nicholas' is #31 and Andrew's is #0.

These are all of the participants. All of the boys did really good on their cars and it was a good race. Nicholas and Andrew didn't win, the car sitting in front won every single race. Nicholas came in 4th a couple times and 3rd a couple of times. Andrew came in 4th once, 3rd once and 2nd two times. They had lots of fun and were glad to have participated.

Nicholas showing his car and his certificate for "The Gone In 60 Seconds Car".

Andrew received the certificate for "The Lean Mean Green Machine".

What a Beautiful Sound

2009-02-08T22:20:00.004-07:00

This morning I was laying in bed being lazy, trying to get myself out of bed when I heard a sound. It was a familiar sound, but one that I had not heard in quite some time. I listened again and sure enough, it was a bird chirping. I kept listening and soon a car drove by frightening the bird, and the beautiful sound was gone. I strained to see if I could hear more, and there in the distance was the faint far away song of more birds. I called to Nicholas and Andrew and told them to quietly go over to the window and listen. Following instructions, they turned their ears to the glass and almost immediately in unison, delightfully and excitedly announced "BIRDS!" It was so wonderful to hear that lovely sound this morning. It really perked me up to know that life is on it's way back to the valley and that beauty will be springing forth very soon.

2009-01-30T22:53:00.002-07:00

A couple of weeks ago the boys and I attended the Draper Temple open house. What a wonderful experience to share with your children. They weren't too happy to get dressed up in their Sunday best on a weekday but I got them excited about going by telling them about the "magic" mirror in the sealing rooms that you can see for forever in. Other than the long wait to get to and from the temple the boys really enjoyed everything. Nicholas kept pointing to the "cows" surrounding the baptismal font and Andrew had to constantly correct him that they were oxen. They loved the soft feel of the alters and they kept saying how beautiful the celestial room was. What an amazingly high ceiling. My dad said it is about 50 feet high. The stained glass was so beautiful. The "magic" mirrors were a big hit although it was hard for the boys to see themselves in it because they are kind of high on the walls. This temple is so very beautiful, I'm very excited to have a chance sometime to attend a session there. I was also very impressed with the reception that followed in the Stake center adjacent to the temple. The cultural hall was decorated just amazingly and the cookies were scrumptious. I'm so glad to have had this experience with my boys and hope to be able to attend the Oquirrah Temple open house with them soon as well.

Andrew's Baptism

2009-01-03T20:46:00.002-07:00

Today was a very special day in our family. Andrew was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are so proud of his decision and know that by following the teachings of our Savior and keeping the commandments he will find true happiness and joy in this life. We love you Andrew!!!

Andrew with his Grandpa Foutz who preformed the baptism and confirmation.

Andrew with friend and fellow baptisimal candidate Jessica Jorgensen.

Andrew with his cousins who came to support him on his special day.

Andrew and his cousins minus little Will.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-03T20:17:00.003-07:00

Since everyone else had plans for Christmas we got to spend this special day with the Crane family. We had so much fun hanging out, visiting, watching movies and eating lots of yummy food.

Here are the boys on Christmas morning not being able to stand it any longer. They bound up the stairs to see if Santa left them any goodies.

Here they are with the first sight of all that loot.

Wow I got it, I got it. The Diary of a Whimpy Kid books. Yes! Yes!

So Cool! Tech Deck Dudes!

I think it is a plastic knife. Let me see how can I torture my brother and mom with this. He! He! He!

It was a very nice holiday and so much fun to be with family who we love.

Andrew Turns 8

2009-01-03T20:05:00.003-07:00

I can't believe my baby turned "8". It just doesn't seem possible that he could be that old. But here he is enjoying his special day with his brother and cousins.

Andrew showing how cool and awesome he is.

Andrew with all his gifts just waiting to be torn into.

The requested white cake with sprinkle frosting.

Showing off all of his super cool loot.

On your mark, get set....

GO!!! What a set of lungs. No girlfriends this year.

Yum! Yum! This cake is sooooo good.

New Photos

2009-01-03T19:32:00.002-07:00

In early December I had my friend Heather accompany us to the park and snap some pics for us. Those of you who received a Christmas card saw the winning photo and it is also posted on this blog in the upper right corner. Here are a few of the other photos that truned out good as well.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-02T19:08:00.002-07:00

This year our ward along with another in our building paticipated in Trunk-or-Treat. Each ward member wanting to, decorated the trunk of their car and the kids walked around to each and received a piece of candy. The boys went around to all of the cars once and pretty much had their bags full to the rim. So by about 7:15 the were all trick-or-treated out and ready to go home.

Here is "Hot Wheel" all decorated up for Halloween

Here is Nicholas "The Dead Pirate"

This is Andrew "The Unknown Phantom Grimm Reaper"

Hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween!

Pumpkins

2008-10-25T21:38:00.003-06:00

Today we carved our pumpkins. It was a sticky gooey mess, but we had lots of fun and I think they all turned out really well. Shh don't tell anyone but I like Andrew's the best.

Andrew and his jack-o-lantern

Nicholas and his jack-o-lantern

Mijken and her jack-o-lantern

Ashton Clan

2008-10-22T22:21:00.001-06:00

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.

First Snow, Fall 2008

2008-10-12T16:45:00.002-06:00

Look what we woke up to this morning. They predicted it but I didn't believe it. Wow they, meaning the weather man, really actually got it right this morning. Of course it was gone by the time we got out of church. It is nice to get the moisutre but I was really hoping it would have been in the form of rain. Hopefully this will blow by and the warmer weather will be back very soon and last until at least Thanksgiving. Here's to sending out positive vibes into the universe.

The boys partaking of the first snow. Yum Yum at least they think so. Do we really know what all is in that snow?

J.W. FOUTZ FAMILY REUNION 2008, BELLA BEACH OREGON

2008-10-05T00:52:00.020-06:00

Every three years my family, meaning my parents, siblings and all the nieces and nephews, get together at a particular location and have FUN FUN FUN!!! This year my sister Hannie was in charge and planned our reunion on the Oregon coast. For one full week this September we hung out together and made lots of good memories.

The community we stayed in was called Bella Beach. There are several private homes and town homes rented out to vacationers to enjoy the beauties of the coast. I loved Bella Beach for the quaintness, quietness and cleanliness. We were about maybe 1/2 block from the beach, so what more could you ask for.

This home is named CAMELOT and is where the boys and I resided for the week. It was beautifully furnished, spacious and totally met all of our needs. On the first floor was a family gathering room with a nice gas fireplace and dining room. There was a full service kitchen with a wonderful island to prepare meals at. Attached to the kitchen was a sitting room with a T.V. hooked up to cable so all the kids could keep in tune with the latest cartoon network episodes, the boys could watch the games and dad could keep up with the happenings of politics. There was also an eating room, laundry room and off the kitchen between the garage was a hot tub spa. Above the garage was a room and full bath. Upstairs were two bedrooms that shared a full bath and a master bedroom with its own bath. On the third floor was a very large loft, accommodated with three trundle beds, T.V., VCR/DVD combo, and full bath, where the "Four Musketeers" resided.

This is the other home we occupied called SUNSET. Downstairs was two bedrooms, a full bath and a larger bedroom with three sets of bunk beds. Upstairs was the master bedroom with its own full bath, a 1/2 bath, full service kitchen, dining room and living room. On the third level was a sitting area and family room with a hide-a-bed and entertainment center equipped with a PS2 but we never did let the boys find it.

Both homes were so nice, every family had their own room and our needs were met in every respect.

These next two pictures are of the beach. It was pretty drizzly and cloudy this day but even so the beach is so beautiful.

Here are Nicholas and Andrew playing on the beach and in the water with their cousins Hyrum and Zach.

What a glorious sight. Sunset on the beach. It just doesn't get much better than this. Thanks to Heavenly Father for allowing us to behold such beauty.

This photo is my favorite.

The first organized activity we participated in was CRABBING. We actually got to go out in the bay and catch crabs. This was one of my favorite things of the trip. The day was perfect and we had lots of fun and learned a few things as well. In the next several pictures I will take you through the whole crabbing process.

This is the boat we rode on to catch our crabs.

These are the crab pots which are the traps we will be using to catch crabs.

These two pictures are of the sunrise on the bay as we go out to catch those crabs.

This is the Yaquina bridge going over the bay.

Birds hanging out on the rocks in the bay.

Here they are so excited to catch that first crab.

This is step one in the crabbing process, throw out the pot into the water. There is a buoy attached to the pot so it can be located later and a mesh bag filled with dead fish for bait.

Next a log pole with a hook on it is used to grab onto the rope so the pot can be brought up to the surface.

After the rope is hooked it has to be reeled in. Here are the boys pulling with all their might bringing in that crab pot.

This is another shot of reeling in the crab pot.

Once the rope is reeled in the pot is pulled in onto the boat.

The pot is then carried over to the container which holds our catch.

The crabs are then dumped out of the pot.

The crabs are then separated by gender and size. We were only able to keep male crabs and ones who were the right measurement, if I remember right they had to be 5 3/4 inches across the back. We then took our catch back to port had them boiled and home to eat. YUM YUM!

The water in the Pacific ocean off the Oregon coast is SO VERY COLD, but that didn't stop my little dare devils. Here they are, probably after hypothermia has already set in, testing out their skills in the waves. They had so much fun. What CRAZY boys.

Here are the three of us taking our turn steering the boat. It was really fun having a turn. The captain had a neat navigation computer that showed the contours of the sea floor and where the best route was to steer the boat.

Here are some crazy people holding crabs. We finally learned the proper technique so we, or at least I, wouldn't get pinched. Notice the crabs that I am holding, one is a male and one is a female. The female has a larger base on the belly and the male has a thin narrow base.

The Oregon Coast is home to many male sealions. After mating in California they swim up the coast and hang out here to eat and play around leaving mom home to care for the pups. Typical male. (hehehe) This was my second favorite part of the trip. It was so cool to hear the noises they made and watch them just hang out.

Neices and Nephews

The 4 Musketeers - Andrew, Zach, Nicholas and Hyrum

Caleb (sorry bud I had to borrow this pic from Hans cuz I somehow didn't get a photo of you but didn't want to leave you out)

Emma and Kenzie

Dallin

Will

Ruby

Stan

Sierra

Chance

While at the park we walked through the forrest and found the oldest tree in Oregon which is estimated to be over 400 years old. It is pretty darn big.

Here the kids are playing at the park.

Nicholas giving Dallin a good push.

Kenzie enjoying the swing. Aren't her pigtails so cute?

Andrew in the drivers seat.

Nicholas crossing the moat.

Emma riding the tire.

Emma and her big smile.

Here is a neat little chair carved into the stump of a tree.

Views of the Oregon Coast

We had such a wonderful reunion. Everyone was there and it was so good to renew our freindships and catch up on what everyone has been up to. Next time it will be up to Jacob to plan our week of fun and excitement. Until then sending much love and more blog updates.

Austen Heroine

2008-09-14T17:46:00.000-06:00

Take the Quiz here!

Hogle Zoo - Again

2008-09-14T16:25:00.002-06:00

Once again we made our way to the mouth of emmigration canyon and took in the sites of our local Hogle Zoo. I think the boys are starting to get bored with it, but Andrew was insistant that we end our summer with the animals. So here are a few of the inhabitants.

Baby Alligator

Albino Crocodile

Albino Crocodile

Gorilla

Some kind of kitten

Rattlesnake

Some kind of squirrel

Swimming Turtle

Wolf Spider

Andrew on Snake Slide

Andrew in Spider Web

Andrew on Spider

Nicholas on Spider Web

Nicholas Riding on Carousel

Giraffe (my favorite)

Zebra

Elephant

Andrew in Boat

Riding the Train

Giraffes

Andrew enjoying his souvenir from the zoo

I had a wonderful time seeing all of the locals at the zoo and wouldn't mind visiting again sometime.

Nicholas is 9!

2008-08-03T18:20:00.004-06:00

Another year has passed and Nicholas is now "9". It is so hard to believe how old he is getting. He invited a few friends over and had a fun time playing together and enjoying his new gifts. Here are the memories of BIRTHDAY # NINE!!!

The boys squirting each other with silly string.

The boys having a water balloon fight.

I had overextended my schedule so my wonderful mom saved me and made this really cute cake for the special day. Thanks so much mom!

He got all of the candles out on the first blow. Oh darn, no girlfriends this year.

All of the boys wearing their Kung Fu Panda masks.

All of the party friends, Fischer, Nicholas, Taylor, Hyrum and Andrew.

Nicholas with his presents.

Andrew cooling off and being silly.

Shakespeare Festival

2008-08-03T18:18:00.000-06:00

I have heard from many of my patients how fun it is to go to the Shakespeare Fesival in Cedar City,UT. I have wanted to check it out and so finally planned a trip with my three best single friends. We drove down on Thursday evening and stayed in a hotel. It was so fun to talk and visit all the way down and back. We ate a good breakfast in the hotel on Friday morning and checked out the gift shoppes at the festival. After eating lunch we went to the play "The Taming of the Shrew" which was performed in modern costume this year. Although I didn't understand all of the Shakespearean language I did get the jist of the play and enjoyed it so much. It was funny and the actors and actresses were amazing. What a fun time we had together.

Here we all are posing with "The Bard".

Beautiful Barbara

Heavenly Heather

Magnificent Mijken

Display of "The Taming of the Shrew"

Synopsis

Tacoma Zoo

2008-08-03T17:54:00.004-06:00

While visiting in Washington, we made our way over the bridge to Tacoma and took in the sites of the Zoo. Here are some of the amazing creatures we encountered.

The walrus. It was so interesting to watch them swim. I don't know if this is normal or just in captivity but they would swim upside down.

The Beluga Whale. This whale was so photogenic. She would swim up to this rock and just smile and look around for several minutes letting everyone take her picture and have a good look. What a ham.

It was feeding time for the otters and they were totally chowing down on these crabs.

The Reindeer. And no they really do not fly.

The Lemurs. They were so fun to watch swinging and climbing all over their cage.

The goat in the petting zoo. Pee-yew, what stinky creatures.

Here is Ruby showing me how she can pet the goat.

On our way home from the zoo we saw these cute Raccoons on the side of the road.

It is hard to see in this picture but this is the bridge connecting Gig Harbor to Tacoma.

We passed this house a few times going into Tacoma and finally had to take a picture of it. This woman must really love flowers. They are beautiful but WOW I think a little over done.

Cute Foutz Family in Washington

2008-08-03T16:28:00.010-06:00

Over the 24th of July weekend Carmen and I had the opportunity to visit Susan and the kids. We had a really good time hanging out and helping around visiting and eating yummy food. Here are some fun pics of our trip.

The kids weren't really coorporating but Susan looks really good.

This is Susan's brother Ken's home where she and the kids are staying while Jacob is in Iraq. I loved the layout and color scheme. It was a very nice place to stay.

Here I am with each of the family members.

Me and Susan

Me and Sierra

Me and Ruby

Me and Stan

Me and Chance

Sierra, Stan and Ruby ready to go on a walk to the park with Aunt Mijken and Aunt Carmen.

Here are the three kids trying to all make it up the slide first.

The three kids looking over the water behind the resturant.

Here they are all sporting their shades, or as Sierra would call them "my sunburn glasses".

Sierra going down the slide. Check out the electric hair.

Sierra on the swing.

Sierra playing at the park.

I had to bribe Ruby to get this picture of her smiling. She's not one to just pose at any time.

Ruby playing at the park.

Going down the slide with Ruby's electric hair.

Showing off her silly side.

Ruby found this feather at the park and was very proud.

Stan showing off all of his cuteness.

Going down the slide.

All boy.

Chance was having a hard time riding in his carseat on the way home. So to tollerate the crying, Stan plugged his ears.

Like all kids his age, Stan loved to swing and swing and swing and swing.

Chance showing off his feet.

Chance eating his bib.

Chance hanging out in his swing.

One of those pics we can use for blackmail in the future.

Just a couple of cute memories, Ruby kept forgetting my name and would say "whoever you are", Stan would call me "Nakin" and his favorite thing to say was "Sierra hit me" whether she was around or not.

We had such a good visit with all of the kids and it was so good to finally meet Chance. What a wonderful family. Can't wait to see all of you again in September.

The Boys

2008-08-03T15:50:00.003-06:00

I needed to get an updated picture of my boys so after our tour of the candy factory, I talked them into posing for me at the park. Here is the winning picture and another that turned out neat.

Sweet Candy Factory

2008-08-03T15:34:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago after seeing the pics on Amanda's blog, I thought it would be fun to take the boys on a tour of the Sweet Candy Factory. I made a reservation and out we headed. The factory is about 3700 W. 1100 S. When we first arrived we were instructed that we would be wearing candy maker hats for our tour. We then watched a short movie and then followed our guide around the factory to see how they make the good treats. We first saw the wearhouse stocked to the ceiling with candy. We saw how they make taffy, chocolate covered jelly sticks, cinnamon bears, jelly beans, chocolate covered peanuts and then how they did the packing. It was very interesting and enjoyable. We were able to sample a piece of taffy fresh off the line and were given a sample bag to take home. The boys purchased their favorite treat, candy corn and I got my favorite, chocolate covered cinnamon bears.

Here are the boys sporting their "candy maker hats" and yummy treats.

Ancestors and Summer Fun

2008-06-30T22:23:00.014-06:00

Sunday evening I was invited, along with my parents and other siblings, to join my uncle's family reunion tour of the historical museum in Pleasant Grove featuring some pictures and items from my ancestors. My Great Great Grandma and Grandpa Foutz came across the plains with the pioneers and settled in the Pleasant Grove area. It was really neat to see these items and hear how great these men and women were who preceded me. Andrew really got into it as well and thought is was so cool to see things from his ancestors.

This is an ox yolk that my ancestor August Warnick made and used.

Margaret Mann Foutz was my Great Great Grandmother.

Margaret was one of the many women who survived the Hauns Mill massacre. Her husband was shot in the hip, but Margaret was able to dress his wounds and hide him in the garden under leaves and at the spinning wheel dressed as a woman until the danger had subsided and they were able to move on to a safer place.

Here is an iron that Margaret had used.

Today I took the boys to the Olympic Fountain downtown at the Gateway. It was so hot the cool water felt really nice. Well here are the crazy guys running around having so much fun.

NICHOLAS

ANDREW

ANDREW

NICHOLAS

ANDREW

NICHOLAS

ANDREW

NICHOLAS

UTAH LAKE

2008-06-28T15:18:00.013-06:00

Friday we took our annual trek down to Utah Lake for the Liddell office lake party. It was a perfect day and we had so much fun. We enjoyed time on the boat, playing on the beach and the Dr's took us out to lunch at a local mexican resturant. So here is a record of all that was experienced at Utah Lake.

Here is the private property, El Nautica, where Dr. Liddell owns a couple spots to place his trailer and launch his boat. Notice how beautiful it looks when the sun is gleaming on the water.

Dr. Liddell's dog Hobbs gets lots of attention and love when we visit each year.

Nicholas and I waisted no time being the first to jump on the seat tube.

I was having a blast but Nicholas started getting really nervous that the tube would flip over so the ride didn't last so long.

Here are the three of us hangin' out on the boat.

Andrew catching the wind and enjoying the feeling of freedom.

It's me just chillin'.

And here's Nicholas.

The boys with a couple of the other kids.

The boys hangin' out with the girls.

The float seat got turned upside down and many of the gang piled on to see if it would hold them all.

Here they all are and the float seat made it through the abuse.

Here are the boys playing on the upside down float seat.

After playing around on the float seat, we all jumped in and enjoyed playing in the water.

Here's Nicholas!

Here's Andrew!

Nicholas took a turn steering the boat with Dr. Liddell.

Now it is Andrew's turn. Watch out so we don't crash!

The boys and I taking our turn on the water weenie.

The kids have much more fun when it is only them on this contraption. I think my weight off sets the balance and we crash a little more easily.

I'm a little rosey around the edges but this time I did remember to reapply the sunscreen so not too bad for being in the sun all day. A wonderful time was had by all. Thank you Dr's Liddell!

VISIT WITH MY SISTER AND HER FAMILY

2008-06-22T18:33:00.020-06:00

I recently took a real vacation, meaning I left the boys at home with grandma and grandpa and headed out east to visit my sister Raenie and her family in Winchester,VA. I had a fabulous time and was thrilled to be back out east as I haven't been since moving to Utah in 2000. It was so nice to see the unique architecture, green landscape, small hidden towns and the fireflies. I could have done without the humidity but we did have a reprieve the last couple of days I was there. Along with visiting Virginia I also was able to tour Washington,DC as well as Baltimore, MD. To start off I posted the pictures that you all truly want to see, Dallin and Kenzie. They are both active and doing well and as you can see from the pictures are so dang cute.

The first full day I was in Winchester Raenie was very gracious and extremely accommodating to drive me around the city and see all of the neat sites. These first few pictures are of some of the homes I thought were so cute and of which we don't see out here in the west.

Here is the reason that Raenie and her family are out east in the first place. Shenandoah University is where Charlie has been spending quite a lot of time over the past three years studying to be a Pharmacist.

Winchester is located in the Shenandoah valley famous for their apple blossoms. Throughout the city are these apple statues painted in different unique ways. Here are the four that Raenie and I could find on our drive around town.

This is the Handley High School in Winchester. Very charming looking for a high school. The Handley Judges play all of their home football games on saturday mornings as there is no stadium lighting to take away from the beauty of the grounds.

Here is a street in Old Winchester.

Here is Handley Library in Downtown Winchester.

This is the City Hall.

This is the WWII Memorial.

This is the Washington Monument.

Here is the White House.

This is a Smithsonian Building.

These are some flowers in front of the Smithsonian Building.

Here is our Nations Capital.

This is the Lincoln Memorial.

This is the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial.

This is the Jefferson Memorial.

This is the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD.

Bridge crossing the harbor.

Dragon or Nessie paddle boats.

Old ships docked in the harbor.

Street homes in Little Italy.

Cute pics. in Little Italy.

Cafe Gia where Raenie and I ate an early dinner. It was such a cute little resturant. The atmosphere was so warm and friendly and the food was good especially the tortilini that Raenie ordered, extremely delicious.

This is the bakery where Raenie introduced me to the Italian dessert Canoli. The shell is kind of like a waffle cone rolled in a cylindar shape and filled with a sweet ricotta cheese mix with mini chocolate chips. It had a very unique taste and was very yummy. They do have a website and will deliver.

All in all my vacation was so good. It was nice to get away from the usual routiene but also good to be back home where I was truly missed.

ALVIN AND SIMON

2008-05-18T19:03:00.005-06:00

THE BOYS ARE REALLY INTO "ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS" RIGHT NOW, SO HERE THEY ARE SINGING SOME OF THE SONGS FROM THE NEW MOVIE.

PLANETARIUM AND OLYMPIC FOUNTAIN

2008-05-18T18:45:00.008-06:00

ON THIS FIELD TRIP WE RODE THE PUBLIC BUS AND THE TRAX TRAIN DOWNTOWN TO THE GATEWAY WHERE WE WENT TO THE PLANETARIUM. WE SAW SOME OF THE DISPLAYS AND WATCHED THE MOVIE THE CARDBOARD ROCKET WHICH IS ABOUT ALL OF THE PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. AFTER THE PLANETARIUM WE WALKED OVER TO THE OLYMPIC FOUNTAIN AND HAD LUNCH ON THE ROCKS. THE KIDS THEN RAN AROUND IN THE FOUNTAIN AND HAD FUN GETTING ALL WET. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME. MY GROUP SOPHIA, MESA, J.J., AND ANDREW RIDING THE TRAX TRAIN.

ANDREW ON MARS

SOPHIA, J.J., MESA AND ANDREW ON MARS

ANDREW ON THE MOON

ANDREW, J.J., AND MESA ON THE MOON

ANDREW PLAYING IN THE OLYMPIC FOUNTAIN

GETTING HIT IN THE BUM

ANDREW AND HUGO BEING CRAZY BOYS

TRACY AVIARY AND LIBERTY PARK

2008-05-13T20:28:00.017-06:00

I ACCOMPANIED ANDREW AND HIS 1ST GRADE CLASS DOWNTOWN TO THE TRACY AVIARY AND LIBERTY PARK GREENHOUSE AND PLAYGROUND. THIS IS THE GROUP I WAS IN CHARGE OF, LUIS, ANDREW, MADISON AND SHIANA. I DIDN'T GET ANY PICS OF THE GREENHOUSE BECAUSE I WAS HAVING TECHINCAL DIFFICULITIES WITH THE CAMERA BUT WAS ABLE TO GET SOME POSES ON THE PLAYGROUND. ENJOY ALL OF THE COOL BIRD PICS.

GREATER SANDHILL CRANE

GOLDEN EAGLE

BALD EAGLES

HAWK

ANDREW MEASURES UP

EMU

RED CROWNED CRANE

HORNBILL

REMEMBERING BACK TO 6TH GRADE, I BELIEVE THIS IS A WOOD DUCK

BARNEY THE BARN OWL

ARGENTINIAN FLAMINGO'S

WOW MEMORIES OF LIVING IN ONTARIO SURE CAME BACK WHEN I HEARD THIS LOVELY BIRD TALKING.

MR.PEACOCK SHOWING OFF FOR THE LADIES

BLACK NECKED SWAN

OF COURSE BEING A GIRL I HAD TO TAKE A PIC OF THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS

KATLYN, LOGAN AND ANDREW SHOWING OFF THEIR BALANCING SKILLS

KATLYN, ANDREW AND CHRISTIAN PLAYING HOUSE

CHRISTIAN AND ANDREW HANGING OUT ON THE ROOF

ANDREW CLIMBING HIGH

ANDREW WAY UP HIGH IN THE SKY

RED BUTTE GARDENS

2008-05-10T23:35:00.017-06:00

ON MONDAY I ACCOMPANIED NICHOLAS' CLASS TO RED BUTTE GARDENS. I HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE AND WAS EXCITED TO FIND OUT WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT. WE HAD A GUIDE TAKE US ON A HIKE UP IN THE HILLS ABOVE THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH AND SHOW US ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS FOUND IN NATURE. IT WAS VERY INTERESTING AND I REALLY LEARNED A LOT. IT WAS QUITE HOT THAT DAY AND I GOT A PRETTY GOOD SUNBURN ON THE BACK OF MY NECK. NEXT TIME I WILL FOR SURE BRING SUNSCREEN. WELL HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE SAW AND LEARNED ABOUT IN RED BUTTE GARDENS.

THESE ARE THE BOYS WHO WERE IN MY GROUP. NICHOLAS, ROBERTO, FISCHER AND ANDREW.

DAFFODILS

BALSAM ROOT IS NATIVE TO UTAH AND THE SCENT IT EMMIT'S IS THAT OF CHOCOLATE

FIELD OF BALSAM ROOT

GAMBLE OAK TREES WITH A MAGPIE NEST

WATER LEAF

FORGET-ME-NOT FLOWERS FROM THE BLUE BELLE FAMILY

A FIELD OF FORGET-ME-NOTS

THE COLORED SPECS GROWING ON THE ROCK ARE TWO DIFFERENT ORGANISMS, FUNGUS AND ALGAE. WHEN THEY GROW TOGETHER THEY FORM WHAT IS CALLED LICHEN. THEY WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE NUTRIENTS AND OXYGEN TO TREES AND THEY SURVIVE ON ROCKS BY USING THE MINERALS FOUND IN THE STONE.

MORE LICHEN GROWING ON THE ROCK

LADYBUG

ORGAN LEAF

COOPER HAWK NEST

OAK TUNNEL

CORAL HONEYSUCKLE

WATER BALLOONS

2008-05-10T23:29:00.004-06:00

MY NEIGHBOR CAMILLE, LOADED UP ALL OF THESE BALLOONS LAST SATURDAY AND LET THE KIDS HAVE AT EACHOTHER. WHAT FUN THEY HAD AND EVEN DID A GREAT JOB AT CLEANING UP ALL OF THE LITTLE BALLOON PIECES. HERE ARE MY LITTLE MEN SHOWING OFF THEIR SKILLS.

KYUKI-DO TOUNAMENT #2

2008-04-26T14:34:00.024-06:00

TODAY'S TOURNAMENT WAS AT THE PLEASANT GROVE HIGH SCHOOL. AFTER DRIVING AROUND AMERICAN FORK AWHILE WE FINALLY MADE OUR WAY A LITTLE MORE SOUTH AND FOUND WHERE WE WERE TO BE AT. NICHOLAS WASN'T SURE HE WANTED TO COMPETE IN TODAY'S TOURNAMENT BUT AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE FOLLOWING PICTURES, HE WAS REALLY GLAD HE DECIDED TO GO. HERE NICHOLAS IS WAITING FOR THINGS TO GET STARTED. (SORRY ABOUT SOME OF THE BAD PICS, I'M STILL LEARNING TO USE THIS NEW CAMERA) COMPETING IN FORM CALLED KWAN KEY CHOW (NOT SURE IF THAT IS HOW YOU SPELL IT, BUT IS HOW YOU SAY IT) SCORE FOR HIS FORM SUITING UP FOR THE FREE FIGHTING MATCHES HERE I AM READY TO GO

NICHOLAS USING HIS SKILLS TO WIN WIN WIN NICHOLAS WINS 2ND PLACE IN FORM NICHOLAS WINS 1ST PLACE IN FREE FIGHTING YEA! I'M A WINNER! NICHOLAS SHOWING HIS PRIDE IN A JOB WELL DONE! ANDREW SHOWING OFF HIS SKILLS WHILE WATING PATIENTLY FOR NICHOLAS TO FINISH

SPRING'S IN BLOOM

2008-04-26T14:24:00.009-06:00

HERE ARE SOME PICS I TOOK AROUND SHOWING THAT INDEED SPRING IS ON ITS WAY!

LAS VEGAS

2008-04-20T16:09:00.029-06:00

SORRY IT HAS TAKEN SO LONG TO GET THESE PICTURES UP. I GOT LAZY AND THEN RAN INTO SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULITIES, BUT HERE WE ARE ON OUR LATEST ADVENTURE.

I HAVE WANTED TO TAKE THE BOYS ON A TRIP DURING THEIR SPRING BREAK FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MUSTER THE COURGE OR PART WITH THE MONEY. BUT THIS YEAR SOMETHING CAME OVER ME AND I JUST HAD TO DO IT. I WANTED TO TAKE THEM SOMEWHERE CLOSE, WARM AND WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE FUN. THE ONLY THING I COULD COME UP WITH WAS VEGAS. I HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE SO FELT COMFORTABLE ABOUT FNDING MY WAY AROUND AND KNEW THAT WE COULD FIND FUN THINGS TO DO. I SCHEDULED OUR TRIP AND AWAY WE WENT. I BORROWED MY SISTER CARMEN'S PORTABLE DVD PLAYERS SO THE BOYS COULD BE ENTERTAINED DURING THE DRIVE. THANK YOU CARMEN.

THIS WAS AT OUR FIRST POTTY BREAK. WE DID HEED THE WARNING ON THE SIGN AND DID NOT TOUCH ANY OF THE ANIMALS, THE BOYS ONLY STOOD NEXT TO THEM.

OUR NEXT STOP WAS AT HISTORIC COVE FORT. IRA HINKLEY, PRES. HINKLEY'S GREAT GRANDFAHER, WAS ASKED BY BRIGHAM YOUNG TO BUILD A FORT TO HELP PROTECT AGAINST INDIANS. A BATTLE WAS NEVER FOUGHT THERE SINCE THE POINEERS WERE ABLE TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THEIR NATIVE NEIGHBORS.

THIS WAS THE CABIN THAT IRA HINKLEY FIRST BUILT UPON ARRIVAL TO THE LOCATION WHERE THE FORT WAS TO BE.

OUR NEXT STOP WAS IN ST.GEORGE. WE VISITED THE TEMPLE GROUNDS AND PLAYED TAG ON THE GRASS. I'M NOT SURE HOW APPROPRIATE THAT WAS BUT WE HAD FUN AND I'M SURE THE LORD DIDN'T MIND.

HERE THE BOYS ARE ON THE STAIRS OF THE TEMPLE.

OK, I GUESS I'LL PUT IN A PICTURE OF MYSELF. THIS IS ME IN FRONT OF THE ST.GEORGE TEMPLE. I THINK NICHOLAS TOOK THIS PICTURE.

HERE WE ARE. WE ARRIVED SAFELY AND IN GOOD TIME. WE STAYED AT THE EXCALIBER HOTEL.

THE BOYS CHILLIN ON THE BED IN OUR ROOM. IT WAS SO CUTE TO HEAR THEM SAY HOW FANCY THE ROOM WAS WE WERE STAYING IN. IF THEY ONLY REALLY KNEW.

THIS WAS THE PICTURE HANGING ON THE WALL IN THE BATHROOM. I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY COOL.

AFTER GETTING SETTLED IN OUR ROOM, OFF TO THE POOL WE GO. THE WATER WAS A LITTLE COLD BUT THE SUN WAS SHINING AND IT WAS ALOT WARMER THAN WHERE WE HAD COME FROM, SO THE BOYS JUMPED IN AND HAD A BLAST. I TOOK IT A LITTLE SLOWER AND NEVER COULD GET IN ALL OF THE WAY.

M&M WORLD, A CHILDS PARADISE. THE BOYS ENJOYED SEEING ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY PUT AN M&M LOGO ON.

AT M&M WORLD THERE IS A 3-D MOVIE ENTITLED "I LOST MY M IN VEGAS" THAT WE WERE ABLE TO WATCH. IT WAS REALLY CUTE. HERE THE ARE BOYS SPORTING THEIR 3-D GLASSES.

SOME OF THE SIGHTS OF VEGAS.

THIS WAS OUR LAST STOP FOR GAS COMING HOME. ANDREW HAD TO "RIDE" ON THE SINCLAIR DINOSAUR. I'M NOT SURE BUT I THINK HER NAME IS CLAIRE.

ON THE WAY HOME NICHOLAS AND I TOOK THESE PICTURES WHILE IN THE CAR. THE SCENERY IN SOUTHERN UTAH IS JUST BEAUTIFUL. I REALLY ENJOYED THE BEAUTY OF THE VIRGIN RIVER CANYON.

WE HAD A GREAT TIME ON OUR TRIP AND I'M SO GLAD I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY. THE BOYS THINK WE ARE GOING BACK FOR ALL OF SUMMER BREAK. WELL MAYBE NOT THAT SOON BUT I THINK WE WILL BE DOING LOTS MORE TRIPS TOGETHER. UNTIL NEXT TIME...

KYUKI-DO TOURNAMENT

2008-02-23T19:53:00.011-07:00

Nicholas participated in his first martial arts tournament this morning. He said he was nervous but really excited. He has been practicing his form, KEYBONE,for a few weeks now and is fairly proficient at it. He also participated in free fighting which was something he had never done before. Although it was his first time in my opinion he did very well and had a real good time. So here he is in his Kyuki-Do tournament debut.

Warming up!

All geared up and ready to go!

First free fighting match!

Second free fighting match!

Medal ceremony! Nicholas tied for second place in Form

and placed third in free fighting. Way to go Nicholas! We are so proud of you!

TEETH!

2008-02-18T21:20:00.004-07:00

Nicholas has lost yet another tooth. This is number 6 for my crazy 8 year old and the second one to be pulled out by mom with a piece of floss. That floss technique sure works well and there isn't really any pain involved. Just give a quick tug and out it comes. Way to go Nicholas! Keep smiling!

I'm not sure when this tooth first appeared, but today was the first day it was noticed. Here Andrew is showing off his very first shark tooth. He is so excited to show it off to his friends at school. It may not be his first adult tooth but it is the most important (as far as Andrew is concerned anyway). Hopefully it will move forward soon and push that baby tooth right out of the way.

Boys, Nieces and Nephew

2008-02-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

My four little nieces all wearing their beautiful dresses that Grandma Foutz made them for Christmas. They are all so beautiful. From left to right: Ruby(3), Kenzie(7mo), Sierra(4) and Emma(2).

My nephew Stan sitting in the midst of all the Christmas splendor.

Mijken and her sweet little niece Kenzie.

Nicholas holding his precious cousin Kenzie.

Here are my boys. Doing their best to be crazy and have Fun! Fun! Fun!

Nicholas has been begging and begging to participate in a karate class. He found one offered at the boys and girls club. He has been attending for a couple of weeks now and has really enjoyed all of the things he is learning.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning

2008-02-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

Taking advantage of the beautiful Christmas eve weather, a lot of the family met over at the "Big Hill" in Murray Park to go sledding. A fun time was had by all.

In accordance with Christmas Eve tradition, every family member had a dress up part in the Nativity pagent. Here are the boys with their cousin as the Three Wise Men.

Christmas morning greeted us all with a pluthera of gifts confirming that Santa is still alive and well going about doing good for all mankind. Nicholas and Andrew, the recepients of such generosity, are here with their spoils and big grins of delight.

Birthday and SNOW!

2008-02-03T18:32:00.001-07:00

Andrew turns "7"!!! It was a small party, but fun was had by all. The favorite present was the two-headed dragon and the SpongeBob theme was a big hit.

This year has been the winter of SNOW!!! In the 7+ years I have lived here, we haven't had snow like this in the valley at all. The moisture is much needed and it is beautiful to see all of the flocked trees when the sun is shining on the newly fallen snow.

Jordan River Temple

Mijken and her sister Raenie in front of the temple.

The Hogle Zoo

2007-11-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to the local zoo. It had been on our list to do this summer, but we just didn't get to it. So we took advantage of the extremely beautiful fall weather and enjoyed the animals.

The Turkey

A Monkey

An Elephant

A Cougar

The Black Bear

Some Penguins

Giraffes

The Camels

The Gorilla named Mookie

How we each measure up

Taking a break on the rocks

Posing with the Gorilla statue

Crawling on the rope web

Riding on the Zoo Train

We Are Thankful at the Boys and Girls Club

2007-11-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

The classes at the Boys and Girls Club got together to put on a little presentation for their families. The purpose was to recognize the things they are thankful for and to learn how to work in corporation as a group.
Here is the background for the performers.

Nicholas posing with Justin the Thanksgiving Turkey

The 3-4 year olds singing a turkey song.

The 5-6 year olds singing about pilgrims.

The 6-7 year olds including Andrew singing about Thanksgiving.

Nicholas' class putting on a skit. Nicholas played the part of Grandpa.
After the performance the children shared the Thanksgiving dinner they all helped to make. Andrew helped to make the fruit salad and Nicholas helped to make the mashed potatoes.

Miscellaneous

2007-11-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

I'm not the food connoisseur that my sister Raenie is, but if I do say so myself the presentation of these Whole Wheat Pancakes does look quite pleasant. They were really yummy to eat as well.

Oh what an adorable family. You wouldn't believe or maybe those of you who know Andrew intimately would believe what it took to get this photo.

The Three Crazy Musketeers. Nicholas, Hyrum and Andrew

The other Three Crazy Musketeers. Nicholas, Lauren and Andrew

Well I must have conquered my fear. Yes it is I Mijken the arachnophobe holding our real live pet tarantula, Harry. I guess being there rescuing freaked out tarantula holders allowed me to be less afraid. It is a strange sensation. He is soft but also just slightly pokey as he grabs on with his claw tufts. Anyway here is the picture of the Millennium.

Crazy Antics and Extreme Bravery

2007-11-05T19:17:00.001-07:00

Now that the boys have a pet spider, they have been practicing climbing the walls. They are actually getting really good and it is an excellent workout for them.

"Look at us everyone, we can stand on our heads."

Absolute insanity if you ask me, but they think it is so cool to let Harry crawl on them. The boys say it tickles and Andrew says that Harry is now a real pet because they can hold him.

Halloween and Outing with Grams and Gramps

2007-11-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

Halloween was much enjoyed this year and we have enough goodies to last us for quite a while. I dressed up as a "dental witch" but forgot to have my picture taken so here are the spooky jack-o-lanterns and ghoulish villains.

Last Saturday Grandma and Grandpa rounded up the grandsons and took them to a display of trains, more trains and other cool displays. Here the cousins are having an enjoyable time together.

Harry and The Raggedy's

2007-10-21T22:04:00.000-06:00

I have had the idea to do this for awhile but just never got it together to get it done. I finally made the goal to get this project finished in September. I almost made it but not quite. The finishing touches were completed on October 6th. So here they are made with lots of love for each of my nieces.

Raggedy Kenzie

Raggedy Ruby

Raggedy Emma who she named Jane

Raggedy Sierra

Nicholas and Andrew have been asking and asking and asking for a pet for forever and ever. I just didn't feel comfortable getting a cat or a dog for the expense, time they would require and the fact they would be left alone for so long. Saturday October 13th we were at a shopping plaza exchanging some clothing and there was a pet store close by. The boys asked if they could go and check out the animals. After our shopping was complete we headed over to see the animals. We headed over to the reptile area and there was a very nice employee there who was very willing to show the boys what kind of things were available. He got out a snake, lizard, tarantula and a couple of turtles for the boys to hold. I held all except, well you know. I asked about the care of each one and talked to the boys about what they would like. I thought it over and figured the tarantula would probably be the best since it just sits in a plastic box, doesn't need to be walked, doesn't need to be taken to the vet for shots, won't scratch the furniture, only eats $.12 crickets every 3-4 days, is very clean and doesn't make a sound. The boys agreed on the spider and they pooled their money together and had just about enough for everything that was needed. So far things have gone really well with their new pet and all the neighbor kids think it is really cool. So all of you who are daring enough here are some pictures of our new pet Harry, the rose haired tarantula.

Enjoying Fall

2007-10-14T19:52:00.000-06:00

Hyrum came over last Saturday evening and had a sleepover with the boys. They had lots of fun playing video games and acting silly. It is so fun for the cousins to get together and renew their friendship.

Monday morning after I dropped the boys off at school I went for a walk in the park and soaked in all of the beauty that was around me. What a glorious time of year we are in. The wonderful color and smells. These are some of my very amateur attempts to capture some of the wonders that I was able to see.

Monday evening for FHE, the boys and I went to Gardner Village in South Jordan to view the witches. This has become a tradition for us and enjoy it very much. Here are the boys with some of the witches.

Today I just had to get out of the house for awhile. We walked over to the park and again enjoyed the beauty and coolness of the fresh air. I'm so very grateful for this beautiful world we have to enjoy and for my children whom I can share it with.

Tender Mercies Through a Bug

2007-09-28T17:09:00.000-06:00

Once again through His grace the Lord has shown me how much he loves me and how really truly aware of me He is. I have been suffering from allergies the last couple of weeks which then turned into a cold. This morning I was a little grouchy due to head congestion and the excitement of sewing all day was causing me to be a little more hurried to get the kids off to school. Being the moody child that he is and probably sensing my agitation, at the last minute Andrew decided he couldn't possibly go to school due to a hurting head. Well as all mothers have the same rule, the only reason to stay home from school is if you have a fever or are throwing up. Well since none of these applied, he was going to school. I was finally able to get the boys in the car and as I was backing up I looked up to the celing and pleaded with the Lord to give me strength. Dealing with a moody 6 year old can be very tiring day in and day out. As I started to put the car back in drive I noticed a fairly large green bug on the hood of the car. I put on the break and told the boys to get unbuckled and look at the cool bug on the car. Since Andrew is totally enthralled with bugs this turned things all around. He was smiling and thought it was so cool. We headed off to school and the bug stayed with us. The whole way to school the bug continued to hold on. When we arrived to school the boys jumped out and analized the bug very carefully. It kind of looked like a leaf. It just hung out crawling around on the top of the car. Andrew was afraid it would crawl into the grill and cause trouble with the car so I flicked at the bug and off it flew to experience more adventures. With quite a few less tears Andrew was able to make it to school and survive the whole day. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for sending that bug so Andrew could get to school and I could stay somewhat more sane. I am so very thankful for the many, many tender mercies the Lord send my way. May we all be mindful of the many blessings sent our way every day.

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

2007-09-23T13:11:00.000-06:00

This is our neighbor's cat. I'm not sure if it is a male or female or what it's name is, but as you can see one of our family members has adopted it as his own.

Andrew and "his" cat. He begs me to get him a cat but I'm just fine with him hanging out with the neighbor's cat.

Here they are again

Last Monday we had FHE at mom and dad's. After it was over dad gave in to the begging of the grandson's and took them all out for a ride in the 'ol '46 Chevy. As you can see they had lots of fun.

Grandpa and Caleb in the cab.

Our neighbor Kaleel with the neighborhood cat. They both are so cute I had to take a picture. Kaleel is 5 and he and Andrew usually play well together.

Here is crazy Nicholas goofing around.

Here I am with my friends Heather and Barbara. Yes I actually have friends. Yipee! Hooray! We serve in the Primary Presidency together. We are all single and go on an outing every month. Here we are in Park City at the shoppe "Christmas on Main". We ate dinner at a pizza and pasta place, bought chocolate at "The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory" then to the Christmas shoppe. We had a great time and are looking forward to our next outing. Stay tuned...

Airplanes & The Itch Tree

2007-09-03T18:13:00.000-06:00

Today, being Labor Day, we decided to have some fun and relaxation. After being lazy for several hours messing around and playing video games, we headed over to the park to fly some airplanes. I found these at a craft store for a buck. So you know the saying, "You get what you pay for." Anyway even though they weren't the best of flyer's, the boys had fun and the planes have actually held up quite well.

Here is Andrew showing off his cool plane.

Here is Nicholas with his plane. If you didn't notice before, their planes match their clothes. That was totally coincidence, but cool nonetheless.

Here is Andrew getting ready for a really good launch.

Nicholas trying to get the hang of this rubber band thing.

Wow, what a landing. I hope there were some survivers.

Perfection!!

There is actually a bird on this tree that we followed around for a while trying to get a good pic. We just couldn't quite get close enough. If you click on the picture it may enlarge so you can actually see the bird.

This is the "Itch Tree" over by the elementary school where the boys attend.

These are the "Itch Bombs" that grow on the "Itch Tree"

When you throw the "Itch Bombs" on the ground and stomp on them, the "Itch Powder" comes out. If you get the "Itch Powder" on your skin, you will ITCH.

After all of the "Itch Powder" has come off of the "Itch Bomb" all you have left is the "Itch Seed"

The Summer Has Come to a Close

2007-08-31T16:52:00.000-06:00

We have continued to have a fun summer and here are some more fun pictures to show what we have been up to. The first ones here are just a random sampler of Andrew. For some reason he enjoys climbing up high and scaring his mother to death. Luckily it hasn't resulted in any broken bones.

Here is Andrew sitting on the porch enjoying the company of the neighbors cat. He really loves cats and maybe when he is on his own he can have one for himself.

This is Nicholas. He finally lost both of his top front baby teeth. His permanent teeth came in behind the primary teeth, so they have been in for awhile. The tooth fairy visited and Nicholas received $1 for each lost tooth.

Here is Nicholas holding his baby cousin Kenzie. He loves holding babies, especially when they don't cry. Kenzie was being so good, she even gave a big dimply smile.

Here I am holding the oh so adorable Kenzie. Isn't my dad such a good photographer, cutting off the top of my head. Oh well, he got what really mattered, the sweet little Kenzie.

Here is Kenzie chewing on her arm. She doesn't like sucking on a pacifier, so in go her hands or part of her arm. Whatever she can find to be soothing.

Here is my beautiful sister Raenie and her cute son Dallin who is almost 2. Raenie and her family came to visit for a few days all of the way from Virginia. It was so good to see her and her sweet little family.

Here is my brother Spencer and his 2 1/2 year old daughter Emma. Doesn't she look so cute in her pigtails?

For our summer primary activity, we took the children to the Church History Museum in downtown Salt Lake City. The theme for this year is I Am A Child Of God. There were all kinds of fun activities for the children to participate in. Here are Nicholas and Andrew doing their thing at the museum.

This was the last outing of the summer before school started, The Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. The boys really enjoy going there and it is fun to watch them.
Here they are dressed up like some kind of prehistoric creature.

Here is the dinosaur that Andrew asembled.

T-REX

The boys playing in the water and sand. There are small dinosaur's that can be played with and you can make dams and whatever in the water and sand. A little boys heaven.

The largest shark in the world, The Megaladon. Watch out! those teeth look really sharp.

One of my favorite prehistoric creatures, the Wooley Mammoth.

This is Nicholas' absolute favorite thing to do, brush away sand and find dinosaur bones. It is quite fun, even I joined in on the excitement for a few minutes

Andrew and the Utah Raptor.

Once again it is time to get back to school. Nicholas is in Miss Batt's third grade class and Andrew is in Mrs. Thomas' first grade class. Here they are sporting their new backpacks and freshly cut hair, thanks to grandpa Foutz. There was a little anxiety for the first few days back but they are now into the groove and doing very well. They are both excited to have their best friends in the same class with them. Here's to a great 2007-2008 year at Parkside Elementary.

Nicholas Is 8

2007-08-05T17:14:00.000-06:00

This was an exciting week for our family. Nicholas turned 8 on Thursday August 2 and therefore was able to attend his first ever Cub Country Day Camp. He was so excited about going to purchase his scouting uniform and thanks to Grandma Foutz had his patches sewn on properly and was ready to jump right in and begin the scouting experience.

Saturday Nicholas took a big step in his journey here on earth and became baptized a new member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and recieved the gift of the Holy Ghost. His uncle Spencer performed the baptism and he was confirmed by his grandpa Foutz. Nicholas had many friends and family there to support him during the wonderful program.
Nicholas and his Uncle Spencer

Nicholas and one of his best friends Taylor Johnson

the boys with Grandma and Grandpa Ashton who came all the way from San Antonio, Texas for the special occasion

the boys with their proud mom

the boys with their Crane Cousins, Caleb, Hyrum and Zach

Nicholas with cousin Emma

the boys with their dad

After the baptism we all met up at the park for the celebration of Nicholas' birthday. He wanted a Harry Potter theme and being the very much loved boy he is, cashed in very well with lots of birthday loot.

pokemon cards

Shrek The Third Pajamas

Quad Scriptures

$10

All of his loot

about to make a wish and blow out the candles

Harry Potter theme

Aunt Carmen sporting her Harry Potter glasses

Sialolitha- What?

2007-07-29T14:38:00.000-06:00

This is going to be one of those boring entries because I don't have any pictures. Sorry. The weekend before last was mostly spent running errands and my first mom/son date with Andrew. I decided to take each of the boys out alone on a date with mom each month so we can spend some one on one time together. Andrew decided he wanted to see a movie and we viewed TMNT. He had seen it previously but wanted to make sure that I got a chance to see it as well. It was ok but it was good to spend the time with him. Saturday they spent the day with their dad and I got some much needed shopping done alone without anyone bugging me and saying "Are we done yet?" I bought some new work shoes and finished up birthday shopping for Nicholas. That following Monday we went to my parents house to celebrate my father's birthday. We did it early since he was going to be gone on his actual birthday. We all pitched in to get him a new golf bag and we were all able to enjoy a ride in the back of his newly purchased 1946 chevy truck. It is his baby and he is really excited to have it restored to its original color and in good working condition. That same day I got this pain in my mouth like when you eat something real sour and your salivary glands chench up, well that pain just never went away. Since I had experienced this before several years ago I figured it was the same, a Saialolithiasis, a salivary stone. Tuesday when I got to work I had an x-ray taken of the area and sure enough that is what it was. I called that afternoon to the oral surgeons office to have it taken out on Friday so I wouldn't have to miss any work. As the hours grew on the more and more painful it became. Wednesday when I woke up my face was swollen and I was in a fair amount of pain. I managed through most of work that day but left about an hour early because I just couldn't function any longer. I got a Rx for an antibiotic and some pain med and went home to rest. I was in so much pain I just wanted to die. My amazingly wonderful mom came over that evening to stay with me and dad gave me a blessing. The medications were taking effect and I was able to get some sleep that night. Mom and dad were leaving out of town so mom made arrangements with my visiting and home teachers and the family to take care of me and the boys. Friday I had the stone taken care of and spent the next few days really drugged up. Monday night the boys and I were back home and we spent the 24th of July just watching movies and relaxing. I went to work on Wednesday and Thursday and did really well. I am out of pain and pretty much back to normal. Thank you Thank you to all of those who helped me during this time. I am truely very blessed with wonderful family and friends. I still have more stones in my jaw and need to decide if I should have them taken out as a preventative measure, wait until they cause pain again or just hope they will sit dormant and not cause any problems in the future. Things like this really make me greatful for the health that my children and I enjoy. It is truely a blessing not to take for granted. Hope you all are doing well. Until next time.

It's So Hot, But We Are Having Fun

2007-07-15T15:21:00.000-06:00

Well I guess I had better catch up since I've been a slacker and didn't make a post last week. We had a wonderful 4th of July. The boys and I were treated with a pancake breakfast by our wonderful neighbor Jan. We then watched the Murray parade right outside of our apartment. With the help of my screams Andrew was able to get quite a bit of candy, which made the the hot weather more bearable. Then we met up with mom, dad and Aunt Nae and drove up the canyon to Silver Lake. I brought along some binoculars for the boys to use and they were able to see a few of the sights up close and personal. Mom gave us the tour of the small visitors center where we were able to make animal tracks in the sand and try to identify their poop. Yes they had different kinds of rubber poop to look at. There were also some very old pictures of the area when it was originally settled, which I really enjoyed. We had a picnic and made our way back home for some relaxation before the evening of fireworks. The boys and I did some poppers, snakes and sparklers. Andrew said that this was his best 4th of July ever. We then sat out on the lawn and had front row seats for the amazing display of wonder and color. We all had a most enjoyable day together. That Friday evening mom and dad accompanied us to the theater where we enjoyed the latest Pixar movie, Ratatouille. It was a very cute movie and the boys liked the part best where the cook said, "I killed a man with my thumb". Of course, if it is violent they are into it. Saturday the boys had a day with their dad and I spent the day catching up on domestic duties and getting some shopping done. It felt good to get caught up on some things and have some alone time.

This weekend started off with a trip to Utah Lake to ride on Dr. Liddell's boat. Dr. Liddell is one of my employers and he invited his employees and their families to his private club to hang out and enjoy the water.

Here is Dr. Liddell's dog Hobbs. He was very friendly and especially enjoyed it when we were eating cake, hoping someone would share.

Nicholas and Andrew with Dr. Liddell's wife, Corinne. They had a golf cart to get back and forth from the trailer pad to the boat dock.

This is Dr. Liddel's boat. It is a Nautique and about 24 feet long. He is very proud of his boat and we had a very fun time sharing it with him.

Nicholas and Andrew playing in the Lake. The water was about 85 degrees, which felt wonderful in the 101 degree weather. The water is really murky looking because it is so shallow, 10-15 feet at the deepest. There were hardly any other boats out that day so we had lots of room to move around and have fun.

Saturday we finished our errands and went to the Crane's and enjoyed their pool. Again it was good to be in the 85 degree water with the 100+ degree weather outside. The cousins had lots of fun splashing around and being silly together.

Here is Caleb showing off his cheesy grin.

Carmen sprayed the tramp with water and the boys had a blast slipping and sliding all over trying not to cause any serious injuries.

Caleb's scary face.

Swimming and Hiking

2007-07-01T21:52:00.000-06:00

The last couple of weeks Nicholas and Andrew have been taking swimming lessons. Their teacher Melissa is the daughter of a family in our ward who taught them in her parents back yard pool. The boys responded well to her and had lots of fun. Nicholas enjoys the freestyle (ice cream scoops) stroke best and Andrew just took off with a natural flare to the butterfly (dolphin tail, bird wings) stroke.

Boys being boys. Dad Foutz is building a fairly large workshop in his backyard. The dirt pile from digging the hole is still there and attracts little boys like bees to honey. Here they are playing in the mud.

Saturday morning the boys and I drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Silver Lake and enjoyed walking around the boardwalk, climbing around the mountain and enjoying the wildlife and beautiful scenery.

Can you see the Mickey Mouse Ears?

Nicholas' Feet

Beaver Dam

pictures of the beautiful wildflowers. Of course being a girl, I had to take

Temples and Haircuts

2007-06-24T14:23:00.000-06:00

Friday night the Crane's and Ashton's headed down to Central Utah to watch the Mormon Miracle Manti Pagent. The JW Foutz's went down earlier and saved us some seats. Caleb and the "Three Muskateers" made themselves comfortable and we started out on our journey.

Since the boys were starving and on their last breath of life we stopped in Payson at MickyD's. All 4 boys were able to recieve the coveted "Chicken Joe" toy from the movie "Surf's Up".

Even before we got to the city you could see the temple way far off in the distance, letting us know that we were finally almost there. As we approached the little town there arose one of the most wonderful buildings around. I'd never seen the Manti Temple before and was marveled at how amazingly beautiful it was. The unique architecture and lovely golden brick were definatly a site to behold.

Here we are with our snacks and blankets waiting for the show to start. Picture taking was prohibited during the preformance so that is why I don't have any. The pagent was enjoyable although being a late starting time of 9:30, Nicholas and Andrew did fall asleep and missed the last half of the show. They did see the Lamenite/Nephite battle and really liked that alot.

Saturday afternoon our neighbors got out the slip and slide and pool and we all enjoyed some time playing in the water to stay cool. I got into a water gun fight with the neighbor boy and all of the boys took turns making sure the mom's stayed wet and cool in the heat of the sun. Here is Nicholas relaxing in the pool.

Saturday afternoon Mom and Dad graceously agreed to tend the boys while I attended the temple. Since the Jordan River Temple, which I usually go to was closed for cleaning, I went down to Utah County and enjoyed the simple elegance of the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. I love the different textures of glass and splashes of color in the windows. It truly is a beautiful temple.

While I was in the temple Dad gave the boys a much needed hair cut. Here are the cheesy grins showing off their summer cuts.

Not More Pictures, Mom

2007-06-17T15:24:00.000-06:00

This weekend started off by mom thoroughly torturing her children. I wanted to get a good updated picture of the boys to give their dad for a father's day present. We all know how much children love to have their picture taken, so I had to bring out the bribe. Nicholas and Andrew have been saving their allowance for the last several months for the coveted TMNT video game. As of Wednesday they finally had enough. So being the clever mom that I am, I agreed to take them to the store after work on Thursday if they were good and posed for some pictures. They actually did fairly good and what is even more amazing, after the purchase of their game they waited until Friday morning to play it because they know they can't play games on the days that mom works. I didn't even have to discuss it with them. But of course 6:30 am Friday morning Nicholas was up ready to play. Here are the pictures taken in the Murray park across the street from where we live. The first one is the one chosen as the gift for their dad.

Here it is, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle video game.

Friday night our stake sponsored a Father/Son camp out. Grandpa Foutz was gracious enough to take the boys. They all seemed to have a good time and the boys especially enjoyed chopping wood and roasting marshmallows. While the boys were out roughing it I went out with my mom and my sister Carmen. The girls enjoyed each others company and ate a wonderful meal at Red Lobster. I indulged on fried shrimp and scampi, Mom enjoyed the fried shrimp and all of you who know Carmen you guessed it, enjoyed the crab legs. It was all very yummy.

We then headed to the theater and watched the latest installment of the Ocean's series, Ocean's 13. It was very good. I really enjoyed it alot.

Saturday afternoon, the neighbors set up their slip and slide and invited the boys to join in on the fun. All of the kids had a great time and since it was so hot were able to stay cool.

This suit was given to us a few years ago and I got it out to see if it would fit Nicholas so he could wear it to his baptism. I had it cleaned this week and being so excited Nicholas couldn't wait until August to wear it, so here he is sporting his new to him suit.

Rubberband and Surfing

2007-06-10T17:25:00.000-06:00

This weekend we kept busy doing lots of fun things, but unfortunately I forgot my camera for most of the activities so I borrowed a couple off of the Internet so this entry won't look so boring. Anyway we started off the weekend by attending a BBQ sponsored by mom and dad's stake. We ate delicious hamburgers and yummy ice cream sandwiches. They had lots of games for the children to play which the boys really enjoyed. Carmen and her boys joined us as well. We then loaded up and met at the Sandy Amphitheater where we attended the Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band concert. For those who are not familiar with this band, they are a LDS bluegrass, country, rock style band who play all different kinds of instruments. They are all very talented and very very entertaining. I absolutely thoroughly had a major blast. I loved it. The boys I know enjoyed it some but it ran a little long for them and ended kind of late, so their review isn't as optimistic. The concert was very well done and I'm so glad to have been able to go. You can visit their website and check out their music at www.shupe.net.

Saturday morning Nicholas, Andrew and I participated in a stake primary activity. The children were split up into different groups and went to four stations where they did activities which helped them to understand the story of Alma hiding from King Noah and teaching the people in the wilderness. The activity was well done and all of the children seemed to really have a fun time. Saturday evening Carmen and I took our boys to watch the new penguin movie "Surf's Up". It was an interesting approach to a movie in that most of the movie was an interview with all of the characters. The main story line is about a penguin surfer from Antarctica who goes to a tropical island and competes in a surf contest and learns what is really most important in life. I thought it was good and the boys enjoyed it as well. The highlight for me was neither Nicholas nor Andrew had go take a bathroom break so I actually saw the whole movie.

This is Nicholas' newest and latest "trick". I'm not sure how he can do this without getting a huge headache, but he seems to be fine because he does it all of the time now.

Nicholas taking a picture of himself.

He's not mad at the hot dog he just didn't want me to take his picture. Shh, don't tell anyone I took this picture of Andrew, he doesn't know.

CHEESE! Burying my feet in the sand.

CHEESE!

CHEESE AGAIN! Burying my feet in the sand.

Nicholas' shadow

Nicholas and Andrew with their friend, Michael, from the ward. Michael comes over on occasion to help the boys with one of their video games. Michael has already completed this particular game so he can help the boys in places where they can't figure what to do next. Michael is a good kid and loves to be idolized by Nicholas and Andrew.

YES! Summer Vacation Has Arrived

2007-06-03T13:09:00.000-06:00

One of my goals has been to update my blog. I have toiled over and over about how to do it without being totally overwhelmed and came up with just starting with what we are doing now instead of trying to backtrack. So here we are with summer vacation starting. The boys finished school on Thursday May 31 and I decided to start it off with a bang by going to LAGOON, Utah's very own amusement park. I was a little nervous to take them on my own so I asked their dad to accompany us and he agreed to do so. I thought Friday June 1st would be a good day to go since many of the other schools were still in session and the really hot weather isn't quite here yet. We did have an amazingly fun day and hopefully will be well remembered. So here are some of the fun things we did at LAGOON.

Here the boys are riding on the Carousel that was built 110 years ago.

Nicholas and Andrew on the swing ride called Turn of the Century

Bumper Cars

Flying Aces Ride

While in the Pioneer Village of course we had to stop in honor of Mom.

Train Museum in the Pioneer Village

After we got thoroughly soaked riding Rattlesnake Rapids

Happy December

2006-12-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone, here are some fun pictures for you to enjoy of the boys. Hope all of your holiday preparations are going well.

HALLOWEEN 2006

2006-10-31T18:58:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN. Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday. The Ashton's had lots of fun being silly and eating lots of candy. Mijken especially had fun dressing up at work and being as her boys would say a Witchy Witch.

Mijken showing off her "beautiful" choppers.

Our little fire breathing dragon for the third year in a row. Doesn't Andrew look so cute. He has had so much fun with this costume, but I think it will have to retire after this year.

Watch out evil doers, here comes Super Nicholas, the man of steel. Nothing can stop this super hero. We are so glad to have this brave guy on our side.

The boys had so much fun carving their pumpkins. They both wanted triangle eyes and a triangle nose. It made carving much, much easier. The boys mostly carved them all by themselves, thanks to those safety pumpkin carving knives. There were pumpkin "guts" and seeds everywhere but they had lots of fun getting gooy and making those pumpkins look scary.
Andrew's famous evil glare. A picture taking session wouldn't be complete without it.

Back To School

2006-08-31T19:42:00.000-06:00

Once again it is that time of year where the weather gets cooler, the days shorter and the kids go back to school. This is a pretty exciting event in our family this year as both Nicholas and Andrew are in school now.

Nicholas started 2nd grade at Parkside Elementary on August 21st. Sporting his really cool Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle backpack and new clothes he got from Grandma Foutz as a birthday present, Nicholas is attending Mrs. Gabrielsson's class. With a tent for a reading center in the classroom and a couple of guinea pigs, Fudge and Hot Fudge, as class pets, second grade is going to be way fun. Hopefully lots of learning will be involved as well.

With just a little apprehension of the unknown, Andrew began his first day of Kindergarten on August 30th. Mrs. Gardner once again has an Ashton boy in her class. With his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle backpack and tennis shoes, Andrew has thoroughly enjoyed his first couple of days at school. He is so excited for all of the fun field trips, recess and new friends he will experience this year.

Mom has mixed feelings about all of this of course. It's hard to see her baby growing up so fast, but is going to enjoy these few hours every Thursday and Friday morning to get a few things done without interruption. We'll keep all of you updated on all the happenings throughout the year at Parkside Elementary.

Our trip to San Antonio, Texas

2006-08-11T23:31:00.000-06:00

Our family recently had the opportunity to visit Grandma and Grandpa Ashton in San Antonio,Texas. We left on July 25 and returned on August 3. We had an enjoyable, relaxing time. Our flight out was very uneventful. Our return flight was ok, the plane in Denver was delayed an hour making the late evening return even later, but we managed to survive. The weather was very hot, 95 degrees with at least 60% humidity, YUCK. But that did not stop us from having fun and enjoying some of the fun things to do in San Antonio. As most of you know I do not have a digital camera so the pictures I am posting are courtesy of Grandpa Ashton.

We all got together to make yummy chocolate chip cookies

On the boat for the San Antonio River tour.

our trip cont.

2006-08-11T23:08:00.000-06:00

We took a small hike at a park not too far from where G&G live. Andrew likes to call it the walking park. The picture of the metal bug is the directional marker for the trail. The bench the boys are sitting on is one that was made for an eagle scout project.

Here we are visiting a museum. The gentleman in the cowboy hat was teaching the children about life on the cattle drives, specifically how the meals were prepared out of a chuck box. The day we were at the museum San Antonio's finest were there posing with the kids. The boys then had fun in the hands on "Tree House" area.

our trip cont.

2006-08-11T22:44:00.000-06:00

Nicholas was able to celebrate birthday #7

The San Antonio Temple

Blessings

2006-07-02T20:13:00.000-06:00

Happy 4th of July everyone. As I was singing several patriotic songs in sacrament meeting today, I was thinking how truely grateful and blessed I am to live in such a choice amazing country. Nicholas and Andrew say we are so lucky to live in America because we don't have a king like England who makes them do bad stuff and take all of their money, we have a president. They have been watching Robin Hood too many times. After explaining that England actually has a Queen and that their country isn't as bad off as that, I still feel so grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me the privilege to grow up in a land full of such wonderful freedoms and comforts. I am also so grateful that I have had the privilege of having the fullness of the gospel in my life and the peace and comfort it gives to me. I am also so grateful for the wonderful family I have been given and for the great strength and support you offer to the boys and I. My heart is so full for the knowledge that I know that I am a choice daughter of a Heavenly Father who knows and loves me, that my Savior lives and loves me. I'm so thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost which allows me to know the truth of these things. I have been blessed with so much, and just wanted to share with you some of my thoughts as we enbark on another celebration of our countries birthday. May God truly bless America and each one of us.

Boys will be Boys

2006-06-08T13:49:00.000-06:00

Well I guess life doesn't last forever. Everyone must in the end make the journey toward the light and leave this mortal exsistance. Nemo finally said goodbye. He passed on sometime a couple of days after the tragic incident. We now have a new fancy goldfish named, you guessed it, Marlin. He seems to be a healthy energetic fish so hopefully he will be around for some time.

Here is the latest picture of the boys. Aren't they so cute? They are busy and being boys. Nicholas has learned how to make tooting noises in his armpit and Andrew speaks in a made up language which I cannot understand. Life is definatly interesting with the two of them. Monday both boys went on field trips with the boys and girls club. Nicholas went to the Olympic Oval ice skating rink in Magna and didn't even fall down this time. He has been able to go there several times over the last year. Andrew went to the Museum of Natural History at the University of Utah. He was able to see dinosaur bones, a wooly mammoth, and a model of the earth. Andrew's class, on Wednesday, went to the park and bought a treat at Woody's snack shack. Andrew got an ice cream cone. The Club has quite a few fun activities planned for the kids this summer which will be very fun and adventuresome for both boys. Hope you all are starting off having a good summer as well.

Fatality? Almost

2006-05-24T22:07:00.000-06:00

Some of you may know and some of you may not know that we have a pet fish. He is a fancy goldfish and his name is Nemo, go figure. I bought him for the boys on January 6, 2004, and since that time Nemo has surrvived many close calls. But today has to be the closest of all. Today at Nicholas' elementary school it was pet show-and-tell day. So being the wonderfulest mother that I am, I brought Nemo to school. He was an absolute hit. He didn't bark and everyone could see him because he wasn't hidden in a cage like all of the cats. All of the kids gathered around him and thought he was so cool. Well the bell was about to ring and everyone was getting in their last ohh and ahh. The bell rang and one of Nicholas' classmates swung her leg around and crash went Nemo's bowl and water and fish rocks were everywhere. Nicholas and Andrew were totally freaked out thinking their pet had finally been done in, but thanks to the quick reflexes of Nicholas' teacher, Mrs. Thomas, Nemo was scooped up and whisked into the classroom into a fresh cup of water. Nemo is now swimming in a juice pitcher until the time we can get to the pet store and find him a new home. He seems to be doing very well and thanks to an extremely good constitution he has surrvived yet another close call.
P.S. the picture above isn't actually Nemo but the closest I could find online.

What we've been up to

2006-05-21T08:44:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone, things are going well for the Ashton's and we are so thrilled to finally have summer like weather. Nicholas,Andrew and grandpa Foutz helped mom and grandma Foutz celebrate a wonderful,relaxing Mother's day. We had a delicious seafood dinner and scrumptous dessert. The boys showered me with gifts of a new windchime, candle, new purse and lots of hugs and kisses. Nicholas had created a picture of mom as a queen at school which was laminated so can be used as a placemat. Andrew participated in a Mother's day program at the Boys and Girls club where he sang songs, recited a poem and presented mom with a colorful framed picture he had colored and some flowers. His class worked really hard on this program and it turned out very nice. It was a wonderful day and we hope all of you mothers out there had a good day as well.
I have been working some extra days the last couple of weeks to make up for some time my employer is taking off this summer, so grandma and grandpa Foutz have been gracious enough to tend the boys on those extra days. Nicholas and Andrew really enjoy spending time with their grandparents. Mom Foutz has been spoiling me by helping with the laundry and cleaning up my house. Thanks mom so much for all you do for us.
I have had the opportunity to tend my nephew Caleb, Carmen's youngest, a couple of times recently. He is 2 years old and full of energy. He is so cute and is starting to really talk and make complete sentences. Saturday morning while we were eating breakfast, Nicholas bonked his arm and Caleb said, "Are you ok Nikous?" It is so cute how he tries so hard to pronounce even the hardest of words.
Nicholas and Andrew finished up this session of swimming lessons. They both learned alot and had lots of fun. Nicholas graduated from level 3 and will start level 4 in a few weeks. Andrew will repeat level 2 again, but that is ok because like we all know practice makes perfect.
Hope you enjoy these pictures. They were taken in Primary on Mother's day.

Saturday at the park and Blueberry muffins

2006-05-07T16:44:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning the boys had swim lessons. We decided to walk since it was such a beautiful day and the park center is very close by. On our way we walked by the Little Cottonwood creek where we saw a mother duck and her 16 baby ducklings. Wow what would the grocery bill be for a family like that. The ducklings were so little and cute. After swimming lessons we stayed and played at the park and were able to witness a wedding at the gazebo. The colors were a beautiful shade of light purple. We then got to play with a little ladybug and the boys enjoyed many underdogs provided by mom on the swings. Later in the evening we took dinner over to Grandma and Grandpa Foutz's and were able to see a little bird nest in the tree in their backyard. We are so thankful for all of the beautiful creations that Christ has made for us to enjoy.

This morning Andrew said something so cute. I bought the boys some new shampoo which is blueberry scented. They got it out and were using it in their bath this morning. Andrew asked Nicholas what he thought the new scent was. Nicholas said that it was blueberry and Andrew added "yes, blueberry muffins. I'm in heaven!" I guess you probably had to be there, but it was so cute how he said it. Hope you all are having a good sunday.

First Grade Field Trip

2006-05-04T16:24:00.000-06:00

I was able to chaperone Nicholas' first grade class to the planetarium and downtown city library today. We caught the UTA bus over by his school and then rode the TRAX train downtown. We spent the morning in the planetarium looking around at the displays and then watching a movie. The movie was about two children who built a cardboard rocket and it actually launches into space. The two children then navigate through the solar system and visit all of the planets and even the sun. It was very informative and the kids enjoyed it very much. We then checked out some of the displays again and walked down to the olympic fountain at the Gateway Outdoor Mall. Unfortunatly or then again maybe fortunatly the fountain was closed down for cleaning or repairs. We found some seats amongst the rocks by the fountain and ate our lunch. We then walked down to the TRAX train and rode it over to the City Library. We had a nice tour of the children's section where there are really fun reading rooms and computers for the children to utilize. Our library guide took us into the group reading room and read some stories to the children while they were able to sit on carpet squares. The library guide also played a cute CD for the children so they could get up and move around to some fun music. We then took the glass elevator up to the 5th floor where we were able to go out onto the rooftop park and look out over the city and run around a bit. We then left the library and got back on the TRAX train and went back to Murray. It was a really fun outing and for the most part the children were well behaved. Nicholas said it was a good time and that his favorite part was the movie about outer space. Hope you all have had a good day and remember keep flossing.

Getting Started

2006-05-03T21:46:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone. I'm going to try this blog thing and we'll see how it goes. Since I don't have a digital camera I won't be sending any pictures right now but I am accepting any donations for the cause. The Ashton's of Murray, Utah are all doing well and are very excited for summer break. We have some fun activities planned to do this summer and will keep you informed on this blog site. As of right now Nicholas and Andrew are taking swimming lessons on Saturday mornings and are enjoying them very much. They both look so cute wearing their goggles. Nicholas is learning to retrieve items on the bottom of the pool and Andrew is learning how to kick with his legs straight. It has been fun to watch them splash around in the water and hopefully they will be able to save their mother from drowning since I won't be able to save them. I continue to enjoy working and will start working an extra day once a month in the office I work in on Tuesdays. That office will start having two hygienists working on Thursdays once a month. I feel it will work out well and possibly turn into a more permanent day once both of the boys are in school full time. Well that is about all of the news for now. Just remember keep flossing.

The Ashton Clan

SPRING BREAK - ST. GEORGE, UT

PINE WOOD DERBY

What a Beautiful Sound

Andrew's Baptism

Christmas 2008

Andrew Turns ** 8 **

New Photos

Halloween 2008

Pumpkins

Ashton Clan

First Snow, Fall 2008

J.W. FOUTZ FAMILY REUNION 2008, BELLA BEACH OREGON

Austen Heroine

Hogle Zoo - Again

Nicholas is 9!

Shakespeare Festival

Tacoma Zoo

Cute Foutz Family in Washington

The Boys

Sweet Candy Factory

Ancestors and Summer Fun

UTAH LAKE

VISIT WITH MY SISTER AND HER FAMILY

ALVIN AND SIMON

PLANETARIUM AND OLYMPIC FOUNTAIN

TRACY AVIARY AND LIBERTY PARK

RED BUTTE GARDENS

WATER BALLOONS

KYUKI-DO TOUNAMENT #2

SPRING'S IN BLOOM

LAS VEGAS

KYUKI-DO TOURNAMENT

TEETH!

Boys, Nieces and Nephew

Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning

Birthday and SNOW!

The Hogle Zoo

We Are Thankful at the Boys and Girls Club

Miscellaneous

Crazy Antics and Extreme Bravery

Halloween and Outing with Grams and Gramps

Harry and The Raggedy's

Enjoying Fall

Tender Mercies Through a Bug

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

Airplanes & The Itch Tree

The Summer Has Come to a Close

Nicholas Is 8

Sialolitha- What?

It's So Hot, But We Are Having Fun

Swimming and Hiking

Temples and Haircuts

Not More Pictures, Mom

Rubberband and Surfing

YES! Summer Vacation Has Arrived

Happy December

HALLOWEEN 2006

Back To School

Our trip to San Antonio, Texas

our trip cont.

our trip cont.

Blessings

Boys will be Boys

Fatality? Almost

What we've been up to

Saturday at the park and Blueberry muffins

First Grade Field Trip

Getting Started

Andrew Turns 8