Luv U Most

The Beach Is Calling!

2011-02-24T22:09:00.003-07:00

We're headed to the beautiful sandy beaches of Oahu, HI. Try not to miss us too much! We'll be back all too soon!

Sweet Snippets

2010-06-05T22:02:00.003-06:00

My adorable cousin, Megan, found this cute idea on a blog she reads. I love reading Meg's Pocket Post, so here's my version.

Dear TJ Maxx,

I love my new dresses. More importantly, I love how much I paid for them.

Dear Cap'n Crunch,

I wish I could eat you everyday.

Dear Zumba,

I hope I get to visit you again soon. If you weren't so much fun, I wouldn't have sprained my ankle and had to miss the last month of class. It's all your fault!

Dear High Heels,

I can't wait until I can wear you again without limping.

Dear Channing Tatum,

I could look at you all day.

Dear Glee,

You make me smile.

California Dreamin'

2010-05-09T23:31:00.002-06:00

A fine blogger I've turned out to be. I'm done making promises, but I will TRY to blog more often.

If you know me well, you know that my memory pretty much sucks. Trent likes to tease me about the time I told him I counted limousines on a post-it when I went to California as a teenager. It was actually something one of his mission companions did. That was humiliating, but I really believed it was me. {Pretty sure I've got early onset Alzheimer's.} I used to be really great at journal-keeping. Not so much these days. My intention in starting this blog was for it to be like my journal. A way to help me remember things that ACTUALLY happen to me. So, it's important that I get back to it, even if I don't catch up.

A few exciting things have happened this week.

1. I got an A in Microbiology! Cool, right? I really didn't enjoy that class like I have some of the others I've taken. The lab was awesome; growing stuff like E. coli and staph was really pretty interesting. The lecture class was the hard part. Our teacher was fairly young and new to teaching. It was obvious that she knew her stuff, but had difficulty explaining things clearly. I found my mind wandering frequently. It's amazing how much difference a good teacher makes.

I was planning to apply for UVU's nursing program in March, but when I went to their website to fill out the application I saw that all of the requirements had changed and I needed a 2 credit hour class to finish my prerequisites. Major bummer. Major melt down. Can I just say that I have the most incredible husband? He totally knows how to handle freak-out-phase-Kacie. So, thanks to him I've come to realize that it's not the end of the world to have a setback. In fact, we've decided that I won't be taking that class this summer either, which is a total relief. Further setback, but I'm looking forward to being a mom this summer.

2. I sprained my ankle doing Zumba. In case you don't know, Zumba is the most awesome aerobics class ever. It's a lot of latin dance, shake your hips type stuff -so much fun and right up my alley. On Wednesday I was absorbed in my own little world, shaking my butt and working hard, when my left ankle rolled out from under me. I went down with a thud, bruising my tailbone in the process of spraining my ankle. My foot and ankle are really swollen and my butt hurts. I had to wear flip-flops to church today because they're the only shoes that fit my giant "cankle". It's bruised up and ugly, but it doesn't hurt too much. I'm hoping to get back to Zumba soon. I really miss it!

3. Our trip to California is booked! Got a killer deal on a hotel through priceline.com and I bought our Disneyland/Universal Studios/SeaWorld tickets on Friday. Trent is not thrilled about this vacation, but after a long, uh...discussion, he's being much nicer about it. I'm so excited! In case you missed it on FB, I'm posting The Woodledge Mama's version of California Dreamin' for your viewing pleasure. California Dreamin' is what I'm doing. I can't wait!

2009-11-22T15:16:00.002-07:00

Make a Smilebox invite

Gavin turned 14 this month. Boy, do I feel old! I'm so grateful for him. He's such a good kid (most of the time.)

Pink Day (a.k.a. Cklog #1)

2009-11-09T14:14:00.005-07:00

This is the first of {hopefully} several 'backlog' blog posts. I've affectionately named them "Cklogs" {that's backlog, minus ba, in case you didn't notice} because they are clogging up my desire to blog and making me feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that I've put off blogging about. Since this is my form of journal-keeping these days I want to post them, but will be making an effort to post current events among them. I hope you don't get too bored.

Anyway, on to Pink Day. It's a pretty dang cool Christiansen family tradition. I wrote about it last year, but in case you're new, here's the scoop. Pink Day was founded by my Grandma Chris when I was young. She invited all the girls in our family to a party at her house. We all wore pink clothes and ate pink food. I don't really remember much about the original Pink Day, but I know we had a good time. Check out this photo. It's totally retro. {Thanks, Julie!} Can you find me? I look HOT!

When my Grandma passed away, my Aunt Rene' and her daughter, Cori, brought Pink Day back and we have been celebrating it ever since. This year, we all headed to Ferron, where Pink Day was hosted by Marie & Glenys. We always play silly games and exchange gifts. {Check out Julie's awesome gift-isn't she lucky?} Grandpa had the honor of being the only boy invited for this year's big event. He brought 2 pairs of Grandma's pajamas to give away. I was fortunate enough to win a pair. I love little things that make me feel a connection to her. She was such an amazing woman. Happy Pink Day! {Just a little late.}

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

2009-11-01T00:26:00.001-06:00

I've been playing around with blog signatures (thanks, Heather!). Just checking it out to see how it works.

WARNING

2009-10-30T10:07:00.003-06:00

Prepare to be inundated with photos, stories and news from the last 8 months. I have been MIA, but I'm back with a vengeance!

My Favorite Night

2009-02-17T22:10:00.003-07:00

You may not know this about me (seriously, if you don't, what kind of friend are you?), but I ♥ ♥ ♥ Dancing! Every year our stake holds a dance for Valentine's Day and it is, truly, my very favorite night of the whole year. It is NOT Trent's favorite (I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it is his least favorite), but he knows how much I love it, so he humors me. I always make sure that we arrive at the precise moment that it starts, which I realize makes me a dork-but who cares about being cool when there is dancing to be done? This year, especially, I made sure we were on time since the old fogies in charge decided that 2 hours was long enough. (I think I'll volunteer to help on the committee next year. Really, 2 hours!?!)

We started our night by going to dinner with some friends at the Texas Roadhouse. Good food and even better company. (Note to self: When preparing to go dancing, limit Diet Cokes to 2.) We arrived at the dance at 6:58 PM, just in time. When the music started, I dragged Trent to the middle of the floor. The one other couple that was dancing was barely on the dance floor at all. I proceeded to dance like the free spirit that I am when moved by music while Trent rocked back and forth, feeling self conscious about the people watching who were at a dance, but not dancing. The friends who went to dinner with us arrived sometime later (they are not up to speed on the whole dancing-is-better-than-being-cool thing). They joined us in the middle of the floor and some of us had a fabulous time. Some were just counting the minutes until the torture ended, but they were good sports.

At some point, our friend, Aaron, accidentally stomped on my foot (which was bare because of a whole "Footloose-kick off your Sunday shoes" thing). That really hurt. And left several small bruises. Then my left knee started screaming, "You are too old for this!", which I did not appreciate. (Note to self: Don't go running the same day as the dance.) By the time the dance ended I was in rough shape. I don't know what was wrong with my knee-it seems to be fine now. I guess 2 hours was long enough after all, but I will still be pushing for more next year. They usually take pictures, but didn't this year. Bummer.

Valentine's Day is quickly becoming my favorite holiday. I love being surprised, but sometimes it's hard for Trent to think of what I might like for Christmas, my birthday or our anniversary. For some reason, inspiration seems to strike for Valentine's Day. I have gotten fabulous surprises for the last 3 years. This year he gave me a day at a spa to prepare for our cruise. Last year he surprised me with my iPod and the year before that I got my very own nickel-plated, pink-pearl grip .22 pistol. I gave him a can of nuts and a bag of M&M's. Aren't I thoughtful? I guess I'm claiming this as my day.

Las Vegas Escape

2009-02-16T22:36:00.005-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Back in January, Mom found an awesome rate on flights to Vegas, so we decided it was time for a sisters get together. Karen, Katie and I got to fly down (I LOVE flying!) and hang out with KeriAnne for a few days. We went shopping, ate lots of yummy & fattening food, scrapbooked, quizzed each other, talked seriously and laughed hysterically. Here are a few things that you may hear us say, (which you won't understand because you weren't there) but, I predict, we will be laughing about for years to come:

"Dr. Wilkinson's Office..."

"This is NOT watermelon chapstick!"

"I'm sorry?" followed by "It's okay."

"Cynasha, Lyn Rae, Taythea & AnnLee"

"I know how you hate a hole there."

"Want me to pierce you?"

"You want ketchup with your Frosty?"

The Krispy Kreme lady hates us, but we sure think we are funny (especially Karen).

Our Sweet Ryker

2009-01-26T08:19:00.006-07:00

Ryker is such a thoughtful kid. This picture was taken a few days before Christmas when I caught him shoveling the driveway without being asked. This morning when I got back from taking Gavin to school he was outside shoveling again.

As a mother there are a lot of times when I look at my kids and think about all the things I haven't taught them or the things I didn't mean to teach them which, unfortunately, they learned anyway. But on days like today I think maybe I did something right.

Scrapbook Blog

2009-01-19T10:46:00.004-07:00

Clearly this blogging thing has me addicted. Now I have to have a blog for my scrapbook pages. What a freak! I also started a blog for Saige called Saige's Pages, where she can post her own creations. She's getting pretty good at scrapbooking. I still help her some, but she comes up with some pretty creative layout ideas all by herself.

I made a New Year's Resolution to scrapbook once a week, so that I can use up the ever growing stash of paper, embellishments, etc. in my crap room (oops, I meant scrap room). This is my attempt to make myself keep that resolution. Saige and I decided that with church being at 9:00 in the morning we can scrapbook on Sunday afternoons. We'll see how it goes.

Check out Saige's blog at www.saiges-pages.blogspot.com. Mine is www.kaciesscraps.blogspot.com.

Church Art

2009-01-11T23:09:00.003-07:00

Saige was drawing a lovely, scenic picture today during sacrament meeting-you know the one-the top inch of the page is blue for the sky, the bottom inch is green for the grass, the middle has a few flowers and maybe a sun. Here is the conversation that occurred when Trent looked over to see her picture:

Trent: "What's this down here?"

Saige: "Grass"

Trent: "What's this blue up here?"

Saige: "Sky"

Trent: "What's in the middle?"

Saige: "Lines" (She was drawing on lined notebook paper.)

Trent: "But what's between the grass and the sky?"

Saige proceeded to add mountains to her picture between the grass and the sky.

Trent: "What's between the mountains and the sky?"

Saige: "Air"

Trent: "Well, what's air?

Saige: "Um, sky?"

Trent: "Yeah"

She then filled in all the white space with blue.

It turned out to be a very lovely picture, but my very favorite picture ever drawn by Saige is this one (also drawn during sacrament meeting):

She drew this when she was 3 and a half years old. It was me watching her draw this one and I could not stop laughing. I watched as she drew a body, hair, two big circles with dots in the middle for eyes, two big circles with dots in the middle for...hmmm...

Me: "Who's that picture of?"

Saige: "Me, when I'm a grown-up."

Me: "What are those?"

Saige: "My muscles."

BEST PICTURE EVER!

Christmas

2009-01-11T13:27:00.004-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Finally getting around to blogging about our holidays. We had a fabulous Christmas. We always prefer to stay at our house for Christmas morning and just be together for a little while before we head out to see extended family. We had a great morning. I won't bore you with a long list of every gift, but the favorites were: Trent-iPod Touch, Kacie-gorgeous new coat and scarf, Gavin-iPod, Ryker-skateboard and Saige-Hannah Montana electronic journal. We got ourselves a new video camera as an early present, so we kind of neglected the regular camera.

The plan for this year was to head to Castle Dale by noon, which we actually did, but got detoured to my parent's house as the roads were absolutely horrible between our house and Lehi because of the storm. So, we spent Christmas Day at the Powell's constantly checking road conditions on Hwy 6, hoping that we might be able to get to Castle Dale sometime that day, but it didn't happen. We took ZERO pictures at my parents house, but we had a really good time. We had a delicious dinner, opened presents, played ping pong and sang around the piano. We were grateful that we could spend the day with family; even if it wasn't the family we had planned to spend it with. We left first thing in the morning on the 26th and the roads were still pretty bad, but it had stopped snowing so at least we could see. Once we got to Price the roads were much better, so Trent had to make up for lost time by going 80 mph. We got pulled over when we were just a couple of miles from our destination. Of course, Trent managed not to get a ticket. (I picked up some pointers on how not to get a ticket the next time I get pulled over.)

We had a great time with the Keele family. We did some sledding, went swimming at the new pool, ate too much, played games and watched bootleg movies (thanks, Sam!). Once again, we didn't even touch our camera, so thanks to Jaime and Samantha for the pictures. Even though the vast majority of us left the Keele house with the stomach flu, we still had a great time. The last count I heard was 12 out of 17 having gotten sick, but the flu passed and we wouldn't trade being together for anything.

We had to rush home on Sunday morning because I had to give a talk in church. (I didn't get sick until Sunday evening-what excellent timing!) We spent a couple of days playing with our new toys at home and then the kids and I went and stayed in Lehi for a few days. We had a blast sledding on the pond behind my parent's house. We tied a couple of sleds behind a four-wheeler and took turns being dragged around the pond. The kids and I got a particularly memorable ride when my mom thought she would drive around the edge and then send us up the bank. Instead, we all fell off our sleds and after a moment realized that for some reason the edge of the pond wasn't frozen (I still don't get that because the middle was solid). We got a little bit wet, but the worst part was the smell. But, it made for a good memory. The last day we were there Grandpa came home from work with a monstrous new sled, so of course we all had to have a turn in that. This is the way to go sledding! No hills to hike up while dragging multiple sleds and you can go inside to get warm anytime you want. We did get plenty of pictures of our ice sledding adventures; my favorite is the one of Saige next to the swampy mess we landed in.

The kids and I also spent New Year's Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Powell's because Trent had to work. We were really grateful that he didn't have to work Christmas Day this year-we sometimes have to get creative with Christmas, so we enjoyed having him home with us. We had such a great holiday break. The presents were fun, but the best part was being able to celebrate the birth of our Savior with the people we love the most.

Brace Face

2009-01-07T17:28:00.007-07:00

Still playing catch-up here...on December 17th Gavin got braces. He is officially a geek. (Don't tell him I said so, but with the combination of glasses and braces there is no denying it.) He's going to look great when it's all done; so far he's enduring it well. He has an RPE (rapid palatal expander), which is quickly creating a sizable gap between his two front teeth. Following the Christmas break, lots of his friends asked if he had lost a tooth-the gap is that big. I had one of those in 7th grade, too, but my orthodontist hadn't put my braces on yet, so it was really weird to see myself with that gap. I tried very hard not to smile during that time. My ruthless English teacher gave me the nickname, "Gapper," which did not help me to feel better about it. Gavin has one tooth on the left side of his mouth that is blocked by other teeth and because of this his gap is not in the middle-it's off to the left side, which just adds to the geekiness factor. Here are the before, after and gapper photos:

Before

After

Gapper

2013!?!

2009-01-07T15:16:00.002-07:00

I submitted my application for SLCC's nursing program today. By Fall of 2013 I should be able to START my nursing classes. Gavin will be a senior in high school for crying out loud. What a joke! Needless to say, I am looking into other options. Good luck to me!

Piano Recital

2009-01-06T22:58:00.003-07:00

My awesome students-one is missing.

Saigey

Ryker

Gavin

Elise & I

I love Christmas music! I guess that's why my piano recital always seems to end up being close to Christmas. It does prove to be a little hectic with everything going on for the holidays, but you just can't beat the tunes! My students all did such a great job! I love being able to teach piano lessons. It is so rewarding and I have awesome students. Teaching my own kids is a challenge; especially trying to teach a teenager. Gavin did NOT want to practice and came to the recital quite unprepared. I made him perform anyway. I keep hoping that he will figure out how cool it is to play the piano...maybe someday. Ryker and Saige did a fabulous job. Any of you who spent any time with Saige during the holidays know how much she is loving it. I think I've heard her songs about 1,000 times each. Because of school I didn't take as much time to prepare my own song as I usually do. I finally decided what song to play about a week before the recital, so it obviously didn't go as well as I would have liked, but I didn't even care by that point. I was just glad to have the recital over with and to have a break. Elise, my most advanced student, and I played a duet that turned out really well. That was a lot of fun and something that I think I will do more often. Pictures of a piano recital aren't very exciting, but there they are anyway.

Saige's Dance Concert

2009-01-06T20:50:00.009-07:00

Wow! I've gotten so behind. I guess the holidays will do that. We get so busy. I'm going to try to catch up this week. Saige had her Christmas Dance Concert at the beginning of December. Her class danced to Jingle Bell Rock. She did such a great job. I love to watch her dance. I hope that she will always love it like she does now. We got a new video camera as an early Christmas present, so I am posting my first video. Saige is the 3rd girl from the right. I hope it works!

Christmas Update 2008

2008-12-24T12:54:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas!! It is Christmas Eve and I finally made a Christmas card (of sorts)!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Temple Square 2008

2008-12-22T21:49:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

A Touch of Faith

2008-12-19T07:24:00.007-07:00

This is a long post, but believe me, it is worth reading. (The majority of it was written by my friend, Wendy Fayles, who is a true writer.) The photo above was taken by Marshall Barker from my stake.

"And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole." Matthew 9:20-21

I have had a couple of wonderful experiences this year related to this woman. As a counselor in the Young Women program I got to go to camp in July. Unfortunately, because of tests at school, I was only able to go for 1 day and, therefore, was not a lot of help. We didn't have a camp director and our YW president had just had a baby, so the other counselor (Julie) had to totally take care of camp. We had an assignment to prepare a short presentation of a woman from the scriptures who had interacted with the Savior for a spiritual hike. Julie chose the woman who was healed and said she would write the material if I would present it. The week of camp came and Julie had not had time to write the script and asked if I could possibly take care of it. I agreed, knowing that she had so much on her plate already. The problem with that was A. I am not a great writer and B. I was trying to study for 2 big tests. I looked around for information about this woman and the only thing that I could find was the song "Close Enough to Touch". I thought about just reading the words to the girls, but knew that it really wasn't enough to bring the spirit. I was getting very stressed out about the whole thing, when, at 9:30 PM, I was prompted to call my writer friend, Wendy Fayles. I don't know why I hadn't thought to call her sooner, but I am so grateful that I was inspired to call and even more grateful that she agreed to write something for me. Here is the incredible monologue that she wrote and that I got to "perform" for the Young Women of our stake (I left her directions to me for visualization):

Kacie: After thinking about how to do this, I thought it would be easiest to present it from the woman’s point of view after she had been healed. So I envision the scene opening with you (as the woman) standing in your little kitchen sweeping or washing the dishes or some routine household chore like that—keeping in mind that this woman probably had not been able to do any of these things for the past 12 years because of her illness. So she performs the routine chore with joy and appreciation for being able to do it at all.

Sighing contentedly, the woman stops her work. “Oh, my,” she says. “I’m tired.” Slowly, she smiles. “Yes, I am tired. And it feels so good! It feels so good to be tired from working and caring for my family – and not from laying in bed with an illness no doctor could cure.”

“Twelve years. Twelve years I was sick! Twelve years of exhaustion and pain. Twelve years of watching everyone around me live their lives while all I could do was watch and wish – wish that I could be whole, like them. Wish that the doctors could find some way to help me. Wish that I could just have the strength to do something as trivial as sweeping my own floor or … or, braiding my own hair! (At this point, if you were wearing your hair in a long braid, you could kind of touch the braid with a sense of wonder and awe.)

You know, I was even beginning to question God. I just didn’t understand how he could let this thing happen to me. And yet, I knew that there must be a reason. And I knew He cared. In my darkest moments, when it was almost impossible to feel anything but pain and despair, I could feel God. I could feel His love. And I hung on to that feeling with every last bit of strength that I had.

And then, one day as I was lying in my bed after a particularly bad night, a neighbor came to visit me. She said she couldn’t stay long because this man named Jesus had come to our town and she wanted to go see him. She had heard that he might be passing near where we lived.

“Jesus,” I thought. Even as sick and bedridden as I was, I had heard of this Jesus. People were saying he was a mighty prophet. They were saying he could do miracles.

After my neighbor left, all I could think about was this man named Jesus. Could he really do what people said? Could he maybe even help me?

I decided I must try to see him. I carefully rose from my bed, praying that God would give me the strength to find Jesus and ask him for his help. One step at a time, I made my way outside, and then began to walk towards the center of our town. (Kacie—you can act all of this out as you are telling it.) I had not gone very far when I heard the noise. It was the sound of a large crowd of people, coming my way. “It is Jesus!” I thought, and joy leapt in my heart. I was actually going to be able to see him! But then the crowd rounded the corner and I saw the huge press of people, and my heart broke. How could I, a sick woman, ever make my way through all those people?

But then the crowds parted briefly and I saw Him. I saw Jesus. And there was such kindness in His face. Such love. Such compassion. I felt like I had known him forever, and yet I had never seen him before.

In that moment, I knew I had to reach him. Gathering all my strength, I pressed forward into the crowd. As the people pushed and jostled and bumped into me, I found it hard to breathe and even harder to stand. I could feel myself getting weaker but I knew I could not stop. If I could just get close enough to … to what? This man obviously had very important things to do and lots of people who needed him. Who was I to demand his attention?

But maybe there’s another way, I thought. And at that moment, I felt my strength finally give way. I crumpled to the ground. But as I lay there, gasping for breath and struggling to rise to my feet, I saw that Jesus was only a short distance in front of me. Without thinking, I reached out my hand and touched the hem of his garment.

(Pause here.)

And I was healed.

(Another pause.)

I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to say. But then I heard Him speak. He said, “Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.”

The men who were with him tried to argue with him, saying with all the people crowding around him it was impossible for him to notice one touch among the many, but he insisted he had specifically felt one person touch him.

Now I was frightened. He was obviously a very powerful person. Maybe his power was only supposed to be for very important people. I was not anyone important! Was I going to be in trouble? I just wanted to run away and hide. So I stood up and started to back away, but then he turned and looked at me, and I knew he knew.

Trembling, I fell down before him, and told him what I had done, and how I had been healed immediately. And then I waited to see if he would be angry with me. but all he said was, “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.”

And so I went back to my home. For a while I had people coming by all the time, wanting to see “the woman who was healed” and wanting to hear the story. But no one comes anymore. They’ve all pretty much forgotten about it. But I will never forget. Never.

I had never thought much about this woman before, never really paused to consider what her life had been like for 12 years, never truly contemplated the incredible faith that she possessed. Wendy's insight made this woman real to me and gave me such a profoundly better understanding of her circumstances and faith in our Savior.

A few months after this experience, I got a phone call from my friend, Cheryl, who was the Enrichment Leader in our ward. Her committee was preparing for our December Enrichment and were trying to find sisters who could sing to perform the "Women at the Well" program. She asked me to sing a solo and I reluctantly agreed with the condition that my song be for a low voice. Imagine my surprise when the song that I got was, "Close Enough to Touch". I was excited to again be portraying this woman for whom I had gained such love and admiration. It had been about 20 years since I had sung a solo and I was quite nervous. I practiced a lot on my own and spent some time with the pianist to prepare. The entire group of singers and narrators got together only one time. I felt pretty good about my song up to that point, but singing in my own house, at my own piano and singing in front of a group of ladies with amazing voices are two different things. That practice did not go well for me. My voice shook and squeaked and just did not sound good. And then I was terrified. Why had I agreed to do this?

After a couple of days of doubting myself I realized that my own faith was being tested. If this woman had faith enough to be healed simply by touching Jesus' robe, then certainly I could muster enough faith to be able to sing in front of a group of women who I love and who love me. I said a prayer that I could sing without being nervous & that I could help to bring the spirit to our meeting. When my turn came, I felt peaceful and calm. I was able to get through my song without any major problems. It was as good as any time at my own piano. Was it perfect? No. Was I the best singer in the group? Definitely not. But, was it my own personal best? Yes, it was.

How grateful I am for the opportunities that we have to test our faith and to become stronger. I am so thankful for the experiences that I have been blessed to have based on the story of one woman who is mentioned only briefly in the scriptures. Her story and faith have helped me to lean on my Savior just a little bit more and to trust in Him more fully.

New Kids on the Block Concert

2008-11-24T13:20:00.005-07:00

What a blast from the past! Carrie posted a message on Facebook saying that she had extra tickets to the NKOTB concert if anyone wanted to go with her and I thought, "Why not? It could be kind of fun." So I replied and we decided to take our girls. It turned out to be a whole Keele Girls Night Out (aside from Rachael, who we wish could have been with us.)

When I first heard that the New Kids were reuniting and going on tour I wasn't super excited. I loved them when I was a kid in junior high, but I just didn't think that they could come back with the same kind of intensity they had the first time around. Trent and I watched them on the Today show and totally laughed at their dance moves because it was a little bit weird seeing almost 40 year old men dance together like that. But, after going to the concert I am totally converted! Their performance was so much fun to watch, they just pulled you right in. Part way through the show they popped up in the middle of the floor about 20 feet away from us. Samantha & Susan were sitting in a different area and Sam actually got to hold Donnie's hand for a few seconds (I'm totally jealous).

I love their new album and cannot stop listening to it (Trent HATES it, but I think he secretly likes that I am listening to them on my iPod because then he can listen to his Talk Radio, which I am not a huge fan of.) Saige had a lot of fun until the end when it got so loud. By the last song she was just sitting on her chair, plugging her ears. She even started to cry. It was excessively loud. My hearing was muted for a couple of days afterward and I was a little bit worried that I might have some kind of permanent hearing loss, but it's all good now. (Note to self: take earplugs to any future concerts. Also, don't wear high heels if you have floor seats-my feet were killing me after standing up the WHOLE time...I should totally invent some kind of convertible high heels, with removable or collapsible heels, wouldn't that be awesome? Then a heel lover like me could wear stilettos that could also be comfortable when necessary. I've got to patent that...)

Even the two opening acts were great. Lady Gaga was up first, with a lot of great dancing tunes. (You can hear her song, "Just Dance," on my playlist.) She was followed by Natasha Bedingfield, who I totally love (in fact, she was the one I was really excited to see). The whole night was awesome! We had such a great time hanging out together. I am one of those lucky people with awesome in-laws, who I love spending time with.

I'd like to finish with a few acknowledgements (because I'm a dork). To Carrie: thanks for a fabulous time! To my Saigey: thanks for liking to hang out with your mom and liking her music. To Cori: who is a true fan and bought the album as soon as it came out, I am really sorry that you didn't get to go. Next time, I will totally go with you. To The Block: don't wait so long for the next album! I'm ready for another one already!

The Man in My Life & Then and Now

2008-11-21T20:27:00.008-07:00

Our wedding day-July 30, 1994. Could I have gotten a bigger bouquet?

Our 14 year anniversary.

I am combining two tags-one that I got a while ago from Adaire and a new, similar one from Lynsie.

1. What is your husband's name? Trent Roger

2. Where did you meet your husband? Discovery Research Center in Price (I always have to insert that I was his boss while we worked there.)

3. How long did you date before you got married? After 3 months we got engaged and 4 months later we got married. (That only happens in Utah.)

4. How long have you been married? 14 1/2 years

5. What does he do that surprises you? Very little. We share a brain. Although, he did get me an iPod and pajamas from PajamaGram for Valentine's Day this year-that was actually a HUGE surprise.

6. What is your favorite feature of his? His blue eyes.

7. What is your favorite quality about him? His sense of humor. He is really funny-weird, but funny.

8. Does he have a nickname for you? Just the usual-honey, sweetie or babe.

9. What is his favorite sport? Lucky for me, he is not into sports, meaning that I don't have to watch much of that on TV. He'll watch the Jazz if they are in the playoffs and he likes to watch our kids play ball. He loves to lift weights and has found a new passion for running.

10. When and where did you first kiss? At my parent's house in Huntington. He asked if he could kiss me and I said yes. Then he kissed me three times. Now, every night before we go to bed, he kisses me three times.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We enjoy a good wrestling match, now and then. And when I say wrestling, I mean actual wrestling, so get your mind out of the gutter, you sick, twisted freak. It involves a lot of tickling and every once in a while I get in a really great move that gets him incapacitated and laughing hysterically. If I should ever get attacked, my attacker is gonna be sorry. I've been practicing.

12. Do you have children? We have three great kids.

13. Does he have any hidden talents? Yes, you should see him rip a phone book in half. Our kids think this is the coolest trick ever.

14. How old is he? 36

15. Who said "I love you" first? I told him that I thought I was falling in love with him after about a week of dating him. Seriously, what was wrong with me? Not that I don't love him, but one week?!?

16. What is his favorite music? He loves classic rock like Def Leppard and AC/DC.

17. What do you admire most about him? His generosity.

18. What is his favorite color? Blue, blue, blue.

19. Does he do laundry? Once in a while, but just when he runs out of something.

20. Will he read this? Yes, because when I am done writing it I will hand him the computer and make him read it.

21. Who eats more sweets? That would definitely be me.

22. Who is taller? He is, thankfully.

23. Who can sing the best? Me again.

24. Who is smarter? Depends on what you're talking about. Politics-definitely Trent, Spelling-definitely me.

25. Who pays the bills? Whoever gets to it first, most of the time it's me.

26. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? When we are in bed I am always on the right side.

27. Who mows the lawn? Always Trent, never me. When we bought our lawnmower Trent insisted on getting the

model without the self-propelling feature, so that mowing the lawn could be a workout. I begged him to spend the extra $20 for the self-propelled one, and then just not use it if he didn't want to, but he wouldn't do it. I told him that I would never mow the lawn with that lawnmower and I am proud to say that I never have.

28. Who cooks dinner? We usually make dinner together if we are both home. If I am teaching piano lessons, Trent will cook. He makes a killer lasagna.

29. Who drives? Trent

30. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Wow, I don't know about this one. We are both pretty stubborn. It's a toss-up, I guess.

31. Who asked who out first? Well, that is a long story. We were working at Discovery and I thought that he was cute, but he was really shy. I told another supervisor (Jay) that I liked Trent, so when I went on my lunch break, Jay told Trent that he should ask me out. After lunch I got to spend the rest of the day wondering what the heck Trent was thinking. He had to bring his surveys up to me, but he never said a word. I felt like such an idiot. I'm not sure how long it was until the end of our shift, but it felt like eternity. At the end of the night, Trent brought his time card up to be signed. He handed it to me and said, "will you sign this if you'd like to go out with me?" It was so cute and sweet, even though I had to sign it regardless of whether or not we went out.

32. Who wears the pants? Uh...I am the oldest of 7 children and therefore, am very bossy. So, according to Trent, I win this one, but I have yet to see him wear a dress (even for Halloween).

I could have meshed those questions together in a better order, but I'm too lazy to do that. This post is also having technical difficulties. Why does Blogger sometimes seem to have a mind of its own? I'm supposed to be in control. (I do wear the pants.) Anyway, I tag everyone who ever reads our blog.

Photo Tag

2008-11-20T23:35:00.005-07:00

I love getting tagged! It makes me think about things that I wouldn't normally write about. I have a few waiting to get finished, but I will get to them. This one was quick, so here it is. Megan tagged me with this fun idea-going to the 4th folder in my photos and posting the 4th picture. So, this seems like a really strange picture...here's the story. When I was a little girl my Grandma Christiansen held "Pink Day" for all the girls in her family. We all wore pink clothes, ate pink food and just did generally girlie things. When Grandma passed away a few years ago my Aunt Rene' held another Pink Day to remember her. We had such a blast that it has become a yearly tradition. The sock exchange has been a big hit each time we've done it. Each girl brings a crazy-silly-cozy-or-comfy pair of socks and we play some silly game to exchange them. The first year it was the Left/Right passing game played with a story about Grandma. Other years it's been truth or dare, which always proves to be exciting. (Think Aunt Becky running around the block in nothing but her bathrobe and shoes, Lindsay kissing Seleste's husband, Rene' mooning everyone or Katie eating a spoonful of dirt-who knew a pair of socks could be so important? Grandma would be so proud.) We love our Pink Day. Thanks, Rene', for bringing it back!

I tag Cheri, Lynsie, Adaire, Cori, Carrie & Melissa.

King's Peak Hike

2008-11-18T09:27:00.005-07:00

Dad has wanted to climb Kings Peak for years now. After talking about it I found time to go in August. So we planned to spend 4 days after our Lake Powell trip. We had to plan menus, buy or borrow proper gear and get tents fixed. I was concerned about Gavin, this being his first real hiking experience, I didn't know if it would be too much for him. Dad and I hadn't done any real hiking in some time either, so I wasn't sure if any of us were up to the challenge. While we were at Lake Powell I tore the skin off the ball of my right foot, while climbing some cliffs to jump off of, and wasn't sure I could even go. It seemed to heal enough, and we took Mole Skin just in case.

I didn't want to take our big, bulky camera, so Kacie asked us to stop on our way and buy a disposable camera to take pictures, but I forgot and we were stuck with just my BlackBerry for pictures. I'm glad we went on a Monday, because there was almost no one else on the trail, so it was hard to get a picture of all three of us together. We couldn't ask for better weather, almost no wind and sunny all the time, it was just beautiful and peaceful. We were disappointed we didn't see more wildlife. Other than small birds, one of which my dad nearly killed while at the summit, the only wildlife we saw was a mamma moose and her calf on the third day. The first day we hiked about ten miles to Dollar Lake and set up our base camp, we were all very tired and sore, but I think Gavin was in the worst shape. We kept telling Gavin the hard work would be over when we got to Dollar Lake, that the climb to the summit wouldn't be that hard because we would only be taking daypacks. As it turns out the climb to the summit was just as hard and longer than our first day. We didn't get back until almost 8 PM, and we were tired. The view from the summit was awesome, skies were clear with some clouds, you could see the wind turbines along I-80 in Wyoming that will increase our electric bills. (Thanks for vowing to bankrupt the coal industry, Obama, putting millions of people with high paying jobs out of work. But I digress...) The third day we just took it easy trying to recuperate a little, we hiked about halfway back to the trailhead and set up camp. The truth is my feet hurt so bad I could barely make it as far as we did that day. The fourth day we packed up and headed back to the truck, we must have passed 50 or more people all going in. As I said earlier, I'm glad we went on a Monday-we almost had the place to ourselves.

Newest Teenager on the Block

2008-11-16T21:58:00.008-07:00

I officially became the mother of a teenager last Sunday. We have had a crazy, busy week, so I am finally getting around to posting this. We had a really great day, Grandma & Grandpa Keele were here in the morning and came to church with us. It was our ward's Primary program, so it was really nice to have them with us for that. After church, we went to Lehi to celebrate with the Powell's. Grandpa Powell's birthday is Nov 11th, so we celebrated both their birthdays. On Monday, we went back to our new favorite place, Jump On It, where we, once again, had a ball.

It's a tradition in our family to record the birthday boy or girl's favorite things each year, so here are Gavin's favorites:

Food: Pizza

Treat: Blondies

TV Show: Lost

Movie: Iron Man

Book: Capt. Hook

Game: Madden 2009

Hobby: Playing PSP (I'm convinced that his actual favorite hobby is making random sound effects to annoy me. It's what he does nonstop throughout the day.)

Color: Red

Sport: Basketball

Music: Dashboard Confessional

Friends: Jake & Zack

Girl: Mom (That's a big fat lie, but it's what he says every year to get out of telling me who he really likes. Lucky for me, he has a little brother who doesn't mind spilling his secrets.)

Last year, we took a picture of Gavin and I standing back to back and we were about the same height. This year he has at least 3 inches on me, possibly 4. His feet are HUGE and he eats so much that I frequently worry that there will be nothing left in the fridge when I go to make dinner.

2007

2008

I am terrified about what being the mother of a teenager means. The attitude is already more than I can take some days, but there are rare moments where we just connect in a way that is so absolutely cool that it makes all the hard stuff totally worth it.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T09:28:00.001-06:00

Sunday's Nightmare

2008-10-27T07:21:00.007-06:00

Sacrament meeting was interesting yesterday (and by interesting I mean sweating-bullets-terrifying). Our organist was out of town, so as the assistant organist, I was assigned to play for the meeting. I have substituted for her before, but that was before I was really trying to play the organ. I just played it like a piano and they are two completely different things. I didn't have too many problems playing it that way. (Although, one time I accidently hit a key while the Bishop's counselor was conducting, and he turned around and looked at me like he was afraid I might break into a rousing rendition of "If You Could Hie to Kolob" or something. That was embarassing. He felt bad and apologized after church. It wasn't his fault-everyone turned and looked. But he felt bad that he called attention to it. Brother Hall redeemed himself yesterday-I'll tell you how in a minute.) Anyway, I practiced really hard all week. I spent about 8 hours at the church trying to learn the feet and put them together with my hands, which had to play completely different fingering than they do at the piano. I practiced until my hands and back ached.

I ordered organ shoes, which remind me of my childhood tap shoes. Did you know that there are special shoes for organists? That was news to me. They are not my usual kind of shoes and yet, they are probably the most expensive pair that I own (and I own a LOT of shoes). LaFaye, our organist, who has been teaching me, highly suggested that I get them. I have been playing simple postlude hymns for a few months now in bare feet, but I thought this might be a good time to get some fancy organ shoes. (I was secretly hoping that organ-playing-super-powers would be included, but, sadly, they weren't.)

So, I practiced my little heart out all week and I went to church 45 minutes early to get in a little practicing before the meeting. I talked to the chorister and the Bishop and told them to get their poker faces ready because I knew there would be mistakes. The chorister told me that he would go slow and I told him to just go at the regular pace and I would survive, but when I started the opening hymn, "How Firm a Foundation", at what I felt was a good pace, he slowed it down after the intro and the congregation was singing in what felt like slow motion to me. Maybe that was just my nerves wanting to play faster to get the whole thing over with, I don't know, but it felt very slow. All the hymns went like that, really slow, yet still riddled with mistakes because I was so nervous.

Just before the sacrament hymn, as the Bishop was returning to his seat and I was about to start playing, Saige came hiking up the stairs on the stand to talk to me. (Trent was at work, so I told my kids they had better behave sitting down there alone, but I guess I forgot to cover the part where I would be unavailable for conversing.) She needed to go to the bathroom and wanted my permission. That was my favorite part of the whole day and I don't even mean that sarcastically. It reminded me that we are all just human.

After the sacrament hymn, I went and sat with my kids and totally forgot to pay attention to when the rest hymn was coming up. Of course this had to be the sunday of 5 speakers, so I couldn't even figure it out. This is how Brother Hall redeemed himself and gained my complete forgiveness. He pulled out his Hymn book as one of the speakers was finishing up, saving me from looking, once again, like an idiot. So, thanks, Lee, we're even.

This whole experience has me thinking a lot about my Grandma Christiansen. She was an amazing pianist and organist. (She actually gave Clay Christiansen, her nephew and now Tabernacle organist, his first piano lessons.) My cousin, Megan, got to have organ lessons from Grandma, something I wish I had thought to ask her for. I really miss her. She was all the things that I hope to be someday.

Here are the life lessons I learned from my day as an organist:

1. Shoes cannot give you magical powers. LOTS of practice is required to do anything well.

2. Tell your kids exactly what you expect of them, leave nothing out.

3. Doing something slowly doesn't always make it better.

4. Take extra deodorant with you wherever you go, it may come in handy.

5. Really listen when someone is talking, so you don't get caught off guard.

6. If your Grandma is still around, ask her to teach you everything she knows about everything, so that you will be prepared for whatever comes your way.

These are my organ shoes. Stylish, right? They have a felt sole so the pedals don't get scratched and a 1 and 1/4" heel to help in moving from note to note. (You play with your toes and heels.)

Simply Fun

2008-10-19T18:40:00.003-06:00

It has been a very eventful week at the Keele household. My sister, KeriAnne, and her daughter, Jolee, were here from Las Vegas, so we got to do a lot of fun things with them. We spent a lot of time in Lehi at my parent's house, which the kids totally loved. We also visited two very fun places. On Monday, we checked out a new place called Jump On It in Lindon where we jumped and played on wall-to-wall trampolines. It was so cool! They even had trampolines propped up at an angle on the walls. We played tag, did tricks, and wore ourselves right out. Ryker loved it so much that he requested that we spend Christmas there. Sounds good to me, but I'm not sure the owners will go for it. On Thursday we went to an old favorite, Classic Skating. We had a good time there, but it was busier than I have ever seen it because it was UEA. We have been there lots of times and I always thought that Trent liked it, but apparently he likes it about as much as tuna casserole.

For me, this week has been all about simplifying. I got released last week from the Young Women's presidency, which I am relieved about. I will miss the girls, but it will be really nice to stay home on Thursday and watch The Office and Grey's Anatomy, woohoo! I now have 3 callings. I am the Assistant Ward Organist (which means that I am learning to play the organ), the Primary Pianist and the Ward Choir Director. That last one terrifies me a little. I'm trying to think of a way that I can get out of leading the choir with my backside facing the congregation. Any suggestions?

I also gave up my job as a teacher's aide. I am so relieved about this. When Saige started first grade last year I was feeling bored and I needed something to do, so I got this job at the school. At the time I wasn't sure what I wanted to be when I "grew up" and was debating between becoming a teacher or a nurse. This job gave me great insight that helped me to make a decision. I greatly admire the teachers that I worked for and have a greater appreciation for all the teachers that I have had in my life. They work so hard and do so much for our kids. But, having this job helped me to realize that I would not enjoy teaching, so I decided to go back to school and major in nursing. School has been keeping me very busy and I was having to miss work for school related things. My own education has to come first and I decided that it wasn't fair to the teachers, so I decided to give it up. While I didn't particularly love this job, I am grateful for the experience and insight it gave me.

Tagged! Six Quirks About Me

2008-10-12T08:27:00.000-06:00

I got my first tag the other day from Apryl and it has taken me awhile to try to figure out which of my many quirks I would really like to make public. So, here goes:

1. I am the queen of clearance shopping. I literally cannot leave any store without checking their clearance section. I mean, if I go into an auto parts store with Trent I will wander around until I find an area where everything is marked with bright orange discount tags. I have found some pretty awesome things (never at an auto parts store). My favorite stores to clearance shop are Target, JC Penney, Kohl's, Sears and the ultimate in clearance shopping, Market Square. In case you have never heard of Market Square, let me enlighten you. It is a whole store full of all the things you never knew you needed/wanted. It is always an adventure, you never know what you might find when you go there, there is always something waiting for you. Trent is always saying, "it's not really saving money if it's not something we need", which is true and I am trying to break myself of this addiction, but those darn racks just seem to call to me.

2. When I get cold, I break out in hives. Obviously this one is not under my control and it is apparently inherited, since this happens to my aunt Michelle also. It is very annoying.

3. Rollies. This one is a leftover from my childhood. I used to "roll" at night while sucking my tongue, that's right, my tongue. (This is why I am now such a great kisser.) I always have little balls of rolled up something in my pockets, which I roll between my fingers. What makes the best rollies? Straw or toothpick wrappers made of paper, the inside bits of a cardboard box and tinfoil gum wrappers, but lint will do in a pinch. Yes, I am a freak, but rolling is therapeutic and relaxing for me. Trent says that the next time you see me you should ask to see my rollie. I would actually appreciate you never mentioning this unusual habit, as I didn't want to tell you about it in the first place, but Trent says it is my number one quirk and therefore, essential to write about.

4. I am passionate about paper. I love the feel of a brand new package of patterned paper, cardstock, or even a spiral bound notebook. Paper rocks! I have an entire room full of mostly paper. This is not an exaggeration. Trent could not be happier about this. He doesn't think there is any better use for a room than to fill it right up to the ceiling with paper.

5. I love to watch the same movies and read the same books over and over. Before Breaking Dawn came out I reread the whole series and then, after finishing Breaking Dawn, I started over and read them all again! By the middle of September I had read Breaking Dawn twice and the other books in the series countless times. Movies I love to repeatedly watch: Pride & Prejudice (the new version and the older 5 hour version), Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion (anything Jane Austen related, really), You've Got Mail, The Count of Monte Cristo, Tristan & Isolde, The Notebook, etc.

6. I have an "addictive personality" and since I'm sure I am not using that expression right, let me explain what I mean. The things that I like become addictions, (obsessions, really) I have already mentioned some of these. Here are some of the other things that I am addicted to: music, high heels, boots (with high heels), sweaters, skirts, scooter riding (to the point where I think it would be awesome to drive a motorcycle, don't freak, mom) candy, scrapbooking, rubber stamping, jewelry, dancing, chipboard and rub-on alphabets, Facebook, trampolines, roller skating, the list goes on and on. I cannot get enough! It's a good thing that I had sense enough to "Just Say No" or I would have some serious problems. (Okay, I have serious problems, but can you imagine me drunk?!?)

Well, that's the real me. I hope that we can still be friends. Try to forget everything that you just read and I'll keep pretending that I am normal, deal?

If you know Apryl, go check out her quirks, too.

http://achristmanclan.blogspot.com/

I tag Karen, Karla, Carrie, Shaylyn, Melissa and TyAnna. Have fun exploring your inner self!

The rules: Link the person who tagged you.

Tell about 6 Quirks of yours.

Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.

Field Trip

2008-10-06T18:15:00.001-06:00

Gavin and I went with the Quest group on an awesome field trip the other day. We started out at the Bodyworlds exhibit, which was really impressive. I wish that we could have taken pictures, but they wouldn't allow it. I never cease to be amazed by the complexity of the human body. I don't know how anyone can see and understand this amazing creation and doubt the existence of God. I loved being able to see it preserved so well. The cadavers in my Anatomy lab have been at SLCC for approximately 15 years and they belonged to the U before that, so they resemble the shredded pork roast we ate for dinner a few nights ago. (I'm sorry, I know that is disgusting, but it is also true.) I was worried about seeing the embryos and fetuses, but they were actually really interesting. I was mostly worried about how they got them, but if I read the sign right, they could not be saved and were somehow acquired in the 1920's. (If anyone reading this has different information, please let me know.) I am curious about how that is possible, but didn't have time to read any further information. I think that I may go again with Trent and my mom and sister-in-law, so I'll be sure to spend more time in that section.

After Bodyworlds, we hiked Ensign Peak. Pathetically, I had never been there before. The view of the Salt Lake Valley from the top was incredible. I found it hard to imagine what Brigham Young and the other saints would have seen. We were very short on time, so I didn't get to read all the plaques that they have at the bottom, but I'm excited to go back and learn more about the history of the peak. I will be taking my family up there in the near future, so that we can all say we have been there.

The Vacation is Over

2008-09-24T08:09:00.000-06:00

Well, that's enough relaxing for a while...I guess. We had a really nice time in St. George,though Monday was kind of weird. We didn't really have any plans, so we played it by ear. We ate at a crappy Chinese restaurant, walked out of a crappy movie and Trent sat on my awesome pink sunglasses and broke them - I shouldn't have left them on the bed, my bad. We did discover a Massage Therapy School next door to the crappy Chinese restaurant and made appointments to get massages the next day before we headed home. When we arrived on Tuesday, the lady had forgotten to enter our appointments into the computer, so there were no students to give us our "couples" massage. So, instead of paying $35 each for 1 hr massages, we got free 1/2 hour massages from the instructor. That made up for the crappy chinese, crappy movie and broken sunglasses. It was so relaxing. What a great way to end our trip.

The kids had a great time without us, too. They got to hang out with Grandma Karla & Grandpa Kerry, who spoiled them excessively. Gavin went fishing with Grandpa, Uncle Bill & Kris. He caught 3 or 4 fish. Ryker and Saige went to Trafalga with Grandma. They ate at Wendy's twice, got new shoes and Saige got a haircut. I don't think they missed us at all. (Don't tell them, but we really enjoyed our time without them, too.) Gavin also took 3rd place in his Cross Country meet (the only one I've missed). He decided he wanted to race with the junior varsity team and probably could have taken 2nd place. He ran the whole race with a friend and told my mom that he let the friend beat him because "he doesn't win much". (He has such a good heart.)

All in all we are glad to be back home. We had a nice break and now it's time to get back to the real world...school, work, fighting kids, laundry, dishes, piano lessons, homework, making dinner, scubbing floors...you get the picture.

Playing in St. George

2008-09-21T19:20:00.000-06:00

After my Girl's Weekend (with my mom and sisters) got cancelled on Thursday, I talked Trent into taking me on an impromptu getaway to St. George. I managed to get us a couple of hotel rooms (couldn't find any that had vacancies for all three nights, so we had to switch after our first night), and I also got us seats at the Tuacahn for Les Miserables. We didn't get the greatest seats, but I don't think there is really a bad seat there. I have wanted to see this show since I was in high school, so I was really excited. Trent was less excited (musical theater is NOT his thing), but he agreed to take me anyway. It was amazing! I totally loved it. He didn't, but he endured it well. I guess I will have to go and see Hell Boy 2 with him now. (Personally, I'd rather literally go to hell than see that movie, but when you love someone you make sacrifices, especially when they make sacrifices for you.) We also ate dinner at the Tuacahn, which was delicious. The only drawback was the hornets swarming our food.

Today, we drove into Zion National Park and hiked Angel's Landing, which is a very strenuous and difficult hike. The last time I was in Zion I had my kids with me and they were too small to hike it, so we thought this would be a great time to go see it. It was hard, but we made it up and it was SO worth it. The views were amazing.

At the top, Trent made friends with a chipmunk that came right over and stole some of his granola bar. Apparently, the chipmunk didn't read the "Don't feed the wildlife" signs posted all around the park.

I'm not sure when exactly I got old, but my knees were whining all the way down (okay, it was me whining, but it was my knees' fault). I love that we live so close to so many beautiful places. You can drive a few hours and see some incredible things. We are having a great time hanging out together and being a couple instead of mom and dad for a few days. Don't get me wrong, we love our kids, but sometimes you just need to take a break. Thanks to my mom for taking care of them. Ryker, the picture above is for you, my little poser. Luv u most! (You too, Gavin and Saige!)

Patriot Day

2008-09-12T17:02:00.000-06:00

My mom sent me an email today that was a video collection from 9/11. It really made me think about how grateful I am to all the men and women who serve our country and try to protect us from things like this, whether they are in the military, law enforcement, fire department, paramedics, whatever. Thanks to all of you and your families who sacrifice so much for the rest of us.

First Cross Country Meet

2008-09-10T07:14:00.000-06:00

After practicing for just two weeks, Gavin ran in his first cross country meet yesterday. It was held at Bonneville Jr. High. The race was 1.2 miles long. It went around the grounds of the school and a couple of times around the track. He was the only 7th grader from Kennedy to make the varsity team. There were 90-100 boys racing in the varsity race and Gavin came in 15th out of all those boys. I got a little choked up watching him. I could tell that it was hard for him, but that he was determined to do his best. His stomach hurt when it was over, but he felt good about how well he did. I hope that he will stick with it because he obviously has a natural talent for it.

First Day of School

2008-08-29T14:47:00.000-06:00

Wow! Gavin's first day of Junior High! Every year I take the kid's picture in front of our house. The door makes it easy to compare their growth from year to year. I think Gavin has grown about 6 inches from last year. He has about 3 inches on me now. Anyway...before he left for school I asked him what he was most nervous about. He said, "not being the tallest kid in school anymore." He has gotten used to that I guess, but being as tall as he is I don't think that he'll have any problems with kids bugging him. When we went to the orientation he actually tried to fit himself into his locker, but it just wasn't happening. One of his friends, who is about Ryker's size, was also trying to squeeze himself into his locker. (He got everything in but the lower half of one leg.) Apparently, that is a pretty big concern when you are a 7th grader. I told him not to worry, that he would probably fit in a garbage can if someone really wanted to get him.

For the most part he is really enjoying jr. high. At his school they have A & B days, so that he only goes to 4 classes per day. "A" day is mostly Quest classes, so he is with the same group of students all day. He is enjoying his French class, but P.E. is his favorite. He made the cross country team, so he is really excited about that. He loves to run. He is thinking that he will try out for the Boy's Volleyball team, Basketball and Track (maybe he'll learn how to do hurdles, though, I'll probably still try to tell him how to do it right).

Ryker is in Mrs. Baker's 4th grade class this year. We really like her so far. When I asked him what he was most excited about this year he said "wearing my new clothes and shoes". He loves the color pink, which I think is totally cool, because he doesn't care what other people think. I love it when boys wear pink (in a masculine, non-girly way) and Ryker can totally pull it off. Ryker is my fashion guy. He loves to look good. When Ryker was in 2nd grade he would come home and tell me all about his "girlfriends" (he had about 9 of them) and he is still trying to impress them. He loves it when his best friend, Jared, will ride bikes to school with him, that totally boosts his image of coolness. I think he is a total "Hottie".

Saige is in Mrs. Sutter's 2nd grade class. Ryker had her when he was in 2nd grade and we really liked her. Saige is into all things "Hannah Montana". This year we got her a Hannah messenger bag, water bottle, 2 shirts, pajamas, a wallet, a purse, 2 hats, notebooks, pens, pencils, folders, and just about anything else you can think of. What a spoiled child! When you're the only girl and the youngest, I guess that's what happens. As soon as Saige gets up in the morning Hannah can be heard rocking the house from her room. She is so much fun. I love it when I can hear her singing at the top of her lungs to the music. (The girl can sing.) Saige was most excited about having 3 recesses this year. Her 1st grade teacher only let them have 2, so she is totally excited for that extra 15 minutes of play time. Hopefully, she doesn't use it to break another arm!

My kid's are so cool. I am totally proud of them. They make me laugh. (They frequently make me crazy, but with them back in school I am enjoying them much more.)

I started my Physiology class this semester. It has been really interesting, so far. I have a really good and entertaining teacher, who makes class fun, so I'm excited.

Lake Powell

2008-08-26T21:56:00.000-06:00

We had a great time at Lake Powell this year. We had a couple of mishaps - the wheel flew off the boat trailer just outside of Price, crossed both lanes of the highway and climbed 8 feet up a tree at least half a mile down the road - one of the houseboat motors snapped in half - and we couldn't get the electrical power on the houseboat to work until the last night, but we didn't let that keep us from having a blast! The weather was beautiful (very hot, perfect for spending lots of time in the water). Here are some of the highlights:

Ryker playing in the water.

Gavin tried to ski, but his gigantic feet were too big for the kid size skis.

Trent did some skiing.

Saige and Ryker in the boat.

Tony taught me to drive the boat, which was cool.

(I only almost hit one big rock below the surface.)

Gavin and Ryker after a swim to "Ryker's Island".

Saige playing in the sand.

Saige in her glamourous sunglasses.

Climbing around on the cool rocks.

Saige and I went for a little walk.

Miracle

2008-08-08T09:03:00.000-06:00

"The Lord would want you to be successful. He would. You are His sons and His daughters. He has the same kind of love and ambition for you that your earthly parents have. They want you to do well and you can do it." -Gordon B. Hinckley

Wow! I totally have proof of that today! I have been so incredibly stressed about my chemistry class and the final that I took on Monday. I went and took the test after saying about a million prayers that I could get a score good enough to earn a B in the class. That was really the most that I could hope for. I had figured out the score I would need to get an A and knew that it was out of my reach, so I was praying for a B, though I really wanted an A. I took the test and then, contrary to what I have done so far on chemistry tests, I looked back through it. On one particular question I suddenly realized that, though I had followed all the rules exactly, this question was an exception to the rule. I fixed the answer and went home, feeling relieved to have finished the class, but not feeling great about how I did in the class overall. Last night, very nervously, I checked on my grade. I was seriously terrified, thinking that I may have done so poorly that I would have to retake the class. When I saw the score I got on my final I just started sobbing. I got the exact score I needed to get an A. By 0.4% I got an A in a class I truly hated. How grateful I am to a Heavenly Father who wants me to succeed! I did not earn that score on my own, I only did it with His help (also some help from my Dad who helped me get a grasp on some concepts that I was struggling with). I don't have to retake Chemistry! Hallelujah!

With my finals over, Trent & I finally got to celebrate our 14 year anniversary, which was July 30th. We haven't been able to celebrate until now, because of school. It was really nice to be able to go out and relax, with nothing else to worry about. We kept it simple and just went to a movie (The Dark Knight) and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

Baseball

2008-07-31T22:18:00.000-06:00

Gavin finally finished his baseball season. They played hard, but struggled. They ended up in a Super League tournament and that totally sucked for the team! Gavin had a pretty great last game, considering. The team lost 16 (or so) to 0, which wasn't cool, but Gavin caught 6 fly balls out in center field. They played a total of 4 innings, so Gavin made 1/2 of the outs! Totally awesome! He was also one of 2 boys to get on base, though neither of them made it home. Trent & I are so proud of him. He worked hard, did his best and had fun. What more could a parent ask for? He finished up just in time to go to his first scout camp, which is where he is now.

Finals are looming in the near future for me. I can't wait to be finished with Chemistry. I'm sure that Trent is anxious for that time as much or more than I am. (I whine and complain about it a LOT.) My new semester starts on August 20th. Not much of a break, but I'm getting closer to my goal, so I guess we'll survive.

Life's Hurdles

2008-07-18T22:59:00.000-06:00

Trent & I like to take the kids to the high school, so that we can run/walk the track and they can just hang out and get some fresh air. We went this morning before Trent took the kids to Castle Dale to hang out with his family. Gavin walked with me for a few minutes and we talked about jumping the hurdles. I told him how to jump them (with the front leg straight and the back leg bent) and tried to convince him to try it. So, when I was done, we went over by the hurdles that were set up on the hard, unforgiving asphalt. He ran and jumped over one, but jumped with both legs bent. I clearly had to show him how jumping hurdles is done. (Not sure why I thought I was such an expert. I don't think I could even do it when I was in my teens, let alone now.) Regardless, I gave it a shot. I actually cleared the hurdle, but my landing was really rough. I'm pretty sure that my feet didn't even touch the ground. I was suddenly laying on the ground, trying really hard not to cry in front of my kids. I pounded my right shoulder pretty hard. I have scrapes and/or bruises on my left knee, right elbow, right hip, right shoulder and both palms, not to mention my wounded pride. I don't remember the last time that I got hurt like this, but I'm pretty sure that I got to cry, whenever it was. They should really be called "Hurtles".

I got to come home and spend my WHOLE day studying chemistry. I really hate chemistry. I think it's really cool the way everything works together, I just don't particularly enjoy learning about it. Maybe it's because, like an idiot, I decided to take it online instead of in an actual classroom. I think I would understand it better if I were taking it in an actual classroom setting. Chemistry is the biggest hurdle in my life right now. After reading all of Chapter 8 today, I had to take the quiz. I was feeling really great about the quiz while taking it, but something must be screwed up in my brain because I totally sucked at this one. I got 2 out of 5 questions right. This professor likes to really mess with us and it sucks. A few weeks ago I took a 40 question quiz. Almost every question had choices from A-O (that's a total of 15 choices) and the answer for O was "the correct answer is not listed". I clicked O eight times. That's 20% of the time. I was certain that I was bombing the quiz because what kind of a teacher gives you 15 choices and doesn't even list the right answer? I ended up with a 39 out of 40 and I only missed one because I accidently clicked the wrong answer. It is messed up! Anyway, that is my rant about chemistry. Thankfully there are only 2 weeks left in this semester. Hopefully, I will pass this class and not have to retake it, because I think that I would seriously have to consider changing career goals and that would suck, but not as much as taking this class again! I am looking forward to clearing this hurdle, hoping that I manage to land on my feet. (BTW, my anatomy class is fascinating and I love it! Trent is getting annoyed by my constant references to all things anatomical, like the fact that my palms hurt the most and bled the least because the thick skin on your hands is highly innervated but doesn't have a lot of blood supply. Wow, that is annoying!)

All Stars

2008-07-01T15:24:00.001-06:00

I have to brag about my totally AWESOME All-Star, Gavin. The team played a double header on Saturday. Gavin pitched the majority of the first game and pitched NO balls. Meaning that they were either perfect strikes or the batter swung at them. He had a great pitching game, not so great on the batting end. He struck out 3 times in a row and for each of those he didn't swing at the final strike. I don't think there is anything worse for a baseball player than to strike out because you didn't swing. (Okay, that wasn't bragging, I realize, but it makes the next part better.) They won that game by a landslide. I'm not going to get into the second game on Saturday because we lost by a landslide. But, we had a really great game last night. Gavin was the starting pitcher, he walked a few kids, but still did a great job. He had two great hits and scored 2 of our 4 runs. He played 2nd base for the second half of the game and made a really cool double play. He caught a line drive and immediately threw the ball to 3rd base for another out. I love it when he does cool stuff like that! I know that I am normally not a big (or even a little) sports fan, but watching your own kids play and succeed is totally different and I am kind of a crazy fan.

On a side note, I dissected a cow's eyeball today. It was really squishy and cool! Last week we dissected a sheep's brain.

Breaking Dawn Countdown

2008-06-18T22:14:00.001-06:00

Get this widget!

Countdown for Breaking Dawn! Can't Hardly Wait!

2008-06-18T21:55:00.001-06:00

I am so excited for Stephenie Meyer's new book! I also just figured out how to add a widget to our blog. Wish I knew how to make the overall layout look better. I should probably take a class, as if I have time for more classes! The release of the last Twilight book almost perfectly coincides with summer semester ending for me. I am super excited about that too!

Get this widget!

2008-06-17T19:05:00.000-06:00

I took my Anatomy Lab test today. I studied and studied and the test was still pretty hard. There is a big difference between looking at the pictures of muscles in my book and trying to identify the muscle on the 15+ year old cadavers that we have in lab. I am so glad that it is over!

Trent & Kacie Keele Family

2008-06-12T13:27:00.001-06:00

I just wanted a place where I can keep track of the things that are going on with our family, a place where I can record stories and events to possibly scrapbook later (like in 10 years). Since I really stink at journal keeping these days, I thought this would work really well.

So, here is what we are up to lately. Trent is still working at Kennecott, serving in the Scout program at church and being a very involved and awesome Dad. I am going to school- majoring in Nursing, teaching piano lessons, working as a Teacher's Aide at my kid's elementary school, serving in the Young Women presidency and being a very busy mom. I am also learning to ride my new scooter that we just bought. I am excited not to have to put so much out for gas this summer!

Gavin, who is 12, just "graduated" from Elementary school. I am certainly not ready to have a kid in Jr. High and I'm pretty sure I'm not old enough either. He will be participating in the Quest program at the jr. high, which is for the students who are advanced. We are excited about that. He is very busy this summer playing baseball. He mostly plays 1st base or pitch. Although the season is about to end he is not done. He made the All Star team this year and that will keep him pretty busy through July. Hopefully, the tournament will be over before Scout Camp.

Ryker is 9 and is a lot of fun. He is all smiles, which can be quite infuriating when we are upset with him, but for the most part, we love his cheerful personality. He has been busy with baseball, too. He mostly plays catch, but has had a few opportunities to pitch and play 1st base this year. Ryker has made All Stars every year that he has been eligible until this year. I am not sure why he didn't make it this year, but as his mother I'm pretty sure that he was robbed! I am going to have to tell him before they announce it at the closing ceremonies. I actually feel like it's a blessing in disguise that he didn't make it this year, because we don't know the people that he plays with as well as the kids Gavin plays with. We can call Gavin's friends for rides when Trent is at work and I am at school, but for Ryker we wouldn't have been very comfortable doing that. Anyway, that is how I'm trying to look at it, so that I don't feel so bad. I really am very surprised that he didn't make it.

Saige is 7 and is such a little girly-girl. Every mother needs a daughter. She is so much fun! She loves to dance, play dress-up, scrapbook and all the other super girly things that Trent and the boys don't like to do with me (I'd worry if they did want to do them). She is excited to start the 2nd grade. I don't know what I'll do with her all summer, she is going to get bored!

Well, that's about it for now. I really should get some studying done. Human Anatomy is HARD!