Spiderpig

We were lucky enough to get to puppy-sit Stella the goldendoodle while the Hlavaty's were spending Spring Break in Florida. Izzy absolutely had a blast playing with Stella all day long. You thought our house was animal planet the way they chewed on each other and wrestled and growled and barked. Stella followed me everywhere around the house. What a sweet puppy little Stella is. Also, Dean nicknamed her spiderpig and I think it will stick... at least at our house.

My lap full of doodles!

Dean and the doodles right before Stella wriggled
out of his arms.

A little bit of the animal planet here.

Birthday Boy

I can't believe our baby boy is 12...how did that happen? When you are Chet's age, there is nothing more exciting than a birthday. I think he has been counting down for months. We started the morning with chocolate chip pancakes. Dione even rolled in early that morning after she had spent all-night in a Chemistry study session.

This is what you look like when you are truly

enjoying your chocolate chip pancakes.

Dione actually posed for this one...so this is what

she gets for being so funny!

Here is Chet trying to figure out why one of his

presents is ringing like a cell phone.

One more look at the birthday boy. If you see this

guy riding around the neighborhood on his new bike

in his aviator glasses just wave and say "Sup"!

Happy Birthday Chet...love you!

Big Air 2009

Big Air 2009 was held Saturday at Beaver Mountain. We kept crossing our fingers for sun...we had some sun, along with some wind, some snow, and some cold temperatures. We were so excited to see our favorite ski buddy Gavin jump. His first jump was awesome but his ski released during takeoff. Amazingly he landed on his other ski and a boot. Gavin leaves for his mission in 1 month and we will miss seeing him at Big Air for the next 2 years.

Chet is looking totally "legit" in this photo.

Group shot with Izzy the lap dog.

Here are 2 of the craziest ski buddies you will ever

meet. Neither one of them skis their age.

Lori and Leanne and even Gary made the trip.

I captured Gavin's first jump with my new zoom

lens. Check out Gavin's loose ski in the lower right

hand corner of the picture.

Just loved Melanie the cow...not sure why she

wanted to be a cow that day.

Here's our favorite Big Air boy...and you should

have seen the size of the steak he devoured at

Hamilton's the night before.

These are some of my favorite girls...aren't they

the cutest things ever?

The Hlavaty's came up...this was Michelle's first

Big Air. Can you believe she's never been?

Gavin and Dean...what a pair.

Mama Lisa and 2 of her buddies Autumn and Sid.

What Little Boys are Made Of

This is what you get when your Sister and Brother-in-law go to Peru and bring you back a prize. What almost-12 year old wouldn't want to have this available for fun times? Chet has been asking if he can wear it everywhere. "Mom, can I wear this to tennis?" I said no...

I love this boy...he makes each day a treat!

Here we are trying to take a fun "girls only" picture

when we were ambushed from behind.

Hope Blooms

This beautiful plant has a special place in my heart. Dione was first drawn to this plant by it's unique beautiful red blooms. They grow and blossom in such an interesting way. She bought it for her sister almost 1 year ago. This plant has survived the most extreme conditions. Last spring was one of the coldest I can remember...we dusted snow from it's petals. Last summer it baked in the heat of a Cache Valley sun. Dione hinted several times that I could get rid of it, but it is more than a plant to me.
Last fall I brought it home for some TLC. I wish I had taken a picture of it so you could see how sad it was. There were no leaves or blossoms and some might have thought there to be nothing left. I replanted it with a shot of some good fertilizer...the shock was almost too much. I wouldn't give up... I gave it a prominent place on the window sill which is bathed in morning sunlight. I will not lie...it might even have received the "bottom of the glass Diet Coke" every once in a while. Slowly this plant has come back to life. We remarked at the progress with each new leaf and then finally a blossom with many others to follow. It isn't the same plant that first caught Dione's eye...but this new plant is beautiful in its own way. I applaud it's progress, tenacity and most especially the ability to survive. I have named it Hope and today...Hope blooms!