Sunday drive

After Madison's baby blessing, we went for a drive up Emigration Canyon and over to East Canyon. Here are some pictures from a stop at Big Mountain, along the Mormon Trail.

It was only 83 degrees at the top, so we got out to rest a moment.

Tim carried the girls down to these beautiful wildflowers.

We drove past the property where we used to go for girl's camp when I was in Young Women's. It was a gorgeous drive!

The Birthday cake

I will put a full report of the bday party later, but I had to show you how the Tinkerbell cake turned out. Jenna loved it!

Note the grass and flowers at the bottom- Tink is in her garden. It's not perfect, but if you are six, it's great!

Haves and Have Nots

200 Haves and Have Nots
Need to feel like you've accomplished something?

200 Have and Have nots!BOLD the haves!
1. Touched an iceberg- We got really close in Alaska!
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath - how about a freezing shower at Girl's Camp?
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors -Does Vernal count?
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland- I was at airport there for a few hours en route to Russia...
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume Hill says our Wonderwoman underoos count for this one!
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check- For the record, it has been a very long time since I did!!!
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight:
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name (last name only)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office - can I count county delegate?
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair (sort of)
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids I got to peek in pyramids in Mexico and climbed to the top at Chichen Itza
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise (and GOT IT!!)
132. Made a hole-in-one (mini golf)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted- I think the Conner House was!
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning (I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy)
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics - We enjoyed the festivities downtown in 2002...Tim got to go to ski jumping
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube - my 5 year old has!
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

It was interesting to see how many of these I haven't done that Tim has. We sure compensate for eachother weaknesses & strengths!

Tunes to blog by

Last week I decided to investigate playlist.com and put some music on my blog. I was surprised how easy it was and how fun it was to pick music! Much of the music is linked memories of days gone by, so I thought I'd share some of the dedications:

Backyardigans "Castaways"- for my little hooligans (I admit, I love the Backyardigans, too)
"We Built this City"- For the Conner House girls- you know who you are!
"Total Eclipse of the Heart"- that's all you, Lacie
"Ironic" for Sorebutt Ü Dixie College 1995-96

All of the classics (aka Oldies) are a result of my parents' excellent taste in music! Beach Boys and Beatles remind me of my mom, Gordon Lightfoot and John Denver remind me of my dad.

"You Wore Flowers" for my sisters...here we are sweet Hillary, nut much like we used to be...
"Sounds of Silence" reminds me of the BrainTrust for some reason. I should find "Shoulda Beena..."

The Barenaked Ladies ABC song is quite entertaining and marginally educational. You should scroll to it and expand your vocabulary!

"Utah Man" is for all you Utes out there, but especially for our former band members, Mike & Lisa!

All of the mushy ones are for my sweet hubby. I never realized what a sap I am and how much music is tied to my sappy feelings until I compiled this collection!

There are other songs that my kids have assigned to extended family members. I haven't found all of them yet. "Aubrey" by Bread is self-explanatory. "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is Steve's.

I guess for a lack of ipod, this is my way to listen to my favorite music. I admit that with our lovely Comcast internet, I come in and turn on the computer and open my blog just so the music will play in the background. I do the dishes to the music coming from the computer. What a nerd I am!

Dress project update

I am so proud of our Relief Society! We did a project to make tshirt dresses to donate to Mothers Without Borders. They distribute the dresses to orphans in Africa.

Kim & Emily volunteered to coordinate the project and collected fabric and shirts in preparation for the sewing night. We met for Enrichment Night and started sweing. I think we made about 30 dresses that night and people took the others home to finish. Now that we are finished, we have exceeded our goal of 100 dresses- we are at about 130! We also collected boys clothing to send with the dresses.

These are pictures from the MWB website of children in the dresses that have been donated.

After seeing these, my heart is full at the thought of these girls getting fresh dresses! If you are wanting to practice your sewing skills, this is a very simple project with huge rewards! Let me know if you need help!

Observations of the day

After driving through tons of orange cones and eventually having to turn around and backtrack because of a road closure, Jenna observed:

"Mom there is too much destruction here!"

Amen!

Aubrey: Mom, my eyes are blue like the ocean, huh.

Mom: Yes they are.

Aubrey (after a moment of deep thought): Mom my eyes are blue like the ocean and yours are brown like the housetops.

She knows how to make you feel special!

Demolition Derby

In my eternal quest to bring culture and refinement to my young ladies, we are always looking for interesting opportunities and events. Thus, we went to the demolition derby in Riverton on Saturday night!

We got there right as heat two started. Have you ever been that close to seven cars revving their engines and peeling out in mud? It was very loud and messy! Messy my girls like, but loud, not so much. The oldest two were covering their ears and the baby was trying to climb over Tim to escape. It didn't help that one of the cars right in front of us caught on fire. The girls were a little freaked out, so we went and found seats a bit further down the arena.

It was crazy to watch cars smashing into each other on purpose and watch the cars become more compact and parts dragging! It was really fun! Jenna got a little braver and watched from the front row. Aubrey stood BEHIND Tim the whole time, peaking out when things quieted down.

One of the toughest cars was a big pink Monte Carlo. This was the girls' favorite- and the crowd favorite, too!Jenna would venture down to the fence between heats. As soon as the cars lined up again, she was back with us. She did like it when a camera crew from High School Musical 3 was filming the crowd cheering! She dared to watch the in-between activities like the hamburger eating contest and the Guns 'n' Hoses tug-o-war between the police and fire departments.

Tim's friend that he carpools with to work won the raffle to drive the Riverton City entry in the derby. If you look closely, you can see 'Riverton' spray painted on the car. Notice the fire extinguisher in the foreground. Those were strategically place along the arena. Luckily no one needed major rescuing. We had a great time! The people watching alone was worth the price of admission! At work every day Tim has to deal with people trying to keep a certain type of people in Riverton, but there were a few front the counter culture there at the derby!

Thanks, Tim for a fun evening that we won't soon forget! It was really fun & thankfully the girls were exhausted and slept in the next morning!

Another cry for help!

On Monday at 10 am we will be making quilts for the flood victims. We are meeting at my church. If you are interested, let me know and I will get you more details. Thanks!

What do you wish this baby with a BONK on the head?

It was so beautiful outside this morning that after we took Jenna to school, I decided to stay outside with the girls and weed the front garden. They were playing so well together and having such a great time!

After I had weeded and watered the garden next to the drive way, Lydia was climbing down the one little step and lost her balance. She fell right on her head on the cement and rolled onto her back in the muddy garden. I was sick! If you have ever heard a child's head hit cement, it is a horrifying thud!

When I picked her up she was covered with mud and debris and had a rock and more dirt in her mouth. I was frantically wiping things off of her to make sure there was no blood, but there was an INSTANT goose egg. She has recovered nicely, but I thought I'd record the goose egg here for posterity. (And to build a case for DCFS Ü)

These were after she was up running around again and sharing a Capri Sun that Aubrey generously shared with her injured sister. I think she feels pity for the kids, as she knows what it can be like here!

Sorry, my dolly!

Sweet Moment of Prayer

A few nights ago we were having Hamburger Helper lasagna for dinner, which doesn't exactly resemble lasagna in form.

Aubrey was saying the prayer and you could tell she was looking around the table as she prayed.

"Heavenly Father, please bless the milk, and the peas, and the bread, and the stuff to the left of the bread."

She is very good at left and right, and also extremely literal!

What a sweetheart!

Juxtaposition

What a contrast we saw yesterday! We went to the Church History Museum in a group arranged by Kat. We took our kids to the I am a Child of God exhibit. It walks you through the Plan of Salvation, our place as God's children, the covenants we make at baptism and then the ways we follow Christ. It is a peaceful, happy place and you feel great when you are there surrounded by sweet children and the Holy Ghost.

For lunch we went to the Gateway and then walked around for a while, and yes, we played in the fountains. I will put some of the pictures on later.

At the Gateway we were surrounded by all sorts of people. Some seemed to me lost souls, looking for their place in the world. I have never seen so many different hair colors, body piercings, and interesting clothing choices in one place. (ok, maybe at A Taste of Kearns) I won't even speculate at the behaviors that accompany their lifestyle.

I wondered how many of these people felt secure in their knowledge of their loving Heavenly Father. Would you search for acceptance and dye your hair pink and purple if you knew Heavenly Father loves you the way you are? Maybe, I don't know.

I am thankful that I know I am a daughter of Heavenly Father, who loves me- and I love Him! I hope I am instilling that in my daughters, too. I would still love them with pink hair, but I hope they don't test those waters!

One small step for man, one giant leap for Prestwich-kind

For those of you who try to call me when I am checking my email, you will be happy to know that the end is near! On Tuesday we are getting higher speed Internet. No more dial up!!! Not only will I have that, but I will also be getting caller ID, call waiting, and a bunch of other features all for the price I now pay for just a regular phone (with the necessary unlimited long distance). The thought of being able to use the phone while connecting to the Internet is almost mind-boggling!

Thanks Tim, for understanding my need for connection to the outside world and the value of checking my email in less than 45 minutes!

I have a few blog posts I have been saving for that day so I can download some cute pictures, so check back in a few days for some new pics.

Yard sale Update

So, if you're wondering how it went, we ended up making $1029.90 all together from the yard sale. It was much larger than I anticiapated but went smoothly! Thanks to all who helped, shopped, or contributed. It was a fun day!

The Friends of MS are coming to pick up the left overs tomorrow, so this is your last chance if you want to rumage through what's left. Come on over!