Doin' Disney

For the past two years we've been talking about going to Disneyland. We wanted to go while Quincy was still young enough to truly believe in the princesses and to let her experience the magic of Disney. We finally were able to go at the end of March while the boys were out for spring break (if you can call it that...it snowed non-stop while we were gone!). We had such a great time rediscovering the park together. Treyson and Tanner love anything that goes fast, just like their mom, so they were usually my coaster buddies. Quincy amazed me with how brave she was. She went on Tower of Terror multiple times. She really wanted to go on Screamin' but wasn't tall enough. Her favorite ride was Big Thunder Mountain. Max is a huge Buzz Lightyear fan, so he loved all of the Toy Story rides. He was such a trooper and went with the flow each day.

We decided to do lunch with the princesses one day so that we could see each of them without searching all over the park for them. It was a highlight of the trip. Q couldn't wait to put on her Snow White costume, and luckily we were able to convince Max to dress like Buzz instead of Cinderella (like he tends to do at home. Issues? Maybe.) This picture below is while they were waiting to be seated. One of my favorite pictures.

Her first peek at a princess!
Max and his "crush"

Tinkerbell tried to fix Quincy's hair just like her own. Tink was quite certain that Quincy was part fairy. I think she's right.

I got to celebrate my birthday at the Happiest Place on Earth. Pretty darn lucky, I think. My kids found me a pin at the park that said "Happy Birthday" on it, so throughout the day I was getting birthday wishes. It was seriously the best way to spend my birthday. I loved watching my kids enjoy each other and the opportunity we had of creating these memories together.

Paradise (Plus A Little Wind And Rain)

Nate and I were able to go on a Caribbean cruise over Valentine's Day with various people from the Leavitt Group. Most of the people were agency people that had earned the trip through sales, and luckily Nate is good at what he does, so they invited us along. Neither of us had ever been on a cruise, so we were excited, but not really sure what to expect. We LOVED it! We were absolutely amazed at the amount of food that was ALWAYS available. There wasn't a night that passed by that we didn't stop for pizza and cookies at 12:30 a.m. We're just glad that we each only added five pounds to our bodies!

Although the food was amazing, the weather was less than desirable. Every day was super windy and overcast. We always had jackets on and were never able to just lounge by the pool. The day we stopped at Haiti, there was a major rain storm. Within two minutes of getting off of the boat, we were drenched from head to toe. Because of the storm, we weren't able to do much, but Nate and one of the guys we were with braved the rain and canoed. We were able to walk around the little shops where the locals were selling items. The day we were in Jamaica started out sunny. We went and hiked the Dunn's River Falls which was beautiful. We were able to spend about an hour on the beach and then the clouds and rain moved in again. We just weren't destined to come home with a tan!

Even though the weather was depressing, we had a great time just being together and exploring the boat and the fun things it had to offer. We definitely want to do it again, we'll just pray extra hard for some sun!

Trey Ray

I just wanted to tell Treyson how proud I am of him. He was recently selected as the "Warrior of the Month" for the 6th grade at Cedar Middle School. He's always been such a great leader and such a good student. He's received 4.0's both quarters so far while at the middle school and has set a goal to finish the school year the same way. Here's what his teacher had to say about him on the nomination form:

"Treyson is a very responsible student. He is always prepared for class and does his best on every assignment. Treyson is a leader in our class. He sets a good example for others and is always willing to take charge when needed. He is a great help to all his teachers and comes to school each day with a positive attitude."

Way to go Treyson. Thanks for being such a huge part of our family.

The Car That Crossed The Finish Line

Being the first child, Treyson has naturally been the guinea pig for a lot of our parenting experiences. One of which was the pine wood derby. Year after year, Nate and Treyson would work hard creating a car (remember, Nate is an accountant, not a man that knows how to work complex tools), and then we would all cross our fingers and toes hoping that the car would be able to finish the race. More than once, the car didn't quite make it and a rousing pep talk would then be given to Trey about all that mattered was that he had fun and tried hard and that there were other things that he excelled in and that winning really didn't matter.

Now we're onto boy #2 in cub scouts. The block-of-wood kit was given to him as a Christmas gift from his leaders. There was an audible moan from Nate when the car was opened. Tanner immediately started brainstorming ideas of what he wanted his car to look like (none in which Nate would ever have the slightest idea how to make). Nate also started brainstorming and hit the computer. We love the world-wide-web and the items which can be purchased from people that know a whole lot more about making pine wood derby cars. Tanner actually jumped on board and loved looking at all of the cool designs. With a click of a button, Tanner's car was designed, cut, and shipped to our doorstep. In Nate's defense, by buying the car pre-cut online, he didn't do anything differently than he would have here at home. He would have had to taken the car to someone that had tools and knew how to operate them, and then have them cut it out for him. When the car came, Tanner did have to sand it, paint it, add decals, and the wheels. Everyone was happy with the outcome. Major bonus: the car crossed the finish line, each and every time. Did it take first place overall? No, but we had a smiley boy that didn't need a pep talk. Lesson learned. We'll never cut a car again. Tanner has two more years, and then Max will have three years. Just think what we'll come up with by Max's final year. I see blue ribbons in our future!

THE Mr. Nate Esplin

Back in November, Nate called me one afternoon totally cracking up. I wondered what in the world could be so funny in the finance world that he was literally laughing out loud as I picked up the phone. The director of the Cedar City Chamber of Commerce had just left his office. Nate had received a special visit from him to be notified that he would be receiving the Cedar City "Man of the Year" award for the 2009 year. Complete honor, don't get me wrong, but we couldn't stop laughing. Fast forward to January 2010...A special dinner and awards ceremony was held for all of the award winners. It really was a nice night, and such a compliment to Nate for all of the hours of service he gives to the community (especially through Little League) and to the University. I've teased him relentlessly about his big head (well, he did make the kids address him as Sir for awhile, and I would have to chauffeur him around while he barked out directions- j/k). All kidding aside, I truly am proud of him for all of the time he puts into so many different boards and committees. Don't you think that I should have received the "Woman of the Year" award for so willingly donating my husband to so many different causes?

(Kind of a crummy picture, but the kids loved that his face and name were on the State Bank marque for all to see!)

Way to go, Nate! We're so proud!

Giving Us The Finger

Santa had the crazy idea that Treyson and Tanner would enjoy a Swiss Army knife in their stockings. I think that he had intended for these knives to be used when needed for scouts and when the boys were at the cabin. I don't think that Santa had envisioned these knives being used to cut to the center of a baseball. Trey's ideas are bigger than Santa's and he proceeded to cut not only into a baseball, but also into the pointer finger of his right hand.

I was on my way home from running some errands when I got a call from Tanner telling me to hurry home because Treyson had cut himself pretty badly. I thought he was either joking or exaggerating, until I walked into the blood-covered bathroom. After doing a quick exam of the finger, I called our doctor who said to bring him out and they'd take a look. After a quick look, and a second opinion from another doctor, the orthopedic surgeon was called for a consult, because the tip of the finger that had been cut, was starting to turn a little black from lack of circulation. The surgeon was in surgery (doing his job, I guess), so we headed over to the E.R. to be examined there. The doctor there determined that surgery wasn't needed that day (maybe in a couple weeks if it didn't heal correctly), and put five stitches in Trey's finger. I couldn't look at the finger, but after they numbed it up good, the doctor moved the tip around to see how much damage was done. That good, sharp knife cut into some nerve endings and got some of the bone. Lovely, I know. Now, two weeks later, things are looking good. At his first follow-up appointment, the doctor was happy with the coloring and Trey had feeling in the tip. The stitches will come out next week and we'll know then if the skin "took" and is healing correctly. The doctor seemed optimistic that all will be well and that Trey will be throwing a wicked fast ball by next month. For now, knives are off limits and the pocket knife merit badge will have to wait.

Our Holidays in Photos

Warning: A gazillion pictures are about to follow. Proceed at your own risk.

We had a wonderful holiday season. Christmas Eve this year was with the Cowan family. One of my very favorite traditions is when my dad reads from a Christmas story and then gives us a little present to remind us of the chosen story. This year was "The Last Straw." The kids were super anxious to wake up in the morning to see what Santa brought. Trey even sent me a text at 4:50 a.m. wondering if they could get up yet. A little insane, I know, but it makes this mom smile (I've taught them well!). Christmas day was full of family and fun and a whole lot of being spoiled. Cam's family came to town on New Year's Eve, so all of my family came up to my house for some pizza, lots of snacking, and some silly games. Quincy loved that she got to stay up until "midnight" when the ball dropped in NYC! We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that this new year brings happiness.