Ashlyn's Story

Ashlyn finished her story.  Check it out.  It is on my list of blogs on the side.  It is on "all about Ashlyn."
Make sure you start in july because it start there.  Well chapter one does.  The prologue is in a month after july. 

New iPad!!

This is a test to see how this app works from my iPad. I hope it is awesome so that I can keep my blog more up to date. Tis is just a random pic of Zane when he was probably somewhere between 1and 2.

A little catch up!

So three birthdays have passed since I posted and one was right before the last post and didn't get on so here goes.  Tara turned the big 3, Jace turned the fabulous 5, Alec is now in double digits, 10 (unbelievable) and Zane just turned 8 (yay Baptism time!!)  Here are some pictures to peruse and just a note- I didn't miss the Baptism it just hasn't occcured yet because he missed the Dec. stake baptism so he has to wait until the end of January.  (pics of Jace to come)

The Great Machine Gun Fire!



So I thought I would finally post about our infamous machine gun fire and tell about our experience. It was a Sunday afternoon like any other when we left church except for the smoke coming over the mountain. Now all of us that have been out here for a while didn't think anything of it as this happens somewhat frequently. We had dinner keeping a curious watchful eye on the fire. We watched a little "Star Trek: The Next Generation" still watching and waiting to see if it would do anything. The smoke increased and you could tell the fire was getting closer. We had no idea how big this fire really was or the path it was on. As we watched the fire finally peeked the mountain. Now this also is not a new occurence out here. We had a fire about 5 or 6 years ago that did the same thing. It even came slightly down the hill towards us so we were still not too worried, but like I said we had no idea how big this fire really was. As I sat there watching the fire out my kitchen window at aobut 8pm ish, the fire suddenly and ferociously took a major turn for the worse. I watched as the fire hopped, jumped, skipped, whatever over whatever was keeping it at the top of my hill. The fire came down half the hill within seconds and the first house was probably on fire right behind us in less than 2 minutes. Now don't quote me on timing it wasn't like I had a stop watch or anything, but it moved so fast I don't think I have ever been so scared that we might actually be facing losing our house. From our backyard perspective the house that was on fire actually looked like it was in the circle right behind us. Propane tanks were exploding sending off roman candle like flames 200-300 ft in the air. We started to pack up and got ready to leave as we got the reverse 911 call (which when I tried to actually listen to it it was just a strange blaring sound- don't think that is what it was supposed to do). We said a quick family prayer and left our house. We drove away and got the view of the whole mountain on fire and at that point we really weren't sure if we would have a house to come home to. We knew houses were already being lost, the question was when this is over how many will be lost. These are feelings I don't think that I ever want to experience again. We went and stayed at Randal's parents house, which the kids thought was great and of course they got to have the day off of school on Monday. My kids as we drove away asked me "why does everything always happen on Sunday"- if you remember the terrible motorcycle accident 2 years ago during our ward activity- well that was on Sunday too. We were able to return home later Monday thankfully to an intact house, very stinky but intact. Our neighborhood was truly watched over that night. It came as close a 15 feet from our friends house and right up to the porperties of many others. We are so grateful for the many firefighters, police and emergency workers who risked their live to fight this fire and especially to our Heavenly Father, he truly does perform miracles.



How it all started







This is what we saw as we drove away!



This is our friends house.  It came within 15 ft of thier house




 



Heaven and hell!



 

Our street/house Monday morning, still closed.





Same house after the fire



This house is still standing today!







This is where the house burned behind

our house.  You can see the

chimney in the upper right hand

corner



This is the same house



looking back on their house

another ward members house.  Way
too close for comfort

More homes in our ward



 

Last day of summer

Swimming, running through sprinklers, barbeques, movies, goodbye, we will miss you until next summer, it was way too short and next year will be even shorter.  Hope to see you again soon oh lazy days of summer.  Farewell! :(

Ashlyns new blog!

So Ashlyn has decided it would be fun to do a blog.  Go check it out.  It is on my blog list!!

The last days of school!!

The kids had a great time in school this year. We had such great teachers and they learned oh so much new stuff. Here are some highlights from the last days- the dance program.......The high flying hawk awards.......and last but not least the last day of school. I can't believe they are getting so big. Ash only has one more year before junior high (eeekk!!).

 

A prayer...by Jace :)

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the prayer, thank you for us, thank you for blessings.........................................................................
......................................................................................
.......................................................................................
...........................................................................Oh I give up!!

Wow, has it been a long time!!!

Ok so I have been a huge slacker lately and missed a whole bunch of stuff that I should have posted on here soooo instead of posting them all individually I think I will do a 2009 slideshow(to be created soon) and put that up for all to see. Then my goal is to keep this much more updated this year (ya we'll see :) )So tune back in soon and see what we did in the last half of 2009!!

Our exciting weekend!!

This is the first time i've ever blogged....I usually leave it all for Lori.

So quick story to regail you all with.

Last thursday I was having my end of year Band and Orchestra party with my high school students,
(I teach high school music if ya all forgot) We had a great time. At the end of the party
we decided to hang a piniata and spread candalicious joy to close the day.

We couldn't find a stick to hit it with, so I had a great idea. "lets take apart a music stand and use
the metal pole in the middle to do the deed", said I.

We backed everyone away from the piniata so no one would be struck accidentaly.
The first batter got up and took his place. I looked down real quick at my shoes....when I saw a
flash then black then blood spewing from my head.

The middle of a music stand comes in 2 parts the inside slides inside of the outside to extend the pole
so you can raise or lower the stand. The batter in his swing had lost grip of the outer pole and it went
flying though the air and struck me in the forehead.

I felt fine. No nausea, no dizziness...so I went to an insta-care for some stiches. After a Cat scan I immediately got strapped to a back board and a neckbrace for 2 hrs. while rushed to the nearest Trauma center. It was explained to me that I had an open fracture of my skull and there was air on my brain.

My skull was about a centemeter depressed into my head just narrowly missing my brain.
I had to have surgery where they cut out the fractured bone and replaced it with a titanium plate.

I spent the last 3 days in the hospital. I'm just glad it didn't hit my temple or my eye. I'm glad I'm alive.
I know some of you knew this would happen to me one day. :)

I no longer receive alien transmissions.  Which is good cuz I was tired of wearing tin foil.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u272/jazzfalcon/head1.jpg
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u272/jazzfalcon/head2.jpg
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u272/jazzfalcon/head3.jpg
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u272/jazzfalcon/head4.jpg

Easter

Saturday morning at our house is spring fling.  The kids get there baskets and they go on there egg hunt.  The kids had a blast this year.  It gets more and more fun the older they get.  This year we were one egg short on our hunt and we were all searching the yard for the lost egg.  About five minutes into the search Tara comes out of the side yard holding said egg.  I think it is the only one she found completely on her own all day and it happened to be the one that none of us could find!! (even Randal, who hid the eggs couldn't find it!)  Ya Tara!!

Sunday they get to wear their new easter dresses and clothes to church.  Every year the older boys race down after church and change clothes so I never get pictures of them.  Oh well!!