Kace's Got Talent

Last week was Kirtland Central High Schools talent show. Kace (who didn't tell us) performed at this talent show. His act has found it's way to you tube! If you have a couple of minutes and need a good laugh go to youtube and type in Kace Dance. (I know there is a way to put a link here but I am not smart enough to figure it out, sorry) He is the new star at the high school! I often wonder where he came from because he is so much more fun than all of us but am so thankful he is ours. Our home would be totally dull without him!! When I asked Kace why he didn't tell us he was performing he told me he wouldn't have been able to do it if he knew we were there. Whatever!!!! Anyway I am very grateful for modern technology and the Sign's who recorded it so that I can actually see him. So check out my very talented son (I'll admit it he gets all his talent from his dad) and enjoy!

We'll Be Seein Ya

I am thankful every day that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. The knowledge and guidance that it gives to my life is priceless. I don't know how I could live in this day and age and raise my family without it. However, I don't think I have ever been as thankful for it as I am today. I am thankful for the Temple blessings. Of knowing that families are eternal. That even though we might have to be a part for a little while it really is only a moment in the eternal perspective. So Poad, this is not a final goodbye it's just a "We'll Be Seein' Ya!"

Lincoln Sherwood

Jan 9, 1947 - Sept 26, 2010

Sand, Fire, Marshmellows...Priceless

One of the many things I learned growing up in St. Johns is that all you need to make a summer evening a ton of fun is a sand wash, the ability to light a fire, and marshmallows. These three things are part of many of my memories and I'm sure a few of my children's. This summer we invited some friends to experience the fun with us. Let's face it, it's always more fun to have little ones around and unfortunately my little ones had the nerve to get bigger than me. All of them!!! So thanks Matthew's for coming with us and sharing your little ones.

We learned a few important things on this adventure to the sand wash. I thought I would go a head and share them.

Flip Flops are NOT the foot ware of choice at the sand wash!

Smoke Bomb's at the sand wash are a must! They entertain kiddo's of all ages for an extended amount of time.



There is a talent to roasting the perfect marshmallow. Megan has this talent!!

Look it is roasted perfectly! I didn't take a picture of my marshmallows because I do not have the marshmallow roasting talent. My marshmallows all come out a very beautiful shade of black. Boy do they taste good!

We also learned there are many ways to eat giant marshmallow. ( I found these giant marshmallows at Alco and I must say they were my favorite find of the whole summer! They were just awesome.)

Kensie's method was to just put it on a stick and eat it like an apple. Good method and the least messy.

Brookyn's favorite way to eat hers was to just smash it. She made her smore, smashed it as flat as she could and shoved it in her mouth! Her way was my favorite way to eat them.

Tayli just enjoyed the hugeness of the marshmallow! She set her giant marshmallow between her graham cracker and very carefully nibbled away so she wouldn't smash it at all. This too was a good method but a little too time consuming for the rest of us.




Now Bryle really didn't care how he ate them, he just wanted to get as sticky as possible. This one was not my preferred way of eating them but he sure enjoyed it!

Draylon really didn't have much to do with the giant marshmallows he just went for the chocolate!! Wearing brown is one of his favorite things to do at the sand wash.

Look at that face!! This is how everyone feels after a summer evening at the sand wash.

I think everyone had a great time and made some great memories. I have a feeling this won't be the last memory making sand wash trip for the Sherwood's and the Matthew's. And it was so much fun to have the little one's and the big one's too!

Fun In The Sun

For Labor Day weekend we were able to go down to Gilbert for my nephew Kyle's wedding. While we were there we decided to take in a Diamond Backs game. We had a blast!!! It was our first time to go. If we lived down there I would go all the time. They played the Astro's and they lost. We still had so much fun. We invited anyone who wanted to go but it ended up just being our family and my parents. Here are a few pictures of all of us.

The whole gang (minus me who was taking the picture)

Kensie and " The Boyfriend" Jason (23, returned Missionary, all around great guy, stay tuned)

Kace ( you will understand his look in the next picture)

The Clone's (oh my)

My cute parents

Look, I really was there!!

We Are Back

Ok we have been back for a week but it has taken me that long to catch up. We ended up cutting a couple of days off the trip so Mark didn't get to see Jeff Gordon's cars. He can't complain because it is his fault we had to be home early. We had to be home for church on the 13th because we got a new bishopric and they put Mark in as 2nd counselor. We made it home Saturday evening and both of our parents were already here. It was great that they were here for him.

So we went a long way in a short time. These are the states we were in during our seven days gone (some of them we were in twice) New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kansas. I think that was all.

This is Kesseli's new home outside of South Bend Indiana. It is so nice and green. We got there Sunday afternoon and unloaded some of the truck. Then Monday morning it was off to Jann's. I am so glad we were able to help Kess and Jon move. We had the baby Tayce with us and he slept the whole time. I sure do love all of them!!

This is what you see back east. It doesn't matter where you are you just see trees.

This is in Pennsylvania.

We got to Jann's house Monday night. It was so good to see her and her family. They were so incredible to us. Amanda and Ashley gave us their room for three nights. Thanks guys!! Jann feed us, drove us, photographed us, and so much more. James filled in for Jann with the kids so she could play with us. It was a good thing we had her with us or we would have gotten so lost. I just loved seeing where she lives and getting to know her family a little bit. Thanks Jann for everything and we will see you next year, same time!

One of the funnest things we did was ride the train into DC and then the subway. I thought it was great. I am so grateful I don't have to do that everyday. So many people commute to work like that every single day. I am glad I am not one of them. I don't think you could pay Mark enough money to do it!!! That said it is really fun to do as a tourist. Just make sure you don't get on the quiet car!!

The subway station is really underground and dark.

One thing we learned about the subway is if you are not sitting down you better be hanging on for dear life! The subway is FAST.

Thanks to Jann we made it to the Mall in DC. All Mark wanted to do was go to the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian so that was the first thing we found. It is in a huge beautiful building. We learned really quickly it was a huge bust. There was hardly anything in there at all. So we moved on.

The Capitol Building. We just walked by because the tour had a huge line and we didn't really want to wait.

There is 19 Smithsonian museums on the Mall. After the American Indian was such a dud we only went in the Museum of Natural History. It was great!! I took this picture because this skeleton was found in Arizona. When my dad was in high school they found five complete skeletons just like this one on his ranch and the Smithsonian shipped all of them back east. So this could be from my dad's ranch. I though that was really cool. We really did want to go to the Air and Space museum but there was probably 20 buses parked outside and 1000 kids in line to go in. We skipped it.

The Washington Monument.

This was my favorite monument on the Mall. I can't explain it. It was just awesome.

There is a Pacific and an Atlantic side to this monument with all of the state represented. We found New Mexico first thing.

I think this is the Pacific side.

Vietnam Monument.

This was Mark's favorite monument. The Lincoln Monument. It was really neat. There is a lot of stairs up to it so I was just glad to make it up.

Korea War Monument.

Wednesday Jann took us to Mount Vernon. This was the summer home of George and Martha Washington. We loved it there. It was a beautiful place. I can see why there would want to be there every summer.

This is the back of the house. You can look out at the Potomac. This is also where the party was on National Treasure.

This is George Washington's tomb. Mark and my boys don't think he is really there. I just figure that it is as good a place as any for him.

After Mount Vernon we drove to Baltimore. We drove right by Camden Yards. Both nights we were in Maryland the O's were playing the Yankee's. Mark wanted to go so bad. We could have got tickets they were available. We almost dropped Mark off right here so he could go but it had been raining all day and was supposed to rain all night. He didn't want to go and just sit through a rain delay so he didn't go. It turned out to be a good choice. They had like a 2 hour rain delay and then the Yankee's won. He would have been miserable!! I promised him we would go back next year so he could go to a game.

There was this church just down from Camden Yard's with this sign. I just had to take a picture.

Friday night we stayed at Mark's parents house in Texas. They were all ready on the way to our house but we had these little guys there to greet us. There are seven of them. So cute.

It was such a great trip. We really want to go back because there is so much to do there that we just didn't have time for. One thing this trip made me realize is that I love where we live!! There really is no place like home!!

Road Trip

Mark and I get to go away!! Just for a few days but I am so excited. We are going to help my niece Kesseli and her family move back east. Her husband Jon is graduating medical school and starts his residency in Indiana. They have three little guys, a moving van and their car so we get to help with the move. Then we will be only a few hours from my cousin Jann. She lives in Maryland. I just can't be that close and not go see her. I think she has lived there for 14 years(?) and we have always wanted to visit her so here we go!!! We will spend a few days with her and doing the Washington DC stuff and then we will head home. We will be coming home through North Carolina so Mark can see all of Jeff Gordons cars. A must see!! My plan is to take a ton of pictures so be prepared.

Kade's Prom Night

Doesn't he look so handsome? He really had a great time. He took Tayler Duncan and they went with Kasey Costner, Kourtni Ashcroft, Easton Sherwood and Kim Smith. They got all dressed up early and headed into Farmington. Kourtni's sister is a photographer and she took their pictures. They turned out so good. Then they went to Tayler's house and had dinner. The girls decided they didn't want to go to a fancy restaurant they wanted Kasey's mom to cook for them. Kasey's mom Linda grew up in Hong Kong and she cooks authentic Chinese food that is to die for. They made a smart decision!! So Linda cooked and they ate at Tayler's . It was all fancy and delicious. Then it was off to the dance. They must of had a great time there because when they made it to breakfast at my house at about 1:00 am they were all exhausted but with big smiles. We fed them waffles, fruit, and apple dumplings. They ate, laughed and then went home to sleep. The one thing I know for sure is I am way to old to stay up until 2:30 in the morning. It was so worth it but I am so glad it is only once a year!!

Kade and Tayler

Kade and Tayler being Goofs

The whole gang

Oh the FUN