Football Champions

This fall Luke tried something new, flag football. He signed up with his cousin, Bradley. Luke and Bradley are just a couple of months apart in age. Bradley had played before for the coach they were assigned to. It turned out to be a great season!! Flag football is quite a bit different from regular football. I think one of the biggest differences is the sportsmanship rule. Each game, the teams earn a certain number of sportsmaship points, these points can be awarded or taken away based on the actions of not only the players and coaches, but also the parents on the sidelines. If a team doesn't have a requisite number of points at the end of the season, they are not allowed to go to the playoffs. The downage is also a little different, and of course there is no tackling, but the basic idea of the game is the same.

The first day we showed up to practice, the coach greeted them with a smile and wanted all the kids to get to know each other. It was such an opposite experience from the one he had playing tackle football. The team had a phenomenal season. In fact, they went undefeated! The championship game was last night. It was quite a nailbiter, with the drama coming down to the last seconds. It is always fun to watch a final game where the teams are closely matched but it can be stressful too. The Pirates (Luke's team) was finally able to score in the 4th quarter and then held the opposing team at their ten yard line the last minute of the game. The Pirates emerged as champions and were awarded their trophies


We all thoroughly enjoyed watching Luke and Bradley play together. Bradley is quite the runner and managed many interceptions and touchdowns through the season. Luke was a blocker most of the season but was able to try out other positions as well. One of the highlights of the season was seeing Luke intercept a ball that was headed for a touchdown. It is always fun to see the look on your kid's face when they are loving what they are doing. Thanks to Aunt Ruthie for making the call to tell us about the football signups at the beginning of the season. If she wouldn't have called, we would have missed out on a great experience.

The Wildest Ride in the West. . .

Savannah, Heather, and I recently returned from a trip to Disneyland. The favorite ride of both of the girls was Big Thunder Mountain. In preparation for the ride, the castmember (as all workers at Disneyland are titled) reminds the passengers to "hang onto your hats and glasses because this here is the wildest ride in the west!" I thought that statement was an appropriate summary for our trip. Our trip had a lot of ups and downs, crazy turns, adrenaline rushes, and ended with a feeling of excitement and satisfaction.

Our first day on the park was crowded but we managed to find the lines that were the shortest. We met some princesses and fairies and a few other Disney friends. Savannah was actually big enough to try some of the rides that she hadn't been able to enjoy before.
A big downer was when Heather caught her finger on a rope climb at Tarzan's house and pulled the skin off of the tip. We took her to the First Aid office. The doctor (that's right, there actually is a Disney doctor) fixed her finger right up with some ointment and a band-aid, and gave Heather a fastpass to any ride at the park. This was a great upper because the lines were so long that day that we hadn't gotten on too many major rides. She picked Splash Mountain so we headed that way. Savannah sat in front of me and made sure I had my arms around her the entire time. Both girls loved this ride and we were able to enjoy it a few more times over the next few days. That evening was the fireworks show. It was spectacular. Because it is Halloweentime, the show is centered around the Disney villians and saltier characters. This was one of my favorite times on the trip. The girls both fell asleep before it started, they were still kind of out of it when I woke them up to watch it so I don't think they enjoyed it nearly as much as I did.

The next day we tried out the Matterhorn. This was a ride neither of the girls had been on. They loved it!! Because the park was less crowded we were able to go a few times on this ride as wekk. Near the Matterhorn was a platform where you could meet some of Disey's villians. When we started in the line they had Captain Hook, the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, and Snow White's wicked stepmother. Right before we got to the front, Jafar showed up and the Old Hag (also from Snow White). Savannah wanted nothing to do with these characters and hid behind me while Heather made introductions. Unfortunately, Jafar noticed her and tried to make contact. Savannah started screaming and didn't know where to go because on both sides of her were people she did not want to meet. I finally got her off the platform where I could wipe away the tears and help her calm down. I was surprised that she would be so afraid of them.

Disney's California was also fun. I like it because it is a little slower paced with all of the shows, etc. In Bugland, Heather had another accident when she slid down a rock and scraped up both of her elbows. Who would have thought you could get so many injuries at Disneyland. Savannah wasn't tall enough to ride the biggest roller coaster and that made her quite sad.
We did get to ride the new 3-D Toy Story Ride which is fantastic! There is no fastpass for this ride but the wait is worth it. Savannah's favorite ride was Soarin' California. We also had fun walking through the gardens. There was a candy corn theme in the gardens, the various plants all produced candy corn. It was cute.

Wednesday we woke to rain. It had been a little chilly the other days and the girls hadn't been able to swim in the pool (a favorite past time whenever we travel). I told them we wouldn't be able to that night either if it didn't stop raining. I noticed Heather saying a little prayer after I mentioned this. Despite the rain, this was probably our most fun day at the park. The lines were short and we were able to see and do quite a few things. I think one of the favorites of this day was in Tomorrowland where you visit the house of the future. We all got a kick out of seeing the TV system that was set up just like ours at home. I loved the kitchen, it had so many nifty things in it like a digital cookbook that shows up on your counter and a digital calendar and message board to keep track of schedules, etc. I told James he would have to start researching because I want some of those things in my kitchen! We visited Pixie Hollow again to meet more of the fairies. Heather has read many of the Pixie Hollow book series so she was excited to see some of the characters she had read about. We tried to track down Belle for Savannah but we were unsucessful. In fact, we spent much of the trip trying to meet her but Disneyland has a Princess Area where you line up to meet the princesses. The downfall to this system is they can't (or won't) tell you what time certain princesses will be there "they can guarantee that you will meet three princesses but they can't guarantee which ones they will be." I think I became more frustrated than Savannah did. In the end, she was happy to let me sign "Belle" in her book. Both girls were pretty impressed with my princess handwriting. On our way to the airport, they had me fill up their books with signatures of other characters we hadn't met. After raining the entire day, as we headed back to the motel, the clouds cleared up and the rain stopped. As you can guess, we spent the evening at the swimming pool. I'm always amazed at the faith of a child.

Our final day at the park was spent seeing some shows and meeting characters with a final ride on Big Thunder Mountain. We saw Aladdin in the big theatre at the California park. It was amazing! It was like watching a mini-broadway production. The girls were mesmerized. We saw the talking turtle next and girls were not impressed. Apparently, if my girls don't get picked to talk to the turtle, they don't want anything to do with him. I was surprised by their attitude and recognized it was getting time to leave because they must be tired if their upset that a cartoon turtle won't talk to them. We headed to the airport later that evening and flew back home. I was glad that James had pushed me into taking this trip with the girls. We had a lot of fun and made many memories. One thing I did learn while I was with them is that they get excited to go on the trip but they are just as excited to go home. It was nice to see the love they have for their siblings and how much they miss them and that at the end of the day, "there's no place like home."

I am 2 and 3

I took Matthew to the grocery store the other day. As we were on the baking aisle he informed me he needed birthday candles because it was going to be his birthday. I was surprised he realized his birthday was coming up and was even more surprised he knew he needed candles! I picked out a nice rendition of the number three in wax. When I handed it to Matthew he informed me he was two not three. I explained to him that on his birthday he would be three so we needed a 3 shaped candle. He handed it back and asked for the 2 shaped candle. When I told him I wouldn't buy the 2 he consented to the 3. After this incident I noticed that when people ask Matthew how old he is he now answers, "I am two and three!"

James and Andrea celebrate anniversary and birthday!

This year, to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday, James and I went to New York. The best part was we got to go with three other couples who are great friends of ours. After our journey to San Francisco earlier in the year, we decided we should venture further and longer so we planned a trip to New York. We had a blast!!

We landed in New York on Thursday with just enough time to walk around, grab some dinner and get ready for a broadway show. We ate at Roxy's on Times Square. We were joking about how expensive the food was but when dinner was served we understood why. I've never seen sandwhiches as big as those we had that night. I don't know how the men got their mouths around them let a lone finished them! With full stomachs we headed to see Mary Poppins. This show was absolutely fabulous!! The music was great and the staging was superb. I also learned quite a bit about the author of Mary Poppins. I'm emberassed to admit that I assumed Disney was the creator of Mary Poppins. I learned there is actually a series of books written about Mary Poppins and I was able to purchase the series at the theatre. I look forward to sharing them with my kids.

Friday started out early with a tour of the Empire State Building. I have been to the top before but I always find it fascinating to look out over New York City and learn from the tour the interesting tidbits about the city's history. I really is quite amazing how quickly that building and the entire city was built. We later jumped on a tour bus that took us around parts of the city. Our feet where tired from walking so we decided to ride the bus longer than originally planned. We were not disappointed with the tour guides musings of the city we were driving through. Everytime the bus had to stop at a light or for traffic we got to enjoy her impromptu references to the city around us. She would point out the little old man walking his dog, the joggers running around the park, the restaurant where one could choose to "eat in or take your food with you." It was fascinating stuff! After tearing ourselves away from her informative tour, we found ourselves on 5th Avenue where we worked our way down to our hotel, shopping a long the way. James and I hit the American Girl Doll store where we picked some things up for the girls and FAO Schwartz where we found some things for the boys. That evening we split up and went to different shows. James and I had followed our concierge's advice and got tickets to Rock of Ages. It was a disaster!! I don't think I've ever left a show so fast. About 30 seconds into the show, when the nearly nude ladies came out, we knew we had to leave. As we searched for an exit, the ushers kept trying to show us back to our seats. We finally escaped the devil's lair and headed across Times Square hoping to get into Hamlet. We were fortunate enough to get tickets and they were able to seat us right away. We made it before the "To be or not to be..." speech so we were happy. Hamlet was played by Jude Law and it was great. James says it is his favorite rendition of Hamlet. Apparently Hamlet is his favorite play so he was very happy to see it.

Saturday was our earliest morning yet as we headed out to the Statue of Liberty. We were able to get on one of the first tours which meant very little waiting in line. There is an awful lot of security checkpoints but I guess it keeps us all safe. This was my first time actually going into the statue. It was very interesting to learn about how the statue was built and the reasons it was given to our country as a gift. This statue has become such a symbol of our liberty and freedom and has many meanings to many different people. It was neat to tour it. After leaving the statue we made our way up from the bay to Ground Zero. We visited the new museum across the street from the crater. The museum is incredibly moving. All of those emotions of September 11 were brought to the surface again. I don't think anyone can truly understand what family and friends and the city experienced that day but visiting this museum gives you a better understanding. As we headed down to Wall Street the rains started to fall. Sidestepping the small rivers along the way, we made it to Wall Street and the Church that was used as a base right after the 9/11 attacks. Our next adventure was to hop on the tour bus again. The only seats available were at the top of the bus in the open air.
Umbrellas were prohibited but they did provide us with some lovely plastic ponchos. I'm not sure what the tour guid was saying as I was buried down in my poncho with my chattering teeth but I'm sure he was just as interesting as our first tour guide. After nearly an hour of water busing, we made it back to our hotel. James and I cleaned up and headed out for some shopping. James took me shopping for my birthday which was really nice. We went to Fossil where he got me a watch and a purse. After our quick shopping trip, the men met and took the Subway to the local Church to catch Priesthood session. The ladies spent the evening shopping. We met up later for a nice steak dinner at Gallaghers. We had a great time talking and making memories.

Aside from a sickly experience in the night before we flew home, it was a great trip! I won't go into too much detail but there was hours in the night where I thought I might not be able to fly home I was so sick. Thank goodness for Priesthood blessings and a loving husband. Everything ended well.

James and I are so thankful to have such good friends to laugh and share these experiences with. We had a great time and look forward to our next trip!

Luke receives the Priesthood

I shared the details of Luke's birthday and I wanted to share his experience of receiving the Priesthood. While turning twelve and receiving the Priesthood generally goes hand in hand in our Church, I thought it significant enough to merit its own entry.

The Sunday after Luke's 12th birthday he received the Priesthood and was ordained to the office of a deacon. I know James had some good talks with Luke about receiving the Priesthood and I was lucky as a mother to share with Luke my thoughts on such an awesome responsibility. I am very proud of Luke and his desire to do what is right and follow the Savior. He tries really hard to be responsible and do what is expected of him. What I have noticed most about him this year is his ability to love. Luke has so many friends and he gets a long with all of them. Some of the friends don't get a long with each other but Luke is always there trying to make sure no one's feelings are hurt or no one is left out. I have realized what an example to me he is of charity and Christlike love.

James gave Luke a beautiful blessing when he set Luke apart. James, his dad, and our home teacher and dear friend Brother Tucker stood in the circle. James blessed Luke with so many things that I can't name them all but they mostly involved Luke choosing the right. I hope the words and, more importantly, the feelings of that moment will stay with Luke.

Luke turns 12!!

It's hard to believe but Luke actually turned 12 years on September 23rd. I can't believe how fast time flies. It seems like such a short time ago I went on a speed walk around Provo hoping to speed up the birth because I only had two weeks off of law school and I didn't want to waste those days. It actually seems a short time ago and a long time ago, if that makes sense. Time flies, but it is also filled with so many memorable events that the distance from one moment to another seems great.

Luke woke up the morning of his birthday to the traditional bedroom full of balloons and decorations. This tradition actually started with Luke many years ago and has been carried on with all the kids. The older kids actually like helping me decorate their siblings bedrooms which makes it easier for me. He opened his presents before school. He got the Beattles Rockband, a Spyology book and a Kindle for reading. He got to take treats to his school class and share with the class some of his favorite things. That evening, after Luke's football game, we had the traditional birthday dinner. Luke chose to have ribs and corn on the cob. Grandma Marcia and Grandpa Dan joined us as we honored Luke.

Later that week, on Saturday, Luke got together with some of his friends to celebrate. Luke actually has a close friend, Chandler, whose birthday is the same day as Luke's and another friend, Tyler, whose birthday is two days before that. For the last few years these boys have celebrated their birthdays together and this year was no different. Luke and his friends met at our house for some pizza then we drove the boys to Ogden to a place called "Toads." The boys all got passes for three hours of mini golf, laser tag, race cars, arcades, and rock climbing. They all seemed to have a blast. The crew I took home late that night chattered the whole way back about how much fun it was. I'm glad that Luke has such good friends to celebrate with.

Heather goes to New York

Heather went to New York with her dad, her uncle Taylor, and her cousin, Sophie. This is a synopsis of her trip in her own words...

First we met at the airport in Salt Lake City. We got on the plane and flew to New York. We flew through the night. When we landed we went to our hotel, I was tired. We took a little nap. I watched a movie while everyone slept. After everyone woke up, we got breakfast. We went to the U.S. Open but it was raining so it was cancelled. That night we went to see Shrek the Musical. It was fun!! My favorite part was when Shrek was a little ogre and he had to leave his parents because he looked really cute and Princess Fiona also looked cute when she was little. It was a funny play.

The next day we woke up, ate breakfast, then we went to the US Open. Because the earlier game had been rained out they said we could watch that game. It was fun, Sophie and I also got pizza. We got to go to FAO Schwartz, a big toy store. We looked at all the stuffed animals and played on the giant piano. We also went to the American Girl Doll store. We saw a lot of American Girl dolls and I got to pick out some pajamas for myself and my doll. Later we went to our hotel and took showers and everything and got ready to go and see Wicked. Wicked was awesome!! I liked Glinda because she was really funny.

The next day was Sunday so we got ready and went to Church. We went to Sacrament meeting downtown. The temple is in the same building as the church. After church we went to Central Park in our dresses. We hung out there and did a weird questionaire thing that Sophie got at the American Girl Doll store. Then we went back to our hotel and spent the day resting.


Monday we went to the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State building. We got to go inside the Statue of Liberty and to the top of the Empire State building. You could see all of New York City from the top. Later we went to Toys R Us in Times Square and we also went to the M&M Store. The M&M Store is really weird because they tried to make it look hip hoppy and stuff and it looked really weird. At the end we went to our hotel and packed everything up and flew home.


I had a lot of fun with my dad and it was fun being with Sophie. Sophie and her dad were really funny. I wish I could go to New York again someday it is so much fun to go there with my cousin.