Ha, ha, ha!

Quilt Walk 2011

 The second weekend in June is always the Quilt Walk Festival.  For a little background: the first winter Panguitch was settled, the early frosts and snows took them all by surprise.  The wheat was not yet mature and it was too tough to really use.  The pioneers then decided that 7 men would travel over the mountains to Parowan to get flour and supplies.  They encountered snow so deep that they had to abandon their wagon and walk on foot.  This grew exhaustive quite quickly and the men decided that they would spread out a quilt to kneel on and pray.  They found that by so doing, they did not sink into the snow and were then able to walk to Parowan on quilts laid out before them.
  Panguitch has been celebrating the Quilt Walk Festival for 13 years now.  The quilt above was the showcase of the displayed quilts.  It is really impressive!  Each square was about 1 inch wide and the quilter pieced them together to make the Last Supper.  It was amazing! 

 The festival lasts 4 days including a chocolate fest on Thursday night to kick off the activities.  On Saturday we went to the tractor parade.  It was fun to see so many.  My pics were limited, we had picked up ice cream cones from where McKenna works.  Needless to say, between Leighton running into the street to try and get a better look and the tractors, our melting cones, and Leighton's runny nose, my hands were FULL!!!  But we did get a couple of shots of the tractors!

 After the parade they make teams of 7 and race down main street to reenact the quilt walk.  They announced they needed a few more participants and Garrett and Addison jumped at the offer.  Their team came in 3rd place and they were awarded quilt walk T-shirts!

 

 McKenna and I were asked to be in the play the first year we moved here.  I kept it up for 3 years, but McKenna has been in it I think just about every year now.  This year she played a teenage girl with mixed emotions about her papa being called to be one of the men to go over the mountain.  She also sang a solo part in one of the songs about missing their papas.  She is to the far left in this pic.  

Other activities that are included in the quilt walk are a trunk show, tractor pull, quilting lessons, basically anything to do with quilting.  It was a fun weekend and now we are looking forward to the Balloon Festival next weekend!

Play Ball!

 Another ball season has come and gone.  Addison loved her time on the team and with her teammates!  I love watching all the kids play and have fun!  Garrett's games are still going and I have yet to remember to take the camera with me to his.  It will happen - much to his protesting.  He'd rather not have his "mommy" show up to do the "mommy" thing!

4th Year Adventure Activity

Last Saturday - June 4th - I spent the day at the Manti Temple with 7 incredible and wonderful girls from our stake.  We let the 4th year camp girls plan their own adventure activity and they wanted to do baptisms for the dead.  Our original plan was to go to Moccasin and spend the night and then go into St. George and the temple.  However, the St. George temple couldn't get us in so we opted for the Manti temple and just made it a day trip.  I have to say I LOVE the old temples!  They are so beautiful and majestic.  All I had with me was my I Touch so the pics are not the best quality, but at least the moment was captured! 

 We had 7 YW go with Sherida Allen and I .  Since we took our own family file names they even let Sherida and I do baptisms!  I haven't done that since High School!  It was incredible!  After the temple we went to Elsinore and went roller skating for a bit.  Then we headed on down to Circleville to the chapel and treated the girls to a foot soak - massage and lots of candy!  I love this time with just a few of the girls from our stake.  It really is wonderful spending time them and to get to know them better.  It was a great day!

Ahhhhh . . .

 Moccasin has to be one of my most favorite places to be.  In fact if you offered me a trip to Hawaii or a trip to Moccasin, I would seriously have to think about it.  Well, maybe not for long, I'd still go to Hawaii.  But if you told my all my family would be out at Moccasin and then offer me the trip to Hawaii, I would have to think even harder (though I would still take the trip to Hawaii!).  That's what happened this week.  Mom called on Sunday to ask what we were doing on Monday - Memorial Day.  I said we were going to go hike somewhere.  She then let me know that 3 of my siblings and their families would be at Moccasin.  No problem!  We were going to Moccasin!  I love that place! 

 One of my favorite aspects of Moccasin is the rock work my dad has done for years around the place.  It's amazing to me his ability to imagine how it's going to look and to actually carry it out!  Above is Leighton playing on one of 3 stairways to the lower garden.  McKenna was wonderful and had gone out the week before to spend some time cleaning the house.  This time, she spent time outside with the other cousins sweeping the rock walks and cleaning out debris from the garden beds.   Below is another walk way to the lower garden. 

 McKenna and Leighton have started finally forming a bond.  Leighton will actually go to McKenna now and has started trying to say her name...Nenna.  However - yesterday McKenna took a step backwards in her progress with Leighton when she went and got her hair cut and lightened.  Totally different look and Leighton is not sure about it!

Mmmmm.  Hard work!  I think I will just stand here and take a break!

No trip out to Moccasin with all these kids would be complete without a few games after work has been done.  Red rover was one of the favorites!

Not that we spent all that much time on dinner.  Hot dogs for the crew and a couple of roasted anaheim peppers for mom!

Mom and Dad - need I say more!  I love these two!

Big Girl!

After Addison - we got rid of our high chair - it was basically barely holding together anyways.  So when we found out that Leighton was on her way, we got a bumbo to set on the counter.  She now climbs out of it and across the counter and has recently decided that sitting on a bar stool works even better!  However a couple of days after this photo, she fell and landed flat on her face thus resulting in a black eye which you will see when I post our Moccasin Memorial Day.  Oh well, the resiliency of children!  She still crawls out of her bumbo and across the counter and onto the bar stool!

Kindergarten Graduation 2011

Kindergarten Graduation Morning Class

 Our incredible Addison Jayne!  

 Addison with Jaci and Jensen - two of her best friends.  We love these kids!

 Happy and excited to graduate!  

 She's ever the model for the camera - mmmm - where does she get that from?  Yep - McKenna's little shadow!

 The school board gave each graduate a gold dollar.  The kids thought that was pretty impressive!  The principle and teacher probably thought it was a hassle when all the kids started dropping them and they started rolling around on the floor!

Congrats Addy - we love you! 

4 x 4 Champs!

Left to Right: Dason Houston, Connor Anderson, Ian Anderson, and Garrett.

I could have the twins mixed up - I always do.  I will have to ask Garrett which one is which!  Garrett and his 4 x 400 team took 1st in Kanab about a month ago breaking the track record by 2 seconds!  His team also broke Bryce Valley's track record this past Wednesday by 5/100ths or 0.05 of a second.  I get a little chuckle seeing my son in blue and white while standing on my old stomping grounds!  Way to go Garrett!

*Garrett just informed me I did get them switched - it's Ian and then Connor!  He also told me that Ian's nickname is Spike and Connor's nickname is Fluff - due to their hairstyles. 

Sweet Thing!

I just love a sleeping baby!  Look at her toosh in the air!  Too cute!

Leighton has found my shoes! 

Hello - can you hear me?  Can you hear me now?

For a little girl who has never let me put a headband on or put up the hood on her jackets - she really surprised me when she came out of Garrett's room the other day with his hat on!  I think she's just trying to brown nose him.

When Jeff took Garrett, Kimber, and Addison camping last weekend, Leighton and I stayed home.  I put her in the "big tub" and filled it with bubbles for the first time.  She was a little cautious at first but then thought all the bubbles were great fun.  She played for about an hour!

Nothing better than a happy baby!

Camping Already!

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Jeff took Addison, Kimber and Garrett camping last weekend for a quick get away.  McKenna was at the BYU Track Invitational, so Leighton and I enjoyed a quiet night at home together.  I think these guys had the best time out of any of us!  Thanks to Kimber for taking the camera!  I was able to enjoy their overnighter!



Garrett, ever the cool guy here, now, and forever more.  Kindof reminded me of the Fonz - ehhh. 



Our smallish trailer.  This is the reason why Leighton and I stayed home - no room!  It's still quite cold out too!

The best part about camping is the fire - definitely.  It's so mesmerizing.  Can you say smores!