Matt, Dano and Kids

North Carolina

2011-10-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

Football,

Alone time with dad,

No sisters,

3 days of missed school,

What more could a boy ask for?

Matt and the boys flew back to North Carolina to watch McKay play football at North Carolina State. McKay is my cousin and has always been such a kind, strong and an amazing example to my boys.

Austin and Easton loved:

watching the football game,

watching the American Idol winner, Scotty McCreery, sing the National Anthem,

shopping in the NC State bookstore,

body surfing at the beach

and

being amazed at all of the trees in North Carolina!

Upon his return Easton wrote a story about the greatest gift that he had ever received. He wrote about the gift of a special trip with his dad and brother!

6am flight

Labor Day

2011-09-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

This Labor Day we decided to take one last beach trip to Lake Tahoe. The morning started out a little cold (we were in jackets) but warmed up nicely. We spent the day with some good friends and had a lot of fun. We rented a kayak, paddle board and a paddle boat. We love Lake Tahoe and especially love that it is close to home!

Austin's Life

2011-08-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

Austin earned his Life rank advancement this summer. He is now just waiting his 6 months, and needs to complete his project in order to get his Eagle. It seems to help a ton that Matt is his Scoutmaster!

1st Day of School

2011-08-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

This school year is monumental in the Schofield home. We now have all four in school, (if we are counting pre-school and I certainly am!) Austin started 7th grade at Carson Middle School, Easton started 4th, Sami 1st and is now in all day (YEA for mom and her) at Bordewich Bray, and Ava finally decided that pre-school is not so bad at Small Blessings Christian School!

Except for Ava, everyone is now in a uniform for school. Much to my dismay! We do try to add a small fashion flair to Sami's boring polo's!

Hogle Zoo

2011-08-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

While in Utah this summer we visited the Hogle Zoo with Grandma Marsha, Stephanie and Kambree. The boys were less than thrilled to go, but ended up having more fun than they thought they would. The new baby elephant was so cute! The zoo is much better than I remember from when I was younger.

One on One

2011-08-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad have a Marriott timeshare. It has taken us to many a fun places over the years. This year due to everybody's schedules and busy lives, they decided to trade it in for time at Lake Tahoe. We were totally on board with this and loved the one on one time that we were able to have with Grandma and Grandpa. We spent a lot of time at the pool, the lake, eating out, and visiting. It was great to see my dad actually sit down and relax a little!

The kids played quite a few chicken fights with Grandma and Grandpa!

More Visitors!

2011-07-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

We love having visitors and have a had a lot so far this summer! Matt's mom and dad came for a visit and we loved having them here! We enjoyed

visiting,

hiking at Emerald Bay,

shopping,

playing on the beach

and the "fun spot" at

Lake Tahoe.

Spooner

2011-07-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to live in an area where there are so many beautiful places to explore. This weekend we took off to Spooner Lake. It happens to only be about 15 minutes away so that makes it even better! It is a short 2 1/2 miles around the lake and a beautiful hike. Or as Easton says, a walk! Unless that kid is going straight up a hill it is not considered a hike!

In true Sami fashion, she was mad about something!

The boys found some geese and thought they could "catch" one. Only after they chased them, did we see the hatching area sign!

Virginia City

2011-07-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

We took Danny and Carlie to Virginia City while they were here. Matt got an emergency call and had to go back to Carson, so we hung out for a while until he got back. We always enjoy stepping back into time!

Big Trees

2011-07-03T20:57:00.001-07:00

Danny and Carlie came and spent the fourth of July weekend with us. I had been talking to a friend a few days before about things to do and she mentioned Calaveras Big Trees. Well I looked it up and off we went. It was an amazing, beautiful, and VERY whindy road. But it was well worth it. The trees were spectacular!

Day Camp

2011-06-29T13:10:00.011-07:00

This year I was able to go to Cub Scout Day Camp with Easton. There are very few boys in our scout program, but it was fun to be able to see our small group in action! Easton had a great time all week and loved the archery. He even got a bulls-eye!

I loved being able to spend some one on one time with him.

Utah Fun

2011-06-29T13:10:00.009-07:00

While Matt and I got to soak up the rays in the Dominican, the kids got to spend some much loved time in Utah. They were able to split time between both Grandma's, and all of the cousins. They love to be back "home" with all of the family. They enjoyed :

sleepovers,

parties,

a lot of eating out for lunch,

and running a muck

like all kids should!

Finally

2011-06-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

The boys have been trying to catch something in their trap since Easton's birthday in December! Today they finally succeeded!

Toes in the Water

2011-06-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

After months of planning, dreaming, and waiting, the day finally arrived. We were heading to the Dominican Republic for a week full of surf, sand and sun! And the best part is that we are without kids! Don't get me wrong I love my kiddos, but I love them even more after a week of relaxing and rejuvenation!

We drove to Utah from Carson City, dropped the kids with the grandmas, picked up Josh and Johanna and took off!

After a few long hours on planes and in airports we landed in the tropical paradise that is the Dominican Republic! Matt visited there a few years ago on a dental humanitarian trip and has been aching to go back ever since. All I can say is beautiful! The sand, the ocean and the resort were perfect! We did a whole lot of nothing, which was just what we wanted. We were worried about the weather a little bit when we first arrived. It was a overcast and a little rainy. After all is said and done, the rain was a welcome relief. It would rain, cool things off and then return to gorgeous all within an hour. The people of the Dominican Republic were some of the nicest people I have ever met. They were happy, hospitable and helpful all the time!

It was an amazing way to celebrate 15 years with each other. I could not have asked for a better vacation or a better person to spend it with! I cannot wait to go back!

Arriving in the D.R.

Body Surfing

The monsoon rains

Crazy Tall vines were growing up the sides of everything

Matt and Josh found some coconuts and of course had to split them open and eat

Taking cover in the Cabana from the rain

This mango tree was right outside our room

Matt trying to sew his pants shut after his button popped off and accidentally got flushed down the toilet!

Heading home, so sad!

Growing Up

2011-06-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Matt hates the fact that we call this a graduation and have to celebrate it, but even with that Miss Sami graduated from kindergarten. She has been practicing her songs for weeks and was super excited to perform for all of us.

Sami had a great year in Kindergarten. Her teacher Mrs. Rand was amazing. Sami loves school and loves learning. She has such an eager and enthusiastic personality when it comes to learning. She can not wait until next year!

Viva Las Vegas

2011-06-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

We have had a crazy past few weeks and so we decided to add to the madness and head to Las Vegas. Matt needed to take a Continuing Education class there and we also had our renters moving out of our house and new ones moving in. So we decided to head down over Memorial Weekend. Plus it was a great excuse to go see our friends!

We had a great time back in our old stomping grounds. I never thought that I would miss Las Vegas as much as I do. I think a lot of it has to do with our amazing friends. We stayed with the Andrews and had a fabulous time. The kids picked up with each other as if we had never left! And as always Kelly and I did not stop chatting all weekend.

I will always hold my Henderson friends in a special place in my heart. They were my "family" for many years. I am grateful for their love and continued friendship.

Paris, Easton and Austin swimming at the Parkers

Easton and Paris

Water Balloon launching at Mission Hills Park

Sami and Mason Heiselbetz

(Preschool buddy for 2 years)

The Boys with Mason and Jakob Heiselbetz

Dinner at the Pit Stop

Easton and Paris as if they were never separated

In Memory Of...

2011-05-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

Matt's Grandpa Rosecrans passed away on May 12th 2011. We were lucky enough to have been able to visit him just the month before. Grandpa Red was a man of great strength, both physically and spiritually. It was hard to see him over the last few months in the state that he was in. I will always remember the time that Grandpa taught Matt and I a great lesson. We were at the airport picking up him and Grandma. We were walking out and Matt was walking a head of me. Grandpa caught up to Matt and grabbed his arm. He turned to Matt and said, "You never walk ahead of Danielle. She is your wife and you are her equal, never above her."

Grandpa always had a way to teach us in love.

Matt loves to tell stories about how strong Grandpa was. From wrestling a bear cub, to being the bear knuckle champion on his Navy boat, Grandpa was one tough man!

Rolen William Rosecrans lived in Gold Hill, Oregon on the same street his entire life. He passed away on Thursday, May 12, 2011 at his home. He spent the early years of his life helping his mother struggle through the Great Depression. He met the love of hos life, Edro June Davis when they were young children. While we were at the funeral we learned that there was a desk found in the Gold Hill Elementary school that had a significant carving in it. The desk says, "Rolen loves Edro" We had never known about this until the day of the funeral. Grandpa had spent most of his life loving one girl and only one girl. Their love was something to behold. When Grandma got sick, Grandpa was at her side at all times. After she passed it seemed that he had lost his will to go on with out her. They are at last now together.

When we told the kids that Grandpa had died, Sami looked at us and said, "Well that's ok. Now he can be with Grandpa Red again."

We were staying in Rogue River while we were there for the funeral. The morning of the funeral we noticed that there were American Flags placed all along the Rogue River bridge. Danny, Carlie and Addie were out running and ran into the veterans that were placing the flags. Danny asked what they were doing and they told him that a local veteran had died and this was a tribute to him. The veteran they were talking about was Grandpa.

The funeral was very sweet and Grandpa was laid to rest in the Rock Point Cemetery in Gold Hill next to Grandpa and his baby daughter. The local Navy Corp played TAPS and presented the family with a flag.

Grandpa has left a great legacy for all of us to look up to. His passing signifies that end of an era for our family and he will be greatly missed.

Football

2011-05-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Both Easton #43 and Austin # 63 are playing tackle football this year. They are LOVING it. They now have a place where they can hit other people as hard as they can and not get in trouble for it. Easton played on the line and got a lot, more ball handling time than Austin did. Austin played safety and wide receiver.

They are doing great and it is quite entertaining watching them play!

Happy Birthday x's 2

2011-05-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

Both Matt and Sami celebrated their birthdays last week. Matt is not much for pomp and circumstance, so needless to say there was only a small amount of celebration for his day.

Sami on the other hand loves to be the center of attention and had the entire day planned out. She wanted to go hiking and use the new Camelbak that she got for Christmas. We set out for Spooner Lake to hike around for a while before going to dinner.

When we drove into Spooner to park we saw that there was still snow on the ground. I know that it is early May, but I guess I just didn't think that there would be snow. We talked about heading back to Carson to hike C-hill, but Sami wanted to go to dinner at the Snowflake Drive In that is in South Tahoe so we didn't want to drive back down to the valley and then back up.

We drove back down the canyon a little bit and found a different trail that had less snow. We unloaded, filled our Camelbak's and set out.

Sami loves to be in the outdoors and she hikes with the best of them. After we hiked for about an hour and a half, we headed to the Snowflake for dinner. It is a great little dive with greasy burgers, salty fries and thick shakes. We love it!

Sami is her own personality and definitively knows what she wants. The word that perfectly describes her is INTENSE. She knows exactly what she wants and how to go get it. I love that she is strong willed and determined, but I hope and pray that I can stear her in the right direction. Happy Birthday Sami Girl! We love you, sass and all!

Sami Loves:

School

Reading

Learning

Arts and Crafts

Writing in her journal

Hiking

Lake Tahoe

Strawberries

Cucumber Sandwiches

Suite Life with Zac and Cody

Playing Make Believe

Singing

Being in Charge

Sami Hates:

Dogs

Bread (she is getting better with this)

Hamburgers

Mayonnaise

Being told what to do

Easter

2011-04-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

My mom and Stephanie and Kambree were able to come and visit for our Spring Break. We had a lot of fun playing in the rain, watching the boys' football games, dying Easter eggs and hunting for eggs as well. We had to have the egg hunt in our friends house due to the crummy weather, but we still had fun!

We love having family come and visit and being able to spend time with them!

Baby Rabbit

2011-04-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

Our friendly neighbor Ray called us the other day about a baby rabbit that he found in his yard. There was no mama rabbit around and he wanted to know if the kids wanted to take care of the rabbit. We decided to go look at it and see what was going on. It was the smallest rabbit I had ever seen. We took it home and called the pet store to see what we should do about it. They told us to go put it back and the mom would find it. The boys took it back and then went back to check about an hour later and it was gone. We are hoping that the mother found it and not the roaming dogs around here!

Oregon

2011-04-13T12:56:00.001-07:00

We finally upgraded from our van to a new SUV and wanted to take a road trip to break her in. Luckily Matt's parents were on their way to Oregon to visit Grandpa Red, so we decided to join them.

We did a lot of:

1st Priesthood Session Attending

Jacksonville Visiting,

Tree Climbing,

Frog Finding,

Morel Mushroom Hunting and Poison Oak Catching,

(that only took us 1 week, 6 office visits, 3 steroid shots and 2 weeks recovery time to figure that one out!)

Toy Store Shopping,

Bird Watching,

Wildflower Picking,

Hiking,

Tire Swinging,

And Family Fun!

Happy Birthday Ava

2011-04-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby girl turned 4 yesterday. She has been planning her birthday for months and has been counting down for weeks. She finally decided to go bowling and out to dinner at Johnny Rockets. We had a great time with her and are so grateful she is a part of our family!

Ava Loves:

Her best buddy Easton

Playing make believe with Sami

Pancakes with Nutella

Reading Books

Her polka dot shoes

Broccoli

Lays Plain Chips

Snuggling

Wearing Skirts

Ava Hates:

Dogs

Going to Dad's office

Doing things by herself

All fruit except apples

Happy Birthday Miss A!

Pinewood Derby!

2011-03-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a lot of hard work on Matt's part and a lot of observing on Easton's part; Easton took 1st place at the Pinewood Derby. It was the first time that anyone of the boys has taken first place.

Needless to say there was a lot of celebrating!

Moroni

2011-03-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

The other day we were driving down the street past the State Capitol Building. It has a steeple on the top Sami said:

Sami: "That building reminds me of the temple with the pointy thing on top."

Me: "Ya it kind of does."

Sami: "Except it does not have an angel on the top."

Me: "No it does not."

Ava: "Who is Moroni?" (Obviously I have slacked on the teaching part with her.

Me: "Moroni was a prophet in the Book of Mormon that did a lot of great things."

Ava went on to ask what kind of things and I went on to tell her a few things. She then said,

"Man, he must be pretty tired from doing all that stuff!"

More Popsicles Please!

2011-03-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

After numerous bouts with strep throat, sleep apnea, endless snoring and horrible breath, Ava finally went under the knife. She made it through the surgery with flying colors. Coming out of the anesthesia was a different story; super groggy, throwing up and not wanting to swallow her spit.

Once we got her home and starting in on the popsicles she started feeling much better. After two weeks of recovery, she is doing much better. She is sleeping much better and the snoring has stopped. Her voice has also gone up a few octaves. Instead of the little nasally voice that she had, she now has a nice squeeky voice.

Snow Again!

2011-02-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I do enjoy snow. But all this snowstorm did was cause problems. We were supposed to leave to Utah when this happened! The kids are loving it of course, but I am really missing my 70 degree spring weather in Henderson right now!

Stephanie and Erik

2011-02-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

Stephanie and Erik were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on February 19, 2011. Kambree was then sealed to her parents. It was an amazing sealing. It was a little bit of a flashback to when we sealed Stephanie to our family 19 years ago. Kambree was so sweet, standing on her tip toes during the ceremony. It was a great day to be with our family.

We were supposed to drive to Utah Thursday night with the whole family. The weather had other ideas. We had more than 2 feet of snow in our yard and it kept snowing the entire weekend. At the last minute Matt and I decided to fly to Utah. Thanks to a very sweet friend that took our kids for the weekend, we were able to be there.

My dad took a huge fall from his horse a few weeks ago and is now in a brace for 2 months.

Valentines Day

2011-02-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

The tradition in our house or that past few years has been to have a "fancy" family dinner together. The kids love to drink sparkling cider in fancy glasses, eat steak (of course), and have a fabulous dessert.

Sami made everyone a special card and put them under our pillows that morning. She can be a spitfire, but she can also be very sweet!

Beautiful

2011-02-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

I LOVE the view that I have out my back door. It is so much better than the cinder block wall I had for that past 5 years!

Honor Roll

2011-01-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

Easton has made huge strides in school this year. He has been on the Honor Roll every semester so far. He has even been asked to be tested for the GATE program. We are super proud of the changes that he has taken this year! Way to go Easton!

BM

2010-12-31T15:37:00.001-08:00

I only took 2 pictures while on our trip to Utah. (Which is highly unlike me!)

The first was of the BM on the mountain in Battle Mountain. There is a family joke that started way back with my Grandma Frandsen. Every time someone would pass gas she would ask if we needed a BM (bowel movement.) Gross I know, but every time that we drive pass the huge BM we laugh, so we needed to take a picture of it!

The second one was of the girls with Kambree. They love to play with her and she is in second heaven when we come to visit. The girls spent hours playing in her crib!

Christmas

2010-12-31T15:37:00.000-08:00

A few months ago we asked the kids if they wanted to travel to Utah for Christmas Day or to stay here in Carson City and then go to Utah after. They unanimously decided to stay in Carson. Well that all changed the closer Christmas got. We had not planned to have Christmas there, so it was not something that we could change. So we decided to wake up at 4:30 am, rush through presents and jump in the car. All in all we had a great day. The kids were excited and we had a fabulous first Christmas in our new home. It was actually nice to get up that early, we made it to Utah before 3pm!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

He was so excited for his "Snuggie"

On the way to Utah!

Notice how packed the car is!

Under the Tree

2010-12-23T15:37:00.000-08:00

Sore Back,

Little Sleep,

Snoring Ava,

Endless Blanket Fights,

Another Successful Christmas Eve-Eve under the tree!

Grab a Shovel

2010-12-20T17:05:00.000-08:00

The kids love when it snows! They all want to help shovel the walks. Needless to say we have four shovels around here now!

Christmas Program

2010-12-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

Sami has been practicing for her school "Winter Program" for the last few weeks. She was assigned a pretty lengthy part and wanted to make sure she got it right. All of the kindergarten kids put on a darling program. She loves to sing, so this was right up her alley!

Princess of the Amazon

2010-12-11T15:36:00.000-08:00

Ava was invited to her first Birthday party without Sami. It was a super hero party. We borrowed a Wonder Women costume and boy did she look cute!

Happy Birthday Easton!

2010-12-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

Easton turned 9 years old on December 8th. We spent his day with just the family. On the following weekend we took him and a few friends to lunch at Johnny Rockets and then to see the New Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Easton is a fabulous kid and I love so many things about him. Listed below are just a few:

* Easton has the sweetest and kindest heart of any child I know.

* He is always willing to play with his sisters.

* He is a true peacemaker.

* He tries very hard at everything that he does.

* He will always tell me about his day and how things are going. (Hopefully this does not change!)

* He is a true outside, play in the dirt, chase rabbits, build forts, kind of a kid.

* He stands up for the kids that need it at school.

* He loves to help in the kitchen.

*He would wear flip flops and shorts all year if he could!

* He is an absolute meat and potatoes man, I always know what to cook to make him happy.

Happy Birthday Easton! We love you!

Tree Trimming

2010-11-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

20 Strands of Lights (and countless trips to Walmart for more),

10 foot tree (after 6 years of not being able to put it up),

Reminiscing over old ornaments,

Rearranging said ornaments,

Christmas Decorations are FINALLY up!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T15:35:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Weekend:

Josh, Johanna and kiddos,

Delicious replication of Bobby Flays Sage Turkey,

Impressive Snow Storm,

Fabulous "Black Friday" Deals,

Scheels Sporting Goods Store,

Can't Wait To Do It Again Next Year!

Snow!

2010-11-21T15:35:00.000-08:00

Snow!

Oh how we have missed you!

The kids could not wait to get outside!

(notice the girls still in their pj's)

We'll see if I love you still come February!

Bear Trap

2010-11-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

We have had the honor of being the local Chuck A Rama for the neighborhood bear. The boys, and Matt I might add, have now insisted on setting up a trap for said bear. Complete with bate and a baby monitor to alert us of its coming. All in the attempts to get a good picture. We will see what happens!

Nevada Day Parade

2010-11-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

Matt paid the boys to walk the parade route and hand out toothbrushes and business cards. After that was finished, we sat for almost four hours to watch the Nevada Day Parade. We finally left and the parade was still not over! The kids thought that the parades in Henderson were better because candy was involved!

Only in Nevada!

Apple Hill

2010-11-19T22:16:00.000-08:00

While my mom and Stephanie were here, we decided to take a drive to Apple Hill, CA. Everyone has been telling us that we need to go check it out. It is about 2 hours from here in California. It is an area in the mountains that has about 50 orchards. It is amazing to see apple orchards and gardens growing in the middle of the mountains. It was fun, but Matt and I decided that it would be even more enjoyable without the kids! They did not seem to appreciate it as much, plus Kambree was did not enjoy the card ride either!

Vegas Baby

2010-11-17T22:16:00.000-08:00

For my birthday Matt gave me the best gift; a trip to see my friends in Las Vegas.

I have missed them.

I have missed talking for hours about everything and nothing.

I have missed the comfortableness and the companionship.

I had an amazing time.

Eating Thai food multiple times,

shopping,

running back on my home turf,

and visiting for hours.

I eagerly dismissed Vegas back in July when we moved.

I think it was in haste.

I miss it.

I can't wait to do it again!

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-17T22:15:00.000-08:00

My mom, Stephanie and Kambree came in for a visit. We were super excited to have them come and had a lot of fun. Matt got very ambiguous one night; when us girls got home from shopping, he was all ready in the process of carving pumpkins with all of the kiddos. I am not that into the whole pumpkin carving thing so thank goodness he took the initiative on that one!

Easton's is throwing up! He thought it was so funny!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

It was refreshing this year to go to a pumpkin patch where we had straw and corn instead of asphalt and concrete! The kids had a blast picking out their pumpkins. Some took longer than others, (Austin and Sami), but a good time was had by all!

Salmon Run

2010-11-09T13:44:00.003-08:00

Easton was learning about the life cycle of that Kokanee Salmon that are located in Lake Tahoe. There is an area at the lake that the salmon swim up the creek, spawn and then die. We decided to drive to Taylor Creek and check it out. It was amazing to see so many fish congregated in one place. The smell was a little much, but it was a fun time. Easton was able to share his knowledge and it was exciting to see him so excited about learning. On our way home we found a cute little drive in called "The Snowflake." It had the best shakes and hamburgers. The kids said it was good, but not quite as good as the "Pit Stop" in Boulder City. We had such a good time that when my parents came up a few weeks later we went up again. We are really enjoying being close to the mountains again!

Pine cone hunting with Grandma

Happy Birthday

2010-11-09T13:44:00.001-08:00

We have started into the birthday months around our house. Starting with mine on November 1st. My mom, Stephanie and Kambree came down for a visit so that made it even better. Matt gave me a Southwest Airlines ticket to go visit my friends in Henderson. Which I am super excited for!!

Austin had his 12th birthday on November 3rd. It is strange to realize that my oldest is 12 years old. I don't think that I am getting older until I realize that my kids are getting older!

Austin is a great kid, I love so many things about him:

* I love his drive and ambition

* I love that I don't have to wake him up in the morning

* I love that he can now be the babysitter!

* I love that he loves to watch Discovery and National Geographic Channel

* I love that he is such a good friend to Easton

* I love that he has such high goals for himself

* I love his cautious and methodical nature

* I love that he loves to be with his dad

(it's great that Matt was called as the new Scoutmaster!)

* I love the he is like me in SO many ways

(this does lead to some conflicts every now and again though!)

Happy Birthday Austin!

Halloween

2010-10-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

I loved the fact that Halloween was on Sunday this year! This is Matt's least favorite holiday and I am not a huge fan either. The kids were able to dress up for the ward Trunk or Treat. The boys did not want to dress up but we told them that they could not go trunk or treating unless they dressed up. So they pulled out the old cowboy clothes and went to town!

Leaves Are Falling All Around

2010-10-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Fall in my favorite.

Jackets,

crisp air,

crunching sounds while walking down the street,

colors on the trees,

I have missed this.

Wilderness Family

2010-10-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

When I was little I remember watching the movie called "The Wilderness Family." It is about a family that decided to pack up everything and move to the wilderness. They encountered animals, the elements and much more. I remember thinking how cool that would be.

Well, it looks like I got my wish. Since moving to Carson City we have encountered our own sense of wilderness. Complete with a few animal visitors! The nasty little devils think our yard is the bees knees. We have also had deer on our front porch. The first time in six years I can get flowers to grow, and the deer come to eat them! All I can say is that it is a welcome change from the wilds of Las Vegas!

Oregon

2010-10-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Matt's mom came to spend the last week with us. While she was here she decided that she needed to go home to Oregon and be with Grandpa Red for a while. Since we are only 4 1/2 hours away we decided to drive her up there and spend the weekend.

We absolutely love Oregon. It is so beautiful! The rolling hills, and the amazing trees are never ending. Austin and Easton wanted Grandpa to show them how to pan for gold in Galls Creek. When Grandpa was growing up his mother, Grandma Gertie, used to pan for gold and was able to feed her family. She never got rich, but she was able to meet their needs.

The boys thought that they were going to strike it rich! Grandpa gave them a few lessons and they did find a few tiny flecks, but nothing worth saving. Being that we are so close now we might have to make another trip up there soon! It was great being able to visit with Grandpa and other family members while we were there. The kids love being able to run through the fields and up and down the creek. Matt loves watching the kids do the same things that he did on the very same farm when he was young.

80th Birthday

2010-09-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Mel turned 80 on September 28th. My grandma planned a "surprise" (grandma had to tell him because he was going to head to Idaho, so grandma had to get him to stay home!) party for him, so we decided to drive to Utah to be there. Grandpa has always been such a constant in my life. For as long as I can remember Grandpa has been there. He has always made such a point to be at every important event in my life. He has taught me so many things and I count him as someone that I definitely look up to. I have been blessed to have him in my life and in the lives of my children. I love him dearly and was glad that we were able to travel and be there with him on his day.

While we were there we had an impromptu BBQ at my dads barn.

(One of my new favorite pictures)

Family Pictures

2010-09-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

Why is it that we try to squeeze everything we possibly can into one short weekend?!? While we were in Utah for Grandpa Mel's 80th birthday we decided to get family pictures done with the Schofield family. That is always a major production, with 20 grandkids 13 and under who would expect anything less? While we were all dressed we snapped some of our family and the kiddos. They are not my favorite, but as Matt puts it I only have one chance a year so this is it!

There's Gold in Them There Hills

2010-09-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

The boys are fascinated with the fact that there might be gold in the mountains and the streams around here. Matt, who is always in for an adventure, went and bought some gold pans and we set off to strike it rich! There happens to be three waterfalls that flow in a little canyon behind our house so we decided to hike up there and give it a shot. The kids loved it! We did find little flecks of color, but nothing major. Austin is still waiting for the big nugget to come flowing his way!

Virginia City

2010-09-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

We are loving being able to explore our new city and surrounding areas.

We took a short drive to the old mining town of Virginia City.

We walked the old wood-planked sidewalks.

Locked a few kids in jail.

(Unfortunately they wouldn't keep them!)

Watched a parade.

Witnessed a Civil War battle.

Discovered every type of candy known to man.

Ate lunch at the local saloon.

And had a fabulous time!

Lake Tahoe

2010-09-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

Since moving to Carson City we have fallen in love with Lake Tahoe. We try to spend as many Saturdays up there as we can. The lake is absolutely beautiful, the sand is great, the water is refreshing, and the crawdad hunting is a blast. The best part of all is that it is only 25 minutes from our door to the beach!

1st Day of School

2010-08-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

We moved to Carson City just 2 1/2 weeks before school started. Austin was a little apprehensive about starting Middle School. I was scared myself, and I could not image how he was feeling. We had not been in Carson long enough for him to really meet new friends. The middle school has also started a uniform policy this year. The first week was definitely rough. Things gradually got better and seem to be good now. Easton started off great. His teacher is really nice and the school has a great reading program, that I am really excited for. Sami of course thinks that she is the queen of the school. She loves Kindergarten and loves her new teacher and her new friends. Ava lasted a whole 30 minutes in her FREE pre-school that I found. She started crying and said that she will go when she is 4. She is definitely the baby! We will see how things go next fall! I am glad to be back on a normal schedule and am very happy that for the most part the kids seem to be adjusting well.

(Sami is such a girl and could not wait to pick out her clothes!)

(After a successful day at school)

ABC's of Bear Lake

2010-08-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

We look forward to the Schofield Family Reunion every year. It is always held at Bear Lake and the fun seems to increase every year! Everyone was able to be there except Danny and Carlie and Derek who is on his mission. We love to be able to spend time with everyone. Between Peter's wicked dance moves, Josh's testosterone driven boating and four-wheeling antics, the boy's endless hole digging, the girls's countless dance parties, and massive amounts of food; it was a blast. The first day at the beach was a little cold with some very ominous clouds. We lasted at the lake for about an hour. Luckily the houses we were at had hot tubes, so the kids were still able to get their swimming in. The second day we spent at the beach and had a great time. With 16 adults and 20 kids there is always something going on and having such a big family is amazing! We would not have it any other way. Can't wait until next year!

(There are a ton of pictures, I only took about 500!)

A is for Ava and Austin

B is for Blue Shirts, Black Shirts and "Bury Me"

C is for the Cheese Factory and Cousins

D is for Dance Moves

(The girls had multiple dance parties and coined some wicked moves to Ludacris' "Break Your Heart")

E is for Easton and Electronics

(Peter always seems to be the one with the electronic devices)

F is for Food, Food and more Food

(our milk can dinner was Mmmmm good!)

(J-Dawgs)
G is for Green Shirts, Grandma Becky and Games

H is for Hot Tubs, Holes and Horseshoes

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jackets and Jet Skis

( It was freezing the first morning!)

K is for Kites

L is for Lime Green Shirts

( and the adopted family members of Chris and Emily)

M is for Matt and Milk Can Dinner

N is for Naps

O is for the lone Orange Shirt

P is for Pink Shirts, Purple Shirts, and Papa

Q is for Quality time together

R is for Red Shirts and Races

S is for Siblings and Stargazing

T is for Testosterone Overload

U is for Uncles

V is for Victory

(King of the water tramp)
W is for Wake Boarding

X is for X-treme number of us

Y is for Yellow Shirts

Z is for Zero Self Respect

Cabin Fever

2010-08-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Shortly after moving to Carson City we made a trip back to Utah. We still had a lot of stuff that was stored there from when we moved to Las Vegas six years ago, so we needed to pack that up and move it to Carson. We ended up spending a few days with my family and then we went to Bear Lake for the Schofield Family reunion. While we were there we went to the cabin with my family. We were able to spend some time with my grandparents and family, help do some cabin clean up and just enjoy the outdoors that we have missed so much.

Hasta Luego

2010-07-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

It is extremely weird to think that we are actually moving. It is something that we have been thinking about, hoping for and planning, for so long. I just never thought that it would be this hard. I expected the physical and stressful part of it, but I was seriously unprepared for the emotional part of it. I know I have said it before, but moving is a huge drain on my emotions! Moving should be a four letter word in my book! I have been trying to keep things together for my kids's sake. The girls are totally excited, but the boys not so much. They don't want to leave their friends, their school and the ward. I knew that if I let them see me sad, it would only make it harder on them.

We were all ready to leave on Saturday morning. Matt and the boys were driving the moving truck up with Matt's brother Josh. I was staying behind with the girls and my mom in order to get the carpets cleaned and turn the house over to the renter. It was surreal to see our house empty. We were the first ones to ever live there, and now we are leaving. Who knew it would make me cry to lock the doors for the last time. This was the home where our two girls were brought to from the hospital. This was the house that celebrated many birthdays, Christmas's, and held countless other memories. I know that we were not going to stay there forever, but it was harder than I thought.

We left early Saturday morning and started out on the long 9 hour drive to Carson City. Lets just say that there is not much between Henderson and Carson City except a lot of desert and sagebrush. We made it safely and are ready to start a new and different phase in our lives. Wish us luck!

(Last night in our house!)

Loaded and ready to go!

I felt like the Beverly Hillbillies!

We had so much stuff! The moving truck was filled to the brim. We could not fit a piece of paper in by the time we had it all loaded. We had to leave 2 coolers, a slide and a shop vac. Not bad after 6 years of stuff!

Finally relaxing after getting the truck unloaded. Tony, Jake and Tom drove from Utah to help us unload!

There is no "Good" in Good-Bye

2010-07-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

Our great and wonderful friends threw us a going away party the weekend before we left. It was wonderful to be able to spend time with the people that had become our family over the past few years. Moving is a terrible thing. It is emotionally and physically draining. There are some people that come into your life at the exact right time that you need them. We have been blessed with so many fabulous people in our lives. The kids are having a rough time leaving theirs and it is no easier for me. I started crying walking down the aisle in Walmart the other day just thinking about it. I had to drop by Kelly's house to pick something up and the tears started flowing again. I don't know how people can move all the time. Paris could not even come and say good-bye to Easton. Kelly said it was to hard for her to say good-bye to her best friend. My emotions and my nerves can't take much more! I know that this is what we have been working towards for the past 4 years, but that doesn't make it any easier. I never thought that leaving would be this hard. I know that we will stay in touch, but it will be different. The day to day companionship and interaction will be gone. I am grateful for the friends in my life and the things that I have learned from them. I will never forget them!

Paris Andrews and Easton. These two have been best friends since pre-school!

Sami, Chloe Andrews and Ava. Three peas in a pod!

Damon and Kelly Andrews, Kristi Alexander and Bonnie and Mike Anderson

Paris and Easton

Bonnie and Mike Anderson

Damon and Kelly Andrews. Two of the best people I know!

Brooke Grieve, Kelly Andrews, Kristi Alexander, Bonnie Anderson, Vicky Stoker and Rachelle Abbott

Kelly Andrews, Vicky Stoker, Amanda Parker, Jessica Heiselbetz and Bonnie Anderson

Last Pool Day!

2010-07-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

We are really going to miss having a pool right around the corner from us. It was always a great escape from the 115 degree weather in the summer. Here are a few pics from our last visit before the big move!

Sami swimming

Ava has turned into quite the little fish!

The Strip

2010-07-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Before leaving the fabulous city of Las Vegas, we decided to head down for one last visit to the Strip. We rarely go down there, only when people come and visit! We went to dinner at the Rainforest Cafe and took in a few sights. There are quite a few things I am going to miss about Las Vegas; the fun restaurants, the great people watching, but the Strip also has a lot of things that I hope to never have to see again while walking down the street!

Home Sweet Home

2010-07-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

The verdict in is and we are moving from here.........

To here.........

Carson City, Nevada!

I never thought that I would be a resident of Nevada. We have lived here for six years now and it looks like that is not changing any time soon. Matt is buying into a practice and we are very excited. It is very bittersweet to think about leaving Las Vegas. We never thought that we would like it here, but it has become home. We have great friends that are amazing people and very hard to leave. We are excited about our new phase in life and the new experiences and challenges that will come!