Gualala 2011

This is the BEST camping trip because it is the most unusual. Here is a list of unusual things brought to the one and only Gualala:
- the kitchen sink with a faucet and running hot water attached to a counter
- 2 ovens
- nacho cheese machine
- an oversized refrigerator bigger than the house size ones
- a microwave
- a pinata
- roasting pans

Menu:
- Rotisserie Chicken, spinach salad, Chicken pillows and fruit
- Cafe Rio Pork and Chile Verde Pork (homemade), either made into a salad or burrito
- Thanksgiving meal, 3 whole turkeys, including all the sides (mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, salad, etc.)
- Potluck (my mom brought spaghetti, and others from our camp brought abalone they caught diving the day before

On Sunday after having church out in the meadow, which never ceases to amaze me every year, in the evening time is a fireside. I was asked to speak at it. The theme was Gualala memories over the years. Gualala camping started when my Mom's best friend Megan Bodily was a little girl. Here are some of my memories:

Fireside Talk
The Bodily's and the Little's grew up at Gualala and I wanted to share with you some of the life's lessons we learned here at camp. First of all, it all started with the ride of here. To avoid throwing up in the Brown Bodily van, roll down the windows, take off your seat belt, grab some floor space and eat some Bugles...you'll be just fine. To avoid throwing up in the Little's Blue Volkswagon Vanagon - choose another car to ride in because we never took off our seat belts, didn't stop for vomiting or bathroom breaks unless it was the driver who had to go. Once camp was set up we learned that was the last we saw of our parents until meal times. Some of the things we learned in between meals were:
1. We supervised each other - not our parents.
2. We will never let our own children ride bikes or pretend to hitch hike to town to get ice cream by themselves at such a young age.
3. Thanks to the Ewok Village Wars we learned that "sticks and stones will break your bones and mean words always makes someone cry".
4. We learned how to follow the rules. If you ride your dirt bike into camp through the exit you will get kicked out.
5. You will not get rich off of getting bribed with money to jump off the log or rope swing into cold river water.
6. But you will get rich from picking up trash and turning it into Grandma Peg's store in exchange for candy.
7. Thanks to the tandem bike riding, we learned that you are always at the mercy of the driver no matter how many back seat drivers can fit on the darn thing.
8. When floating down the river keep focused on the water because you just might be able to avoid having to wave "hi" at the nudest camp, but then again, by focusing on the water, you will probably see the man kayaking down the river without pants on.
9. Teeter totters do cause concussions.
10. Forrest's banana slug eating days really drove our interest in the show Fear Factor.
11. Skirts at church were mandatory if you were meeting in a building no matter the size.
12. The spirit is always the same during sacrament meeting whether you are sitting in the kitchen, coat closet, shed, hallway or front porch of the Gualala meeting home.
13. If there is ever an intruder in your home, with our guns we will know how to aim to kill thanks to all the target practice.

After dark we learned:
14. How to make out by spying on the older kids down by the river.
15. Stabbing frogs and watching the steam come out was our first introductory course to anatomy.
16. 4-Wheeling up the river at dark is not a good idea because you will always get stuck.
17. Pyrotechnics from Taylor - Throwing 4 propane tanks into a huge bon fire will cause a ginormous mushroom cloud.
18. If you really want to get a good nights rest avoid the tents and head for the hollowed out trees.

And last but not least, we learned tradition. And from this traditions we built friendships that last forever.

Thanks Mom and Megan for making this all possible!! Cheers to the silly memories!!

GLEE!!!

This has been the best birthday present so far from Jon!! He handed me an envelope and this is what I found inside!!!He is SO awesome! He got us tickets to a live Glee performance! It was at the HP Pavilion Center in San Jose.I was so EXCITED to say the least. I wanted to see Trouty Mouth and Puckerman!! YEAH!! The show opened with dancers from the show "So you think you can dance" showcasing another show called the "LXD" - Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. It's a show about good vs. evil and they fight each other with dance. Weird, but cool to watch the dancing. The idea of the show stemmed from Michael Jackson's video Thriller. InterestingJon said I was screaming like a school girl!! YES I was!! And I loved every deafening minute of it!!The opening number was Journey- "Da, Da, Da...Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world..." Oh man I could go "On and On and On and On, Strangers waiting..." Ok, I'll stop, but the beat never does. I love music.Yep, they waved at me!He is the cutest and best date ever!! Thanks so much Lover! We need to do this more often!The morning after, just the girls watching Glee highlights together. Rylee loves it too! Her favorite song is Kelly Clarkson's "Life would suck without you" and she knows all the words! So cute!

Captains Promotional Interview

This morning Jon was dressed in his Class A uniform and looked so handsome. He was going in for the Captains Promotional Interview. You will be great Jon! We love you!

Proscenium Performing Recital #2

Rylee, you are so BEAUTIFUL!!! This is the long performance and you knew it the BEST!! The whole family came to watch you and we are so very proud of you!! Rylee worked really hard on memorizing her lines and songs in class. Here are the songs and dialogue:

Big Bad wolf song:
All Sing:
I built my house of straw, I built my house of hay,
I toot my flute I don’t give a hoot and play around all day
I built my house of sticks I built my house of twigs,
With a hay diddle diddle I play on my fiddle and do all kinds of jigs
I built my house of stone, I built my house of bricks,
I have no chance to sing or dance for work and play don’t mix
Who's afraid of the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf?
We’re afraid of the big bad wolf…waaahhhhh!!!!
Dialogue
Rylee: I wish I had a prince to protect me
Annie: Someone who could take down the wolf
Melia: I don’t like the wolf…he’s scary
Mia: If only we had a prince
Boys: Hey…we are prince’s
Girls: sigh

Someday My Prince Will Come
Dialogue
Sage: Someday My Prince will come
Haley: Someday I’ll Find My love
Avie: And how thrilling that moment will be
Rylee: When the prince of my dreams comes to me
Annie: He’ll whisper “I love You”
Melia: And Steal a Kiss or two
Mia:Though he’s far away
AnnaliseI’ll find my love some day
Lucy: Some day when my dreams come true
All sing:
Someday I’ll find my love Someone to call my own, and I’ll know him the moment we meet, for my heart will start skipping a beat. Someday we’ll say I do, things we’ve been longing to. Though he’s far away, I’ll find my love someday…someday when my dreams come true.
Dialogue
Sam : Hey I see a Prince
Noah: I do too
Girls: Where?
Boys: Right in front of you Girls: You? I don’t think so
Sam: We’ll prove it to you. We know how to act like a prince
Sage: I did hear of a prince named Peco’s Bill
Haley: The one out in Texas?
Avie: Oh…Yah…that guy was handsome.
Annalise: Let’s tell them the story
　
Peco’s Bill Song:
All Sing: Peco’s Bill was quite a cowboy down in texas, and a western superman to say the least. He was the roughest toughest critter, never known to be a quitter…for he never had no fear of man or beast
So yippee ay yay I ay…so yippee ay oh
Once there was a drought that spread all over texas…so to sunny californy he did go…and though the gag is kinda corny he brought rain from californy and that’s how they got the gulf of mexico
So yippee
Rylee sings: Peco’s lost his way while travelin through the desert (Water), It was ninety miles across the burnin sand (water),
Annie sings: He thought he’d never reach the border if he didn’t get some water
Lucy:So he got a stick and dug the Rio Grande
So Yippee
Dialogue
Lucy: Peco’s was a real prince the way he rescued those people
Boys: Well…look you aren’t scared of the wolf anymore
Sage: That’s true
Rylee: I guess you boys distracted us.
Annie & Melia: you must be prince’s after all
All: Yeah Yeah Yeah

Strange Things are happening
I was on top of the world livin high, it was right in my pocket. I was livin’ the life, things were just the way they should be. When from out of the sky like a bomb comes some little guy in a rocket. Now all of a sudden some strange things are happenin to me.
I have friends, I have lots of friends…now all my friends are here
And I’m doing the best I can to carry on.
I have power, I am respected…and yes still more…and I have the love to the prince whom I adored
Let me tell you about the strange things are happenin to me…strange things
Strange things are happening to me..ain’t no doubt about itIt was so fun for all the cousins to get together. Thanks for all your support!! From left to right: Rebekah, Max, Jake, Rylee, Taylee, Emily, Leah, Brody

Center Stage Costume

Center Stage Dance costume to the song "Lolly Pop". You are the BEST in your class!! You rock Lady!! Love you so much!! Professional pictures to come!

Happy Birthday to Taylee!

Sing with me:
Happy, happy birthday, Taylee dear:
Happy days will come to you all year.
If I had one wish, then it would be,
A happy, happy birthday to you from me!!

Thank you primary children songs!

Taylee we love you so much and am so proud of all the milestones you have achieved thus far. You are:
- answering to all your nick names - Tay, Little Mama, Mama Jo, Josie, Baby Cakes, Princess Poo, and Poopy Butt!
- crawling everywhere.
- almost walking.
- smiling with an underbite that is the cutest thing in the world.
- signing "Daddy", "Thank you", "Bath" and "Sleep" like a pro.
- still afraid of Brody.
- giving big open mouth slobbery kisses.
- still wanting to be held all the time.
- screaming with JOY when in a bath!
- wanting to play the piano so bad like your older siblings.
- A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO OUR FAMILY AND WE WOULDN'T TRADE YOU FOR THE WORLD!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Rylee, Brody and I all helped to make you a princess cake! You loved it!

Best Frosting Ever Recipe:
- 1 cup cool whip
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 (8oz.) block cream cheese
* (optional) 1-3 Tbs. your favorite jam, to taste

"Yea are bound..."

While I was putting Taylee down for bed Jon found Brody like this. Yes, he is asleep. I love this sweet innocent position. Maybe someone's prayer was too long and Brody tuckered out? Or maybe it was that his hands were bound by his blankie?Now here is Rylee pretending to be asleep. Jon had her pose like this for the picture. She looks like a little angel, though she is wide awake. NOW GO TO BED!!!!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to ME!!!! I love these little babies so much!! They have made my day, literally. Without them I wouldn't be complete! Thank you Jon for making me breakfast in bed and letting me take a bath in peace and quiet. Love you LOVER!!They are the cutest EVER!

Proscenium Performing Recital

Rylee is also in a singing and dancing group and this was their first of two performances. She has 4 solo lines and 4 songs to sing and dance to. She pays attention so well in her class so she knows the routine the best and she smiles!! If you notice she is in the middle of both this group and her Center Stage Dance group because she's the one who knows the routine the best! I love her so much and her memorization skills are amazing.

Arts and Wine Festival Performance

Today Rylee has her first performance of the year at the El Dorado Hills Arts and Wine Festival. She loved getting all dolled up with curls and make up. Then is was off to get the costume. Their costumes for their specific dance did not come in on time so they had a miss-match bunch. Doesn't matter, though because they were so ADORABLE! Rylee stole the show with her beautiful smile and she was the only one who knew all the steps!! She's amazing and so DARN BEAUTIFUL!