Shannon's 16th Birthday Family Party

Luckily, I found the cheesecake at Costco this evening for Shannon's birthday cake. I suppose I hadn't looked in the right place yesterday when I was at the other Costco in Orem. When I spotted it I had to purchase the enormous $38 jar of Nutella for Shannon because she's crazy about the stuff. It turns out that she isn't the only one. Emily Shelton in our ward also received the mega-jar for her birthday the week before. The older you get the less of a surprise most of the gifts are on your birthday and the same goes for Shannon. She knew about most of the gifts except for the Nutella. --Gotcha!

Shannon's Licensed

Today Shannon and I went to the Driver’s License bureau and got her real driver’s license, not just the learner's permit. She can’t drive friends for six months. We stopped by JCW's for her actual, real, on-the-day-of-birthday. She go chicken strips and put fry sauce in my purse to take home. The lid popped off.

Shannon's Sweet 16th Party

I had fun designing Shannon's invitation for her 16th birthday party. You gotta love Costco with that 50 invitations with envelopes for $15. By Monday I made cupcakes. Tuesday I power washed the patio and Wednesday filled balloons and finished purchasing food and Diet Sprite. Whitney was the amazing late night vacuumer both before the party and after at 11PM.  I would call it a success because it was sooooooooo loud with all the talking. Rain prevented most of the group of 35 kids moving outside for the barbecue, but they didn’t mind mingling and talking and performing on the piano.  At 9PM thirty kids puppy-piled and watch the DVD StarTrek1. It's amazing the extreme physical tolerances these kids have-- well, they are cross country kids. (Note: They ran 9 miles the next morning after the party the night before.) 

Big Springs Biking

Mark can't rock climb or mountain bike while his wrist heals from his ultimate frisbee accident. He doesn't want to risk displacing  his broken scaphoid. So he runs. In fact he's starting to really like it. He invited Shannon to run with us to the Springs and back. She is major cross country running competition. Although she was sick today she rode up while Mark and Laura ran. I was far behind on my bike pumping those pedals with my thick thighs and beefy calves enjoying the fall eye candy the whole time.

Cell phone photos are the pits, at least from a G2 T-Mobile Android.

Family Portraits

Since Aynie is leaving for Philly Wednesday afternoon I wanted to get a family photo. Mark leaves Dec. 18^th as well. We picked up Mark soon after his Sacrament meeting let out at BYU headed to Dry Canyon. We actually found a spot behind Lucas Duros’ home. The family was willing to do something Mom really wanted. I was sad that the sky was gray. No great lighting for me. Oh well, at least most of the photos are in focusJ

Overdue But So Fun to Do

Aynie and Bryce went on a Royal Caribbean cruise a year ago July. Today during the cold, rainy, autumn afternoon I digi scrapped her photos of the trip. I'm looking forward to the yard work slowing down with the decrease in temperatures, too.

Dan and Dad Go to Clearcreek

Here's quick update about Daniel and Bob.

"Dan and I on the way to Clear creek camp. I haven't been on a school bus in decades. For good reason!" --Bob

Hip to be 16

Shannon is not yet 16, although she is preparing. She'll finish "roading" for her driver's license the last week of September and she has already asked a guy on the cross country team to the girls' choice dance, Sadie's, which is scheduled nine days after her birthday. I little eager I think.

14 Never Looked So Good

I remember when I was 13 years old--frizzy, big hair, slumped shoulders, that  "please don't notice me" expression on my face. This past year of 13 for Whitney has been a totally different expression than the one I had. Whitney can remember 13 years old as shoulders back, crown up, silky golden hair and sparkly keen eyes with abs of steel and lats of titanium.

Now that she is 14 years old she's looking forward to playing volleyball and running track with a little tumbling thrown in.

Burning Man 2013 Time-Lapse: Seen Miles Away From A Mountain Top