what we've been up to

Matt rearranged his interview schedule and raced through 2 home teaching appts so he could take the older kiddos to Rio Tinto to cheer on the Utes as they defeated those nasty cougs in the Utah College Rugby showdown last Wednesday.

Way to go Utes!
(the win was totally unexpected, so we'll take it!)

Surprisingly, Megs opted out of her first soccer practice of the season to go

and had the time of her life.

(Isaac did too, though, not surprisingly)

Then Friday night G and G Hawes treated all the older grandkids to a night at Hale Center Theatre's production of Fiddler on the Roof. I was lucky enough to get to go along as crowd control (a necessity with 8 kids, 10 and under) We have never been to a performance there before and it was FANTABULOUS!!!

HTC is a theatre in the round and it seemed we were right on top of the stage. The actors were so close we could reach out and touch them. Not many artsy things can keep the attention of 4 8-year old boys, but this play in this setting did the trick. Hale is not your traditional community theatre...the acting, singing, staging, scenery, etc... loved it, loved it, LOVED IT!

Megan is already pettitioning to see their next performance
The 3 Musketeers

Before they head off to sunny AZ. G and G McQueen hosted an early easter egg hunt for our kids. M and I hid the eggs for the little ones and then the little ones got to hide for the big kids...

Here is how Eli hid them for his siblings...we've got to work on his sneakiness;)

In other news...

the newest addition to our home is a pair of these beauties i found on KSL a few weeks ago. As most of you know our front room has been furnitureless since we repainted the basement and took our sectional down there and then moved our front room furniture to where the sectional was leaving an empty room for all who enter our home. That number has increased in the last 6 months with people coming over to talk to matt, needing signatures, or other such bishop things. For quite some time they have had to stand or share the piano bench with Matt as they conduct their business with him. I couldn't stand it any longer and took some of that tax refund cash to start putting this room together. These chairs are just the beginning...don't tell Matt;)

In yard news, all our (and when I say "our", I mean "my") hard work last fall in replanting all our bulbs is paying off as the tulips and daffodills are starting to bloom. We've spent the past few Saturdays giving the trees their anual buzz cut and even got a few cold weather crops in the ground. I have also decided that last summer was our LAST with the pond. I can't take it anymore!!! That thing is way more work than it is worth. I routinely spend half a day cleaning it and within minutes, a small handful of sand finds its way into the clean, fresh water...soiling it for ever more. It's a magnet for leaves, dirt, grime, balls, small (or large) children, etc. And so, it will find itself at the dump in a few weeks time. I just have to figure out what to put in it's place...