Riverside County Date Festival!

Thank goodness Mike is so strong and has a good back, because the kids got a little tired and needed a daddy back (shoulder) ride.

Every once in a while the girls insisted on riding by them selves, but for the most part they got along really well and had a great time.

Alan is growing up so fast, he's almost as big as the man on stilts.

Alan and the girls really enjoyed feeding the donkey's and other interesting animals. I forget the name of the one Alan is feeding.

You have to see the ostrich races it was hilarious! Even Alan was entertained.

My brave little Amanda with no hands!

This was the only picture I could get of the older kids before they ditched us. So most of the pictures are of Amanda and Morgan having a good time. Yes Cortney is the one with the colorful hair

We were planning on going to the fair this year today, Monday 2/16/2009 , but thank goodness my kids were too impatient and begged us to take them Saturday 2/14/2009. It was Valentines day, but we went in the morning as soon as it opened and left about 3pm so it worked out great. The weather was beautiful and it wasn't crowded at all. The kids were happy and Mike and I felt good about having a nice adult only dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I think there may have been more people there then at the fair, but we only waited about 30 minutes and the food was great. We finished the night off with a not so romantic movie called "Push" it was actually pretty good though and we came home to find all our kids sleeping peacefully in their beds. a great ending to a wonderful day. We hope you all had a Happy Valentines Day!

Brownie Troop!

Maybe next troop meeting I'll have their patches sewn on. That's if my friend Judy has time. (LOL)

My girl's were bored at home all the time so they talked me into signing them up for Girl scouts. They are actually Brownies right now and really like it. They have about 20 girls in their troop and they meet once a week for 2 hours. They went on their first service project on Saturday to Palm Springs to pick grapefruit from an elderly man's tree and donate them to a local charity. They had lot's of fun and went to Baskin Robins for an ice cream. They were gone for 4 hours and had a great time, and I got a quieter then usual Saturday. It was very nice. They are already selling girl scout cookies, so if you are interested please let me know. you don't have to pay until they come. You have until the end of the month. They are $4.00 each. They appreciate your support.

Journey of a life time

Every 6 month's the young women have a new beginnings to welcome the new beehive's. This year the theme was Journey of a life time. Each girl was responsible to set up a room with items that helped you accomplish one of the young women's value's. Cortney was in charge of choice and accountability. She had a cloth of flames and covered it with pictures of evil temptations, and another cloth of clouds with pictures of spiritual goals. She also had a large cloth of the world to represent where we are today and depending on the choices we make, which path we will be on after our life here on earth. I was so into her preparation and the little talk she gave along with it that I totally forgot to take a picture. But she worked really hard on it and it turned out great. I was very proud.

Temple Night!

My cousin Timothy (the handsome young man in the middle), received his mission call to Eugene, Oregon and my mom and I, along with several family and friends were blessed to be there for his first time in the Temple. It was a great testimony builder to see him experience this awesome blessing. He is a wonderful person just like his parents, and will be an awesome missionary. He was a little bumbed not to be going to a foreign country, but his mom's family is in Eugene, Oregon, and they have yet to hear the gospel. Who knows maybe they've been waiting for Timothy. (No pressure Tim.) I know he'll do great.

Alan's first plane ride. Destination Columbus, Ohio

My dad's brother Bob passed away a few month's before my dad, but his daughter Viki was in the hospital so they waited to have his funeral until she was better. My mom made a promise to my dad before he passed that she would try her best to go to his funeral. Since the flights were so cheap I was able to go along for support. Alan was still free so I took him along to help out Mike. Five kids is easier then six. This was Alan's first flight, and he did great. Unless you ask the man sitting in front of us. Alan was a lap child on a full flight from Phoenix to Ohio (a 3 1/2 hr flight.) For thoughs of you who have been on a plane know there's about 2 inches from you and the seat in front of you, so the gentleman in front of us got a 3 and 1/2 hr back amssage that he didn't appreciate. He said his peace and reccomended Dimatap for the next flight. We were lucky enough to get a row to ourselves for the remaining 3 connections so Alan had more legroom. That was a blessing since the flight home from Columbus to Phoenix took 5 and 1/2 hours due to weather conditions. It was a brsik 12 degree's when we left Columbus. Luckily while we were visiting it was in the 40's until the day we left. It wasbeatiful to see the snow, but I was greatful to see the sun in California.

These are my uncle Bob's 5 daughter's (Valarie back left, Viki middle back, Bobbie front left, Leslie front right, and Amy back right, and my Uncle Ronnie's son Mike.

This is me and my sister Dawn again with my cousin Beth (aunt Bonnie's daughter).>

This is me with my cousin Linda (my Aunt Shirley's daughter). >

This is me and my mom with my sister Dawn who I have not seen in 8 years. Alan with his new bear from aunt Dawn!

Samantha's Home Science project

Mike saw this on the Internet and thought it would be fun to try it out at home since Samantha had just dragged him to the school science fair and got his wheels in his head turning. So off to the store for diet coke and mento's. This is why the prophet discourages us from drinking caffeinated drinks. LOL

Just a little fizz! I was glad it didn't turn out like the one where a little boy drank the coke and mento's at the same time and his head flew off. Mike assure's me that was just special affects and that didn't really happen. Let's hope not. The experiment was fun and harmless and kept Samantha busy logging it all down in her science journal.

Family Canning!

This week we had a very productive

Family night with extended Family
We had lot's of fun canning 72 hour

Kit's the Keechler's humble 3 day supply, and then proceeding to the major canning the VanBuskirk's well

planned 3 month supply. I'm sure The VanBuskirk's would be willing to share if it came down to it, but hopefully The Keechler's will get their act together and follow the

VanBuskirk's not to mention the

Prophet's guidance.

Once canning was complete is was onto my kids favorite part of family night, Game time!! The sack races were on!