The Beatty Bunch

Tuacahn Festivities

2011-12-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

This year, we decided to start a new tradition.

We'd heard about the holiday lights and activities at Tuacahn from friends and neighbors but had never gotten around to going ourselves. This year, we decided to check it out and see if it earned the Beatty stamp of approval.

First, we were enchanted by the lights:

Next, there was an open fire which was very inviting to couples who wanted to snuggle:

This gigantic Christmas Tree was a perfect background:

Nothing beats a wagon ride (complete with horses), followed by a good old-fashioned barrel train:

And of course, it just wouldn't be complete without a visit to the big guy himself:

Perhaps the best part of the Tuacahn holiday experience is the live nativity. At least, that's what I've heard. Unfortunately, we didn't realize that it's run like a show and is only presented twice each evening - at 7 and 8 p.m. However, we're going to try and drive out there again and see it before Christmas.

Despite this oversight, I think everyone was pleased with the evening's activities:

Happy Birthday!

2011-12-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you...

...Happy Birthday to you:

Happy Birthday, dear DEl:

Happy Birthday to you!

Yesterday was my wonderful husband's birthday. He celebrated it by going to two different Christmas parties hosted by different organizations at Dixie College.

I can't believe that in five years he will be turning (gulp) 50.

I think he looks really hot for such an old geezer :)

Happy Birthday, DEl - I love you!

Giving Thanks

2011-12-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

We had Thanksgiving with the Gublers this year at my Uncle Tyler's house...as usual, we had a wonderful time!

It was fun hanging out with cousins:

Jett, Quinn, Cole, and Mathison - all born within 14 months of each other

The weather was perfect - sunny and windless, in the mid 60's. My uncle heated his pool, and the kids had a great time celebrating the holiday with a dip in the pool:

Instead of a diving board, there was a large rock near the deep end of the pool. The kids used this for diving and jumping:

...and even flipping off of:

In the evening, we went to my parents' house to play games with the family. Mat, Kim, and Barrick had flown out from Kentucky, and Leesha's family had driven down from Heber City. We had a great time together!

What a perfect way to spend Thanksgiving - with family :)

Fit For a King

2011-11-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

A week ago last Saturday was this little guy's birthday:

And it was an birthday fit for a king!

We decided to have a knight-themed party where Mathison could be king for a day. The boys made cardboard armor (with a little help from Jefferson), participated in a weapons throw, defeated the giants (Jefferson and his friend), and slayed a dragon (pinata). I think everyone had a great time:

It's hard to believe my baby is five! Time is passing way too quickly :(

Here are some interesting things about Mathison at this age:

*He is 42.5 " tall and weighs 39 lbs which puts him at 38% for height and 32 % for weight.

*He knows the pledge of allegiance by heart and has put some hand actions to it.

*Mathison loves to listen to contemporary singers like Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Maroon 5. If we have an easy listening station on, he asks us to change it to the "real" music. He often knows the words to these songs after only hearing them one time!

*He is our little daredevil. He is constantly jumping, climbing, cartwheeling, and somersaulting in the house, and does running flips onto our trampoline. He flips and "dives" off of diving boards, and I recently caught him trying to back flip on the trampoline.

*Mathison LOVES money and knows the name of every person on the 1,2,5,10,20,50, and 100 dollar bills.

*Our little guy thinks it's his job to answer the door, and heaven help the family member who forgets it :)

*Mathison has an incredible memory and will often accurately recite details from events that happened over three years ago.

*He loves Legos, and can put together complicated sets. He's also made some pretty impressive creations on his own.

*He is so funny, and constantly keeps us in stitches. The latest was two days ago, when I heard him speaking a jumble of real and made up Spanish words. When Mathison noticed I was staring at him, he said,"It's okay Mom - I'm in Spanish mode right now." What a hoot!

Happy Birthday, Mathison - we love you so much!!

A Haircut, a Preschool Party and a Swim Meet

2011-11-02T16:12:00.000-06:00

Going...

Gone

Yes, we cut off Mathison's beautiful blonde hair :( I know...it will grow back soon :) Anyway, we did it so he could be this character for Halloween:

Aang, the airbender

Technically, Aang is bald but I just couldn't quite take ALL of Mathison's hair off! This picture showed Mathison dressed up for his preschool party; they asked the teachers to also dress up, so I put on some pirate gear:

We had a good time at the party, ending with a trunk-or-treat in the parking lot. By that time, Mathison was a little overwhelmed by the noise and chaos, but his tears soon dried up as he realized he had a bag full of treats :)

After the party, we rushed over to the Sand Hollow Aquatic Center to support Jefferson as he competed in his first ever high school meet:

Jefferson did very well for his first meet, coming in second place in both heats. You can tell he's not an experienced swimmer; his dive and flip turns need a little work :) However, he has a beautiful stroke and lots of natural ability. He did especially well in the freshman relay, moving his team into first place. We're happy he decided to swim and are excited to watch his progress throughout the year!

Me and Mom at Red Cliffs

2011-10-26T16:42:00.000-06:00

Mom took me to Red Cliffs a little while ago. I love it there - it is one of my favorite places ever!
We had a fun time and there was so much to do:

Catching critters

exploring caves

climbing rocks

playing in the dirt

After a while, I got tired of posing for pictures

It didn't take me long to feel happy again :) Thanks for taking me to Red Cliffs, Mom - I hope we get to go again really soon!

Some New Pics

2011-10-10T23:36:00.000-06:00

It's been three and a half years since our last "official" family photo; you know, the one you blow up and hang on the wall. It's amazing what a few years will do - Mathison was just a baby, Jefferson looked like a little kid, and Krissia had yet to grow into her "adult" self. Last Sunday, we drove halfway up Kolob mountain to where the fields of wild rye grow and had a REALLY quick photo session (the light was fading fast). It's amazing what you can do in a short amount of time, and I'm really pleased with how they turned out!

I don't have the family photos yet, but during the shoot I was able to take a few pics of the younger boys, as well as a shot of DEl and I:

September Recap

2011-10-04T17:51:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's time for some major catching up!

We were without internet for almost two weeks at the beginning of September, and I had just started a new job (details below) which is the excuse for my extended absence. However, my conscience (and a few comments from siblings) finally got the best of me...so I've returned.

Lucky you :)

Anyway, here are a few things the Beatty family has been up to lately:

Jefferson took first place in "swing" at a Las Vegas ballroom competition:

The Beatty "mini" family reunion held at Paulette's house:

Supporting Krissia in various parades:

Watching football games:

Attending a premiere at "Docutah"

Having fun at the town square:

As I mentioned above, Mathison and I started preschool at the end of August. He is attending Barefoot Montessori Preschool, where I am a "sensorial" teacher in the afternoons. Working outside the home after so many years has been a hard adjustment for me, but I'm doing this so I am available to help Mathison cope in a more "normal" school setting. For those of you who don't know, Mathison was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome a few years ago. Fortunately, he is very high functioning - and very smart - but tends to have problems with sensory overload, anxiety, and a compulsive need for routine. I am happy to report that he's done fairly well so far, with only a few truly "off" days.

Well, that's about all I can think of to share about our past 6 weeks - cheerio, ta ta, and all that good stuff!

The Past Few Weeks

2011-08-21T23:48:00.000-06:00

Here is a quick recap of what we've been up to the past few weeks:

SUMMER SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS:

These were held in Hurricane the first weekend of August. Jefferson competed very well, earning a 4th place in breaststroke (his first time ever trying this event) and capturing the gold in the backstroke. He even took 3 seconds off of his time :) We are so proud of Jefferson's efforts this summer and look forward to supporting him as he competes for DHS in the fall!

WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR:

We had a great time at the fair this year, especially when supporting our daughter as she fulfilled her duties as Miss Washington County!

DSC FAMILY BBQ:

In anticipation of the fall semester starting at Dixie State, the college recently held its annual family night for faculty and staff members. There were hamburgers, cotton candy, snow cones, bounce houses, water fun, and a live band. In years past, we've attended with all of our children; this year, it was only Jeff and Mat. I'm trying to adjust to this new family dynamic...but we still managed to have a lot of fun.

I'm so happy that Jefferson still takes the time to play with Mathison. He is so patient with him, and is such a great older brother :)

Our Kolob Adventure

2011-08-11T16:13:00.001-06:00

Our Kolob Adventure took place nearly 2 weeks ago; things have been so crazy around here I'm now only getting around to posting about it! We had a wonderful time; the only complaint I had was that it wasn't nearly long enough. Between DEl's busy work schedule and two grown kids with jobs, we were only able to squeeze in one night. Oh, well - I guess I'd better get used to it.

Before I add an onslaught of pictures, let me warn you of an extra face you see included in some of them. No, he is not a member of our family, but a very good "FRIEND" Krissia brought along. I'll let you make your own assumptions about the "friend" status as you look at some of the pictures :)

Del showing off his batting skills

What was that?

"Friends"

The younger generation at the cabin

Riding Grandpa's gate

My favorite boys

There were lots of beautiful wildflowers, due to the wet winter

The "young at heart" generation

Our family, Kolob 2011

*NOTE*
In the days it took me to publish this post, Krissia and Mike - aka the "friend" - have become "facebook official" boyfriend and girlfriend. I don't think it was a big surprise to anyone who has seen them together :)

"Mat"isms

2011-08-01T11:02:00.001-06:00

Mathison has been saying the funniest things lately; I wanted to record them so I won't forget. You might also get a good laugh out of them ;)

As we were headed to swimming lessons recently, Mathison said, "Mom, swimming is more important." "More important than what?" I asked. "More important than drowning!" he replied.

Mathison discovered a couple of joined PVC pipes at my parents' house. He brought them inside and announced, "Look what I found outside - some technology!"

Mathison struggles with reverence, so we have been working hard on this behavior. A few Sundays ago, he sat extremely still during the opening prayer in sacrament meeting. The second after we said "amen", Mathison looked at me proudly before exclaiming, "Mom, look at how reverent I am!" in his loudest voice. Apparently, we still have some work to do!

Recently, Mathison informed me that he'd done something "all by myself with Krissia's help".

DEl has been traveling quite a bit this summer, and during one of his trips Mathison told me he wanted to be my boyfriend. I replied, "I already have a boyfriend - you know who it is, don't you?" Mathison thought about it a second, then dejectedly replied, "It's Dad." He suddenly perked up and exclaimed, "But he isn't here now, is he!" before running over and stealing a kiss on my lips. I told DEl that maybe he should start staying home more often, as someone is trying to steal his girl :)

Reunion Pics Part Two

2011-07-29T09:20:00.000-06:00

July 4th Pics - Part 1

2011-07-24T20:26:00.000-06:00

Here are some additional pictures I took of some of my siblings and their family members during our 4th of July festivities. There were too many to post at one time, so I'll post the second half in a day or two.

Enjoy!

A Fantastic Fourth

2011-07-10T19:50:00.000-06:00

We had a fantastic 4th of July celebration this year!

The past few years, my parents have held their reunion on the 4th. This year, all of the siblings were able to attend and it was so fun to have everyone there together! We actually started things the night before with a fireworks display at my parents' house.

(This is where I'd normally insert some pictures, but I didn't bring my camera that evening. The funny thing is I'd even grabbed some spare batteries for it on my way out the door.)

The next day, we met up with my family for lunch. We normally spend the morning at the park in LaVerkin and participate in their festivities, but Krissia had a Miss Washington County appearance in the St. George parade. After lunch, we had a great time cooling off in Micah's pool:

Mathison preparing to jump off the diving board

Jefferson is ready for the big plunge

Shawnee is showing off her special summer glow

Taking a quick break at the wall

I wish I had a tan like Krissia's !!

Later that evening, we met at my parents' house for games, dinner, and a talent show. Here's what the Beatty family did this year:

This is our attempt at a pyramid. Mathison felt a little unstable at the top, so he just sprawled out on top of Krissia and Jefferson :)

Jefferson called up his grandparents to compete in a "name that tune" activity with music from the 60's:

The amazing Spider"Mat":

The evening ended with movies and a sleepover on the lawn. Krissia and Jefferson stayed to represent our family; Mathison was too cranky to stay and DEl and I would much rather sleep in a bed.

This year, it really struck home that our family dynamic is changing. The kids are growing up; Krissia and Bronson both had to work during part of the reunion. DEl was busy finishing up some Miss Nevada stuff, so there were times when I found myself with only Jefferson and Mathison. With both of the older kids moving out this summer, I guess I'd better get used to this new "normal".

Trip to SLC

2011-06-27T15:34:00.000-06:00

Last week was Miss Utah and Mathison's follow up appointment at Primary Children's. Del, Mathison, and I drove to SLC on Monday; first on our agenda was Mathison's appointment with his orthopaedic surgeon. Mathison's surgical sites are healing well, but the achilles tendon positioning of the foot is not quite where the doctor wants it to be. Mathison was fitted for a walking boot which he is to wear the next few weeks before moving into a nighttime brace. We hope his little foot gets its proper position and strength soon!

That evening was the "Show Me Your Shoes" parade for the Miss Utah contestants. This fun event was held at Gardiner Village in West Jordan. Mathison's favorite part was the candy thrown by the contestants:

The next morning we had a trip planned to Hogle Zoo. The weather couldn't have been better - it was in the upper 70's to low 80's. We kept hearing other patrons complaining about how hot it was; they obviously weren't from St. George :) Mathison had three favorite things at the zoo:

The train ride:

The carousel:

And, the playground:

He couldn't have cared less about the animals!

Here are a few more pictures taken at the playground:

While at the zoo, I took this sweet picture of Mathison and DEl:

Later that evening, the three of us had an adventure downtown. We went to the Gateway, rode the train, and visited Temple Square:

Mathison loved the Tabernacle - especially the organ pipes, which he recognized from the front of the LDS hymn book.

The next day was Wednesday, which was the first night of the Miss Utah competition. We spent the day swimming and shopping, then had an early dinner before dropping Mathison off at a sitter's house for the evening. It was so fun to watch the pageant in support of Miss Dixie College, Jessica Baird.

The next morning Mathison and I drove back to St. George, while Krissia traveled to SLC to be with DEl for the remainder of Miss Utah. Watching the pageant really motivated her to begin preparations now for her turn at Miss Utah next year. It seems so weird that we'll be there supporting our daughter next year; I don't know if DEl and I are quite ready for that level of nervousness!

She Has What it Takes

2011-06-19T23:42:00.001-06:00

What is a good Miss Washington County made of?

First, she must be presentable in the production number:

Then, simply stunning in her swimsuit:

It helps to be terrific in talent:

She must be intelligent in interview:

And finally, she should look elegant in an evening gown:

The judges must have agreed with my assessment, because last Saturday night...

Krissia was crowned as the new Miss Washington County!!

She did so well and we are very proud of our daughter. Krissia had a lot of friends and family there supporting her; even her three brothers came to watch their sister:

Something which made the night even more special is that there were five title holders - past and present - from the same family in attendance. My mother, myself, and two of my sisters (Nicole and Shawnee) have also won the Miss Washington County crown. Here we are - three generations and five winners from the same family:

I think it's something special!

We look forward to a busy year supporting Krissia in this adventure and can hardly wait to cheer her on at Miss Utah next summer :)

Making a Splash

2011-06-17T17:15:00.000-06:00

Jefferson has been kicking around the idea of trying out for the high school swim team next year. Although Jefferson can swim, he hasn't had a lot of formal training, so we thought it would be a good idea to enroll him in a summer swim league to get him in shape and see where his skills were at.

After only 7 days of practice, it was time for the first meet. Jefferson ROCKED his first race:

Jefferson took first place in the 50 Back for his age group! Yep folks - it looks like we have another talented backstroker in the family :)

Next, came the 50 freestyle. Jefferson doesn't like this stroke quite as well, as it's a bit harder to breathe (he has asthma). However, he did a great job and took 6th place overall:

Jefferson naturally has a very smooth stroke; he just needs the strength and stamina to go with it. We're excited to watch his progression this summer and hope he decides to give high school swimming a try in the fall!

Two Down...

2011-06-05T21:06:00.000-06:00

...and two to go.

I can't believe I now have TWO children grown and graduated!

Krissia looked beautiful and seemed happy to be graduating from high school:

Krissia sang with the choir during graduation; they performed "For Good" from the musical "Wicked":

Krissia is on the first row, third from the left

Our daughter plans on staying home and working during the summer. She will attend Dixie College in the fall on a leadership scholarship, and would like to move out for a semester or two to see what it's like on her own.

Sigh.

This mom is sure going to miss her only daughter; I greatly appreciate her cheerful attitude and willingness to help around the house. However, I can't wait to see what lies in store for Krissia on this next stage of her journey in life!

Awards and Graduation

2011-05-23T09:56:00.000-06:00

Krissia and Jefferson both had end of the year awards banquets last week.

Jefferson received a Presidential Fitness Award, Honors Student Award, and an Outstanding Science Student Award. We are so proud of him and the increased dedication he's shown to academics! Unfortunately, my camera didn't make it to the ceremony :(

Krissia was recognized as an honor student and for her service on the Student Council at DHHS. In a seperate ceremony, she was awarded a four year scholarship to Dixie College and named as one of the new ambassadors for that institution. DEl participated in handing out the Dixie College scholarships, and it was fun to snap a few pictures of the two of them on stage:

Krissia with her good friend, Kyler

Mathison also had his preschool graduation this week, complete with a little program. Here are some shots from that day:

Mathison's preschool class

Cute performer!

With Miss Erika, his teacher

I might be biased, but I think Mathison was one of the best performers during the program. That is, when he wanted to be. Half of the time, he was fixated on a button which had come undone on his shirt. Here is a video showing him singing while trying to fix his button:

A Surgery and a Birthday

2011-05-18T11:48:00.000-06:00

I know I sound like a broken record when I say I wish there was some way to slow down time! Seriously, the past few weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye, and the summer is shaping up to have tons of events as well.

One week ago today, our little Mathison had surgery at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City. Many of you know he was born with clubfeet, and the right foot keeps turning in, stubbornly resisting non-invasive efforts of correction. It was decided that work needed to be done on three tendons in his foot and leg, including the Achilles tendon. My heart ached for my son, knowing this would be a very painful procedure. Thankfully, Mathison has handled it pretty well, only crying a handful of times due to pain. The doctor told us it would be at least a week and perhaps up to three weeks before he felt like moving around on it. However, Mathison began putting weight on his foot only three DAYS after surgery and is now walking around comfortably in his cast. Talk about one tough kid!

Here are a few pictures from surgery day:

Hanging out with Dad and Mom in pre-op:

Showing off his ID tag and hospital jammies:

Riding in his "magic" car. They let him drive it all the way into the OR!

Sleeping it off after surgery:

Now, on to the birthday. On Sunday, our sweet daughter turned (gulp) 18. We celebrated with a small family party:

Can I just say that my kids are growing up WAY too quickly?!! It saddens me to think that in a week, I will have two children that are graduated and grown :(

I don't want to end on a negative note, so I decided to throw in this shot. I decided to take a picture of the three older kids as they were having a "moment" on the couch, but just as I pressed the button, Mathison popped up so he could also be in the picture. I think it's so cute!

Senior Shoot

2011-05-08T23:33:00.000-06:00

I had my first senior shoot this week.

I think it went pretty well.

Of course, I had a GREAT subject :)

Seriously, I'm pleased with the way they turned out. It was so easy with Krissia; she is very photogenic and knows how to play to the camera. I'm sure she's spoiled me for next time around!

Here are some of our favorites:

Clash of Kings Part Two

2011-05-03T23:28:00.000-06:00

No, you didn't miss part one.

This also isn't a typo.

The "Clash of Kings" happened once before, when we were living in Price. Jefferson told a few of his neighborhood friends about that event, and it was decided they host a second Clash of Kings - this time, in St. George.

There were 10 kids who participated, including Mathison. He had his own little armor set, courtesy of his big brother. I was grateful Jefferson decided to include him; Mathison had such a great time!

The boys met at a nearby park Saturday morning, and first thing on the agenda was getting armor made for everyone:

My two warriors:

Preparing for battle:

The battle begins:

The clash of kings:

A casualty on the field:

Mathison pretended to be dead several different times

It's amazing what you can do with some cardboard, a little tape...and a lot of imagination :)

The Easter Weekend That Wasn't

2011-04-29T20:38:00.000-06:00

Obviously, from the pictures I'm about to post, Easter weekend did happen for the members of the Beatty Family.

For everyone, that is, but me.

I was stuck at home with a stomach bug.

Sigh.

However, DEl did an excellent job capturing the day in pictures. Believe me when I say I'm only posting a fraction of what was taken!

Saturday morning was spent at the Beatty Ranch, a tradition which started when DEl was young. The family meets for a picnic, games, four wheeling, and an egg hunt. Mathison was so excited to go this year; he must have told me at least 20 times on Friday that "we are going to Grandpa's ranch tomorrow"! Here are a few pics of the ranch festivities:

The Easter Bunny had the kids searching high:

And searching low:

I think Mathison could have cared less about the candy; he loved finding his two-dollar bill:

Here he is displaying it again:

And yet again:

Yep, it's safe to say he was pretty proud of his find; it was the first thing he shared with me when the family arrived home in the evening :)

The late afternoon and evening hours were spent at my parents' house. More food, more family and another egg hunt:

Again, the kids were searching down low:

And also in some very high places for their Easter goodies:

A very special thank you to ~~Krissia~~ the Easter Bunny for hiding Bronson's basket on the roof.

The Gubler Grandkids - Easter 2011:

A shot of the adults attempting to take the "Gubler Grandkids Easter 2011" picture:

The "child whisperer":

All kids seems to love Krissia!

So, there you have our Easter celebration in a nutshell. It seemed like a lovely day; I can only hope it's a better one for me next year!

Silly Sayings

2011-04-21T12:01:00.000-06:00

Mathison has said some of the funniest things lately! Here are just a few examples:

After some very stormy weather a few weeks ago, Mathison decided to count fire hydrants as we were driving around in the van. The count soon grew to ten, and he exclaimed,

"That must have been some rain we had - these fire hydrants are popping up everywhere!"

A few days ago, I asked Mathison to do something. He got a serious look on his face and replied, "Mom, I'm too little for that. Only big-year-olds can do it."

He can also get a little sassy with his replies. We were in a clothing store yesterday when Mathison spied a piece of candy on the floor. As we've had problems with him eating these finds, I immediately asked him to throw it away. Mathison looked me in the eye and asked in his bossiest voice, "Mom, do I look like a trash can?"

Busy Week!

2011-04-18T13:38:00.000-06:00

I can tell the end of the school year is drawing near; it seems like there are activities to attend every day and time seems to be zooming by at an alarming speed!

We had two track meets last week, with one of them being a JV meet where 8th graders competed. The kids did well; Jefferson took 2nd in the 100m, and Krissia made it to the finals in the long jump.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the Tuesday meet because Mathison and I spent the day in SLC for an appointment at Primary Children's Medical Center. Mathison was born with bilateral clubfeet, which required intensive intervention his first year and periodcal adjustments after. Despite stretching and casts, his right foot keeps turning in, so it looks like he'll be having surgery in May.

This past week was also "D" week at the college - which meant nightly activities. The ones we attended were so much fun! Thursday night was "Party with the President", an outdoor 60's themed BBQ. There was sand volleyball, hula hoops, and a dance contest ending with the bunny hop. Jefferson put his ballroom dance skills to good use and was quite the popular partner with the college girls :)

Friday night was the Great Race and carnival. Krissia was asked to be on a team; her leg of the race was swimming. However, there was a twist:

That's right - the swimmers had to swim the length of the pool and back inside of an inner tube!

Of course, Krissia did a great job and caught her team up a few slots during her leg of the race.

Afterwards, DEl and I took Mathison to the carnival. It was held on the field just below the track, and I think the location was better than in past years:

It was a perfect evening; not too hot or cold. There were all sorts of bouncy houses and equipment for the kids and Mathison had to try them all:

I couldn't get a decent shot of his face because he kept running from activity to activity :)

Saturday was the Alumni Showcase and "D" dance. Ragin' Red performed for the alumni, so we decided to go and support Krissia. It was so fun to watch her perform; she has made so much progress during the past year and seems really comfortable on stage. And, of course, we think she's beautiful!

Afterwards, they invited former member of Program Bureau (a Dixie College student performing group from the 60's - 80's) onto the stage to sing. Ragin' Red had learned some of these songs, so I was able to snap this picture of daddy and daughter performing together:

All in all, it was a great - albeit EXHAUSTING - week!

Prom 2011

2011-04-11T23:43:00.001-06:00

Here is our beautiful daughter all dressed up for Junior Prom on Saturday:

She was asked by a neighbor, who was also a member of the swim team this year. He is a nice kid, but very shy; although he's a junior, this was only the second date he's been on:

I think they had a really fun time - and I know Krissia was happy she could wear her 4" heels and still be shorter than her date :) This is only the second time that's happened in her high school dance career!

This was Krissia's last high school dance; I'm just not ready for her to graduate next month :(

The Good Old Days

2011-04-09T11:15:00.000-06:00

My husband sent me this e-mail; although I was born in 1971, I could relate SO well to its contents. I realized just how different things are for my children now:

It made me wonder if the addition of so much technology is actually a benefit to our youth, or if its overuse is leading to social problems. How has our children's generation been affected by the societal changes of the last 25 years?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Those of Us Born

1940 - 1970 :

~~~~~~~~~

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE

1950s, '60s and '70s!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or drank

while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

After that trauma, we were

put to sleep on our tummies

in cribs covered

with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks cabinets,

and, when we rode our bikes,

we had baseball caps,

not helmets, on our heads.

As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, and no air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose

not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from only one bottle, and

no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter, and even bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And we weren't overweight. ... WHY?

Because we were always outside playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.

--And, we were actually OKAY.

We would spend hours building

our go-carts out of scraps..

and then ride them down the hill,

only to find out we forgot the brakes.. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Play Stations, Nintendos, Wii or X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,

no video movies or DVDs,

no surround-sound or CDs,

no cell phones, no iPads,

no personal computers,

no Internet and no chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS

and we went outside to find them!

We fell out of trees, got cut,

broke bones and teeth,

and there were no lawsuits

from any of those accidents.We would get spankings with wooden spoons, fly swatters, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare hand, and no one called child services to report abuse.

We ate worms, and mud pies

made from real dirt, and

the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls, and -although we were told it WOULD happen- we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or maybe even just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts

and NOT everyone made the team.

Those who didn't had to learn

to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. Our parents actually sided with the law!

Our generations have produced some of the best risk-takers,

problem solvers, and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have seen an explosion of innovation and new ideas..

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of those born

between 1950-1970, CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids during this time.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ?

~~~~~~~

Track Meet

2011-04-04T16:48:00.001-06:00

Waiting for the 400m race to begin

Krissia has once again decided to compete in track, and we couldn't be happier. It's fun to sit outside in the sun and watch these athletes push themselves, and it certainly brings back good memories of former days for both me and DEl.

Saturday, Desert Hills competed in a 16 school meet held in Kanab. We decided to drive out there to support Krissia and headed out with our two youngest boys in tow. We arrived just in time to watch Krissia compete in the 400m trials - and she did great, making it to the finals! During the hour long lunch break, we found a great little park and ate a picnic lunch. Then, we headed back to the meet to watch our daughter try the long jump for the first time. She was a little shaky on her first few tries, but really nailed it on her final jump. Krissia put in a solid showing for her debut at jumping, and hopes that practice will help her qualify for the upcoming BYU track meet at the end of the month.

At this point, we left the meet so we could get home in time for DEl and Jefferson to attend the General Conference priesthood session. However, there was one event left for Krissia: the 4x100m relay. Her team took first place! We can't wait to watch them next time!

All in all, it was a great day. There was only one thing I would have changed - next time, I am definitely using sunscreen. My neck was fried to a crisp :(

Preparing for the final jump

The 400m

Our "Staycation" Vacation - Part One

2011-03-30T09:48:00.000-06:00

For our spring vacation this year, we decided to live it up at home. We tried to plan an activity every day like a visit to the park, watching a movie at the discount theater, or taking a hike.

One of the places we visited was Red Cliffs, a personal favorite of mine. Bronson was able to come with us, and it was great having him along. However, DEl still had to put in time at work throughout the week, so he didn't join in on this activity.

Jefferson kept scrambling into every nook and cranny he could find!

Mat wasn't quite sure about this piggyback ride.

One of the many beautiful waterfalls at Red Cliffs.

Best Buddies!

Skipping rocks.

The real boss of the Beatty Family.

"Beaver" Fever

2011-03-24T12:42:00.001-06:00

I was relaxing in the family room yesterday with Mathison when he asked me something quite unexpected.

"Mom," he said,"Do you know who Justin Beaver is?"

Of course I know who Justin Bieber is, but I was curious to see what, if anything, my four-year-old knew about him.

"No, I don't," I said, "Could you tell me about him?"

"Well, he's this kid with really cool blond hair who sings and plays the guitar." Mathison enthusiastically added, "I wish I could be like him!"

I thought we'd avoided falling victim to the hype, but it appears one member of the Beatty household is suffering from "Beaver" fever after all :)

My First 10k

2011-03-20T11:38:00.001-06:00

I competed in my first 10k yesterday!

The family was there to cheer me on at the finish line:

(the redheaded girl is Krissia's friend, Heather)

The morning was overcast and cool, but not too windy; perfect for running. I set a goal time of 56:00 minutes, which averages out to be about a 9:20 minute mile. I finished in 52:47 - well under my goal time! Overall, I placed 13th in my age group (43 runners) and 294th overall out of 800 competitors...as you can tell, I was pretty happy with my performance:

Del arranged for me to get a massage a few hours later, and that's really helped me not be too sore. Thanks, honey :)

I had a great time and definitely plan to do it again!

Founding Father

2011-03-16T23:28:00.000-06:00

We've had the following founding father staying at our house the past week:

It's the fellow on the right; his name is Sir Robert Livingston, a delegate from New York.

If you're wondering why DEl is wearing a wig and going by an alias, it's because he's a cast member of '1776'. The show opened one week ago and will continue to run through the end of the week, with a matinee performance on Saturday. If you get a chance, you should really and come see it; there are some incredibly talented actors, and the production offers insights to the history surrounding the creation of the Declaration of Independence. I went for the third time this evening; the show just gets better and better every time I see it, and I've certainly gained a deeper appreciation for what our founding fathers endured to help grant freedom to our nation.

So here's to you, Mr. Livingston!

Founding fathers Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Edward Rutledge

Please Join Me!

2011-03-11T11:10:00.001-07:00

To celebrate/cope with the fact of turning forty, I recently started a new blog, finding forty. There is also a link on the sidebar of this blog. I invite you to join me in my quest of "finding" myself at forty - the best journeys are those shared with friends :) Here is my latest post from my new blog:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time glides on,
winds sift memories,
tides turn...the moment's gone. k.g. beatty, 1998

The above excerpt was taken from a literary project I was working on several years ago. I was trying to illustrate how quickly time passes - whether we wish it or not. And once the moment has passed there is no reclaiming it.

The scary thing is, time seems to march by even faster for me with each passing year! As I look around me, I can't believe I'm now officially middle aged, have been married for 20+ years, and am preparing for my second child's high school graduation. How did this happen so quickly?

Years ago when I was a mother of two very young children, I struggled to manage the demands of my little ones. I remember complaining to my mother one day, expecting her to commiserate with my situation as she had raised eight kids herself. I was quite surprised by her reply.

"Just enjoy your children," she advised, "Before you know it, they'll be gone. I really miss those days."

At the time, having grown children seemed like a lifetime away. Now - in the proverbial blink of an eye later - it's arrived. In looking back across the years, I realize how often I naively assumed things were going to stay pretty much the same for a long time. I know there were moments I let slip away, figuring there would always be time to make use of them later. Unfortunately, "later" came much sooner than I expected. The time for making memories with my oldest kids has passed - all I can do now is hope they are good ones.

However, I still have two kids at home - one of them, a four-year-old. This little guy was a bit of a surprise, but a very welcome one. I can see how my parenting style has changed as I interact with him; I often find myself setting aside some of my daily duties to play with him, as I realize now that if I put it off until "later", it may never happen. Maybe this is why many siblings think the youngest child of the family is spoiled; I personally feel that by then the parents have finally figured things out a bit :)

I think back to playing childhood games and asking for a "do-over" if I made a mistake or didn't get the result I wanted. Unfortunately, this strategy doesn't work in real life! Once a second, or an hour, or a day has passed, it's gone for good. Sunsets fade, rain showers pass, and the chance to act is gone. As much as we wish it, there is no going back.

That's why it's important to take advantage of what EACH moment has to offer, especially in context to relationships with people who are important to you.

I love these words in the song Unwritten by Natalie Bedingfield:

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in

The last line holds the key; you are the only one with the power to make the most of your moments. To take advantage of each moment. To live life the way you want to live it. To have no regrets. To seize the day.

The time is now, before your moment is...gone.

A Midsummer Night's Dream in Spring

2011-03-09T10:17:00.002-07:00

Desert Hills Middle School put on a condensed version of A Midsummer Night's Dream last week. Jefferson was cast as Starveling/Moonshine and had been rehearsing with the cast for the past month. I admit I was a little nervous to watch it; taking on Shakespeare is mighty

ambitious - especially for young teenagers. However, the play was wonderful!! The kids did such a great job and the audience was laughing the entire time. I was so proud of Jefferson :)

His Newest Obsession

2011-03-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

Friday

Saturday

Monday

Yesterday

I think it's safe to say Mathison has found a new interest :)

Our Week At a Glance

2011-02-28T15:03:00.002-07:00

This week's been a busy one! Here are a few of our activities:

Youth Spectacular:

A fashion show for the Women's Acheivement Conference at Dixie College:

Swim Banquet:

The Big Four Oh

2011-02-22T14:07:00.004-07:00

A little over two weeks ago, I hit a major milestone.

I officially entered "middle age".

Ack!!

My actual birthday was great; it was only the fact I was turning forty which put a slight damper on things.

That, and my husband sending a mass text to friends and family reminding them that it was my fortieth birthday :)

However, he made it up for my by taking me on a shopping spree in Provo!

We also held a small celebration with the kids:

Those are a LOT of candles:

Luckily, I had some help blowing them out:

I also had assistance with eating the cake:

The day after my birthday, we were sitting in church when Mathison got a really confused look on his face. He looked at me and said quite loudly, "Mom, how old are you now?"

I tried to quiet him, but he persisted, "Didn't you just turn forty?" This was said in an even louder tone, and people were beginning to stare.

It turns out my four-year-old was just warming up.

"That's pretty old, isn't it? You're old now, Mom!" By now he was practically shouting, and I heard smothered laughter.

So much for trying to keep my age hidden from my neighbors and ward members!

Shall We Dance?

2011-02-18T15:07:00.004-07:00

Jefferson has been taking ballroom dance classes in his spare time, and he and his partner participated in their first competition last weekend.

The event was held in the big red barn at Thanksgiving Point. We had no idea what to expect or what we were doing, but somehow managed to get through it :)

Jefferson and his partner were a little nervous but pulled it together and looked great when it was time to perform.

They competed in the swing:

The cha-cha:And the foxtrot, as well.

They were called back to the final round in the swing, where they took 6th place:

We were excited they did so well in their first competition and hope they score even higher when it's time for the BYU championships next month!

The End of an Era

2011-02-11T15:28:00.004-07:00

One week ago was State swimming.

The only downside for Krissia was a severe case of bronchitis, but she swam with the heart of a champion.

The beginning of the medley relay:

The medley relay takes gold!

The other Friday event for Krissia was the 50 meter Free. She had a bad start, but was able to pull out a bronze medal in the end :)

Saturday was the backstroke:

Again, Krissia took third. Unfortunately, swimming with bronchitis took its toll after this race; a few seconds after I snapped this picture, Krissia got out of the pool and passed out cold:

However, she was able to pull herself together for the last event of the day; the 400 meter relay. Her team was in 4th place when she dove in the water - Krissia caught up to 1st place during her leg of the relay:

I think it sunk in for Krissia after the relay that she had just finished her high school swimming career:

When all was said and done, the Desert Hills girls took third. The boys took second and were awarded a trophy:

The Trident swim team:

There were plenty of hugs and tears, especially among the seniors:

Krissia spent the first part of the week catching up on her sleep and getting over her illness. Afterwards, she seemed a little lost for a day or two as she tried to adjust to life without competitive swimming. When something has been such a big part of one's life for so long, it can be tough to move on...but Krissia seems to be rebounding well. It will be interesting to see what "post swim" life will bring for her :)

A Proper English Gent

2011-02-03T12:44:00.003-07:00

During Krissia's last home swim meet, DEl and I were asked to help out. Jefferson was over at a friend's house, so Mathison ended up sitting next to his Grandma Beatty. The following conversation happened halfway through the meet:

Mathison: Grandma, I need to visit the lavatory.

Grandma (startled): What did you just say?

Mathison (exasperated): Grandma...I need to pee!

I have NO idea where he came up with that one!

Rocking Region Swim

2011-01-31T10:00:00.004-07:00

Dedication:

Desire:

Focus:

Teamwork:

Determination:

Four golds:

Happy swimmer!

Innocent Wonder

2011-01-25T19:00:00.004-07:00

This week's challenge at iheartfaces is "innocent wonder".

Here is my entry:

This little guy is extremely busy; these quiet moments are rare, and I feel fortunate to have captured one on film :)

To see more adorable entries, please click on the button below:

Fourteen Big Ones

2011-01-24T10:41:00.004-07:00

Jefferson turned fourteen on Saturday.

He seemed pretty happy about it:

We were coming off of a weekend filled with region swimming and an overnight scout snow camp, so we kept the celebration very low key with only immediate family members attending. Happily, Bronson was able to join us:

Lately, Jefferson has had little patience for picture taking - hence, the "grimace":

As Jefferson has grown older and Bronson's moved out, these two have grown closer:

Mathison's birthday gift to Jefferson:This is a toy of Mat's which he picked from his closet for Jeff, and he gave it to him earlier in the day. Later, he wanted me to wrap it so he could give it to his brother again. It too was cute :)

Here are some things I admire about Jefferson:

*He is a WIZARD with duct tape - seriously, this kid can make and fix anything with that stuff!!

*He is a history buff, especially about anything to do with wars and warfare.

*Jefferson is a gifted performer.

*He will still give me hugs and tell me he loves me - even in front of his friends!

*He has many leadership skills.

*Jefferson has a strong testimony of the gospel and will make a great missionary someday.

*His endless enthusiasm.

Happy Birthday Jefferson - we feel so lucky to have you as part of our family!!

The First of Many "Lasts"

2011-01-18T13:05:00.002-07:00

Our sweet Krissia is a senior this year.

Wow - where did the time go?

Lately, it's hit me that many of the things she's been doing are being done for THE VERY LAST TIME.

Like when she went to Senior Ball 10 days ago:

However, I didn't feel as sad about that event as I did while attending her very last home meet ever over the weekend. The team uses this meet to honor the outgoing seniors, and I realized we only have a very few high school swim meets left with our daughter :(

The seniors of the Trident swim team:

Each senior was recognized and given flowers:

Krissia with members of her awesome relay team:

In the water:

The state meet in February could very well be our last time ever watching Krissia swim competitively; although our daughter has been approached by colleges for swimming, she is unsure if she wants to pursue it beyond high school. With the last ten years spent supporting our daughter in the water, it saddens me to think about this huge part of our lives being gone...forever.

But whatever Krissia decides to do with her future, she'll have the support of her parents. If our daughter meets her new goals and adventures with the same competitive spirit and determination she's demonstrated during swimming, we know she'll do just fine :)

Beatty Family A-Z 2010

2011-01-15T10:43:00.005-07:00

We only got around to giving out our Christmas Card/letter to family members who live nearby; I totally missed the boat on mailing them out this year. If you didn't get yours...sorry :(

Anyway, here is the Beatty Family 2010 recap from A-Z:

A...apartment (Bronson moved out in July)
B...bye bye braces (Krissia got her braces off)
C...China (DEl's trip in May)
D...dancing (Jefferson started ballroom dance lessons)
E...English (Bronson's major at DSC)
F...5K (Kim began running 5k races this year)
G...gymnastics (Mathison is in gymnastic classes)
H...house (we finally closed on our house in April)
I...Iceberg (Bronson's place of employment)
J...Ji Hye (the Korean student we hosted last summer)
K...knight costume (Jefferson designed and made one for Halloween)
L...lost (how Kim felt during the first month of a statistics class)
M...musical (Jefferson had a role in Hello Dolly)
N...nursing degree (what Kim is returning to school for)
O...Olympiad (Jefferson took gold at the State Science Olympiad)
P...Producer (DEl produced the Miss Nevada pageant in June)
Q...queen (Krissia rocked the stage at the Miss Teen Utah pageant)
R...Ragin' Red (Krissia performed with this DSC group)
S...Spiderman (Mathison's obsession of the year)
T...teenager (Jeff turned 13 - we now have 3 teens in the family)
U...underwear (Mathison became fully potty trained!)
V...vacation (Disneyland trip in November)
W...wonder in the water (Krissia takes 2 individual silvers at state)
X...diXie college (our family has 3 students and 1 dean there)
Y...young at heart (How DEl and Kim feel around Mathison)
Z...our annual trip to Zion

We hope all is well with you and yours!

Love, the Beatty Family

Something Wonderful

2011-01-10T09:49:00.004-07:00

On Saturday, I witnessed something wonderful at the Desert Hills Swimming Invitational.

It wasn't the moment Krissia won the backstroke in a new record time - although that was wonderful, too.

Rather, it happened in the first heat of the girls' backstroke.

The first heat of each race is filled with those swimmers who post the slowest times. There were about six swimmers in this heat; one was a girl with Down's Syndrome from Snow Canyon High School. She had competed in the 50 Freestyle the day before, finishing far behind the rest of the swimmers. However, the building had erupted with cheers from swimmers and spectators alike when she touched the wall. I expected to see the same outcome for this heat of the backstroke.

As the race began, I noticed the special needs swimmer was actually keeping up with a few of the slowest competitors. This changed after the second lap, as the girl began to run out of steam and many of the other swimmers began passing her. That is, all but one. The little Down Syndrome swimmer could sense there was someone in the race she had a chance of beating, and it motivated her to keep going.

As the last lap began, I noticed the other slow swimmer kept glancing over at the special needs girl. It slowly dawned on me that this swimmer was pacing herself with the other girl on purpose, allowing the girl with Down's Syndrome the chance to beat somebody - perhaps for the first time in her life.

I grew a little teary eyed at this realization; this swimmer was on a 5A team from Salt Lake City and had probably never met the special needs girl before in her life. Yet, she was willing to sacrifice her chance at getting a faster time in order to boost the esteem of a total stranger. As both girls neared the finish, the crowd grew wild - celebrating the triumph of the special needs swimmer beating someone and the other competitor who made it possible for this to happen.

This act has inspired me to be a little kinder to those around me this week, and I challenge those who read this to also pay it forward by looking for ways to help others - even those who may be total strangers :)

Snow Day

2011-01-06T14:29:00.005-07:00

We woke up to a huge surprise Monday morning.

Mathison conducted a personal experiment to discover what had happened:

Hmm, it smells like snow...

...and it tastes like snow....

Hey Mom, it must be snow!!

After posing for a few pics
The kids quickly got down to business:

Throwing it:

Having snowball fights

Rolling the snow around the yard:

And building a snowman:

Mom, I wish it would snow every day!

Merry Christmas to All!

2010-12-24T12:33:00.003-07:00

Here is a copy of the card we're mailing out soon:

Merry Christmas from the Beatty Bunch :)

A Wonder in the Water

2010-12-20T15:24:00.002-07:00

Swimming season is about halfway over, and our swimmer is doing GREAT!

Besides setting several new PR's (personal records), Krissia recently set a new Region 9 record in the 50 Free in a time of 25.27. That's pretty fast, if you're wondering.

The team gets a two week break from meets during the holidays, but they will still be practicing hard. On the 7th and 8th of January is the Desert Hills Invitational held at the Washington Rec Center, the following week's meet is at home against Judge Memorial (a 3A powerhouse), with the regular season concluding January 22nd with Region at SUU. Two weeks after that, it's state at BYU.

For those of you who haven't had a chance to see Krissia swim yet this season...time is running out. I'd be happy to give you more details; I know Krissia would love the support :)

The Naughty List

2010-12-15T23:10:00.004-07:00

Mathison has probably watched the "Dora" Christmas special at least five or six times in the past two weeks; the episode is about Swiper the fox and how he is placed on Santa's naughty list. After watching it again this morning, Mathison turned to me and said,

"I'm sorry, Mom."

"What are you sorry about?" I asked.

"I'm sorry that I'm going to be on the naughty list," he replied.

I don't know about Santa, but Mathison has sure been on MY naughty list the past few days. Here are just a few of the things he's been up to:

*Unwrapping one of his Christmas presents from under the tree
*Using his finger to write "Mathison" in the icing of our cake
*Yelling at his preschool teacher, yelling at his siblings, yelling at me...
*Taking off his clothes and running naked around the house
*Breaking a glass flower vase (granted, this was accidental, but it made a HUGE mess nonetheless)
*Talking about "stealing" Grandma's Legos

I don't know if it's the excitement of Christmas that's bringing out the monster in my little boy; whatever it is, I hope it passes soon!!!

Another Birthday Boy

2010-12-11T21:43:00.002-07:00

Another member of the Beatty family celebrated their birthday recently.

That's right - DEl turned 44 on Tuesday.

Which means I get the opportunity to post my "top 10" list of things I adore about him!

The following are in no particular order:

1. His big, beautiful baby blues!

2. His wonderful musical talents; he still makes me melt when he sings!

3. His competitive spirit.

4. His ability to bring out greatness in others.

5. His firm testimony of the gospel.

6. His zest for life.

7. His leadership abilities.

8. His firm, sexy backside :)

9. His love for his family.

10. His desire to serve others.

There are other traits I could mention, but these are what stand out to me. Happy Birthday to wonderful man, friend, father, and husband!

(DEl will probably kill me for posting this picture that Mathison took of him on our Disneyland trip, but I thought it was goofy and sweet)

Beach Bums

2010-12-07T13:41:00.004-07:00

A few hours after my last post, we drove to California. It was so much fun! We had a wedding to attend Saturday evening, but earlier on in the day we loaded up the kids and took them to the beach:

They had a great time running from the waves:

And gathering seashells:

A few months ago, someone asked Mathison where his favorite place to visit was. He thought for a minute before replying "The beach." We thought it was hilarious because he'd never been to the beach before! However, on this trip it soon became clear that he absolutely LOVES the beach. In fact, he got quite upset when we stopped him to take this picture: We'll have to take him back soon when it's warm so he can actually play in the waves :)

Portraits of the kids at the beach:

There are no pictures of us at the wedding reception; however, the following two days were spent at Disneyland and I took PLENTY of pictures there! More on that to follow soon :)

A Bit of This and That

2010-11-26T09:39:00.002-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We spent a very nice day with DEl's family by eating a wonderful dinner, playing games, and viewing the newest Harry Potter movie.

We've had a lot going on this past week; here is a quick review with pictures:

Celebrating Mathison's birthday:

Trying a new, very short hairstyle:

Meeting up with Santa:

The production of "Hello Dolly":

When I check back in a couple of days, we should have some fun news and pictures to share :)

Birthday Boy

2010-11-20T09:12:00.006-07:00

My Dear Little Mathison,

Yesterday was your fourth birthday; my, how you are growing up!

Although you view yourself as quite the "big boy", I hope it's okay that you'll always be MY baby :)

We waited such a long time for you to join our family - ten years. When we learned you were coming, we wondered how you would look and what your personality would be like.

With your blond hair and big, blue eyes, you certainly look like a little angel:

However, it didn't take long for us to discover your mischievous side:Yes, you certainly keep us on our toes!

I love the age you are at right now, it seems you always view the world through eyes filled with wonder:

You are constantly on the go; you'd spend all day outside if you could:

You have a cute little sense of humor that keeps us all in stitches:
I love that you fill my day with laughter.

And I love those rare, quiet moments when you stop to take in the world around you:

Each day with you is filled with surprises as you live life to the fullest:

I am so happy you are part of our family, and I can't wait to discover what the next year will bring!

I love you so much!

Mom

Growing UP

2010-11-15T10:45:00.003-07:00

Jefferson was a little frustrated at the beginning of the school year because it seemed that all of his friends had shot up in height over the summer, while he remained about the same.

Well, that's changed; Jefferson has grown about an inch in the last month and doesn't show signs of slowing down any time soon.

And now it's my turn to be frustrated as several pairs of brand new pants we bought him just a few months ago no longer fit.

Sigh.

In other news, Hello Dolly opens this week. You can catch it Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. at Desert Hills High School. And in case one of those days/times doesn't work, there's a Saturday matinee as well. The closing night is next Monday at 7. Jefferson has really enjoyed being part of this production, but I believe he's ready to have some of his "free" time back :)

Makes Me Laugh

2010-11-11T11:13:00.005-07:00

Does anyone out there have a can of "prinkles" on hand?

In case you're wondering, I'm talking about Pringles - which Mathison calls "prinkles". Here are a few other cute mix-ups of his:

"Dark Blader" (hint: he's the villian of Star Wars)

"Froot Loops" (This one doesn't appear to be a mistake, but this is what Mathison sings everytime he hears the song Footloose)

Some of the funniest things to come out of Mathison's mouth is when he decides to quote something from the Spongebob cartoons. For example, the other night he and I were discussing something he'd gotten in trouble for earlier in the day. I must have looked stern and unhappy, because Mat took one look at my face and quipped, "Mom, it looks like someone is NOT in the holiday spirit!"

Another funny Spongebob moment came yesterday when our little guy was taking a shower. I'd asked him to wash himself off, and he grabbed a washcloth and went to work. A short time later, I poked my head in to find Mathison scrubbing under his arms. He looked at me and exclaimed, "No more frozen armpits!" Later on in the day, he was working on something and told me, "Look Mom - it works like a charm!"

Perhaps one of the funniest things Mathison has recently said is something he came up with on his own. About a week ago, I was getting ready for my night class when I noticed Mathison was hiding and looking uncomfortable. Although he his potty trained, he still doesn't like to poop and holds it in as long as possible, and I could tell that's what was happening. As I left, I asked Krissia to keep an eye on him and encourage him to go in the toilet. A short while later, Krissia could tell Mat was ready, so she took him into the bathroom. After settling him on the toilet, Krissia prepared to wait.

Mathison got a little upset and wanted her to get out of the bathroom. Krissia refused; there have been times he's gotten off of the toilet before being wiped and she wanted to prevent that from happening. Krissia explained to her little brother that she would be staying in the bathroom so she could help him when he was finished.

"Okay," Mathison conceded, "but you might want to sit down - it's gonna be a LONG night!"

How grateful I am to have a little one in the house who makes me laugh on such a regular basis :)

Greg Fernley

2010-11-08T12:19:00.003-07:00

No, Greg Fernley is not the name of a celebrity.

Nor is he Krissia's new boyfriend.

Greg Fernley is the name of a HUGE swimming invitational that is sponsored annually by Snow Canyon High School. And when I use the word "huge," I'm not exaggerating. There were over 900 swimmers at the meet.

There were a handful of 3A schools, with the majority of schools representing 4A and 5A powerhouses. Needless to say, the competition was very fierce.

And how well did Miss Kriss do? She won two individual bronze medals - one in the 50 free, the other in the 100 back. The girls who beat her in those races were all from 5A schools, and the races were very close.

We are so proud of our swimmer, and look forward to a successful swimming season :)

Swimming the freestyle:

Competing in backstroke:

A Slight Change of Plans

2010-10-31T23:30:00.005-06:00

A few days ago I posted about the costumes our family wore to the neighborhood Halloween party.

Between then and Halloween, two family members changed their costumes.

Instead of a blond little Chinese fellow, we had the amazing:
SPIDERMAN!!

This is what Mathison originally wanted to wear for the party; this costume is on loan and we hadn't gotten it yet.

As for the second switch, Krissia decided on:

An Avatar.

When the movie first came out, several people commented that the avatar princess reminded them of Krissia. She decided to play up this resemblance; I think she looked great! Krissia was in charge of passing out candy at our house between 6 and 7 p.m., and several trick or treaters who came to our door during that time asked to get their picture taken with her.

Here's a closeup which offers a better look at the detail:
Krissia used blue craft paint on her skin, and although she showered thoroughly last night, she still looked a little aqua this morning at church :) The preparation that took the longest, though, was her hair. It takes a while to section and plait that many braids! It paid off; Krissia won first place last night for "Best Costume" at the Dixie College Halloween Howl. Everyone called her "Avatar Girl".

If there's ever a sequel to the movie, maybe she should audition for a part :)

Got Some Catchin' Up to Do.....

2010-10-29T12:12:00.003-06:00

Things have been a little crazy at the Beatty household!

I have a few pictures to share, but first I'd like to do a quick recap of what's been going on with our family:

Del survived Homecoming week with his sanity intact :) He's also been away a lot recently, attending several college conferences.

We don't see Bronson often, but hear that he is doing well in his classes. He's also applied for an assistant manager position at Iceburg.

Krissia had her first swim meet yesterday, and competed last week in the Miss Teen Utah USA pageant (photos for this will be in next post).

Jefferson is the Deacon quorum president and is busy with scouts, ballroom dancing, and the preparation for "Hello Dolly."

Mathison is taking gymnastics and absolutely LOVES it. He also switched preschool classes last week.

As for myself...sometimes I wonder what the heck I was thinking of when I decided to return to school! It certainly has made my life hectic, but I'm finally starting to relax and enjoy my classes. It's a little hard sometimes to find the time to study, but I got a 94% on my last statistics test - so I must be doing something right! Also, the clinicals for my CNA class begin tomorrow. For the next four Saturdays, I will be spending the afternoons and evenings at a local residential home for the elderly, getting hands-on experience with caring for older patients.

Okay, on to the pictures. What do a cowgirl, newsie, crusader, and Chinese guy have in common?

Answer:These are our Halloween costumes for this year! Our neighborhood hosts an annual chili dinner/Halloween party, and this picture was taken just before we went.

Del brought back this little outfit from China; isn't it adorable?The hair and eyes are the wrong color, but I think Mat looks so cute anyway!

Krissia with her good friend, Makail:Almost everyone - including teenagers and adults - was dressed up for this party. We even had four men from our ward in full Kiss regalia and makeup (sorry, no picture)!

Jefferson designed and sewed this costume BY HIMSELF:The strips of "chain mail" on his sleeves are pop tabs that he hooked together. Talk about creative!

Here is Mathison with his best friend, Kolu:When I see them together, it reminds me of salt and pepper because one is so fair, and the other is dark :) They love playing together!

I hope all of you enjoy a Happy Halloween!

The Funniest Joke Ever

2010-10-20T09:15:00.002-06:00

As we were getting into the van the other day, Mathison came up with this joke:

Mathison: Knock Knock.

Mom: Who's there?

Mathison: Mathison.

Mom: Mathison who?

Mathison: Mathison Kerry Beatty!

He then proceeded to laugh for a good five minutes, he thought it was so funny :)

Now You See Them....

2010-10-15T23:10:00.003-06:00

Now you see them...

...now you don't

Krissia had her braces removed on Wednesday.

The first things she ate were carrot sticks and Milk Duds.

I think she's pretty excited to have them off :)

Fall On Kolob Mountain

2010-10-11T09:52:00.002-06:00

A Serious Case of TMI

2010-10-07T12:34:00.003-06:00

As I posted recently, Mathison has been completely potty trained for a couple of months. For those of you who have tried potty training a child, you know that one way you encourage them to want to use the toilet is by letting him or her watch other family members while they are using the bathroom. You can also spark their interest by talking quite openly about bodily functions, and once they are using the toilet, you frequently ask them if they need to go "pee" or "poo".

Although Mathison's potty training is officially over, it appears that he is still maintaining quite an interest in all things relating to waste elimination.

I have a young piano student I teach on Wednesdays, and he and I began his lesson yesterday with a short discussion of how his family was doing. Mathison had spent an hour at this student's house the night before, and I asked my student how things went.

"Fine, I guess," he answered before quickly mumbling something under his breath.

"What did you say? I missed that last part," I replied.

"Oh, I just said that Mathison said something really gross," my student responded.

I was a little concerned, so I pressed my student for the story. Apparently, Mathison had followed him to the bathroom and REALLY wanted to accompany him inside. When the student said "no", Mathison asked why. The student told him that he was going poo, and that it would be really stinky in there. Mathison told this boy that it was no problem, he'd been in the bathroom before when his mom and dad have gone poo.

Then, Mathison went on to elaborate.

"In fact, last time I saw my mom go poo, she had two really HUGE pieces that filled up the whole toilet!"

My poor student was beet red at this point, and I could tell my cheeks were also pretty rosy. I quickly explained that all little kids are quite interested in these types of things as they are learning to use the toilet, and that Mathison hadn't been potty trained for very long. This answer seemed to satisfy my piano student and we continued with the lesson.

However, he kept glancing sideways at me throughout the lesson, and I know what he was thinking of as he looked at his teacher.

Two really HUGE pieces.

It seems like it's time to relearn some behaviors, before everyone in the neighborhood is informed of my toileting habits!

Zion Pics

2010-09-28T12:21:00.006-06:00

Things have been CRAZY around our house; I'm only now getting around to editing and posting our pics from our Labor Day trip to Zion.

You know what they say - better late than never :)

This post has a TON of pictures. However, I wanted to include as many as possible since Bronson was with us and we really don't get to see much of him anymore.

We hiked two trails. The first was the West Overlook Trail, located by the top entrance of the tunnel. To get to the trail head, you have to drive through the tunnel, which our kids really enjoyed. I had fun as well, as it's been several years since I've been through it.

Dad and the kids:
Mom and her brood:
The craziest thing happened; as we were crossing a bridge near an overhang, another hiker pointed out a mountain goat resting beneath it. The goat was literally right under our feet!
The Beatty kids at the beginning of our hike:
We also hiked the river trail. We brought our swimsuits so we could splash around.

No trip to the river is complete without a good stick:
I like the perspective in this photo:
Our oldest and youngest:
Believe me, the water was cold!
Bronson and Jefferson spent nearly the entire time playing in the mud:

Mat and Kris went exploring together; Mathison adores his older sister!
Del and two sons (I'm not sure where Jeff was):
Krissia found a scaly surprise when she headed back to gather her shirt:
We had a great time and feel blessed to live so close to such beautiful scenery!

Full of "Glee"

2010-09-24T12:08:00.003-06:00

About four weeks ago, DEl threw his back out pretty badly and was flat in bed for 3 days.

It wasn't the best of times, but one good thing did come out of it:
We finally got around to watching "Glee."

Those of you who know my husband well are probably surprised we hadn't yet watched this popular show; after all, DEl was the founder and director of the college performing group "Acclamation" for over a decade. When Glee first aired, it looked cute enough, but for some reason, it seemed like we always had a conflict whenever the show was on.

After the first few episodes, DEl began to get several inquiries from former students who'd ask if he'd watched the show and if it reminded him of the good old days from "Acclamation." We decided to start watching Glee, but by this time it was nearing the end of the 1st season and we didn't want to jump in blindly at that point. We promised ourselves that wait until the season came out on video and watch it then.

However, we never got around to it.

Until DEl found himself bedridden and bored out of his mind :)

After the first episode, he was hooked. He watched the series, then re-watched it with me when I had time to view it. We were both hooked!

Okay, I'll admit the show is a little cheesy at times and some of the characters can be over the top. However, the music is fantastic - and it is quite fun to root for the "underdog" Glee club. Not to mention, this show has one of the best antagonists that has been on TV in quite awhile!

Now, on to the big question - does Glee relate to DEl's experience with Acclamation? In many ways, the answer is.....yes. The in-group romances, the heartbreaks and triumphs, the jealousy and politics of others in the school administration are all reminiscent of the "Accla" days. However, I would like to point out a few obvious, important ways that they differ:

First off, there never was the conundrum of who fathered so-and-so's child. While there have been plenty of "Accla babies", they'll all come legitimately :) And secondly, I've never faked a pregnancy to save our marriage (that is one of the story lines I find a little hard to believe!).

The short, second season of Glee recently came out, and DEl and I have plans to watch it over the weekend. After all, we want to be fully up-to-date when it returns this fall :)

Smirk

2010-09-20T16:07:00.005-06:00

This week's challenge at iheartfaces is "smirk."

And boy, do I have a child with a world class smirk!

I caught this picture at the end of an impromptu shoot with my three year old son; the batteries in my camera were running low and I was just about to call it quits when - voila - this perfect smirk came out of nowhere. I was able to shoot a picture or two before the camera totally died on me. I wish this expression could have been caught at the first when I had fresh batteries; as a result, his face is a little more blurred than I'd like. Oh, well - you just never know what to expect or when to expect it when working with children :)

To see more darling smirks, click on the button below:

On With the Show

2010-09-16T12:56:00.006-06:00

Our teenagers in the above photo are both honing their stage abilities this fall.

Jefferson auditioned for "Hello Dolly," being produced by Desert Hills High School. He was cast as "waiter #4". I think he was a little disappointed at first, but I reassured him it was quite the feat to even be cast, seeing as he's not in high school yet :)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Krissia attends Dixie State College in the mornings. Although our daughter seems very self assured, singing and/or dancing in public has intimidated her since she became a teenager. Krissia decided to push out of her comfort zone and audition for "Ragin' Red," a performing group at Dixie. With the help of her dad, Krissia prepared an awesome audition piece. She has such a darling personality that we felt if she'd only relax and be natural, there was a good chance she'd make it. Krissia felt great about her audition - and she ended up being selected as one of the group's members! She seems to really enjoy rehearsals, and it's fun to watch her try something different.

I know our kids would love to see family members at their performances..."Hello Dolly" runs the Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday before Thanksgiving; I don't have a schedule for Ragin' Red yet, but will post later when I have more info.

Remember This?

2010-09-12T22:51:00.005-06:00

Remember this post about Mathison's "date"?

DEl recently received the following photo from one of the the student leaders, showing Mathison and his Dixie College "lady friends":

I remember getting a phone call once from Jefferson's kindergarten teacher - she was concerned because he kept trying to kiss the girls during circle time.

Looks like we might be headed in that direction again!

Dances, Reunions, and Zion - Oh My!

2010-09-10T09:43:00.003-06:00

Our Labor Day weekend was full of fun family activities!

On Friday, Desert Hills had their Homecoming football game. We played North Sanpete High School, and it was a blowout. In fact, I began to secretly cheer for the other team the last half of the 4th quarter in hopes they could at least score a field goal or something.

We took Mathison along for the second half of the game, and he loved watching the players tackle each other on the field. Near the end of the last quarter, the announcer stated that both teams were taking a timeout. Mathison looked at me with huge eyes, then exclaimed, "Mom, those football players are in time out!" I quickly explained that they weren't in trouble and only needed a break.

DEl and I had a good laugh at that remark :)

Saturday was Peach Days in Hurricane, and also DEl's 25th class reunion. We had a fun time hanging out with family, then attending his reunion dinner. The classmates and their spouses had name tags with their senior pictures on them; what a riot! Let's just say that hairstyles certainly have changed. At the end of the dinner, the reunion chair brought up an interesting proposal - a cruise for the classmates 50th class reunion. Now, a cruise sounds like fun.....but why wait for 25 years when some of the classmates might need canes or walkers to get around with at that time? Not to mention that few will be in the condition to proudly wear swimsuits...so after discussing these concerns, it was decided that they will schedule a cruise for their 35th class reunion, ten years from now.

Saturday was also the Homecoming dance for Desert Hills High School. Why they chose Labor Day weekend for this event is beyond me; as we were in Hurricane all day, we unable to help Krissia with her preparations for the dance. Luckily, a few of her friends from Dixie College stepped in to save the day :) These pictures were taken by one of those girls:

Krissia with her date, Austin. This is the first dance where she's had a date taller than herself:
Krissia had a great time, but came home with a raging case of pinkeye. This happened at the last dance, too; she's going to have to stop dancing so closely with her dates :)

We spent Sunday visiting our families for dinner and FHE, and Monday morning we headed to Zion:

Bronson had the day off, and we enjoyed having his company. I plan to post later with more pictures and details of our Zion trip.

All in all, we had a wonderful time....but come Monday evening, we were all worn out from our non-stop weekend. In fact, I caught a cold the next day; but it was worth the time we were able to spend together!

Goodbye to a Good Friend

2010-09-04T23:39:00.003-06:00

One week ago, we said goodbye to a very dear friend.

Ji Hye returned to Korea:
Our family had a wonderful time with Ji Hye while she was here; she is a very sweet with a great personality.

Some of our favorite moments with our Korean friend include:
*going to the shooting range for her very first time (where she out-shot us all!)
*our Temple Square trip
*playing "Yahtzee"
*comparing American animal sounds to Korean animal sounds (yes, they are different)
*introducing her to both of our large, extended families
*our overnight trip to the cabin

We are SO glad we offered to become a host family; otherwise, we would have missed out on getting to know such a great person. Ji Hye, we know that you will be a wonderful English teacher in Korea and will do well in whatever you decide to do in your life. Please know that your American family misses you and wishes you the very best for your future!

Back to School

2010-08-31T23:45:00.003-06:00

During he past three years at Dixie College they've held an opening convocation on the Sunday after classes begin. This year, the speaker was the governor of Utah...and because of DEl's position at the college we were able to meet him personally:

He and his wife are quite short; the rest of us almost seem like giants in comparison :)

In the past two and a half weeks, the entire Beatty household has returned to school. It began with public school, with Dixie college starting classes one week ago, then finally Mathison's preschool began last Thursday. Krissia is enrolled in classes at Dixie in the mornings and returns to high school after lunch, which makes for three Beatty students roaming the college campus.

You read correctly - I said three. Bronson, Krissia...and myself.

That's right, I'm back in school.

I was in school full time prior to becoming pregnant with Mathison and always planned on returning someday. Two weeks ago, I decided quite suddenly that "someday" is now.

Things are a little crazy as I try to rearrange my schedule to fit in classes and homework in addition to my duties as a homemaker. I'm only taking 7 credits right now, which I feel is perfect considering I have a young child at home. Also, one of my classes is a statistics class and I know I'm going to need all the extra study time I can get!

I'm excited - and a little nervous as I return to school. I just hope I can somehow hold it together and keep my sanity this year!

Awesome Andra Family

2010-08-27T23:08:00.006-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to photograph my sister Nicole's kids. They are really cute, and it was fun trying to capture each of their personalities. I spent a little more time with Camryn because she's a baby and the ONLY girl in the family :)

Here are a few of the finished pictures:

Ladies' Man

2010-08-23T23:32:00.004-06:00

Last Friday night, our family was at an event at the college. Mathison has made friends with several of this year's student government leaders - especially the girls - and he was quick to seek them out.

At one point, Mathsion was surrounded by several female students. He glanced around, then proudly announced,"Hey guys, look - I'm on a DATE with one...two...three girls!"

The girls at Dixie State College had better watch out; there's a new guy on campus :)

Adorable Adeline

2010-08-18T11:43:00.004-06:00

Last week I spent some time taking pictures of my niece Adeline who turns two in a couple of weeks. She is so expressive, and I just love her beautiful brown eyes!

Here are some of my favorites from the shoot:

Waiting for Tomorrow

2010-08-15T23:15:00.003-06:00

School started just a few days ago; my how the summer has flown by!

Seriously, like "blink of an eye" fast.

It got me thinking about the many things we had on our fun "to do" list for the summer - things that never were done.

Like swimming at Veyo and attending the greenshow at the Utah Shakespearean Festival.

Why did these activities get skipped?

It wasn't because we didn't think they'd be fun. Rather, we just kept putting them off.

Until "tomorrow."

And now, the tomorrows of our summer have run out and the chances have gone.

You might be asking at this point, why the sentimentality?

This picture was taken at Pine Valley last Monday on our last "official" summer outing.

Yes, they are cute kids :)

But there are only THREE of them in the photo.

One of our children has flown the coop, and by this time next year, Krissia will be ready to do the same.

It's hit me that our "tomorrows" with her at home are becoming numbered very quickly.

So, I've resolved to ensure that we spend more time doing and less time planning.

After all, the best day is.....TODAY.

Beatty Reunion 2010

2010-08-10T23:21:00.008-06:00

The Beatty Reunion was held in St. George this year, as DEl and I were in charge.

We met at a nearby park in the morning for some socializing and sports. There was basketball and tennis, as well as a sand volleyball court nearby. It had been three years since a group picture was taken, so Mom wanted to get one. While we were at it, we took a few other shots. These pics were taken very quickly, and with my point and shoot camera...but I think they turned out okay.

The 2010 Beatty Clan, missing a few members of Rick's family.

The Beatty Grandkids, with Grandma and Grandpa.

Mom and Dad Beatty with their children.

The Beatty girls.

The Beatty boys.

We went to our church building for lunch, relays, and a fabulous talent show:

Everyone pitched in to help clean up the church before heading over to the Dixie College Swimming Pool, where we concluded our activities. It was great to spend time with everyone, especially Troy and Denise's family as we don't get to see them very often.

All in all, it was a very fun day.....but I have to admit I'm glad our turn to host only rolls around every four or five years :)

Disappearing Act

2010-08-05T10:51:00.005-06:00

It's been the strangest thing.

We've seen a lot less of this little guy in our home:

And a whole lot more of these guys:

Usually, they make their appearance when Mathison is asked to do something or gets into trouble. Here's an example:

Me: Mathison, it's time to clean up your toys now

Mat: I'm NOT Mathison! I'm Spiderman!

Me: Okay, Spiderman - it's time to clean up your toys now.

Spiderman (Mat): No! I need to finish taking care of these bad guys.

But, as soon as it's time for a treat or to go somewhere special, Mathsion magically appears again.

Amazing :)

Mountain Escape

2010-07-31T22:28:00.011-06:00

We spent the night at DEl's parents' cabin on Kolob a week ago, and it was wonderful.

Instead of 100+ degree heat, the temperature stayed in the low to mid seventies during the day.

Perhaps it wasn't quite as relaxing as usual, as we had three families with a combined total of fifteen kids (ten under ten years) all sleeping under one roof.

But it was fun :)

This photo was taken during the drive there; we stopped several times so JiHye could take pictures of the beautiful scenery which many of us locals take for granted:

A trip to the cabin wouldn't be complete without a hike to "the knoll":

This was the only pic I got of Jefferson, as he was "gone fishin" most of the day:

On top of the knoll:The views up there are incredible!

During our trip, I experimented a little with scenic photography. These first two pictures are of West Zion:

This is the backside of Kolob Canyons. The curve in the cliffs on the left is a natural rock arch, which can only be seen from this view a few hours during midday, when the sun shines through it (the other "arch" is just an indentation on the cliff):

This was taken on top of "the knoll"; the mountain in the background is Pine Valley:

It was raining as we drove home:

We're looking forward to our next mountain escape :)

Purple

2010-07-27T19:57:00.004-06:00

This week's challenge at iheartfaces is "purple." Here is my entry:
This photo of my teenager was taken in a moment of fun at a neighborhood Halloween party. I love how the purple complements her dark hair, yet contrasts with the greenery behind her.

Mission Accomplished

2010-07-23T12:26:00.003-06:00

I am happy to report that we are officially diaper and pull-up free.

Mathison has been going "number one" consistently in the toilet since January, but has really struggled on the other end (terrible pun, I know). I had plans to finish things up at the end of spring, but that's when Mathison had his cast put on. So, as soon as we returned home from his final cast removal, I put away his pull-ups, crossed my fingers, and began "Operation Big Boy Pants".

It's actually been easier than I thought it would be, and I'm happy to report that Mathison has only had one minor accident in the past 2 weeks.

Oh happy, happy, day. Our family is through with diapers (and potty training) FOREVER.

Mission accomplished!

Victory never smelled so sweet :)

A Loss and a Gain

2010-07-19T09:35:00.002-06:00

We've had some big changes in the Beatty household the past week and a half.

First, we said goodbye to this guy:
Bronson has decided it was time to cut the apron strings and move out on his own. With DEl's help, he found a place in town with two other Dixie College students. Bronson must really be enjoying this time on his own; we only saw him once last week. He believes he'll have enough funds to see him through at least until the end of fall semester. We miss him - especially Mathison, who worries that Bronson is no longer part of our family. However, I know that being out on his own will is a good thing for our oldest son at this point of his life.

A couple of days after Bronson moved out, we received a new member of the family:
This is Ji Hye (pronounced Gee Hay), a college-aged Korean exchange student we are hosting for the remainder of the summer. She is taking part in an educational internship sponsored through the Washington County School District. Ji Hye is a very sweet girl, and gets along with our family very well. Krissia has been so excited to have a "sister" to hang out with in the evenings and on the weekends :) Ji Hye and Mathison have formed a very special relationship; she is very patient with him and seems amused by many of the things he says and does. In fact, when DEl recently asked Ji Hye what her favorite part of her experience has been so far, she replied with a smile, "Mathison!"

I wish I could keep my kids with me and protect them from the world....but life moves on. Things change, and we must change with them. For every down, there is an up; for every loss, a gain. And when the time comes for a child to spread his wings, all one can do is hope he will remember the lessons that will help him to fly.

This is easy to say, so much harder to do! I'm sure I'll be a basket case again when Krissia's turn comes :)

Essscape Artist

2010-07-16T16:08:00.007-06:00

Meet Chesster:

He's the newest member of our family. We found him in the middle of the road last Saturday evening while driving around in Washington Fields. The original plan was to just move him off of the road, but somehow Jefferson sweet-talked his way into keeping the snake on a trial basis.

We found a large rubber tote to keep him in at home, and picked up a few supplies at the pet store on Monday. Things were going pretty well at this point, and it looked like Chesster was here to stay.

That all changed Monday night.

Jefferson had been keeping the snake downstairs in our family room, and needed a way to keep the cage above 80 degrees. He came up with a good plan - he cut a small hole in the lid, underneath a hatch door. He covered the opening with packaging tape, then positioned a small lamp to shine in the hole. It had worked well the night before, with Jefferson turning out the lamp when he went to bed. As I prepared to go to bed on Monday, I decided to check if he'd remembered to turn off the snake's lamp. I leaned over the railing and realized that the light had indeed been left on. As I straightened up, something on the stairs caught my eye.

It was our 3.5 foot king snake, resting on a step about halfway up the staircase.

Talk about a shock! It's a good thing I'm not a screamer, or the whole house would have awakened right then. I ran into our bedroom to grab DEl, only to find he'd just gotten into the bathtub. When I breathlessly told him about finding the snake on the stairs, he said,

"Hon, I just got into the bathtub....what do you want me to do about it?"

I guess I didn't play up the damsel in distress quite well enough. I decided that there was no harm in having the snake on the stairs while my husband finished his bath; we could catch it together when he was done.

It was a great plan except for one thing - when I walked back to the stairs, the snake was gone.

At first, I thought that perhaps I had just imagined seeing the snake the first time as it was rather dark in the hallway. This hope was proved wrong as I saw the snake again, this time slithering towards the open door to Krissia's bedroom. She was gone, but I knew we'd have a hard time finding Chesster if he got loose in there.

So I put on my big girl pants and caught the snake. By myself.

While putting the snake back into its cage, I saw that it had worked the tape loose in one corner, which allowed it to slither away. Determined to prevent this from happening again, I moved the lamp and shut the hatch - covering the hole completely. I wasn't worried about lack of air getting into the cage, as we had punched several small holes in the top. I went back upstairs, satisfied with my solution.

I began reading a book; about 10 minutes into it, I decided to check on Chesster. He was directly under the hatch, trying to peel the tape away with his head. 'Smart snake,' I thought as I turned out the light and went upstairs again. I read for a few more minutes before deciding to prepare for bed. As I was brushing my teeth, I decided it wouldn't hurt to check on the snake one last time.

When I turned on the light, it revealed an empty cage. Upon closer examination, I could see that the hatch had been pushed ajar and Chesster was on the loose again.

At that point, I was thinking we should have named that snake "Houdini."

There was no way I was doing this on my own this time around. I ran upstairs to grab DEl, then together we woke up Jefferson. We desperately hoped that the snake was too big to fit under the storage room door, as we have boxes of Christmas decorations that it could lose itself indefinitely in. Luckily, the snake hadn't wandered too far; the boys found it in the corner of the family room, burrowing under some blankets. After depositing Chesster inside his house YET AGAIN, I decided the best place for it would be outside. We set the cage on the basement stairs, with a heavy book over the hatch, and hoped it would be there in the morning. Well, at least Jefferson was hoping it would still be there.

So far, Chester has remained in his home, although we've found a permanent place in the garage for him to stay. Now that the threat of having a snake running loose in our house has subsided, I've actually quite enjoyed having him around - I didn't realize that snakes were so fascinating to watch. We haven't been able to get the snake to eat yet - we've tried frozen mice twice (yes, I know it sounds gross) without much luck. We're going to try a live mouse tomorrow; if that doesn't work, we'll have to release the snake back into the wild. Jefferson will be sad.

And surprisingly ...so will I.

Sweet Sophi

2010-07-12T16:54:00.008-06:00

On the 4th of July, I decided to do a quick little photo shoot of my niece, Sophi. She will turn two next month, and is just as cute as can be! After ignoring me for the first few minutes, she really started playing it up for the camera. That lasted for about 10 minutes before she was DONE.

It was quick, but I think we were able to get some good shots. If you have time to leave a comment, I'd appreciate learning which ones are your favorites as I am playing around with different editing techniques.

Thanks!

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July 4th

2010-07-08T22:20:00.010-06:00

The past few years, we've held the Kerry Gubler family reunion on the Fourth of July. We had a great time celebrating our nation's birthday with our loved ones!

I took plenty of pictures at my parents' house, and I tried to include at least one picture of someone from each of my siblings' families in this post. Except you, Shawnee - I think Benson was pretty much in the house the entire time :) Oh, and Matt, since he and his family are in Kentucky (I think I've covered everyone now).

Some of the kids gathered in Grandpa's garden to set off smoke bombs:

Here's Jefferson overseeing the detonation of the "bombs":

Adri's eyes are so pretty; and yes, they really are this blue:

I love how Sofi seems totally oblivious while Adeline is posing for the picture:

Mathison, showing me his "Avatar" stick and pose:

Jett has the cutest smile:

Ethan seems pretty engrossed by the garden fireworks:

Adeline is waiting for the talent show to start:

Jaylee had just finished some of Grandpa's homemade ice cream:

Jefferson and Carter just chillin' on the swing:

My beautiful teenager:

Great buddies:

Sofi finally started to ham it up for the camera:

Cole in his tiger suit for the talent show:

Of course, we ended the evening with fireworks:

Mathison kept a safe distance from his sparkler:

A shutter delay produces some cool effects:
Our family had a great time together, and we are already looking forward to next year!

19 and 20

2010-07-01T10:57:00.005-06:00

It's been a big week for our family.

On June 24th, our oldest child celebrated his nineteenth birthday:It seems like yesterday that Bronson made his entrance into the world 4.5 weeks early, weighing in at a frail 5lbs 9oz. He became very ill when he was only a week old, spending 8 days in the NICU for various infections. It was a scary time.

Bronson just finished his first year of college, and is looking forward to continuing his education at Dixie. He is currently working two jobs, and hopes to have enough money saved up by Christmas to be able to move out. A mission is not in Bronson's plans at this time, although we hope this will change at some point :)

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary.

It was a huge one.

The big 2 0.

Twenty years. I have now officially been married for longer than half of my life.

With a child that's now 19, 20 years of marriage under my belt, and my 40th birthday coming up next winter, I feel......old.

How did my husband and I celebrate this momentous occasion?

In a way that represents our lives at this point. DEl is currently in the middle of producing the Miss Nevada Pageant in Mesquite, so the kids and I drove down to spend a few hours with him during one of his breaks. We swam for a couple of hours, then had dinner together. I know it's not every couple's dream to spend their anniversary with their children; but for me, this picture represents what our last twenty years have been all about:

Who knows - perhaps we'll get lucky and be able to sneak away for a couple of days when things slow down a bit in the fall :)

Miss Utah Weekend

2010-06-29T08:31:00.004-06:00

Two weeks ago was the Miss Utah competition. Attending this event has become a tradition for my husband and I; in the many years we've been married, I can only think of a couple of times when we were not there together. Normally, we try to make it a kid-free vacation, but there have been a few years when the kids have come for one reason or another. This year Krissia and Mathison came with us, as Mathison had an appointment to remove his cast, and Krissia wanted to help cheer on Miss Dixie College. The three of us drove up on Thursday, joining my husband who had been in SLC since Tuesday.

The Miss Utah pageant is the second largest one in the nation with over 50 girls competing. As a result, there are four nights of competition - three preliminary nights, and one final night where the top ten contestants compete. This was taken just after the Thursday night preliminaries:DEl and I are with Alana Lee, Miss Dixie College. She is a very intelligent, energetic girl who has done a great job as Miss Dixie College. Prior to the Dixie Homecoming competition, Alana had never competed in a pageant before. She worked very hard at preparing for the state pageant and represented Dixie College very well.

Krissia had stayed at the hotel with Mathison on Thursday evening, so on Friday it was my turn to entertain him during the pageant. We decided to walk down to the Gateway. There happened to be a sidewalk chalk festival going on at that time, and it was fun to walk around and look at all of the colorful pictures:

We also discovered a fun water feature. Mathison was a little unsure at first:
But he finally found the courage to join in the fun:

On Saturday, I took Krissia and Mathison to see Toy Story 3 while DEl was in a director's meeting. It was a very good movie! However, there is a very intense part near the end that really upset Mathison; I had to actually take him out of the theater for a few minutes. DEl's niece, Mariann, and her husband Nathan were kind enough to watch Mathison Saturday night so that DEl, Krissia, and I were able to attend the final night together. Mathsion loved playing with their son Talon, and has been asking ever since for Talon to come to our house and play :)

It was a fun little getaway, and we look forward to going again next year. Hopefully, without the kids :)

One Terrific Teen

2010-06-22T22:03:00.002-06:00

The iheartfaces site challenge this week is teens.

I have three teens - two boys and a girl. I chose to showcase my wonderful daughter this time:This picture was recently taken on the evening of her junior prom, just a few moments before her date arrived. I love the youthful excitement on her face, which is offset by the beautiful woman she is developing into.

I sure love this girl :)

You Don't Say......

2010-06-20T22:49:00.003-06:00

Our three year old has been saying some of the funniest things lately! Here are just a few of the phrases which have kept me in stitches:

Mathison (to Krissia): I am so sweaty it's gross. Krissia, what does 'sweaty' mean?

Mathison: Mom, I'm hungry and drinky.

Me (to Mathison): Mathison, it's time to go pee in the toilet now.
Mathison: Sorry, Mom - but I'm just all out.

Mathison (at least once a day): Well, when I was a kid...(then he tells a story)

Mathison: Mom, could you please turn around so I can kick your butt?

(My personal thanks to Sponge Bob for this last comment, as we don't speak like that in our house!)

I Heart Faces - Baby Challenge

2010-06-15T09:21:00.003-06:00

This is my sweet niece, Camryn. This session was my first attempt at photographing a newborn; it was more challenging than I expected :) However, I felt I was able to get some pretty good shots.

To see more pictures of adorable babies, click HERE.

Wild Weather!

2010-06-12T17:53:00.004-06:00

We've had some unsettled weather the past couple of days in Southern Utah; it's almost as if it's trying to make up for the past 2 months without rain in the past 36 hours.

Today was an extended Beatty Family reunion held in Toquerville. During the reunion, I noticed it had clouded up and tried to rain a bit. Afterwards, I decided to take the two younger boys over to my parents' house in LaVerkin. They weren't home, but while we were there, a severe thunderstorm hit.

It started up with about ten minutes of hail, coupled with some pretty intense thunder and lightning: The hail was quite large, and it was sticking on everything so it looked like it had snowed!

Next, came the rain:This is taken off of my parents' back porch. Water was just dumping from the sky.

Here's a view out of the front door:

As soon as it had slowed down a bit, we raced to the van so we could begin driving home. Here's a picture of a parking lot in Hurricane; notice that the ground, roofs, and vehicles all have a layer of hail on them:

And the main street of Hurricane was like a small river:

We made it safely to St. George...where it was just as sunny as could be. However, we must have brought the storm with us because within the hour the sky had darkened, the thunder began to crack, and the rain came poring down again.

Crazy stuff!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2010-06-07T23:16:00.002-06:00

Mathison has a great memory and can often quote scenes from television shows he's seen only one or two times. Lately, he's also been "acting" out some of those scenes.

This seemed harmless enough - until today.

Mathison, Krissia, and I were shopping at Deseret Industries. Mathison was hiding in the clothing racks, and every once in a while he'd jump out and "scare" us. Suddenly, I realized he hadn't jumped out in a while and wondered what he was up to.

It didn't take me long to find out.

"I'm changing my underwear, Mom!" he shouted as he exited the rack...without his pants on. Luckily, he hadn't taken off his pull-ups yet at that point. I thought Krissia was going to pass out, she was laughing so hard.

After I put his shorts and shoes back on, I asked Mathison why he had taken his clothes off in the store.

"Do you remember the time when Max and Ruby were in the store and Max runs out of the dressing room and surprises Ruby?" he answered. "That's what I was doing."

Yes, I remember that episode. Max the bunny actually comes out of the dressing room without one stitch of clothing on. I guess I should feel lucky it was only shoes and shorts that my young son ditched....and nothing more :)

Ye Olde Days

2010-06-01T09:51:00.004-06:00

DEl, Jefferson, Mathison, and I had the opportunity to attend a medieval fair over Memorial Day weekend. The boys had a great time!

We'd just missed the jousting, but were still able to see a few of the knights walking around:

For only one dollar, you could buy five rotten tomatoes and hurl them at a poor fellow in the stocks. It was called "Tomato Torture" : Out of all the people we watched, Jeff came the closest to hitting the guy on the face by clipping one of his ears. Gross.

There was a petting zoo, where we were able to feed some baby animals:
Daddy even got in on the fun:

There were some adolescents staging a mock battle, and Jefferson just had to join in:

I think Mathison enjoyed "the olde playground" just as much as anything else:

We had a good time, and hope to return next year!

A Riddle

2010-05-26T12:50:00.003-06:00

What do the states New Jersey, Ohio, Colorado, Iowa, and California have in common?

Here's a hint:

And the answer?

They are home to the colleges and universities which have contacted our daughter the past month in regards to their swimming programs.

Way to go, Krissia!

Cousins

2010-05-23T22:35:00.004-06:00

This post is only, um, several weeks overdue.

Here are a few pics I shot of the Gubler cousins at Easter. Please don't feel left out if your child isn't in any of them; I only shot the younger crowd (under five) who were hanging out by Mathison. My apologies :)

Love the different personalities present in this picture:

Mathison and Jett had a great time hanging out together; to look at them, you'd never guess there is a 13 month gap between their ages:

Mathison loves "Baby" Adeline (his name for her):

Sophia in a playful moment:

Guess who got lipstick in their Easter basket?

Here is another picture of Jaylee - this one was taken during our trip to Vegas in February:

Don't my kids have the cutest cousins? (This goes for the ones not pictured, as well!)