~Yummy~

What Sunday meal is not complete with homemade rolls? Needless to say I made a gazillion rolls yesterday and Boy, they were delicious! Had to show a photo.

Jensen's All Time Favorite Meal

Chicken Bundles

On Friday I made Jensen's all time favorite dinner...Chicken Bundles. Rolls with chicken, ham, cheese and spices. She was one happy girl. She has loved these since she was little. It made the hard week of school disappear.

Now, what to cook tonight??

the "BIG" day...

Monday morning came so quickly. The summer flew by. I am not sure what we did and where all the time went, but here we are back to routines and schedules.

Scott gave beautiful blessings to the kids on Sunday. Listening to them brought tears to my eyes.
Mackenzie is in her last year in High School. Yep! If you weren't aware, she decided to graduate a year early. So this was her last "first day of school" picture. She is excited for this year; driving to school, classes with Seniors, dating, dances and most importantly the last year of Swim Team!

Its hard to believe that next year she will be in college.


Jensen is a Freshman and just starting High School. I can't believe both girls are in High School. They were just little girls not so long ago.


Alec...glad he didn't have to get up at 5:00 like his sisters. Now he is a big kid at school. His class is finally upstairs and he gets to play on the "BIG" playground. He was very excited for Monday.

as is customary...

As is customary in our home, at the age of 14 you get to start learning how to drive. Today was not different, only that it was Jensen's turn at the wheel.

This was her first time and the nerves were enormous. It probably didn't help that everyone was in the car. Practice sessions consist of driving in a church parking lot. You get use to the feel of the car, gas, brake, using the mirrors, backing up and parking.

Being her first time it was about getting her acquainted with the car.

I remember when the girls were 4 and 2. They had a Barbie jeep that they would drive down the street to Aunt Tawnya's house. I say "they", but Kenzie was the only one that would drive. Jensen was terrified and her job was to be the passenger and talk on the phone. She did it really well.

It seems that some things have not changed. Jensen was very overwhelmed with driving. The gas and brake, steering and being on the look out.

After a few minutes she seemed to get the feel of Scott's car. His is the only car...we have 2 SUV's. Which are not easy to learn on.

As she backed out of a parking space and started to pull through the parking lot, she began to navigate a turn and as she turned she was cutting too close to the curb. Scott grabbed the wheel as she panicked and pushed the gas. Wind shield wipers were going, there was a big scrap, bump and bang and there we were on the church sidewalk in Scott's car (a little Mazda 3).

There was no yelling. Everyone exited the car and looked at the scene. Thank heavens no one was at the church. Needless to say the rim is scrapped and the tire is ripped, but the whole time both Scott and I were calm and collected. Jensen was freaked out.

Scott got the car off the curb and had Jensen get back in and drive a little more.

Jensen is not a natural at driving. We are going to have to work on this and it will require a lot of patience. Hopefully no more damage to vehicles.

Amazing how quickly that little 2 year old became a 14 year old eager to learn to drive. Boy, how the time flies!

Road Trip!

We took a family (minus Jensen) vacation to Utah over July 4th.

Here are just a few of the highlights.

Salt Lake Temple...so beautiful!

FIREWORKS! Can't be done in Arizona

Slip and Slide down the hill

A little work had to be done...

Scott and Kenzie working on Trig
Open House at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple

This was fabulous! I was sad that Jensen was not there with us.
Picture courtesy of Kenzie (wow!)

We also fit in some tours of colleges for Kenzie.

I can't believe she is a year away.
Lunch at Training Table.

This was a BIG hit!

Cousins at Kangaroo Zoo

The trip was fabulous. We had a great time and enjoyed some beautiful weather. I miss the cool mornings and evenings. We were able to go see "Transformers." Alec loved it! Baked LOTS of treats, made jewelry, did some shopping and relaxed.

The week went fast. Thanks Mom and Dad for a great time!

off she went...

We arrived home on Friday the 19th at 10:30 AM. We were a day late getting home from Europe. We frantically started laundry and packing for our resident ballerina to leave the next morning at 7:00 AM.

No time for jet lag or sleep. There was LOTS to accomplish. Packing a teenager for a month is work. One giant suitcase was full of ballet miscellaneous and dorm room paraphernalia.

She has been gone for one week now and BOY OH BOY do we miss her. It was so hard to send her off. I have sympathy for moms and their missionaries. It pulls at those heart strings. I am lucky in that I get to talk to her each evening and she will be home in a month.

This is Wayne State University in Detroit. Jensen's home for a month. She dances here and at Detroit Opera House.

The schedule is grueling to say the least. Up at 7, eat, get ready and off to classes. She dances from about 9 to 5:30 each day. Some nights there are rehearsals and there are Saturday classes. Her one day off is Sunday and she will be attending church with some members in Detroit. They are so kind to pick up Jensen and her friend and keep them for the day. Church members are amazing.

Jensen is LOVING this experience. Not liking the food so much. She has a great roommate and is making loads of friends. We are proud of her and are counting down the days until she returns.

~France and England~

Bonjour!!

The girls and I and my mom on the Seine River in Paris

Over looking Paris from 59 stories above


This sums it all up

Lunch

The best Macaroons ever and Chocolate!!

Crepes at Notre Dame

Monet's Water Lily Pond

Arc de Triumphe

AMAZING!!

The gardens at Versailles

Notre Dame

Stained glass in Notre Dame

Sisters

Kenzie's photo of lilies at Monet's

Big Ben and Parliament

The London Eye

London Bridge

Hampton Court

Home of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn

Stone Henge

Just a few highlights from an incredible trip. It was so fun to share with my girls and my mom. We saw so much history, culture and filth. The girls enjoyed taking pictures of everything from flowers, buildings and doors. They enjoyed the vast contrast to America. Although it was smelly, dirty and gross at times; it was the trip of a lifetime.

They learned to ride the Metro and the Tube and did great! We were stranded on the french freeway for a couple hours and they made the best of it. We walked, ran, strolled, ate baguettes everyday for lunch and were exhausted at the end of each day.

Saw castles, palaces, cathedrals, changing of the guard at Buckingham, WICKED, countryside in France and England, rode the Eurostar and in the end got stuck in Chicago coming home.

This trip was amazing, incredible, exhausting, thrilling, frustrating and challenging. I will treasure this experience always. So much fun to have the girls and my mom along. Can't wait to go again!

We are off......

The girl's and I are off bright and early tomorrow morning to go here...

and here!!!

We are excited, nervous and will miss the boys a LOT!!!

By the way...these are actual pictures that Scott took on

our trip to London and Paris 3 years ago.

Can't wait to show the girls.