CongerMania

Christmas Eve…

2010-12-27T21:18:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas eve bowling - an Abbott family tradition!

Bowling on Christmas eve has been a tradition in the Abbott family for a long time. It was one of Ali's brother Steve's favorite things to do, and one of a few things he continued to do very well at after his brain injury. The legacy lives on and the kids have all gotten better, and usually beat the adults.

Just chillin' between turns.

The adults!

Grandpa!

Nana impressing everyone with her bowling skills even after her knee replacement last year.

Girl cousins!

The boys!

After bowling, we went to Nana and Grandpa’s house for more Christmas traditions. We started with dinner, prepared completely by Nana and Grandpa. We usually go over to their house the night before to set the tables for elegance. They prepared a delicious prime rib dinner that we absolutely LOVE.

Nana, Dave, Ali, Stephanie, Michael, Nelson, Kirstin (Lisa up from the table) & Kib

Justin, Jacob, Caoline, David, Brittney, Lindsey, Katie and Matthew

After dinner, Santa came for an early visit with gifts for all.

All of the girls got these cute headbands!

The boys got an array of goods. Matthew thought he and David were the luckiest with the marshmallow guns.

After Santa’s visit, of course we couldn’t leave out the great Nativity. I would have to say with the kids growing up, the time preparation is going down and the quality is going up

We have been rotating through to give everyone a chance to play the leading roles. This year, we realized everyone had had a turn, so we elected our two oldest cousins there that night to be Mary and Joseph. What great sports we have.

Justin and Jacob were the shepherds. Lindsey was the angel. Caroline, David and Brittney were the wise men. Katie was the accompanist and Matthew was the donkey (he was not in this picture I copied from Kirstin and my pictures didn’t turn out, but the memory is there.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Posted by Kirstin at 10:32 PM

Gingerbread houses!

2010-12-14T13:47:00.001-08:00

We had our annual gingerbread decorating contest at Lisa's house.

Girls vs. Boys.

Here are the girls with their house. They made and decorated the North Pole complete with elves and presents inside! They even decorated one side of the roof with an 80's style pattern, hoping to appeal to the judges!

And here are the boys with their gingerbread "house." The boys declared before the contest began that they felt as though they have been "ripped off" in past years because the judging panel (the mom's) don't always appreciate their designs. Reminder: last year they decorated the death of Osama Bin Laden complete with army men and blood and Santa holding a gun as the shooter. They tried to explain that would mean world peace, but still lost to the Girls.

So this year, the boys went for full out judge manipulation! They made a decoration in honor of Seour Pearce, who is serving a mission in Paris France, and "sharing the Gospel, and spreading Good will and Peace!" heehee. Notice the church building (where Jordan attends church and the "Called to Serve" (in french) banner at the top. Obviously, they played the heartstrings and it played off. It almost brought Cindi to tears.

The girls were very good with detail and workmanship. Every year it is amazing to see how creative both teams can be. Definitely a lot more fun than your typical gingerbread house.

The boys celebrating their victory!

The judges. We have told everyone we will start accepting bribes for next years contest, beginning....now

‘Tis the Season–Dave’s 40th Birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas cheer

2010-12-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

Brittney is in 5th grade and studying US History. Mrs. Bishop had the kids prepare a readers theater about the Revolution and Constitution. The kids did a great job and you have to love the teachers, Mrs. Conrad and Mrs. Bishop are both just a few years from retiring but look at how nice they are. They still enjoy their job and their students. How thankful we are for good teachers.

Matthew earned his Bobcat

Yes, Dave celebrated the big “4-0” Ali granted his wish by not having a surprise party or big celebration, so it was a GREAT birthday!

Although Dave is a University of Utah graduate, he enjoys BYU football, so we got tickets for our family to enjoy the game on his birthday – good sport Dave”

We spent Thanksgiving in St. George at Nana and Grandpa’s house. It was a lot of fun. It was definitely different going to a restaurant for dinner, but very relaxing and nobody complained. We had plenty of time to play games, watch movies and finish our 1000 piece puzzle. Lindsey and Nana were great hosts. They had hot chocolate ready for us when we returned from finding treasure golf balls.

Brittney is in Edgemont’s band and plays the clarinet. She has practiced hard and was able to play with the 6th grade band as a 5th grader.

Lindsey sings with Centennial’s Girl’s Ensemble and the Bell Choir. She has enjoyed it a lot.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Lisa had a pumpkin carving party at her house and it was a lot of fun. It is sort of weird when your kids are all old enough to carve their own pumpkins and they look great –new milestone.

Katie and Lindsey are both Harry Potter fans, so their pumpkins were a duet tribute.

Matthew the Military Man. There was a huge rain storm that hit us hard. We decided not to shy away from the trick or treating, but just be prepared. Dave and Ali had perfect Shamu costumes – not sure we wanted to be whales. They were our ponchos from the “slash zone.” We decided rather than being whales, we could be SeaWorld fanatics. Matthew picked up his poncho at the Army Surplus store. He is definitely a military fanatic.

Brittney and her friends had fashionable rain gear

Eight is Great!

2010-10-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

October was a great month. Matthew turned 8 years old and got to celebrate in many ways!

He had his birthday party a little early, so he could have a swimming party at Nana’s and Grandpa’s pool. It was tons of fun.

He and Dave did an official backpack and overnighter. They hiked to Notch Lake, near Kamas, Utah.

He started Cub Scouts and loves it. He got to participate in a flag retiring ceremony at his firs Pack meeting. It was REALLY cool! It was a first for the whole family. He also got to make and shoot off his rockets and he had a really good launch. He’s thinking about becoming a rocket scientist.

The ward campout was on his ACTUAL birthday and so he had the biggest birthday party EVER!

Matthew’s baptism was definitely the best part of being 8. He was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on October 30, 2010.

Ali, Matthew and Dave Sam, Matthew and Coleman

Mrs. Garner Family fun!

Fall Sports. You name it, we did it!

2010-10-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

Wow! Matthew can really move and he as the sweat to prove it.

Matthew and Brittney were both valuable players on their teams this season. Matthew is all action. He is becoming very good friends with the boys on his team and LOVES it. Soccer is his sport of choice for the moment. Come to think of it, he loves whatever sport happens to be in season. Brittney is a GREAT defensive player and really guards the goal well. She was on a team with lots of friends too, which is half the fun.

Flag Football was a lot of fun for Matthew. It was his first year and he enjoyed playing, Quarterback, Running Back, Receiver and line positions. Making touchdowns were definitely the highlights of the season.

Lindsey decided to skip soccer this year and she cheered at Centennial Middle School. She made lots of new friends and loved cheering. We had fun watching her games. She cheered for the football team and they went to the State playoffs and got 2nd place, so that made it even more exciting.

Lindsey and Abbie had their own “little sister” following.

It was a great year – no major injuries!

As soon as soccer and football ended, Matthew moved right on with Jr. Jazz basketball. It was really fun because there were lots of friends again. It was Matthew’s first year and he really got the hang of it. He made some points and he was a great defender.

Lindsey had tons of fun playing on our church’s young men/young women volleyball team. It was really fun because they were good and won all of their games.

It is amazing that we survived August, September and October, but we did and had a ton of fun. We even managed to get some fun family time at home. The kids love playing Twister and I love watching it. Dave is the official spinner and I am wondering if he cheats a little to make it more entertaining?

A Fabulous Fall Break in the San Juan Islands

2010-10-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

We had a last minute get away to the San Juan Islands in Washington state and boy was it fun. We were planning to just stay home and get caught up on some home projects, but we asked Nana and Grandpa if they would take us on their boat in Washington and Grandpa was more than happy to adjust his schedule. We had so much fun. The only down side was that it was too little time on the boat and too much time in the car (It is about a 17 hour drive).There really is no place on earth more beautiful. It is sort of interesting that our 2 favorite places, Lake Powell and the San Juan Islands are so extremely different in climate. They are both so beautiful and so many fun things to do. We love to go on the tender and look for whales and explore on the different islands.

It was amazing, we saw a hump back whale, which is really unusual.

We also had porpoises swim right along side the bow of the boat.

Friday Harbor is always a favorite. This trip was our lucky trip. We saw Popeye and everyone got a chance to feed her. Popeye is a 1 eyed seal that has lived near the fish market in Friday Harbor for nearly 30 years.

Mother/Daughter General Conference Outing

2010-10-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

Lindsey has been asking to go to General Conference since we moved to Utah and we have never been able to get tickets. This was our lucky year. We got 2 tickets for the Sunday afternoon session.

1st Day of School, August 24, 2010

2010-08-30T22:07:00.000-07:00

WOW! Centennial Middle School – here Lindsey comes.

Matthew and Brittney our proud Edgemont Eagles. Matthew is in 2nd Grade with Mrs. Cummings and Mr. Jones. He is in the French Immersion program. Brittney has Mrs. Bishop for 5th Grade and loves her. She had Mrs. Bishop in 3rd Grade and LOVED her.

Birthday Bash!

2010-08-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

Lindsey is 13! Wow how the time has flown by. Life keeps sending us loads of fun and opportunities. We feel so lucky to have such a nice teenager She is a great daughter, sister and friend.

Conger Family Reunion–Sunriver, Oregon

2010-08-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

We feel quite spoiled. Every summer we get a great summer trip with Grandma and Grandpa, cousins and aunts and uncles. Sunriver is a really fun place. It is on the eastern side of Oregon, so it is quite dry and beautiful. It is a little resort town in the mountain tops with lots of fun outdoor activities that we love.

We usually have a bike ride along the trails several times a day.

The hike to Benham Falls is always a winner. The pictures don’t do it justice.

Brittney and Lindsey

Matthew & Dave Grammy, Britt and Lindsey

Kropelnickis Danica, Eric, Matthew and Hannah

Ryder and Matthew and Lindsey

Lydia and Brittney Sarah

Glow in the dark golf. Quite the experience.

Jorgensens Sydney

Phill teaching how to golf like a pro.

Matthew is a pro. Fort Rock Park is tons of fun.

Grandma and Grandpa joined us for a hike to the Cinder Cone monument. It is pretty cool to hike right on a volcanic rock path. The lava tube cave was tons of fun too.

There are squirrels everywhere. Thank goodness Grammy usually has some nuts with her.

Lindsey and Dave totally awesome!

Eeeek! It’s Friday the 13th!

2010-08-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, Brittney’s birthday is August 13th and she was actually born on a FRIDAY. She has been our lucky charm, so all superstitions are out. However, about 3 1/2 years ago Brittney started planning her big FRIDAY the 13th day and all the details came to pass. She celebrated her 11th birthday in style. We had a broken mirror, a ladder to walk under, a black cat and other “superstitious” themes. They watched Disney’s “Watcher in the Woods” and we had some loud screams, but it was truly a blast.

She has also been waiting a LONG time to be 11, so she could have an ipod. Life is good.

Annual Abbott Family Lake Powell Excursion

2010-07-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

The world’s best destination spot – just in our backyard. It was an amazing trip as always.

Brittney the bomb! Matthew attacking the wake!

John, Jacob and Lindsey’s lovely wakeboard form!
Michael they’re pretty brave.

We always have a hike and this year we had two winners. (meaning we actually enjoyed it and found what we were looking for). We went to Rainbow Bridge and a slot canyon that was at the end of West Canyon. It was absolutely amazing. The kids enjoy the hikes and adventures, but the truth is, finding frogs is the #1 important mission!

What a life.

If you like your own space, don’t join us. There seems to be a lot of crowded time on the boat, but it just makes it cozy. Lots of bonding time!

So glad the studs come along and keep the machines running and life fun

Bathing in the lake is tons of fun. Brittney showing off her natural beauty.

We feel lucky to have survived this years trip. We found a scorpion and rattlesnake on our beach. Grandpa was brave and killed the snake, then Matthew Pearce skinned it. Quite the Boy Scout challenge.

Great friends and neighbors

2010-07-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

Matthew and Maggie are great friends. Matthew likes her so much, he thought he would hang out in her igloo. It was little squishy.

Matthew and Amy

We have lots of great neighbors, but this summer Josh Arnold and Calvin Dickson really went the extra mile to prove their kindness.

Matthew and Amy had made rockets and the Dicksons have a launcher, so we all went out in the street to launch the rockets. Minutes later, Matthew’s rocket went on top of the Arnold’s house. EEEEK! It was nearly a catastrophe, but Josh and Calvin swiftly recovered the rocket from the roof and smiles were everywhere.

Happy Birthday America

2010-07-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it again. We slept out on the parade route to get the best seats in town
Dave was sad he had to work Monday, so he couldn’t sleep over. He was sad he did have to work, not so sad that he couldn’t sleep over. It was a ton of fun. Matthew made a great friend who was about 15 years old and they loved throwing snap its at each other. Made for a great morning.

Provo’s Freedom Festival Parade is always great. Dave was able to come for the beginning to watch Lindsey cheer with her school, Centennial Middle School. Brittney ran the tattoo parlor on the sidelines and everyone looked great with their art. Grandpa’s tattoo was a firecracker on his bicep that was exploding (because his bicep was too large). It was a great day.

Wasatch State Park

2010-07-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things to do outdoors is Rhino/ATV riding. The trail was amazing because we really felt like we were on top of the world as we looked from the top of the mountains over Heber Valley. We entered from the Alpine loop side and the whole thing was amazing!

Summer Fun

2010-06-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

Schools out!!! One of the things we absolutely love about our neighborhood is lots of friends for everyone. This picture was taken at the beginning of the late night movie party with a few friends. The kids played hard all day and made money selling snow cones, so they took their earnings to buy some sugary snacks for a great party

Matthew and his friend Amy spent the day making a great fort in the backyard in the bushes. There was little accident during the production and Mom and Matthew got to spend some time at Riverwoods Urgent Care Center getting some stitches.

The stitches didn’t slow him down much. He was hitting strong at his baseball game Saturday, just two days later. Our neighbor Dan Palmer was the coach and Dave helped as an assistant. They had a lot of fun.

BYU summer tennis camp…TONS of fun! Lindsey lucked out. Brad Pearce is the BYU tennis coach and Lindsey attended the camp with her cousins David Abbott and Josh Pearce. Her cousin Tara was an instructor at the camps and Lindsey, Brittney and Matthew took lessons from her throughout the summer.

Girls, Girls, Girls, that’s all I see….

2010-06-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Girl’s camp was one week after we returned from Mexico and it was a whirlwind turn around, but tons of fun.
This year our ward was able to go to Heber Valley Camp, which is a beautiful new camp for Young Women and Youth Conferences. It was a great week. Dave, Brittney and Matthew are always very supportive and pitch in doing extra stuff while Ali and Lindsey go away for a week. Family and neighbors are also greatly appreciated in helping to make it all happen.
Probably one of the best things about camp is that Aunt Lisa is the camp director. It is fun to go to camp as adult sisters and REALLY super fun for Lindsey to have Lisa and all the fun and amazing stuff she plans.

Lindsey and Ali learned how to knit at camp. Lindsey had to help Ali a lot since Lindsey was the faster learner.

We had a great week. Devotionals by the campfire are always great. We had 3 cabins in our camp because we had 39 girls and 7 leaders. Never a dull moment that’s for sure.

One night we played “Minute to Win It.,” a fast paced popular game show. The girls loved it. They basically played random, sort of pointless but fun 60 second games.

The church property is gorgeous.

Cabo 2010

2010-06-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

This past June we went to Cabo San Lucas and it was REALLY AWESOME. Here are the highlights…eating tacos at a great stand across the street from the Cabo Costco, Brad “man-o-war” Pearce and I prove who the real men are by eating peppers at Zippers (great food), Ali’s bee sting from a VICIOUS KILLER MEXICAN BEE (resulting in brief hospitalization, no amputation necessary) at Chileno, boat ride to Lover’s Beach, dinner at The Office (our favorite restaurant), Chuck getting bit by a pelican (seriously, a pelican), deep sea fishing, eating at a taco stand with a mariachi band playing our request for La Cucaracha (we are sooo original!).

Wow, here is another collage because 2 collages are WAY better than one. Chillin with our new amigos in the car rental office, body surfing at the Sheraton, eating at Zippers, snorkeling just before we were nearly swept into the Sea of Cortez in a violent current, eating at a great taco stand where we had no idea what kind of meat was being served…still tasty though, on the beach at Zippers, in the downtown shopping district with an iguana, in the airplane from SLC to Cabo, our row of beach chairs set up by our loyal manservant (loyal as long as the tips were good), the golf course right outside the house, the whole group in front of a villa, and the beach in front of the Sheraton.

Whew! I’m kind of exhausted typing about all the cool stuff we did. Seriously, it was an amazing trip. We’re glad Chuck and Oranee made it all possible. It was a great week spending time with Ali’s siblings/spouses in an amazing part of the world.

Finishing the school year. Lindsey says goodbye to elementary school.

2010-05-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hannah Sy, Lindsey and Malia Patching at their final band performance.

Lindsey was one of the top band/clarinet students and was selected to be part of a special number at the final concert. Dr. Fulmer was an incredible director.

Brittney and her friends earned their “RADKIDS” diplomas after studying and participating in a self-defense course. It was totally rad.

Yes, it snowed in our front yard on May 24th. It was sunny by the afternoon, but I couldn’t resist the picture. It looked like January in the morning before school.

Soccer Madness with the Congers

2010-05-20T20:36:00.001-07:00

Big day at the Conger’s. Matthew has announced that he is going to have a lawn care business to earn money for his mission and college. He asked Dave if he could start practicing now. Dave is hoping he is a fast learner. (Thanks to great neighbor boys who have been a great example to give him this idea).

Spring soccer is fun, fast and furious.

Don’t blink or you will miss something. With 3 kids playing, we had 3 practices and 6 games per week. Everyone was still smiling – these are last game pictures.

FANS are important too.

You Gotta Love 4th Grade

2010-05-19T21:30:00.001-07:00

Edgemont is a school of tradition. One of the most fun things about moving back to Provo is having the next generation experience the EXACT same events. One of the best is the 4th Grade Utah County Fair. Brittney decided to go out on a limb and study a new county. (Lindsey chose Kane County 2 years ago and it was the same county Ali did over a quarter of a century ago:) One thing that helped her branch out to new territory is her “soul cousin” Nate (they share the same birthday) has a girlfriend, Sarah Garfield and Brittney absolutely adores her.

The great thing about 4th grade is that I have no idea which is the serious or crazy picture. They look about the same! Mrs. Wall has been an AMAZING teacher this year.

Dancing with the Eaglettes

2010-05-19T09:39:00.001-07:00

Brittney loved being on her Elementary School’s dance team this year. Her coach Lindsay Hansen was a Cougarette (BYU dance team). Edgemont’s mascot is and Eagle. (Get it:))

What poise and perfection.

Each girl got to do a solo in the routine. The picture doesn’t do Brittney’s turns justice. She did a great job.

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words!

2010-05-16T21:56:00.001-07:00

May 15th, 2010 “A Day to Remember”

2010-05-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

The day started out early at Liberty Park in SLC cheering on John Pearce in the state tennis final match. As a sophomore, he beat out the senior defending champion. It was worth the trip and early morning! Timpview rocks!

Halle, Brittney, John, Lindsey and Nana!
We drove home FAST for Matthew’s baseball game!
Of course, it was picture day:) Dave was an assistant coach to our neighbor Dan Palmer! It was a great season.
“Heavy Hitter” FAST!!!!!!!!

Matthew’s cute fan club!

You would think it was time for a nap, but no, we could absolutely not miss the book signing event at the Provo library. Brittney LOVES the “Farworld” series. J. Scott Savage was at the library and we got his autograph. What a wonderful day! We are not going home yet, off to BYU for the final Men’s baseball team home game.

BYU won. What a view! Finally, time to head home and get some rest.

Driving South to find sunshine for Spring Break

2010-05-14T16:48:00.001-07:00

St. George was fun, but we loaded in the car Sunday afternoon to go further south to find sunshine for our Spring Break vacation.

We stayed in our time share in Las Vegas. The girls were beat, but Matthew was all full of energy as always:)

Monday morning, we woke up to clouds and rain lurking around the corner. The lazy river had to wait, but we had a blast on the rides at the Adventuredome at Circus Circus.

It wasn’t raining inside the Adventurdome, but the log ride sure was wet. We used our brains a little. It was the last ride of the day. Dave had to sit in the “wettest spot” three times on the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios in October, so Ali and the kids got the “soaking spots.”

Lindsey is already talking about our 4 year car plan to acquire an extra car when she turns 16. After a ride with her on the bumper cars, her Dad says it may be a 10 year plan. (or 20, we’ll see).

Disko was quite the hit. Matthew made the height limit for all he wanted to ride. Dave was tall enough too, but doesn’t really enjoy “spinny-rides.” (It was pretty freaky)

Lindsey’s first time on the Inverter. Crazy Girls!

I couldn’t take pictures on the big roller coaster because it was too fast and had 4 loopty-loops. After the 4th time, Matthew asked if we could not go on it again because he felt like a “bobble-head.”

We had a lot of fun out at the pool in the sunshine on Tuesday. I forgot to take the camera, but it was really fun to see some of our friends from Seattle there.

We got in the car to drive home and as you can see, the trip North was wet and cold. We stopped at Cove Fort, Utah and did the tour since Brittney’s 4th grade field trip got cut from the school because of the economy and budget cuts. It was fun to go as a family. The nice missionary took our picture, but it is out of focus and we only had one.

Easter Treats

2010-05-11T20:24:00.001-07:00

Thank goodness the Easter Bunny found us in St. George, so the kids didn’t miss out on any sugar!

The hunt was a little tricky since the Easter Bunny had all new spots to hide the eggs. The kids found them in no time and we are pretty certain there are no eggs rotting in Nana and Grandpa’s house:) Actually we counted the eggs we left out for the Easter Bunny to hide to make sure we found them all (something Ali’s family forgot to do one year and paid for it). We can’t remember exactly how long the egg was lost, but the smell has left a mark as though it happened yesterday.

Lindsey and Brittney helping Grandpa with his haircut. Sorry, you get what you pay for:)

Happy Easter

2010-05-09T21:18:00.001-07:00

We went to Saint George and stayed with Nana and Grandpa. We had so much fun that we almost forgot to dye Easter eggs. These pictures were taken late at night after the kids returned with Dad and Grandpa from collecting golf balls on the golf course. What an adventure!

Family Night Fun – Easter Time

2010-05-09T21:09:00.001-07:00

OK, So better late than never. Grammy and Grandpa visited in late March and we enjoyed our annual bird nest building project. We love to make Rice Krispie Treats and mold them into little birds nests and fill with candy eggs. It is quite messy, but hits the spot every time. What’s more fun than putting your hands in butter and marshmallows? It usually requiring snitching a little to get your hands clean:)

Spam-A-Lot

2010-05-09T21:01:00.001-07:00

Well, Dave’s parents came down to visit in April and Ali’s Dad had a FANTASTIC idea. A Surprise Spam-sculpting Birthday party:)

It was a lot of fun. Hannah Kropelicki happened to be in town visiting as well, so it was a great bonus to see her. (She is coming down to BYU in the Fall and was scoping out the territory.

We broke into 2 teams: Boys Vs. Girls. Cute cousins Tara and Stephanie came to celebrate with us and we were grateful for their artistic contributions.

Each team was given 3 blocks of Spam and toothpicks (the smell was a little overwhelming).

Hannah, Lindsey, Stephanie, Tara, Ali and Brittney go to town on their interpretation of…

The Three Little Pigs. (notice the Big Bad Wolf and mailbox for added detail).

The Boys: Matthew, Grandpa Conger, Matt, Grandpa Abbott, Matt’s friend Carly and Dave – quite the engineering team.

This is an amazing flying machine with radar and sonar systems like you wouldn’t believe. Matthew has inherited the great love of his Grandpa and Dad of electronic equipment.

Grammy and Nana were judges and both team won different aspects and awards. What Grandmother doesn’t want everyone to go home feeling good about themselves?:)

Go Cougs!

2010-04-26T14:07:00.001-07:00

Matthew’s front row experience at the BYU game. Hate to say it but Cosmo was the best part of the game:) That is saying a lot because BYU’s basketball team was amazing this year,but COSMO is always a winner.

It was a perfect day. We were planning to go to the game and sitting in the upper section, but shortly before the game started, Matthew’s friend Eliza Nixon and her Dad were not going to be able to go to the game so her Mom called and offered Matthew the tickets. Lindsey and Brittney were bummed, but we went and sat up top while Dave and Matthew enjoyed the FRONT ROW!

Dave gets the Great Dad Award. He graduated from University of Utah (red), but is turning purple from all the blue in Provo. As you can see, he even sports the blue sweatshirt so his kids don’t have to be humiliated:)

Spring Soccer! Look fast because the season is Fast and Furious!

2010-04-08T14:24:00.001-07:00

Lindsey playing defense

Brittney loves playing goalie. Look at that awesome drop kick!

Matthew is a high scoring machine, no wonder he needs a break on the sidline.

Geography to Shakespeare, you name it, Brittney loves it.

2010-04-08T14:06:00.001-07:00

Brittney and friends star in their Elementary school’s production of King Lear.

Little did we know when we told her she could tryout for the play, she would be cast as a murderous servant. (eek!)

She was FABULOUS!!!

She had a blast after all, she was in the spotlight:) Our true thespian. Gotta love Brittney! Her teacher told me that one day they were talking and Brittney said, “my mom says I’m a drama queen. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad.” HeHeHe.

Edgemont 4th Ward Young Women Basketball Region Champs

2010-04-08T13:53:00.001-07:00

Lindsey played on our young women basketball team. She did great. They won the Stake tournament and went on to win the Regional Championship. They had a lot of fun!

Way to go Lindsey!

Two Little Love Birds – Take 2

2010-04-08T13:42:00.001-07:00

OK, so Valentines was so great, we went skiing for our Anniversary. It was another fabulous ski day. (the snow was definitely better in February). We went skiing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on our Honeymoon so it was a fun way to celebrate our 15 years of “wedded bliss.”

Two Little Love Birds or ski bunnies….

2010-04-08T13:35:00.001-07:00

Dave and Ali hit the slopes to celebrate Valentines Day! And who says a blizzard isn’t romantic? Great snow, no kids, TOTALLY romantic!

Conger’s Got Talent! (at least some of them)

2010-03-15T18:52:00.001-07:00

Ali’s most impressive cookies/hockey pucks. Thank goodness the house didn’t burn down. However, it did smell for a week.

We were able to successfully bake some to send to Jordan before she left the MTC

Every year, the Elementary Schools, Jr. High and High School Honor Bands perform together at Timpview. This is Lindsey’s 2nd year in Egemont’s Honor Band playing the clarinet.

EDGEMONT 4th Ward Talent Show! It is a highlight every year.

Brittney performed Garden’s in the Mist.

She and her friend Hannah Glazier sang I am a Child of God in French. (tres bien)

Matthew’s Lego display was a huge hit with the primary children. He had to keep an eye on the dads too because they were quite interested in his model and he was afraid some might try to swipe them.

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday Celebration!

Lindsey as Maisy in “Daisy Head Maisy”.

Brittney as Sally in “The Cat in the Hat”.

Matthew as the Cat in “The Cat in the Hat”.

Every year the Edgemont PTA sponsors a Read-a-thon to earn money for needed items at the school. My sister Cindi was the “founder,” so that naturally meant I got nominated to be on the committee. It is actually one of my favorite events at the school. The hats we get to wear make it really fun. Diana Bryson, Linda Pattberg, Cindi and myself were the committee. You can tell by the grins that we were having fun.

New Beginnings Olympic Ceremonies

2010-03-15T15:51:00.001-07:00

Lindsey receiving her medal of Strength and Courage at our ward’s young women New Beginnings program held February 24th, 2010. It had an Olympic theme and all the girls were “promising athletes for the future.” As one of her Personal Progress projects, Lindsey learned how to make a slideshow in Windows Media Player, which was part of the evenings entertainment. It was awesome!

Family Night Fun – yes, we are in a snow cave

2010-03-10T21:57:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, the Priests in our ward built a snow cave and had an overnighter with the young men. We went up to enjoy the finished product with some other families in our ward. The caves were just past Aspen Grove/Sundance. The pictures hardly do it justice. It had 4 large rooms with an upstairs and downstairs and many entrances. It was one of the coolest things we had ever seen. (granted we don’t get out much, but it was WAY cool, no pun intended). They slept about 30 young men and leaders in it. The hot chocolate was a highlight of the evening as well. We were definitely happy to sleep in our cozy beds in our brick home that evening:)

Dave as a Caveman. Matthew actually asked me if I was alive with the cavemen. I assured him I wasn’t, but his Dad may have been, just look at the picture he looks right at home.

Of course we had to play in the snow while we were there. The picture is fuzzy, but it was Matthew’s debut as a snowboarder (It looks like he learned something from all those evenings watching the Olympics – maybe the next Shawn White).

Brittney doing a little chillin at the bottom of the slope.

Lindsey and Brittney with their friends. (Jackson and Nicole Pitts, Rachel Sybrowsky and Malia Patching)

Fantastic February Favorites!

2010-03-04T21:25:00.001-08:00

Au revoir Jordon! Our last goodbye to Jordan our niece/cousin who left to serve an 18 month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Paris, France.

The Big Birthday Bash starts out right. Nothing beats a free breakfast at Denny’s. Ali’s birthday happened to fall on Denny’s post Super Bowl free breakfast morning (and I thought they were all coming to celebrate with me). That couldn’t stop us. With school starting at 8:45 am, we had to get up early and in line by 7:15 am. As the pictures show, it was WELL WORTH IT!

OK, the kids were a little embarrassed, but I had to get the picture of the waitress’ shirt. Gotta love it!

Finally, time for presents. We happened to be babysitting Sage, who I was hoping to keep as one of my presents, but her Mom picked her up and we had to give her back.

This was the best birthday ever.

NANA has a new knee. After years of knee pain, Ali’s mom finally did it. She now has a titanium knee. The surgery was on February 11th. We have all helped her be a diligent patient and it is paying off. She is having a great recovery.

WOW! She is up and walking the 1st night!

And who said hospitals aren’t fun? OK, so the visitors may be having more fun than the patient.

Brittney plays Gardens in the Mist by Alexander. She is quite a dynamic player, if only we could post a video.

We LUV February! (Valentines...get it?)

2010-02-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

Brittney places 4th in her school's National Geographic Geography Bee. Woo hoo!

Quick, what's the capital of Mozambique?

Answer: Maputo

Matthew continues to hone his skills as a Lego Engineer. His favorite passtime is building creations and showing his Dad how to build ships the RIGHT way and hoping Mom doesn't keep breaking stuff when she cleans the playroom. Mom has gotten better, Dad's skills are still debateable.

Lindsey and Aunt Lisa cross-country ski at Aspen Grove during our ward youth conference.

Ali and Jordan at the last girl's lunch before Jordan leaves on her mission to Paris, France (not Paris, Idaho...darn it!). We'll miss you!

The last supper...I mean, lunch. Lots of laughs and fun. We will sure miss Jordan, but not enough to stop going to P.F. Changs for 18 months. Désolé Jordo!

Lindsey's Reflections Entry Wins Category

2010-01-12T21:38:00.000-08:00

This year Lindsey entered the PTA Reflections contest. Her literature entry won at Edgemont Elementary. She represented the 6th graders at the school district level and the presentations were held at Centennial Jr. High. This year's theme was "Beauty Is", and she wrote a descriptive essay about Provo Canyon.

Lindsey and her award. Way to go!

New Year's Antics 2010

2010-01-10T21:30:00.001-08:00

After not getting a lot of snow, we finally got enough to ski on in December. It made for some great snow sports during the holidays

Getting ready for a day of skiing at Sundance.

Lindsey, Brittney, and Dave getting a breath of fresh air out of the valley inversion.

Get a good look now...we can barely keep up with him on the slopes.

Next lesson is how to dodge ski patrol.

Sledding at Rock Canyon Park...

Lindsey says cheese.

Brittney tastes some snow.

Dave and Matthew leave a trail of destruction.

Snowball fight!

We even got enough snow to build an igloo on our front lawn

The work begins.

Brittney is the hard core igloo engineer.

Dave gets ready to spend the night.

Of course, another snowball fight after the work.

Shhhhh, Matthew's toast! We won't show the chaos that followed this shot.