September 11

I remember September 11th 2001 so vividly. Aaron was just a baby. I remember standing in my towel (just out of the shower) for almost and hour watching the news in complete SHOCK. I remember the fear as I knew my sister Cherry rode the PATH train to the WTC on her way to work. I remember calling my dad (who was in London). I remember being overcome with sadness and grief and worry. I remember the relief when we heard that Cherry was out and OK. I also remember as the days followed - the pride I felt for my country, and the respect and admiration I had for firemen, policemen, and our other servicemen. As it has now been several years since, I read Cherry's account of her experience - her description of the man holding the door open for others to get out. Her recollection of the fear in the people as they ran away, and the glimpses of the others who ran towards the chaos to save complete strangers. It simply reminds me that we live in a nation of heroes. I want my kids to know heroes aren't the people in comic books - they are real human beings who sacrifice so much for other people.

Well, a few years ago, my girlfriend Ruth back in Keller started a tradition to go visit the firemen on September 11th. We take that day to talk to our kids about being a hero. We take the firemen goodies, and cards. It is always a quick and easy way to talk about and remember the lessons our nation learned that day.

This year, a few friends from school joined us! We made cards, and brought cookies and visited our local firemen. The kids had a blast in the fire station. It was quick and fun! Yay for our local heroes!

They turned on their sirens... It was pretty LOUD!

My Kids - the photographers...

My kids LOVE to take pictures. They take pictures of forts they build. They take pictures of their favorite toys. They take pictures of themselves. They take pictures of each other. I so often find that my camera has been commandeered and loaded with various pictures taken by sticky little fingers. I don't mind. Some of their pictures are priceless. Some of their pictures are actually quite good. If my 3 year old is capable of taking good pictures, why oh why cant I?

Ranch!

The kids started school... did I forget to take a first day of school picture? YES! :(


We celebrated the start of school by heading to the ranch for an end of summer celebration. Jeff and family met us there. I think it was pretty hot!! The kids (of course) had a great time. They got dirty and sweaty. They usually get to wait the entire 3.5 hour car ride home before they get a bath. I justify that because we have to clean the ranch bathrooms and "check-out" of the ranch house. I could very-well bathe them... but by the time I clean up the bathroom and wash the towels after them, they would be dirty again. So, we just dump them in the bath when we get home... Looking at these pictures, it looks rather disgusting though.

The kids (of course) get so tired and cranky when its time to finally get in the car and leave... but they typically fall asleep before we even get on the freeway. Seriously, I love my kids! I love being able to go to the ranch and let them run around all day outside. I love that they get to grow up driving 4 wheelers and smelling cows and petting horses. I love that the kids run away from and/or play with those dirty ranch dogs. I love all the time they get to spend with their cousins. They are so lucky! I love just going and sitting at the kitchen table and watching my kids just be kids. I love that Jessie has them all in Kids Club. the list goes on...

ps: how does Nate sleep with his eyes open? Is that odd? He was seriously OUT! Kids are amazing.

10 years ago...

10 years ago, Joe proposed. He picked me up on his little crotch-rocket (Honda CBR) motorcycle and took me for a ride up around Sundance... I had a feeling he was planning something - why else would he come home from work already having a helmet for me? He wasn't the type to think ahead. Usually if we went on motorcycle rides in our spontaneous nature, we would just ride back to his house to grab a helmet for me to wear. Tip off #1 - he was a bit nervous and acting a little funny. #2 - Why would he come for a casual lunch date already prepared with a helmet for me? #3 - he already had a plan - he didn't just turn and say "now, where do you want to go?"

Anyways, we drove up the canyon. He parked on a little bridge and we got out to walk around. He started throwing rocks into the stream. I noticed a ring of dirt around a large rock - like it had been recently unearthed and placed back... I picked that one up and found a ring laying on some rose petals in the ground. I started to giggle. I couldn't believe THIS was the moment. I was actually a grown up now... I was actually getting proposed to RIGHT NOW. I was not ready to get married. I was not at all expecting a proposal from him (yet)... well, I knew we were going to get married, but not for several months (or so I believed). We hadn't been dating that long... But both in my heart and in my head I just KNEW I had to say YES. He got on his knee and of course, the rest is history. A dozen roses and some sparkling cider was waiting nearby for us to celebrate. He definately surprised me.

Whats funny, is as I was driving the other night, right next to me at a stop light was a flashback to the past... The guy was so similar to Joe back in 1999. This was how I remember the man I fell in love with. A little geeky - not the skater/football dude I was used to dating. He wore mission shoes and white socks. His pants were not baggy - they were even a bit tighter around the ankle (fashion circa 1992). He wore a belt and had nice legs making the pants have to stretch around his quads. He rode a motorcycle. He was not at all what I thought I would marry. Had this man been on a yellow Honda CBR, it would have been an exact re-incarnation of my husband 10 years ago.

Shortly before we were married, he sold his bike. I was happy. It was dangerous...
Here, we were driving 100mph+ on our way to Vegas...

Hoping he doesnt want another bike anytime soon...

Owen's Wedding!

So, the real reason we went to Arizona was to go to Owen and Alyssa's wedding.
It was so fun!
Alyssa was so cute and made so many things! Everything was simply beautiful! They had a candy table - all in their peacock colors. Alyssa made everyone flowers for our hair, and even some bracelets for us to wear too! She didn't stop there either! She made all the table cloths, and even aprons for the girls who were serving food. I should have taken more pictures of the decorations...
The little girls were the flower girls - look at Charity's face. She loved every second of it! The little girls felt like princesses. Alyssa was beautiful. It was such a nice wedding! I wish all the best to this new cute couple!

We, of course, came home exhausted. It was a great day! To be honest, I was stressing about a wedding in Arizona in AUGUST! I was thinking they were NUTSO for wanting the reception to be outside. However, it all worked out. It was a pleasant evening. Nobody melted. ;)
Charity, Nate and I headed home back to Texas the next day - homesick for the boys back home... and ready to start school!!!

Charity's Tooth!

Charity was so concerned that she was the only one she knew who hadn't lost a tooth yet. EVERYONE else in her kindergarten class had lost a tooth... all of her cousins... etc... she was feeling pretty left out.
Needless to say, teeth eventually come out.
Hers just so happened to come out the day before Owen's wedding. She was a little nervous about the blood, but she was SO thrilled!

Grandpa Sanders was a dentist... and Ashlyn and Sarah both had loose teeth as well. Somehow, magically, Grandpa convinced them all to let him "just wiggle" their teeth... All three girls lost a tooth that day! It was fun! The toothfairy was VERY busy at that house that night!

Triple Party!

In true Allen fashion, we can't let a family gathering go to waste.

So, #1 priority for the wedding week was to have a family bridal shower for Alyssa. She is adorable, and it was fun to have a little "welcome to the family" night. We did make Owen join her to open one gift though... My mom, dad and I came up with the coolest gift for 2 skater lovebirds. Yay for vinyl lettering! The little OWA thing is something my grandpa used to use; I just grunge-d it up a bit. pretty cool huh?

After the bridal shower was over, we surprised little Steph with a baby shower. She was TOTALLY surprised! It was fun to prove to her that all tradition doesn't stop with her! I think the night got a bit emotional... but I blame her pregnancy. ;)

That wrapped up, and all of a sudden, the boys (uncles, grandpa etc) came home and we had a surprise graduation party! Nate and Steph had both just graduated, but left Utah and didn't do the whole commencement/walking thing up at BYU in Provo. So we just had our own family commencement in Arizona - complete with homestyle pomp and circumstance hummed during the processional. Steph gave a speech, and my dad (the professor) directed the commencement. Truly Allen style...

Our family is kindof quirky, but what else were we supposed to do? Getting the whole family together is so hard to do, and we couldn't waste the opportunity to celebrate all the special occasions/events! It was a great night! All special events got their 15 minutes of fame. Welcome to the family Alyssa! ;)

Arizona!!!

I was planning on driving, but Aaron had mandatory football practice, and Joe couldn't get out of work... so I left the big boys home while Charity, Nate and I flew to Arizona for Owen's wedding.
This being the 6th wedding in the family, we FINALLY figured out how to make it a fun trip for everyone. Rather than splitting up into different houses, or messing with a hotel (and different hotel rooms) we rented a big house with a pool! It was so nice to have common areas and a kitchen and then separate bedrooms when we needed them. It worked out perfectly for babysitting, and killing the down time between activities (it was dead of summer in ARIZONA). The pool was the perfect and essential touch.
p.s. This year, my baby Nate turned into a little fish. He absolutely LOVES swimming. At barely 3 he is swimming so well! He loves jumping off the edge and swimming the length of the pool. He holds his breath so long sometimes it gives me a heart attack... but I'm so thrilled to have all my kids independent swimmers now! HUGE relief!

Of course, we did the essential pre-wedding temple session with Owen and Alyssa. FYI: I LOVE my family!!!

My little Nate

This little boy is so cute. I can hardly stand it. He is simply the best little kid EVER! When he is bored, he sits himself down on the computer and watches his Thomas the Train movies. There are so many times I come upstairs to find him having fallen asleep on this chair - neck kinked, Thomas engine in hand, andThomas video on screen. He is so independent. He is so content. I hope he stays this sweet forever! I mean, look at those eyes!

Friends Visit

Our friends, the Kings came from Idaho to visit! We had a lot of fun for a few days! The kids played well together. The adults played well together too! ;)

We went to the lake with Dan, Richelle and family. They drove the jetskis back from Lake Powell, and hadn't yet taken them down to Joe's dad... so we reaped the benefits! We all met and had a great time!

I was still suffering headaches and vertigo from a little too much craziness at Lake Powell, so my time on the jetskis lasted about 5 minutes. A little depressing because I don't want to get old. It feels so weird to transition from the one who has all the fun to the one who watches others have fun.

Anyways, it was a quick visit with the Cheryl, Koby, Preston and Addi King, but delightful!

August

August was a great month! I am going to just pretend I wrote all the August posts actually in August. I basically remember what I was thinking when I took these pictures though...

I can't believe how much Aaron has grown! This is a Halloween costume I made for him a few years ago. He was totally obsessed with the Blue Angels and fighter pilots. He was very specific that he wanted a Blue Angels uniform (not the simple pilots uniform I could order online). He wanted it to be blue. He wanted the 2 yellow stripes. He wanted patches on it. Who would have thought years later he would still squeeze himself into that old costume! It doesn't look the least bit comfortable! I'm just glad my home-made costume has gotten so much mileage!

July

What happened to my camera? I don't know... but I don't have many pics from July.

4th of July weekend was really fun. We slept over at my mom's house. Once the kids were asleep on the 3rd, Lydia, Dan, Dawn, Chad, Cher & Scott went bowling. I got a TURKEY for the 1st time (and prob ONLY time) in my LIFE! I was pretty pumped about beating Dan! ;)

When we woke up in the morning on the 4th, Joe was sure to give us all a little patriotic presentation and talk about the soldiers at Valley Forge.

Then, Joe took the boys to Dave & Busters, while I went and did some shopping.
I picked the boys up from Dave & Busters and took them to Grapevine Lake for Dan's work BBQ. We had some great food and swam in the lake (it was quite dirty). Then, we headed to my mom's ward swimming party to watch the fireworks.
Then, we put the tired little kids to bed.

After the 3 and under-s were asleep, the real fun started. Dan and Lydia came over (their work party finished). The kids did their little pop rocks and lame fireworks... THEN, we brought out the big ones. In the field behind my mom's house, Dan & some buddies from work lit off an INCREDIBLE amount of fireworks. They had roman candle wars. My kids LOVED the roman candles (they felt like Harry Potter). Some of the artillery shells were SO big I was shocked and a bit scared we would get in trouble. The night climaxed when we had just completed our last firework and we saw some "berry" lights... We all had to run away, and made it to the safety of my mom's house - FUN OVER, but I DIDN'T GET CAUGHT for once! ;)

Aaron, Brae & Loch were so pumped as they "ran from the cops" for the 1st time in their life. I hope it doesn't become a habit! Some great parent i am huh...

ps - fireworks are MESSY! Thanks Dan & Lyd for providing such an AWESOME display!

Alas, Dawn & Chad had to return to AZ. We were sad to see them go. I had such a fun MONTH with my sister and her kids!

July 5th I woke up and on my way to church, got a call from my good friend Kysha Bradshaw. I was so excited to hear from her! Her sister is the pianist for David Arculetta (some American Idol guy) and they were IN TOWN for the show! I dropped my kids off with my mom, and headed to the show. To be honest, I am not at all into American Idol. He was also there with some Disney Starlet - Demi Lovato... Never heard of her either.

It was fun though to hang out with Kysha and her sister Kendra. We went to their sound check. We hung out in the tour bus while she was getting ready. We hung out backstage. Then, we sat through the show for a little bit, then ducked out early and went to Thai food. We had so much fun together! I miss my friend Kysha!
Then, my sister-in-law Christine, called and wanted an adult driver to go with her to POWELL. My answer? HECK YA!!!!

I left Nate with my mom (figured he'd have more fun with Max & Kaitlyn than trapped inside a houseboat made for bigger kids). Aaron and Charity were READY for some fun w/mom!

Christine picked us up on Thursday, and we met up with Joe's Dad and took the kids to Carlsbad caverns. It was a fun day! We took a tour and experienced COMPLETE darkness. It was such an interesting feeling. I guess I should have been quite uncomfortable... but I wasn't. I felt so completely comforted because Charity was on my lap, and Aaron was clutched tightly to my side. It was such a sweet experience to be completely dark but so completely at ease because I knew my children were safe and with me.

After the caverns we headed to POWELL!! It only took us 3 days to get there, but our detour was sure fun!

Powell was more of the same - jetskiing, kneeboarding, tubing, wakeboarding... Joe decided last minute to join us, so he came on Thurs to join the fun. The other exciting thing this time was that Joe's dad bought a wake surfer... which was fun to experiment with. I sure had fun doing that - too bad I came home with a concussion. :( I was so sick - vertigo set in and was there even days after we were HOME... I hate getting old!

I found a couple photos on facebook...





I don't remember what we did with the rest of the month... Probably just hung out with Lydia, swam, and enjoyed the summer!

And that was JULY!

Fun With Cousins!

Twilight Camp was lots of fun!
One of the nights during that week, Paul and Kody slept over. Of course, I wanted to make it a big party, so Ashlyn and Lochlin came and joined Braeden in sleeping over too!

It was so much fun!

The kids put on a show. They had tickets, bouncers, security, an MC, and OF COURSE - the performers. They practiced for a long time to make sure the show would be perfect. I think most of the fun was had in getting ready for their big show. They were so stinkin cute! I love how these kids play together. They did their dances/cartwheels/handstands/frolicking on the floor to songs by Michael Jackson, ABBA and Billy Idol. All classics. Their entrances were well timed, and did I say they were adorable?I also love how I have a room for them to do things like this. I mean, seriously - who needs furniture? I love having an empty room. One day, we will get furniture, and the room wont be as fun anymore. It will be a sad sad day for my kids.

Then, we all went swimming. Dawn was there too. These kids just played so well together! We were all in HEAVEN!

The "BIG" boys

Kody & Nate

Ok, how cute are these girls? So glad they are such good friends!

Lake Powell #1

The week after baseball camp, we went to Lake Powell! I seriously love that place! We drove Joe's dad's Hummer towing the jet-ski's. It was nice to drive a vehicle that wasn't our own car.

It was surprising that even in mid-June in the desert, it was still COLD! The water was freezing, and there were several days that the temperature didn't even get above 85. Global warming is CRAP.

We still had fun. I froze a bit when it was my turn to stay in the water to help the little kids ski/kneeboard or whatever. At least nobody got a bad sunburn!

Botanical Gardens

So, I signed Aaron up for TCU baseball camp. I LOVE the camp. I LOVE the way they teach the kids so much. I love the facilities there. I LOVE that Aaron improves so much while he is there. I just think it is a very well-run camp!

Too bad his baseball team this year SUCKED (maybe it had to do with the fact that his coach was a no-show 75% of the games and held no practices EVER...)

Too bad also - he had camp WHILE the HOWEYS were in town! :(

I didn't get any pictures of the baseball camp.

It is all the way down in Fort Worth, so it is quite a drive from up here in Frisco. I did, however, try to make it a party. Aaron at least got to hang out when we slept over at Grandma Allen's with Dawn & her kids. One of the days, we took the kids (minus Aaron) to the Fort Worth botanical gardens. It was fun to walk around there with the kids! Maybe, if it wasn't so hot, we would have enjoyed it a bit more?!

Twilight Camp

Aaron was signed up for the cub scout TWILIGHT CAMP. I can't believe he is a cub scout. This was his first real thing to do with the den. His cousins (Paul & Kody) signed up to come with us in our den (because theirs wasn't going). We were so excited to spend the week having them be ALL BOY together. Nate was signed up to come along and be in the papoose section. I figured Charity would love to spend the week with Grandma and Sarah... (and Ashlyn who was visiting!)

HOWEVER... Dawn was in town. SO we got Braeden signed up to go too! Poor Lochlin was too old :( so he was excluded. It was even more fun with Brae there with us too! He just spent the week up at my house, so we had lots of fun sleepovers!

The boys had a blast together!