Just stuff.

My name is Jen and I am a sorry blogger. There, at least I admit it. I check blogs regularly but find it much harder to sit and write a blog. I enjoy reading blogs of family and friends and get irritated when they take forever to update their blog with new and pertinent information and here I am an irregular blogger. Darn it, I hate being irregular.

So, this past weekend was the first weekend of many for volleyball tournaments. It literally is ALL DAY LONG! I love it. For some reason, I never get tired of watching volleyball. Mainly, I enjoy just watching my girls but if they are on a break, I will sit and watch another team, as well. Kayla and Hayli actually played on different teams and in totally different locations! Crazy! Thank goodness, they were only a few miles apart. It did get a little tricky. Kayla was playing on a 16 team and Hayli had been asked to play up to the 18 team. Actually, Hayli's coach asked if she could stay on that team but we opted for her to stay on the 17 team because she will get constant play time which I think in the long run makes you a better player. PLUS, Kayla was pulled up on the 17 team and so they will both being playing together! This should be VERY interesting ( not to mention convenient.) They are truly excited to be playing together. They both play outside hitter and if I may brag for a moment (what's new, I know I can be one of those annoying, braggy moms who think their kids are just so super fabulous and I am trying to be more humble when it comes to them but it is so darn hard!) anyway, what was I saying, oh yeah, they rock! Hayli, I expected that from because she has more team experience (playing with a decent team anyway) and Kayla has been playing private school for the past three years which is kinda..well, not good. So she has really surprised me at how awesome she is as a team player and just knowing where and how to hit that ball to score. Most importantly, they are so tight (her and Hayli) and playing together makes them more so. It should be a great season.

My older girls are registered for EFY. This is Hayli's 3rd year and Kayla's first. It is so expensive and registration/payment comes at a very inconvenient time of year for us, BUT it is soooo worth it. There are no words to describe their experience at EFY. They learn so much about the gospel and I think, about themselves. I know Hayli has found it to be some of the most spiritual experiences of her life.

Meg has been drawing these sketches and I just went to look for them so I could add them to my blog but I got lost and confused in the mass of mess in her room and could not find them. I will have to wait for her to get home and then I will add them. She is a great artist and I love to see her sketch something she sees and it looks JUST like it. I always wanted that talent along with the talent to sing, which sadly, I was given neither. Work with what ya got, I guess.

Funny kids.

I have such funny kids. Sometimes we will just sit around talking about things and making each other laugh. This happens especially when the girls and I are discussing boys. I feel sorry for my guys (Kenny and Chandler) because the girls fail to notice that they are not very interested in their new bra they got or other female particulars. It is very interesting because my girls do not have that "I can't talk about that infront of my dad" frame of mind. They never have. I think back now to when Hayli was very little and would ask her dad and I the most random things and Kenny never flinched. I believe this was imperative and allowed for the type of relationship that it never occurs to them NOT to tell him personal things. I think it is great and I am glad that he never acted embarrassed when they asked some of the things they would ask...even though we would laugh about it later. And poor Chandler gets an earful on a regular basis. Although, he is quite sensitive with girls. Speaking of girls!!! I am appauled at the amount of girls whose parents let them call boys in the third grade!!! Get this, the phone has been ringing off the hook for Chandler this weekend and on Friday a girl called to see if he could go to the Monster Truck Show at the Philips Arena with her and her family. Uh, no! He is in the third grade, hello. He has never called a girl and would much rather be outside riding his bike. If he's in the house he will talk to them but don't call him in for it. Funny, but kinda scary. Have girls always been this aggressive? Yeah.

I got to go to the Temple twice this week and it was wonderful! Saturday we went to a friend's home for wedding reception. My friend, Julie, made the food and it was her son's reception. It was fabulously done and I am going to post a pic of this veggie basket she makes. It looks like a bouquet of flowers but it is the veggies that you eat. It fascinates me. It is way cool! My skills are very inadequate and I'm afraid when the time comes (yearrssssss from now) we will have to have my girls receptions catered. I don't even want to think about that.

On the road again.

The next few months are going to be a little crazy. Club Volleyball will be in full swing starting next week and we will be in a different location (and state) every weekend. Virtually every weekend with the exception of two, all the way up until the beginning of April. Luckily, these are all on Friday and Saturdays so we will be able to make it back home by Sunday for church. I don't think it would do very well for the Bishop to miss three months of church! Nor would we do so. I am anxious to watch Hayli and Kayla play at this level but we will definitely need a break by April and before the school season starts in June.
On a more exciting note, we are taking a more leisurely trip next month during the kids winter break. Once again, I have found a really cool place off of VRBO. This place is amazing. It is a 9,000 square ft. cabin. It has 14 bedrooms and 12.5 baths. We like a little room to spread out.... No, actually there is a group of us going up. Six families in all, which will still leave three bedrooms open. We are hoping my parents will come along too. It is in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and has fabulous views. The dining room seats 46!!! It is called the Plimpton Lodge. We love Pigeon Forge and it would be great to see some snow....I am not holding my breath on that one.



Another exciting thing is Corteo. This is the latest show of Cirque du Soliel showing in Atlanta. Kenny and I saw Varekai several years back for my birthday and it was amazing! We both thought the kids would love it and gave them, I mean Santa gave them, all tickets for Christmas. We also bought tickets for my parents and Kenny's parents as well. We go this week on the 10th and we are all very excited!!!! It will be a late night for a school night but it will be well worth it.

P.S. The girls and I are going to see Nickleback in March, another gift for them from Santa....I love that Santa was good to them and I get the benefits,too.

P.S.S. Sarah, I finished the book late last night! It was so different and really wonderful to read. You really get lost in the book....thanks for the recommendation. It totally makes me want to read more on the subject!!!!! Both fiction and non. I am hooked.

Happy New Year!

I can't believe we are already in the year 2007! I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Christmas holiday. We have had a super holiday and the kids are not ready to go back to school in a few days. Kayla's birthday was the day after Christmas and we had a blast shopping all day and then going to dinner with my parents to celebrate. She is officially 14! That is a tiara on her head that I bought her so she could be princess for the day....cheesy, I know, but she actually thought it was fun!

May everyone have a blessed new year!