Milestones

Finally! Lilly lost her first tooth at age 7. Her adult teeth already started coming in and then finally her baby teeth loosened up. She lost her 2nd tooth the very next day.

Field Trip: Harmons

End of the year field trips are so fun with the kids.

U2 Concert: Unforgettable

There are only a few bands worth spending money on and U2 is one of them. I've loved U2 since I was little. There was a geeky time in my life when I would watch the Rattle and Hum video every Sunday (no particular reason for Sunday). Behind every song is a special memory. "A Sort of Homecoming" reminds of the day I flew home from my mission and listened to it on the plane ride. "Where the streets have no name" reminds me of 9th grade summer. There are so many other memories but the one I love most is "All I want is you." This is the song that Kyle serenaded to me when he proposed. We were at the mouth of little Cottonwood Canyon enjoying the view after a fancy a dinner. He said he wanted to play a song for me that he just learned. When I heard the first few notes I knew where this song was going. After he finished, he got down on one knee, pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him. Best decision of my life. Another cool thing about the concert was that we spent it with the same couple we went with the first time we saw U2 back in 1997, the Benches. Fun times!

Happy Birthday Max!

My sweet Max is 4 now! Time is flying by. How can my baby be 4? This is what Max loves now

Max loves to eat broccoli, apples, pb and honey, milk, Life cereal, and ice cream

Max loves his sword, sheild, bike, cars, boats and airplanes.

Max loves McDonalds

Max loves playing with his friends! At 9 AM every morning he will ask me if he can play a friend.

Max loves to watch Max and Ruby, Bubble Guppies and Team Umi Zumi

Max prays every day that Kyle and I will be safe from sharks and crocodiles.

Everytime I leave to go somewhere he says, "Mom, I need a hug and a kiss"

Love you Max!

Race for the Cure 2011: Team Alena, Run like a Girl

I love these girls!

A few days before the race, I was surprised by a knock at the door and to find these girls standing on my doorstep with flowers, a card and a tank top. Secretly they organized a team for Race for the Cure. WOW! That is the sweetest surprise I ever had. I was very embarrassed---Emily P. is in trouble. Michelle designed the coolest tank and Anna hosted a fabulous retreat. It was so fun! I really hope they enjoyed the weekend as much as I did. They are so wonderful to me! I will never forget this day.

The race has become a big part of our lives these past 4 years. Its a new tradition with a powerful purpose. Doing the race reminds me of how fragile and precious life is. My family means so much to me, so the more I give to this cause/race then the better and healthier my life will be- which in turn keeps me on this earth with my family and friends. I don't know if my family and friends know how much I love them but I really do. Each person in my life brings me joy and happiness. I need to work on being a better wife, mother and friend. I can't take what I have for granted. I really hope for love and forgiveness.

Happy Birthday to.....me.

I had a wonderful birthday! Thats an understatement. I cry when I think about it. I am so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. Lunches were the best! My favorite moment was going to Smart Cookie. While I was paying for our treats, the kids put a candle in my cookie and Kyle lit the candle with a lighter he hid in his pocket, and then they sang "Happy Birthday" to me.

One of my favorite gifts...a ski jacket

Conner Lacross Spring 2011

Lilly's First Performance for Spring 2011

HaPpY BiRthDaY LilLy!

Lilly turned 7 on April 7, 2011. Her day was filled with surprises and lots of fun. The highlight was lunch with daddy. Kyle ate lunch with her at school and he said he will cherish that day forever! When Kyle got to the school he waited out in the hall as to not make a disturbance. He heard Mrs. Walker inside the class telling all the students to line up for lunch. Then Mrs. Walker peeked her head out the door and looked at Kyle, didn't say a word, then walked back inside. Afterwards, Kyle overheard Mrs. Walker gently say, " Yes, Lilly, he is here." Man,was she excited for daddy but she was nervous that he may have forgotten their plans.

Lilly's party theme was a FUN-SHINE PARTY..."Planting the seeds of fun!" The girls did crafts, painted pots, planted a flower, baked cupcakes in silicone flower pots and frosted them with yummy dirt and worms.

Max Moments: Thanksgiving Point-Farm Country

A few funny moments while at the farm:

• Max sees a Clydesdale horse and says, "He's GINORMOUS!"

• Max is watching the goats and says in a serious voice, "They speak Spanish."

Oh Max! What will you do or say next? Oh, let me tell you what he did this morning. Sunday morning while the whole family was still in bed asleep, Max awoke and decided he will make his own breakfast. He got out the pancake mix, bowl and spoon. He poured water in it and made a batch of pancake batter. To my surprise he did a pretty good job. I used the batter and served them up! Lilly said they were really good (she's a pancake snob)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Lilly decorated Papa Joe (dad) with streamers from school. She thought she was so funny!

The Cruise

Finally, after one year of waiting for this cruise to come, it came! It was fun. My favorite part was the zip line, I loved it-even the mules! The Hilton was AWESOME too. Thanks Matt for hookin' us up! We created some special memories and friendships

This is Old Man Pervert. He loved taking photos of our group by the pool everyday. So Todd decided to take a picture of him.

Cute photo of our shoes at"elegant night"

Our second formal night

Sorry to say this but this pool was SO LAME!

20 minute ride up the hill to the top of the zip line

They made us kiss for the photo.

The water was so freaking cold....can ya tell by my face?!

This is the gum that Matt sneezed out. We didn't know where it landed until 2 hours later when Kyle went to get something out of his bag.

The best Mexican restaurant in town with THE BEST GUACAMOLE. Made fresh at our table

We are at dinner chatting about what Amy and Anna did for 6 hours while we were on the zip line. They apparently solved the worlds problems, fought away groping men; and they did this without taking a single break to rest their jaws.

The Hilton: "This doesn't suck"

No, this is not the KKK, nor are we doing a session by the ocean but we are crab hunting.

Naughty Boys

This is how they look when they are naughty....

This is how Max looks when NAUGHTINESS runs out......asleep on the pantry floor

Valentines Day Dinner

Each year we do a candle light dinner with the kids. This year Lilly made name cards for everyone. Good time, however, two minutes into dinner Conner said, "Mom, I can't see my food. Can we turn the lights back on?" So much for that

Lilly's First Cavity

Lilly got her first cavity...isnt that special? 300 Hundred Dollar special, ugh! But she walked away with this cute teddy bear from Dr. Poulsen. Perfect reason to NOT brush your teeth ever again. I love Dr. Poulsen! I really do.

Kyle's Passion: Guitar

This was the best Christmas present for Kyle- a Les Paul Gibson electric guitar. You should have seen the look on his face when he opened the box. He was SPEECHLESS!

Kyle has played his baby everyday since Christmas

Pastey to Tastey

I hope Kyle doesn't get mad when he reads this but I have to tell this story. so funny!

Last month, I suggested to Kyle that he should go tanning before our cruise. He replied, "No, thanks. Its not my thing." I laughed because that is such a guy thing to say. I told him he should tan so he won't burn while on the cruise. You would think that as dark as he is and with his olive skin tone that he wouldn't burn but he does! During the summer he cakes on the sun screen-which is good- but he still burns. So finally after hours of "communicating" he said he will go tanning. A month goes by and he still hasn't gone tanning. Now its one week before the cruise and he decides, "OH! I need to start tanning."

Well its Monday night and he goes to Golden Tan. He pulls into the parking lot and freezes up. He won't go in. He calls me at home and says, "There are so many people inside. Its going to take forever. I don't want to do this." I reply, "Just go in. Tanning is only a few minutes. They will be done soon." He goes in.

FORTY FIVE MINUTES LATER he comes home. I am shocked that it has taken him so long. He walks into the house with the angriest face I have ever seen-which does not happen often. He was sooooo mad and said he would never go back ever again. This is what happened.

He goes up to the gal, "NIkki" (perfect name for a tanning salon employee) and says, "Im a tanning VIRGIN and I want to go from PASTEY TO TASTEY" Are you kidding me?! Did he really say that? YES! She tells him to do the high pressure bed. He calls me to find out if that is the right bed, "Yes, it is" THen Nikki tells him about their monthly special and its $80. Kyle went cross-eyed but then said YES, I will buy the pass." Nikki then proceeds to tell Kyle about her fabulous lotions. " You have to wear lotion....would you brush your teeth without toothpaste?" Kyle sees her point and says he will buy some lotion. She makes him smell several bottles and he said, "Okay fine. I will buy a this lotion" She says that will be 110. He said, "wow, only a dollar?" "um no, one hundred and ten dollars." Well, toothpaste doesn't cost more than five dollars" He said, "No! but I will buy a sample pack for 4 dollars. She rings him up and then takes him back to the "HIGH PRESSURE" BED......

Nikki explains the details of the bed and how it works. Kyle asks, "Do I go full monte?" "Why Yes, you do" (awkward). Kyle undresses and gets into the bed (of course after Nikki leaves the room). Five minutes goes by and the bed POPS open. He starts pushing buttons trying to get the bed to close but nothing is working. He gets out and puts his clothes back on. He goes to the front desk and tells Nikki, "My bed popped open" "HUH? What? No way? (in her valley girl voice). Are you serious?" So they walk back to the room and she pushes more buttons and tells Kyle to get back in the bed and it shouldn't happen again. Nikki leaves. Kyle undresses again and gets back into the bed. Sure enough, ten minutes goes by and POP! The bed opens up again. Kyle didn't want to get dressed AGAIN so he peeks his head out the door and yells, "Help! Help! I need some help back here. Hello! can someone help me? Something is wrong with my bed....hello....hello....hello" Finally he gets a reply. But its not from Nikki- its from the lady in the next bed. She tells Kyle to SHUT-UP and stop yelling.

By now, Kyle has had it! He was so mad. He gets dressed. Marches to the front desk. Looks at Nikki and says, "I want my money back. Your bed is broken. This is not for me." Nikki, "What? (valley girl voice) What? Was that you yelling?" "Ah,Yes. Thanks for helping me. and I would like my money back please" Nikki says, "uummm.... I am not authorized to do that. I will have to call head-quarters to get approval."

"Whatever" Kyle leaves.

Kyle comes home and I ask how the tanning went. He replies, "Well, which side?" "Huh? What do you mean 'which side'?" In a sarcastic voice he says, "Only half of my body got a tan."

Poor Kyle! Im so sorry he didn't have a good first experience tanning. But in the end, I talked him into going to Electric Beach and he has gone from "PASTEY to TASTEY"