Happy New Year's Eve...

We will be spending a not-so-quiet evening at home with Olive Garden to Go, a dance party, some movies, an apple cider toast, and some serious banging on the pots and pans!

Look What Santa Brought....

Merry Christmas! We hope everyone had a great day. We have enjoyed this Christmas Season very much and have tried to feel the love of the Savior as we think about his birth. Santa Clause did find us at our new home and brought the kids plenty. They were really excited about their new bows and arrows, and with a little coaching managed to hit the hay.... sometimes.

After a few misses we had to round up some more hay bales from the neighbors so we have somewhat of a hay fort going on in the back yard. There were far too many sailing into the mud. The kids have joked that it looks like we are training militants because in addition to the bows we got one pellet gun (Torey), three night vision binoculars, laser tag, pocket knifes, and a tomahawk. Weird. Taylor was delighted to find a cell phone in her pile, and Jake got a criss-cross crash which I think Reed was more excited about as he had one when he was a boy. All in all I would say between Santa and Grandparents the kids are pretty darned spoiled.

Temple Square...

When planning our Christmas to do list there were several requests for a trip to Temple Square to see the lights, at which point Jake informed us that he had never seen the lights. So after congratulating ourselves on being horrible parents we made arrangements with the cousins to go and see - and it was beautiful.

The weather will best be described as misty, but not intolerable. We saw a movie, walked around, and also ran into the best neighbors ever, with their recently returned missionary in tow. It was great to see the Miller's and to hang out with family.
Christmas is just around the corner and we can't wait!

Santa or Jake?

Due to economic uncertainty he had to let three of the reindeer go.

Gingerbread....

The kids really love my Grandma's gingerbread recipe and beg every year to make some. Last year Taylor single handedly wiped out an entire batch and subsequently grew 3 inches in a month. This year before it happened again we decided to try our hand at decorating...

We ended up with cookies in every variety and in every stage of life. Torey even decorated one who was "great with child" by adding mini gingerbread sprinkles to the belly. I had intended to give them away, but I think this batch is best left for our own family to enjoy!

Evans Family Party

Tonight was the annual Evans Family Christmas Party. We had a great time with good food, great people, and fabulous games. As you can see from some of the pictures, some of us took the games more seriously than others.

Here are the three resident teenagers who were so excited to be included in the activities. Everyone was included this year, much to their dismay!
Some of the parties guests were very deep thinkers like my Uncle Max. After the games the kids decorated cute ornaments with their handprints and then it was time for the evening to end. Many of us thought it was too soon, and can't wait until the next family game night.

Christmas Recital...

Tonight we were treated to a very special Christmas Piano Recital hosted by the world's best piano teacher, Natalie. She does a great job with the kids and is very encouraging even though she knows for a fact that they barely practice. I need to be a meaner mom.

Taylor played "Away in a Manger" and "Angels We Have Heard on High."
Jake did actually practice, and practice a lot! He played "Jingle Bells."
Torey played "What Child is This" and "Walking in a Winter Wonderland."

They did pretty well, but the highlight of our night was getting to see all of our old neighbors who we love so much!

Our Saturday...

Our Saturday began with two basketball games at 11:00, at different schools of course. It was the first games of the season and Taylor and Jake's teams both lost. Sad. There was not a lot of time to replay them, however, as we were due for the cultural event of the holiday season. Torey danced at her first ballet recital since she was a little girl. The dance was to "the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy's" from the Nutcracker. She danced beautifully and was really good at extending her arms through the full movement. She is a very graceful dancer.

Here we are after the recital. Grandma and Grandpa Thompson came to watch and brought her the beautiful flower bouquet. She was more than thrilled. Jake also learned the value of honesty as he lost his wallet, which was later turned in at the snack stand. We were so grateful as it contained his rec center pass, his gift card, and his favorite picture of the Savior. Thank you to whomever it was!
Later that evening we enjoyed Grandma Glenda's famous Christmas party where Taylor won the coloring contest for her age group (I won't tell you how many kids are in that age group), and we made merry throughout the evening. The night would not be complete without the obligatory family picture, so here it is.

We love Grandma Glenda so much and are so grateful for the time we get to spend with her. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

Oh Christmas Tree...

Ice Skating..

Reed called last night and asked us if we would like to accompany him to the South Jordan City "Light the Night." For those of you unfamiliar with this, as were we, this is the tree lighting ceremony. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived to find out that this was not just a boring flip the switch and we're done, but a well planned, fun filled event, which has now found its way into our "pro column." As part of the fun the city provided everyone with free ice skates to skate around the tree. We also enjoyed an appearance from Santa Claus, free hot cocoa and cookies, and free chicken sandwiches - which was awesome because we hadn't even begun to think about dinner.

The kids had so much fun that they forced us to take them again the next day with some additional friends. The skate rental is only $1 so even if you stay five minutes you feel like you have gotten your money's worth. For the record we stayed longer.
This was the kids first foray into the sport of ice skating so you can imagine that Jake spent a lot more time on his knees or bottom than he did on his skates. The second day he did much better. Torey did pretty well, only falling a couple of time, and Taylor brags that she never fell - perhaps because she traveled at the pace of cold molasses. All in all we loved every cold minute of it and would love to spend some more time there this winter!

Pinewood Derby...

Today our family got to experience our first "official" scout pinewood derby. There was a lot of anticipation, perspiration, and exhilaration that accompanied this event, and we didn't do too shabby if we do say so ourselves. Jake, Reed, and Grandpa Kerry managed to create an awesome looking spider car that performed pretty decent. We won once, and barely missed another. All in all we were satisfied with the outcome. Satisfied but not extremely thrilled - if you catch my drift.

Grandpa Simper's 90th...

Today my grandpa turned 90 years old, but if you were to ask him he feels like he is about 21 - if only he could get his legs to work. We planned an open house for him at the church across from his house and he seemed very delighted at the number of guests who came to wish him well. Two of them even beat him to his own party. We love Grandpa for a lot of reasons but perhaps the biggest reason is his optimism. He sees the good in everything and loves everything about life. He doesn't get too worked up over anything and he loves his family. We love you Grandpa!

Happy Halloween...

from a lovely Medusa...

The Riddler, a crazy villain...
and the resident Rodeo Clown.

We hope that your Halloween is loaded with sugar and fun. Thank you to Niki and Jeff for feeding us delicious soup and providing us with a neighborhood to go Trick or Treating!

Pumpkin Decorating Contest...

The kids' elementary school sponsored a pumpkin decorating contest. Torey did a fantastic Frankenstein who was reading a book about himself. Jake did a debonair spider. Sadly, neither child won, and one was rather disgusted with the results. You see, his spider lost to a pig. A PIG. What does a pig have to do with Halloween. Ridiculous.

A Thing of the Past?

Do you remember Road Shows? Well here in South Jordan you don't have to remember them because they are no longer a thing of the past.

Our stake challenged the youth in each ward to create a road show with the theme "Out of the Horses Mouth." Our leaders created one entitled "Wrighteous" with some of the songs remade from the Broadway show "Wicked." The kids did an amazing job, and our very own Taylor sung a very small solo, and was not totally against it. I think we took a very close second. The show was all about modesty with lines such as, "my pulse is rushing, my head is spinning, my face is flushing, what am I seeing, is this just a game, does it have a name, Y-e-s, Clothing, unadulterated clothing, hey your shoulder blades are showing, let's just say we'll clothe it all, every little skirt how ever small, makes my very flesh begin to crawl, wear simple pure clothing, there is a beautiful example, look he's prepping for the temple, they look pure and strong...."

Family Night...

Many of our family nights this year have taken place out on the patio with the fire pit. It makes for an easy dinner, and the kids and dog love it. We can't wait until we get the rest of the yard put in so we can enjoy it even more.

Let me tell you about the time...

my eternal mate turned on me. But first, a story. I love fall. Every year I look forward to the crunchy leaves, pumpkin desserts, and crisp fall air. I feel myself allowing my nesting instincts to take over and start to clean and decorate the house, preparing for the long winter months. The only stain in our otherwise festive fall spirit is the heavy black cloud of dread that settles over my children. This dread triggers their instinctual flight mechanism which, in turn, makes them very skittish. They feel what is coming, and there is nothing I can do to assail their fears. They know it, I know it, and Reed is vaguely aware. They start huddling closer together and start looking over their shoulders fearing when the moment will come. 'Tis the season for flu shots and the anticipation is killing them. Now anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows the lengths I have to go to to make this experience as painless as possible. I won't go into specifics, but imagine if you will one child breaking a needle off in his leg, one huddled in the fetal position behind the examining table, and a lot of weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, and a general sense of panic and flight reflexes. There is no pride or dignity in this trio, and frankly it humiliates me, and I am sure if you asked them, they would admit to a deep sense of shame.

So, this year I attempted a new method, because although you can call them cowards, you cannot call them stupid, and my methods only work once. This year I went for sleep administration, not knowing that there was one big flaw in my plan. His name was Reed, but now I call him Benedict. He who has never seen a shot administered dug down deep and came up with some misguided sense of moral outrage at the idea. Harming a child while they slept soundly was somehow abhorrent to his ethical views. (This is the man who plugs their noses, effectively cutting off their oxygen supply, when they are snoring). So, after much belittling, begging, and cajoling he caved in and agreed to my plan. His plan, for the record, involved sitting them down and telling them in great detail what was about to happen and expecting them to just climb on board the shot train. Amateur. Bedtime rolled around and it was almost as if the stars had aligned because Taylor came out wearing a tank top. Things were going along swimmingly until Jake, for once in his life, opted for pajamas rather than the tradition attire of nothing but undies. It was a setback, but we could adjust. Around 10:30 we snuck into their room and an alcohol wipe was gently swiped around the shoulder, and then the plan failed. Eyes popped open and in their groggy state they were abominably treated. What happened next hurt. It hurt Taylor and Jake because the needle remained in their little arms for an inordinately long length of time, I am talking like a full 26 seconds or more, and it hurt me, because as they wept, my eternal mate turned on me like a rabid dog. Blame and vitriol spilled out of his mouth as he repeatedly threw me under the proverbial bus, and told the kids it was not his idea. I couldn't believe my ears. I am still reeling from the fact that my teammate abandoned me at a critical moment in the game. There I was holding one crying boy, and hugging a sweet little girl, and all he could do was glare and shake his head in disgust. The kids were comforted, applauded my creativity, thanked us for the shots and went to bed. No seriously, there was a thank you. And I was left to ponder on the fact that Reed will be doing the driving to the doctor's office next year, because he thinks I exaggerate the whole ordeal. He'll never understand that what he witnessed last night was by far the easiest administration we have ever gone through.

If you were wondering the kids were happily swapping war stories this morning and Torey let them in on the fact that she knew all along as she had her shot earlier in the day at the doctor's office. In one small moment I realized why the other two would be asleep when they got theirs.

Happy Birthday, Ole!

When Niki is not demonstrating the proper way to dance the flamenco, she is a busy mom to three great children, a very supportive wife to her hero husband, and a spirited high school secretary who influences young lives on a daily basis. It's no wonder that she looks to dancing for her creative outlet. Congratulations on your 36th birthday. With all the car accidents you've been in I'll bet Mom and Dad would never have thought you would live the see the day. What an amazing accomplishment. I can't wait to grow old along side of you, but always two years younger. Love you to pieces!!!

Temple Square

We had some of our great friends fly in from Texas and they wanted to see Temple Square. We were happy to oblige them and met them for lunch and a tour. We were able to go through the visitor center, the Temple grounds, and the Conference Center and answer many, many questions regarding our faith. It was such a testimony builder for us, and made us realize how lucky we are to have the fulness of the Gospel in our lives. The Spirit was very strong and testified of a lot of truth. The display of ancient prophets was really amazing and we got to see one of our old neighbors in the movie. We had a great time!

Putting in the Yard....

Jake and Reed have been busting heavies trying to get our yard put in. The goal was Torey's birthday, and then Reed's, and now mine. It is hard work as the dirt is mostly clay and there is a lot of hand digging necessary. Jake has learned to work like a man doing things like driving the back hoe, and learning how to dig properly. He even talked Reed into a shovel just his size.

They have really been getting after it and I am so happy with their progress. Jake is a very dedicated worker and won't quit until quitting time. We have even seen Taylor out there a time or two. I think it had something to do with avoiding laundry.

First Day at New Schools.

The first day of school at completely new schools can be a little rough. It was super scary and only a little exciting. Taylor was heard to say, "Can you tell I've been crying?" At which point I answered, "I don't know, you are still crying." She came home upset, but since then each day has gotten progressively better. At least I think it has.

The sun shined differently on Torey that day. A girl recognized her from a Stake activity and instantly she had a whole group of friends. Reed says it is the law of reciprocation, as she is generally very friendly. Jake came home crying that he wanted to go back to Barratt, but has since found friends in Theo and Nathan, so things are looking better.
They have all been very brave and I am so proud of how they are adapting through such a rough situation. No one likes to be outside of their comfort zones and this move has been exactly that. We are hoping for a better school ending than how it began.

Happy Birthday Reed!

Happy Birthday to Reed who we love more than anything in the whole world. We are glad you are alive! And we are glad that we get to spend our lives with you. Congratulations on the big 36!

Last Night Jake became a Wolf...

He would have been one a month earlier had the Scouts not taken the month of July off, but after we got over that we went to work earning arrow points and badges. We are so happy that he is so enthusiastic, at least that's what we tell ourselves when the scout manual gets repeatedly shoved in our faces. Actually, it is not a bad program and has given him a lot of motivation.

Below is a picture of what we have earned so far. Several belt loops, a national park badge, a Wolf badge, 4 arrow points, the whittling chip, and not pictured are the leave no trace and a special reading medal that basically kicked our hinders.
This is what we did on our summer vacation...

HaPpY BiRtHdAy ToReY!

Happy Birthday to one of the most beautiful girls in the world. For eleven years you have lit up our life with spunk and energy and made our family fun. We love you so much and would like to share some of our favorite Torey memories.

1. Torey was a very quick learner as a baby. She walked at nine months and could count to ten at 13 months. She really wanted to catch up to her big sister and cousins so she would never be left out.

2. Torey is a lovely hostess. Whenever there is a party she loves to plan, conduct, and ensure everyone's happiness and general delight with the event. She has been like this since the beginning.

3. Torey loves games. She used to wake us up in the morning by shoving a board game into our head and asking us if we wanted to play.

4. Torey is very compassionate. She has all the best mothering qualities and will practice them on any willing child.

5. She is a fashion diva. She always has to have the latest outfits and shoes, shoes, shoes.

6. Torey is a dancer through and through. She never sits still and is always spinning or moving the hips. She is patiently waiting for a "real" dance class, which we hope to oblige her with this fall.

7. I will never forget the time she called me from school, in the 1st grade, and told me to "come and get me, I am damaged." It was a very tragic playground accident involving a small to medium sized scrape on her hip.

8. Word on the street is that she was the recess nurse. She would pick injured kids up off the ground and promptly treat them with an ice pack or bandage. A lot like her daddy.

9. She is learning to sew and doing a really good job of it. We are working on a quilt and she is doing great.

10. Torey is a heart breaker. She is always receiving little notes or stuffed animals from the boys at school. It is because she is such a social little girl with a lot of personality.

11. We love her so much. We love her hugs, kisses, cuddles, laugh, humor, personality, etc.

Happy Birthday to our Bussy! We hope you have a great day!

New Callings....

Reed: Elder's Quorum 1st Counselor

Natilie: Relief Society 2nd Counselor

Taylor: Beehive Class President

Torey: Stake Primary Choir

Jake: Stake Primary Choir

Needless to say we are feeling a bit overexposed...

In the Quest...

to become the most decorated Cub Scout in the history of mankind, we set out to earn the Conservation Merit Badge. The reason having less to do with conservation and more to do with the cute little panda on the patch. Since our yard is a desolate wasteland right now, we chose to tackle the fishing and bird section. Anyone catch that pun? (tackle - fishing) Anyone?

So we loaded up the truck and went to the Adventure and Learning Park pond. We even caught a fish. It is pictured below. Look hard, it's kind of in the middle. We are catch and release fishers because a certain someone with initials JRT cannot harm any living creature. In fact he was yelling at the ducks all night to leave the fish alone. Reed will have to find a different hunting/fishing partner if this keeps up.
So with that little teeny fish we fulfilled our requirement and were able to go home.
Wishing us better luck next time.....

Steel Days....

Steel Days has come and gone and with it summer is half over. Torey and Jake ran in the kids fun-run along with some of their cousins. Torey came in eighth place, which we didn't think was too bad considering she was just coming off of Strep throat. Jake did a little better and took fifth place in his age group.

Here he is with his spiffy new trophy. Reed claims that he only has one pace, but he showed him.
After the parade we took the kids to the carnival and they rode a few rides. Not so many this year as we didn't pre-purchase the tickets. We won't make that mistake again. Easton came with us, although he was on a ride when this picture was taken.
Later that evening we went to Grandma Glenda's for her annual party and fireworks show. It was a great time. We love spending the night with all of the cousins playing games and having races. Little Brett also led us in the Pledge of Allegiance which was probably the cutest thing I have ever seen.
Taylor and Torey are in an age category all their own so Trent was kind enough to run with them.
Right after this race, Reed decided to join, and let's just say after clipping a small boy, running into some chairs, and barrel rolling out of a major fall, he is feeling like he has just been in a car accident. This is only Reed's second year joining us, so he didn't really know any better. Next year will be better.
Thanks Grandma for a fantastic time!