Just another day at the gym

Here are a couple of videos of the kids at their Saturday tumbling class.

Josh had a really good day. To my knowledge he had only tried this trick one time before. Here he does a round off - whip - backhandspring. As you can see from his face at the end of the pass he was just as surprised as we were.

Here is Abby. She didn't have her best day ever, but nonetheless she does a running roundoff backhandspring with Skeeter just being close for support. Then she does a couple of backhandsprings by herself. She has been doing a standing backhandspring by herself for quite awhile now, but the running roundoff backhandspring is the current trick she is mastering. She did it by herself for the first time last week.

Wildlife Anyone??

Saturday afternoon we took a drive up Weber Canyon. Grandma and Grandpa Gibson told us there were so many deer you couldn't count them all. So, much to my dismay (because I thought it would be boring) we took a trip up the canyon. The kids were actually excited, and so was Dayt. Me, I was just along for the ride. So for the first 10 minutes we didn't see one deer. I was certain I would be right - boring trip. Then, all of a sudden we see 4 or 5 deer off the side of the road, literally just off the side of the road grazing on bushes. Ok, cool, the kids saw some deer, but nothing groundbreaking. Few hundred more yards and a couple more deer show up. A couple hundred yards after that...2 moose! Yep, moose might be easy to spot in Yosemite National Park, or even more likely in Yellowstone or somewhere like that...but off the side of a MAIN road in Morgan Utah...well that was just a little bit more exciting. There were 2 huge moose just feasting on a tree or two, I feel bad now that I didn't stop to take a picture. I learned my lesson and at the next convenient stop I took a picture of some wildlife. We stumbled onto a herd of about 80 deer. No kidding - they were counted! After that there were many deer to follow, probably around 140 or so - we lost count. And one more ginormous moose. Pretty good day for wildlife sightings, and I have to admit, it was a little more exciting than I originally thought.

A night at Cami's - as Abby knows it...

For christmas Cami gave all the kids the most fabulous gift! Abby received a subscription to the Disney Princess Magazine and a sleepover at her house, with an activity of her choice! The kids have all been fighting over who gets to go first. You can see who prevailed! Abby started off the evening with her favorite food from Panda Express. Then she entered the "spa world."

Complete with flickering candles in the dark she soaked her feet while massaging her back. Then she enjoyed some sparling cider while receiving a facial! What a life!

THEN...she made a waffle bowl sundae and vegged out on the couch to watch Bridge to Terabithia and Pee Wee's Big Adventure. How lucky she was to stay up late and watch a double feature!

The next day they went shopping at Fashion Place Mall where Cami bought her a HSM2 "I Love Troy" necklace! It really can't get any better than that --- but it did!

She went to Hard Rock Cafe and bowling and to a play called "Once Upon a Mattress" based on the Princess and the Pea story. Now that is what I call SPOILED! Now you can see why they all fight to sleep at Cami's! Thanks Cami for the gift of your time - in Abby's words "the best time ever ever in my whole life!"

President's Day Hike

Dayt took the kids to Adams Canyon on Monday morning for a little winter hike. There was too much snow so Jantz had to stay home with mom, he was extremely sad! Now he asks me everyday if the snow is melted yet so he can go on the hike too. Aaron Morris brought along his boys Cole (7) and Cade (5). They had a great time together.

Cade, Abby, Josh, Cole

The river

Cole, Cade, Josh, Abby

HAPPY LOVE DAY!!

This is how our day got started...Josh heads off to school with the valentine box that he created all by himself. He didn't want anything but basketball, so here he is with his version of the Energy Solutions Arena. He came up with the concept all by himself!
Jantz, Abby and myself head off to meet Grandma and Grandpa
and Aunt Cami at Boston's for our little Valentine Lunch.

Then, I drop off Abby at Kindergarten, race home for last minute preparations and then off to Josh's class for his Valentine Party. This is Josh and his cute little friend Wilson, who is REALLY good at Guitar Hero III

After the party Josh and I pick-up Abby and head off to the movie theater. Josh has been begging us for months and months to take him to the opening day of the Spiderwick Chroncicles. VERY GOOD! We loved it. Abby was really scared a couple of times so I am sure I will hear all about the nightmares tonight!

Then back home for a Donahoe family tradition...dinner by candlelight. This year I was so busy (see above) that I didn't get to do a whole lot of "gourmet" cookin. I had to take the easy way out and cook up some Stouffer's lasagna. But I topped off the dinner with a new dessert, chocolate molten lava cake with raspberry topping.

IT WAS A GOOD DAY!

FHE @ Surf and Swim

Josh got lucky that poor Maegan Cleverly got sick because he was able to take her ticket to the Harlem Globetrotters on Monday - thank you Maegan! Which meant that Jantz and Abby were feeling left out so...we had to do something exciting to make it up to them. They decided on Surf and Swim - much to my disappointment-again, thank you Maegan - note the sarcasm! Not only is my bod NOT ready for swimsuit season, it is about as white as the walls at Utah's only indoor beach! I told Dayt that I was 100% NOT in agreement of this choice (which wasn't one of the original choices in the first place) and he reminded me that one of my goals this year was for our family to be more "active!" BUSTED! On the positive side, I burned hundreds of calories! A couple more FHE's of this and I just might be ready for swimsuit season!

This is a picture of Jantz doing his signature move - a twist o' the wrist and point the finger, happy move!

They had tons and tons of fun!

I did take some video of them crashing into the waves but it is very dark inside so they didn't turn out too great, and then the google program lost even more resolution. But if you want to see them anyway you can go to this link:

Abby: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-719163691343037538

Jantz: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7597514521032446511&hl=en

Chinese New Year

Here are a couple of pictures of the Chinese New Year parade at the school.

That's Josh - #23

FOR RANSOM

So I saw this lonely 12 pack of Dr Pepper Berries and Cream at the grocery store today. I was thinking that it would make a good housewarming gift for some dear old friends in March when they move back to the warmth of Utah. THEN I remembered a post I saw awhile back on Erica's blog: http://www.brenayfamily.blogspot.com/

SOOOO, I decided I would put this 12 pack (yes, all twelve are there-see pic 2) up for ransom and really see how desperate those ladies really are. I don't really understand all this hype about this special blend of DP guess I might have to try a can.

Now I realize this isn't "diet" but doesn't that just mean this particular blend is oh so much better? I think it's worth the extra calories...right ladies?

Just the Dancin...

Jantz got a hold of Josh's I-pod. He was

"feelin the groove" of the music...enjoy

Here come the vocals....

Jantz LOVES the Jonas Brothers, this is him with "some" of the lyrics to Year 3000. See if you can hear a couple words...3000...underwater...daughter....fine. All you mom's can sing along. I think he's got a shot, look out American Idol!

Random Fun

Here are a couple of random pictures.

Josh is our little "guitar hero." Yes, Dayt broke down and "finally"

purchased the game after much begging from Josh. I don't

think it was really too hard to twist his arm to buy it because

Dayt now thinks he is "Slash" and is pretty much enjoying it

into the wee hours of the night.

This is Jantzen and his little buddy Jake having a little picnic - warming up without the sun of course, but with a blazing fire and watching HSM2. Jake has been spending a couple of afternoons this week with us while his mom (Holli) gets back up to speed at Delta. We have loved having him here. Jantz is having a ball this week starting joy school and all his playdates. He has changed so much! We LOVE having other people for him to talk too! AND...get ready for it...he is becoming "independently" social. Yes, we all knew he was "SOCIAL" but he is actually breaking away from his family a little bit and sharing his fabulous personality with others around him. Example... he told my aunt that he was sure her popcorn was delicious, but that he wasn't quite sure if he wanted any. This is big! I am so happy he is talking to others!

This is an icicle, ok I know it "seems" boring, BUT it has really entertained the kids! Throughout each day they look out the window to see how much bigger it grows. Seriously, that thing is definately at least 3 1/2 feet long and growing. Plus, it already melted and fell once during that 12 hour warm spell that we had and started growing again. Good times!

Ok, here are a couple of funny sleep pictures. I love to take pictures of the kids sleeping because they look so peaceful and sweet. And frankly at the end of a busy day, that is really what it takes to make it all worthwhile. You feel me mothers out there??? Jantz loves the rice bag that his "muffin" made him (er, some other lady at enrichment) and loves to cuddle it at night. And yes, he is still sleeping with his christmas pillowcase, and so it Josh......

This picture is totally hilarious and definately Josh. He was going to dress up like a 100 year old man for the 100th day of school (see pic below). He was so excited about the outfit with came up with that when we went to check on him that night he was wearing it, cane and all...comfy huh?

You have click on it to zoom in and see the age lines!

Spring Fever???

Okay so I guess Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow the other day

and we have 6 more weeks of winter to look forward to. This has

been a very different winter than we have had in the past. I can't

remember having this much snow since I was about 10 years old!

The kids are enjoying it, and I have burned MANY calories shoveling

the driveway about 7 more times than I thought I would! However,

It looks like the kids are starting to get a little spring fever...

You HAVE to warm up with a cup o' the cocoa

after hard work like that!

I-search Fair

We went to the school last Thursday for the I-search fair.
Josh researched hyena's and Abby researched ladybugs.
They both did an excellent job! Here is a picture of them with
the animals they sculpted.

HANNAH MONTANA - FINALLY!

I know there are many of you out there that were lucky
enough to go to the Hannah Montana concert, well we weren't
so lucky, much to the kids disappointment. We had to settle for
the HM 3d concert movie. I was NOT thrilled to pay $15
a ticket...however....it was TONS of fun and the kids absolutely
LOVED it! It was well worth it! I felt better after the movie
thinking that they were able to experience on some level what
many of you did at the concert. Ok, back to being a cool mom again!
Thank you Disney 3d!