Sept 26-Oct 2 Family Photos

Wednesday I took Matia to a girls night out. It was so fun we have this amazing leader that plans a mother daughter activity every year and she has done some AMAZING things. Of course she blames it all on the talented ladies in our ward... which there are PLENTY of. But I know she has it all together to put together a night like she did. It was themed "Don't get Tangled in the World" and we braided each others hair with flowers in them then ate dinner and decorated paper lanterns while we had an amazing talk about not getting Tangled and Mother Knows Best. While they were talking about Mother knows Best they asked us for some of our mothers famous sayings... I rose my hand and said my mother always told me "not to scowl or I will grow wrinkles there forever".

Then a few others said some fun sayings and then Tia rose her hand so proudly and I whispered what are you going to say she whispered back "stop fidgeting or I will pull your hair out" I said oh no you don't and pulled her hand down. My sweet friend teaching the lesson saw what was going on and called on Matia... I quickly mention to the group she had nothing to say... Yet my sweet friend with an enduring smile insisted on Matia to participate. So Matia tells the whole group my secret to get her to sit still while I do her hair... Everyone rolled laughing and I turned red and insisted I NEVER SAY THAT! I just love being with my sweet Matia she makes everything we do fun. Love ya girlie!

Thursday Treg had another Flag football game I was not going to miss this one because the one I missed for Matia's date he made an killer interception and almost a touchdown.. This game was fun to watch and I loved every minute of it. After the game I went for ice cream with my sweet friend Denise and Christina. I haven't seen Denise for quite some time and it was so nice to catch back up with her. BTW I love frozen yogurt and the ORANGE LEAF in highland was amazing.

Friday Terry took the day off and we pulled the kids out of school half day and we hit the lake. It felt good to be some what irresponsible... It reminded me of the days I would skip school to go skiing with my dad. Anyway it was an amazing day on the lake.

By far the best this season on Utah lake. Then we hustled off the lake showered and went to our friends house for some yummy food and a good BYU-Utah State football game. This was our first time meeting Rusty's girlfriend and she was really cool.

Saturday we had Bowdee's football game and 3 soccer games but the soccer games didn't get over until 5:00 we really wanted to go to Strawberry to see the leaves and hear the elk but we had a flat tire on the truck and had to replace all those and just didn't have time to get out of her so we stayed home and watched the Utes football game yes it was a sad game.

Sunday we went up AF canyon and took our family photos... Why we choose General Conference to go up there I will never know it was so crowded. But we took our photos and I think they turned out pretty good for a timer button. After the photos we went out west to sight in our guns again. And visit Troy for his birthday. It was a pretty ok weekend!

Sept 19-25 Girls Cedar City - Boys Strawberry

Last week I bought the kids the Pass of all Passes and explained to them that if every week they are good and do their homework and don't complain about chores that I would take them to Trafalga to reward them for their hard work. Well here they are they have all been magnificent I think I only had to give them each 1 mark the whole week. They have been getting up to an alarm and doing 15 minute rotations. Piano, reading, and getting dressed all by themselves then we run or ride bikes to school. So here they are starting the week off with a couple hours of together play time at trafalga and loving it.

Tuesday was filled with piano, soccer practice and football practice. But Wednesday now that was a special day. You see Matia's love in life is horses and we have this friend that owns a small pony named Strawberry. She let us go see her last Friday and said Wed we can come back and walk her around the farm. Matia was so excited as you can imagine. She LOVED every minute of it. Thanks Michelle and Dawson for letting Matia enjoy Strawberry!

Treg also had his first Flag Football game on Wed then another on Thurs. They were both fun and Treg loved playing but he said the game on Wed was funner because the boys they played that day were more his level. Treg could really be a great player if he put his mind to it. He is fast and really smart... He watches where the play is going to be and follows so well.

Friday I decided I wanted to take Terry on a date since we wouldn't see each other much this weekend so. Bowdee went to a birthday party, Matia played at Daisy's house and Treg hung out with Grandma. We well we watched the BYU football game, ate out at chickfilet and just talked mostly. I can't tell you how much I just love being with Terry.

Saturday well it started with Bowdee's football game at 10:30, then Tregs soccer game at 11:30, then Bowdee's soccer game at 12:30 then back to Alpine for Matia's soccer game at 1:30! Busy crazy but we love it. They all played really good and then Matia and I hurried home to head out with my mom, Kami and Lakota on a road trip to Cedar City for my nephew Todd's mission farwell.

Todd is an amazing boy. He is funny, sweet, smart and has a way to make you feel like he really cares about you. I don't even know what to call that. But I just LOVE this boy and I know he will learn so much and teach even more out on his mission. I love you sincerly Todd and will be praying for you every night.

The best thing about this weekend (besides todd and angelas amazing talks) was being with my family. It was nice because we were just together nothing much that we felt like we needed to do just chillin sitting around in Kathy and Mikes nice house and talking. I love my family more then they will ever know and I miss them when they are not around! Thanks guys for an amazing weekend.

This weekend I learned a very valuable lesson... As I went with Matia on a girls weekend away... Terry took the boys to Strawberry on a boys weekend away... The only thing Matia brought back was a smile. But the boys talked their dad into getting them a water snake.

I can't tell you how bad I hate snakes and I wonder if just maybe Terry let them get a snake because I wasn't there to tell them no and it was my fault for letting them go alone. So I guess if I want a say in what happens I have to keep those boys in check and follow them everywhere.

The fall colors are changing and beautiful! The elk were calling during the night. The fish were biting. And they had an amazing time. They slept under the stars in the bed of the truck and listened to the cracking branches all night long. They were in heaven and a little part of me wishes I was there. But I am glad they had their bonding time and I got to see my family.

Sue is a darling snake if a snake could be darling. He is really docile and lets the kids pick him up with ease. He never strikes at them and is just curious about everything. So we will see how long this will last but I never thought I would say I live in the same house as a snake but as of now I do. I did tell the kids if the Sue gets out by chance then I will move out of the house until he is found and released outside far from my house. I don't know why but snakes just give me the creeps!

Sept 12-18 Workin out Lagoon

Okay so to be completely honest with you I don't remember much of what happened during the week... The reason is because on Monday I joined a gym "Anytime Fitness" and started to workout with my sister Kami. Kami and I work out so well together we are both competitive enough that we push each other and by darn will I ever call her and say I am not going. So we become VERY regular once we start working out together. So I am now waking up at 6:00 and hitting the gym for 1 hour of intense muscle building. Then I come home and get the kids ready for school and run with them to school and run home. Then the rest of the day is mine.

I just have to say I love the way I feel when I am working out regularly. I know my body won't change much from where it is now.. But that is okay with me. I am working out because I know it is what is good for me and will keep me healthy, happy and stronger for longer! I notice when I don't workout that I am more moody, self concious, and pretty much grumpier, I think that is because I know I am not giving my body all it needs to make it the healthiest it can be. I do love my body for being strong, healthy and sexy so I will continue to work out to treat it right...

Sorry about that but it explains why I don't remember much of last week. I was in so much pain (muscle soreness) and so tired that I really couldn't focus on much of anything else. I do remember it being a busy week and by 8:00 I was begging the kids to let me put them to bed so I could just sleep. They didn't fall for the 1 hour earlier bedtime.. :( Oh well, I had to try.

But Saturday came and Bowdee's football team lost their first football game in over a year. It was sad but Bowdee felt the best he ever felt about how he played and that is all that matters. Maybe it will remind the boys to always give it their all and winning is not everything. Tia played a mean soccer game and won 6-0 and Treg played a tough team but they won 2-1 so it was a good game day.

Then we headed to Lagoon just as fast as we could. We parked the trailer at their campground and met up with my mom and dad, Kyle and his family, and Kami and her cute kids. We had so much fun just playing, talking and bonding. Kye had to leave early but Kami kept Tay and Lil so they could play longer.

Sunday my family bounced back and man did we have fun! The park was empty and we could jump on any ride and only wait one time then it was our turn again. The kids went on Wicked 4 times in a row. I went once and Terry went the rest... He ended up in the bathroom for about 1/2 hour after that (hahaha).

Man I just can't think of anything better then to be with my family. They make this life worth living. I feel so blessed to have the love we have between each other. Thanks family for one FUN weekend!

You Tube - Everyone is doing it...

So when my brother came into town he made the cutest video of the girls runway tea party. So then he showed me how he makes them which is so much faster and easier then I had been doing them. So I made a few and then figured I could post them to You Tube for family that lives away from us that can't enjoy their sports in person. So here is my channel you can subscribe and it will e-mail you every time I post a new video or you can just check back whenever you want but the link is

http://www.youtube.com/user/kristitownsend

I hope you like them let me know what ya think. It has been alot of fun. But it does take alot of time so I haven't been scrapbooking lately... Not to sure how I feel about that. Someday right?

Sept 6-11 Soap Stone Basin

Tuesday was my first day of preschool. I am teaching 3 classes this year and I have an assistant for 2 of them. Christina is so much like me that it is crazy we can almost read each others minds.

Yet we compliment each other like crazy and when I forget something she usually is there to help me out. So having the best assistant in the world and 27 amazing children I consider myself to have the best job around.

I just can't tell you how excited I am to get to know each of these kids. They all seem so cute and I know we will have one fantastic time. And better yet the parents all seem to be on top of it and excited for the year.

Since the elk hunt is not officially over we decided to go to Soap Stone to see if we have any better luck up there. Of course we had to wait for games to get over so we didn't get to leave until later. But we got up there and it was a beautiful drive. Then we had time to throw off the 4-wheelers and take a quick spin. We found this pond that had baby frogs hoppin around so the kids loved catching them and letting them go. I consider these to be priceless memories I hope they will remember FOREVER!

Terry went again in the morning and was suprised to come back to breakfast ready for him at 9:00. Usually I sleep in or go hunting with him but today I got up and going. So then we took a longer spin on the 4-wheelers and went back to the pond to look for fossils and stuff. After the ride we went back and Terry made me brownies while I took a nap.

During my nap Treg comes running in the trailer with a blood curling "Dad come quick" so Terry runs out to find a dead tweety bird. Treg had shot it with his bbgun. Then he wasn't sure what to think of it he felt kinda bad... So that is Tregs first killing experience. I don't think he will be shooting at any living thing for a LONG time...

Aug 29- Sept 5th Skyline Elk Hunt

This week we added Treg's Flag Football practice to our schedule and his crazy coach wants to practice twice a week (crazy coach = his crazy dad). So that has just added to the fun, Bowdee is co-coaching Tregs team the Extreme Cobras. We have a fun bunch of boys it will be interesting to see how the games go.

Then this weekend we decided to go to Skyline up Spanish Fork Canyon for the first weekend of the elk hunt. It was crazy up there I didn't think we had a chance to get a good spot because we left late after Bowdee's football game. But we learned if you just keep driving and if you drive far enough you will find a spot that is nice and pretty remote.

Terry went hunting Sunday morning and saw an elk but he was alone and it was gone before he could get off the 4-wheeler. But then he found us a really good camp spot so he came back to camp we ate then packed up camp and moved to a new spot. Which we would have never done if we were tenting it.

We spent the rest of the day hunting w/ bb guns and bows and arrows and just playing around did the night hunt and our dutch oven got smoothered so we had to wait a little longer to eat.

Monday morning Terry took Bowdee hunting with him and he LOVED every minute of it. They talked to a guy that has pictures of bear at his game camera right in this area and a cougar. Then they had a buck and an elk call back to them. Then after they got back we packed up and headed home. We really didn't want to get stuck in traffic and sometimes it is nice to get stuff cleaned up before the new week.

Aug 22-28 School Bells a ringing!

Monday was my birthday, I had a lunch with my mom and dad and Terry at Marleys Sliders it was yummy but I just loved being w/ my favorite people and visiting. Then my dad invited me to go horseback riding... Well I thought it was me he was inviting but I guess it was my kids. Even though it wasn't my yearly birthday horseback ride it was fun to watch my kids love the things I love.

I remember when we moved into this house thinking how can I really send Bowdee to school? He is such a sweet boy will kindergarten ruin him and change him? Then I thought... man when Bowdee is in 6th grade, and Matia my sweet toddler will be in 4th and then my sweet unborn child will be in 2nd... Now that will be one crazy day! But of course that was years and years away. Well those years and years have gone by in a flash and here we are ready to begin Bowdee's final year of Elementary.

Bowdee got Mrs. McGee for 6th grade. I am really excited about her, you see she was a first grade teacher last year and I noticed how fun she seemed to make everything for the kids. She really seemed to have it all together. But he is sad his friends are not in his class.

Matia has Mrs. Durrant for 4th grade. I have heard FANTASTIC things about her and her teaching. So I am very excited. Yet she is sad that her friends are not in her class as well. She was really hoping for a teacher named Miss Udy but oh well I think this will be good for her.

Treg has Mrs. LeBaron who seems super nice he is also sad he has none of his friends in his class. But I keep reminding them this is a great opportunity to meet new friends. So far at the end of the week all of the kids are happy as can be.

Saturday was our first football and soccer games. The kids all played there best and won all their games. I just love being out and about and watching my children participate on a team. I feel like they are getting so much from it.

Aug 15-21st Granite Flats Townsend Reunion

With soccer practices and football practices we really didn't do to much during the week. Such a fun week I also go a little crazy with the house to try and get it ready for back to school. Which makes no sense but its just the way I am. Then on Friday as soon as Terry got out of work we headed up to Granite Flats up AF Canyon to enjoy a weekend with the Townsend family.

It would have been nice to have mom and dad Townsend there a little longer but when duty calls I guess you better listen. But Troys, Taleshas, Taras and our family had fun playin in the reservoir and eating lots of birthday cake.

Man it really makes me realize how little we see our family and wish we did it more often. My nieces and nephews are getting SO big! But it seems like everytime we get together Terry's family has to remember just how crazy and silly he can get. We sure missed Cindy, Tammie and Tonia's families! Maybe next year, just maybe!

We decided to camp at Granite Flats so that if anyone had to work we were close enough for them to jump down while everyone kept camping. Well turns out I HAD to take Bowdee for football weigh's on Saturday morning so it was nice to be so close. And man that campground is beautiful up there. I think next year we will start planning for the group site up there that is a way cool one!

The morning that we woke up to leave we noticed we were attacked by a real bear... Well my friends (Ton & Holls) crazy as they are broke into the campground found our campsite, then decorated it with bear footprints, and suprises for my birthday. Talk about crazy!

Aug 9-14 Gooseberry for my Birthday

This week football practice was in full swing 5 days a week until school starts. Then all the kids are signed up for soccer again and their practices started. I am Matia's coach again along with a friend of ours, and we got most of the same players back which will be fun. Bowdee thinks this is his last year for soccer which makes me sad. I LOVE watching him play. But I guess Football is more his focus these days. We also had a father/daughter activity days date. It was so fun to see all my girls with their daddys! I will be sad when I am released from this position. I have done it for about 4&1/2 years so I can't imagine I will be in it for much longer. I remember wishing Matia was old enough to be in my group and now she is almost outgrown my 2 years with her... It has been fun to meet all these cute girls in our ward!

Then the 12-14th we headed to Gooseberry for my birthday. This is one of my favorite places of all time! We camped just on the South end of Salina reservoir in the trailer I just love so much. It was perfect it felt like we had the place to ourselves. We even took our little blow up rafts out to see if the fishing got any better back in the thick of the woods.

Terry made me a "Skookie" for my birthday cake and of course I loved it. Then there was spoiling of the gifts. Which there shouldn't have been any because my real gift was the trailer and a 270 rifle to go deer hunting with this year.

The next day we four wheeled down a dirt road and just enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings. Also looking for some elk for Terrys elk hunt that is coming up. But I mostly enjoyed the ride, Tia and Treg are old enough where they want to drive us every where. Which will be nice once they are seasoned 4-wheelers but for now it is kinda exhausting.

This is livin the good life! Chillin around a campfire (close enough to my trailer to escape the bears). Listening to the frogs and crickets making their little night time sounds. Watching the stars fall from the sky. Then waking up early to sneak out for a little morning time fishing.