After Conference Fun Part 1

Again I am just now blogging something that happened almost two weeks ago. I'm hoping by the end of the week I will be blogging Easter Fun and will only be one week behind. Hmmmm.... We'll see.
And sorry that this is probably setting a record for the single longest blog ever. But hey... when I'm only blogging once every two weeks now, I'm allowed a ten page blog! And P.S. There are two entries to this one blog. Part one and part two. Have fun!


So this is the one shot I got of all the kids sitting still for five seconds watching General conference. Such perfect little angels huh? They were actually pretty good but that is because we bribed them and told them we would take a family trip to the park afterwards if they were good. A little evil but I swear by bribery. IT WORKS!!


So we went over to a nearby park by the lake and I had a great time. They have a playground just up off of the lake (which is captured in the next post. These are when we went down to the water. Chuchi came along as usual and we took Rori with us. I was curious to see if she could still swim with only three legs. It was very windy and rather chilly. Unlike my children, she followed her better instincts and stayed out of the freezing cold water after just one quick step in. My little ones on the other hand were going further and further in while trying to convince me that the fact that they were shivering and turning blue did not mean that they were cold. Silly babies.

Here are some cute pictures of the trip. I split them up by children. There are a lot but we had such a good time and they were so cute I wanted to capture the memory, and I thought I should share.
So when are any of you far away people going to come to the lake park with us? I know most of you have great big oceans nearby but I guarantee you the people there aren't as cool as us!


Thinking about it.

I did it!

I'M NOT COLD!!

One day soon that will sure be fun.


Ahhhh. Warmth. (lucky you B.)


"I'm king of the world!"


"Look Mom. I can see the dam!"


Another child of mine swearing he's not cold. I guess they think I'm new at this Mom job and still pretty clueless! Silly boy.


Roaming with Rori.


Pretty girl. Haven has always been a water baby.


If Brayden is king of the world then that makes me the queen right?


Getting into water is hard to resist for Haven. She was thinking about it too but decided her feet getting wet was enough.



Trevan loves throwing rocks more than any of them. Not skipping rocks but seeing how far he can throw them. Once baseball season starts that's all he thinks about. He's so cute.


Rylan is such a big guy recently. He'll hit double digits this year.


He found some really big clam shells that were still in one whole piece. He thought they were pretty cool.



He had a lot of fun searching for all kinds of cool stuff with Daddy.


Speaking of Daddy... He's pretty cute too.


The boys had a lot of fun going up and down the beach with dad. I had fun watching my guys.


Bryan has become a reading freak. Anything "Twilight" and he's all over it! Crazy huh?


Bryan adores Payten. There's just something about that baby sister of his. Maybe it's all in the cheeks. He has never been able to resist a cute chubby pair of cheeks. Not many get by without a getting a big Bryan kiss smacked on them.




Just some snap shots. I'm thinking about taking him back down to the lake for some senior shots. I think they would look cool.




Of course we had to post some pics of our dogs that went with us. They had fun finding some clam shells too.

It was a really fun day for all of us. Now on to part two! (Intermissions are allowed.)

Conference Fun part 2

This fun day was part of our after conference fun. This was the playground fun. We had a blast watching Haven and Payten try to do the monkey bars, Brayden getting halfway across, and Trevan doing tricky one handed things across the monkey bars.




It was even more fun to bury them all in the sand.






It was fun until Chuchi decide he did not like Rylan being in there and kept trying to dig him out!



This is what Bryan has been doing for the past two weeks. I never thought I would have to tell him to stop reading and play but the Twilight series has caught hold of my sensitive and romantic teenager.


We had fun times doing races across the equipment and down the slide and whoever finished 5 laps first won. Rylan beat Bryan and I by a fraction of a hair but I do have to say that I DID beat B.

I Got Moves

My girls are watching "Barbie and the Diamond Castle." I came around the corner and started doing some silly dancing that I guess Haven found entertaining. I say this because she proudly exclaimed, "Mom! You got moves!" That's it. I'll have to break out some MC Hammer and show her how I really get down. No video cameras allowed.

CBA Championship Goes To Canyon Lake

First of all, I am a slacker blogger and am just now entering something that happened almost two weeks ago! My excuse might go hand in hand with why the journal thing never went so well with me huh?
But I am now here to happily exclaim that after six years of playing what our boys have dubbed the "CBA" (Church Basketball Association) Canyon lake has brought home the trophy. Every year they have made it to the final four or final game and had it taken away by the team who always wins. NOT THIS YEAR! We had an awesome coach and our guys played hard while maintaining true sportsmanship and Christlike attitudes. Everyone in the stake was so proud of them. Here are some pics of the celebration as it happened. YAY Canyon Lake! We love all you guys.


Coach David Smith. Thanks Coach.


Happy B. He's played six years of this and finally got one! I love that smile!


Rene making the three point shot that sealed the game for us. He said that when he went up for that one he said "This one is for Sister Draper." Hmmm.. Maybe I'm giving all my luck away to others and that's why I don't have any left for myself! Sweet though Rene. Thanks.


Crazy Jeremy. Bryan and him have known each other since Elementary school and four years ago he and his family were baptized. He's been there with B for a long time.


Rene making a free throw with B in the background trying not to get blocked out.


Cory is a non-member friend from Bryan's school who has played with them for two years. He was a key player through out it all. As soon as his parents allow it he wants to get baptized. He's a good kid.

These next pictures are just some snap shots of the celebration. Way to go team.





Celebrating the win! Way to go out B.

It's Derby Time

Rylan had his pinewood derby race for Cub Scouts and we are happy to say that he took a proud third place.




Rylan picked his design and color scheme and helped good ol' Dad put it all together. I'm pretty sure Spencer enjoys pinewood derby time as much as any of the cubs do. I hope he enjoys it just as much when he has to build three at once!


Way to be awesome Jake! We think you did great!

I Love It When He Sings

On Thursday was Bryan's spring concert. They had a switch in director's after the Christmas concert and all of the kids have had to make quite an adjustment including going from singing in a beautiful chapel to on risers in the school cafeteria. Bryan has had to work extra hard to be in the choir this year since his schedule got filled up with classes to help him pass his TAKS tests. (It payed off for science but we've got only one more shot at the math before graduation. Prayers please. Lots of them.) All the help classes combined with his required classes left him no room for any choirs but he worked with his friends and passed off his music with the director who lets him continue to sing with his Men's Ensemble group, the Varsity Mixed choir and even compete in the UIL competitions.


It's been a great gift to Bryan who loves to sing and is really talented at it.


It was the first time I've ever seen Bryan need his music though.


This is him surrounded by some of his best choir buddies.


Rylan loving on his big brother.


And of course the night ended with a photo op. He is so handsome. And big. It's hard to believe that in just 8 days this baby of mine will be 18. What a journey it's been for this Mom. I have loved him for almost two decades now. That's a long time and yet when I do something simple like touch the Easter basket he's had as a baby, it all comes rushing back. That little baby of mine.

A New One For Brayden

Brayden tried soccer before and it was not a good fit so when he said he wanted to try out baseball this year we figured, what the heck. Maybe this will be the sport that grabs him despite all the new rules to learn and LOTS of people who really are "watching him." It's interesting to see his brain in progress. You can tell he is intensely trying to soak it all in and does get a little frustrated with the other T-ballers who don't learn and follow all of the rules as quickly as he does but he swears he is
enjoying it. It's so cute to once again see such a little guy learn how to use his body that way.


Throw that ball!


Hit that ball!


Trap that ball!


But I have to admit that this is still his favorite part of the game. Ahhhh... the look and smell of red dirt flying through the air.
Here's to many more days of baseball for Brayden. We hope you love it!