WICKED fun!

We had such a great time in Denver! The musical was awesome! The kids really loved it - Reese and Rae especially. Brady liked it too, but the girls were really enchanted. It was such a great family thing to do. After Wicked, we went to the Denver Aquarium. It was so cool too! Kelly loves aquariums, so we couldn't resist.

Memorial Day

Mom's grave on memorial day.

About Me Continued!

So I'm digging deeper - I guess! Come on Bek - I can't tell you everything! I must remain a little mysterious! ; )

36. Pet peeve - cupboards and closets left open.
37. Pet peeve #2 - chairs not pushed in.
38. Pet peeve #3 - bad grammar! Yuck!
39. I would rather take a bath than a shower. I always take a bath whenever I'm upset or don't feel well. It really helps. (I have taken as many as 6 baths in one day - I'm serious! How wacky is that?!?)
40. I want to be a better listener.
41. I really don't like cell phones. I think they are helpful once in a while - but I'm not a groupie. Text-ing seems kind of ridiculous. Maybe I'll be converted when I have older teenagers.
42. I have a burning desire to learn to tap dance. I may take a class this fall.
43. I LOVE all the Star Wars movies - even the ones that weren't that good. I love 'em all - It is STAR WARS!!! I am also obsessed with the Harry Potter movies, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the Spiderman movies. Brady and I could watch one every night.
44. I'm not a fan of feel-good-mormonie-music. I love listening to the Tabernacle Choir - but anything that resembles "Afterglow" makes me want to retch.
45. I own a Donny Osmond CD (how's that for digging deeper?! - HA!)
46. I have a poor memory. I cannot remember the first boy I kissed. Not a bit - not who, not when, nothing. Now that is pathetic. Maybe there were just so many . . . .
47. I can remember exactly what my mom's voice sounded like when she was singing. I'm glad for that.
48. I love the smell of baby magic lotion! It is the best smell in the whole world.
49. I have never heard my husband fart. Bless him.
50. I have never seen my husband sitting on the toilet. Bless him. (He's keeping the romance alive)
51. I love to sit at the swimming pool and gab with my friends while our kids swim. Good times.
52. I think "bedazzling" something is just plain wrong.
53. I have always wanted to be a good french-braider. Just can't seem to get the hang of it. I'm great at french kissing - but braiding - not so much.
54. I crack myself up all the time. But then I forget about it later.
55. I love Hostess Snowballs. Love 'em.
56. I don't really ever read a newspaper. I'm a skimmer.
57. I am not interested in politics.
58. I love LOTS of ice in my drinks. The colder the better. And I love to eat the ice. Crunch - crunch! Huh- Chris!
59. Jennifer once screwed me out of having John Denver sing me a love song. Dang her!
60. I wish I were as cool as Buffy!
61. I am so not good at math. Uh uh. No way. I think I could learn - if Ronny Hyde hadn't permanently messed with my brain.
62. I HATE gangster rap. I totally HATE it. The only thing I don't love about Kelly - he LOVES the stuff. (I keep trying to remind him that he is a white English teacher from Wyoming!)
63. The most beautiful scenery I have ever seen is the English countryside. I was awestruck.
64. I hate to be cold.
65. It is simply amazing what I can accomplish while I'm on the phone with one of my sisters. Cleaning is my thing to do while I'm on the phone.

About Me

Finally getting on the wagon and beginning the list about myself. I love to read other people's - so I guess I should do my own. Here goes - I'll see how far I can get.

1. I love to movies. LOVE them. I get such joy about thinking about movies that are coming out that I want to see.
2. I love to watch tv with Kelly. We have "our shows" that we always watch together. He rubs my feet the whole time.
3. I sweat when I talk. I'm not nervous - I think I just get into talking too much. It makes me crazy.
4. I HATE feet. Any feet. Anytime. I think they are all nasty. The only ones I can stand are baby feet.
5. I love to plant things and watch them grow. I love to putter around outside in my flower-beds.
6. I get so excited in a green house. A true natural high.
7. I could fold laundry all day - I just hate to put it away.
8. I like to clean the bathroom. I just love the clean feeling and smell when it is finished.
9. I would rather talk with Kelly than anyone in the world - except not on the phone. We don't like phones.
10. I'm not a real animal lover. I kind of love them - I guess I haven't really decided yet.
11. I love broadway musicals. Love listening to the soundtracks, love going to them - love singing them loudly in my car.
12. I like to work hard, fast and furious and then crash. Just like my mom.
13. My favorite part of the day is getting ready for bed with Kelly. We always go to bed at the same time. Brush our teeth together and talk, wash our faces and talk, get into bed and read. I fall asleep first - and bless him for buying a reading light!
14. I hate spending money on car things - servicing, tires, repairs, registration, etc.
15. I'm not photogenic at all. Never have been. You are or you aren't. I'm an aren't.
16. I love to read - although I haven't been reading much this year.
17. "Lonesome Dove" was one of the best books I've ever read (Sorry Bekki! So true!) This totally surprised me - I really don't like westerns. I really can't get into Sci-Fi either - much to Kelly's dismay.
18. I hate the word coagulate. YUCK.
19. I love to have close friends. Martha and Jeff feel more like family than friends.
20. I love to cook and bake. I'm more motivated about it during the winter time, but I always like to cook- I never dread it.
21. "Girlfriend in a Coma" by the Smiths is my all time favorite song in the whole, entire, wide, wide world. Can't get over that song.
22. I love to do step aerobics. Love it. My favorite form of exercise for sure.
23. I am definitely not athletic - and I'm totally okay with that. I don't have a desire to be so.
24. I'm not very interested in clothes. I hope I look presentable - and that's about as much as I think about it. Just not my thing.
25. Tom Welling is the hottest movie star I have ever seen. Totally yummy.
26. Cookies are my favorite food. I looooove cookies.
27. Ice cream is a dessert I could turn down.
28. I felt really out of place during college. I was nineteen and married - kind of weird. Others in my biology class were going to parties that night - I was going home to cook dinner. I don't regret getting married young. It was perfect for me. Thankfully we had Marty and Ceef (Martha and Jeff) to hang out with.
29. My favorite sound in the world is hearing Brady laugh hard.
30. I am scared to death of heights. Just ask Barry. I wasn't kidding!!!!
31. I hate mice - they freak me out.
32. I am mostly scared of anything. I hate things that are high, fast, unpredictable or otherwise dangerous in any way. I have been like this my whole life. You say bun-gee jump? I say - LIKE HELL!
33. I love taking my kids trick-or-treating. I LOVE watching their heads bob up and down as they run from house to house.
34. I love to walk up the canyon behind my house.
35. I love to watch "Moulin Rouge" and sing all the songs along with it.

That's all for now - gotta jet. I'll keep adding!

GOTTA DANCE

Yea! This past Saturday we got to go and watch Rae and Reese perform in their dance recital. They were so awesome! They both did really well. Rae learned some jazz and tap this year and Reese did ballet and tap.

This is Star Valley!

I love where I live! I think it is so wonderful to live in Star Valley. But in order to live here you just have to be patient and wait until you get the weather that you want! For instance - I'm posting two pictures, the first taken on the 5th of May - last saturday. The second was taken today, Saturday May 12th -after I got finished weeding my flower bed. If that's not crazy - I don't know what is.

More Disneyland Pictures

I couldn't resist posting more. They are so very cute - and we had so darn much fun!

Kelly the Bike Rider

Kelly loves to ride his mountain bike! He went to Logan this past weekend to go on a great ride with Clint. Kelly stayed with Clint and Ali on his way to Salt Lake to take a test to complete his requirements for National Certification - Go Kell!!!! He won't find out until December if he passed - but I have a hunch that he did great!

Spring Winds

So I looked out my window and what did I see? My trampoline, upside down on the neighbors fence! We have had some breezy days but nothing really hard. I guess we must have had a microburst or something. The trampoline was way over on the other side of our yard - and ended up upside down on Bishop Merritt's fence? 40 yards away? Strange. I sure wish I would have seen it blow over. It had to have been airborne! Crazy weather - pretty cool picture. I'm glad the trampoline was okay and that no little Brindy's were injured!

Happy Easter!

Fun Easter Pics!

DISNEYLAND!

I haven't blogged forever! Our internet has been not working - off and on for a while. So it has been a pain. We had a great trip to California. Our kids were wonderful and we had an incredible week. Reese's favorite ride - Thundermountain Railroad Brady's favorite ride - Pirates of the Carribean TIED with Space Mountain Rae's favorite ride - Space Mountain. Kelly and Gina's favorite ride - Indiana Jones.

The Sad and Miserable Pioneers

I do not know what goes through my children's minds. I honestly don't. When Rylee and Gavin were visiting this past weekend, they all decided to play "Pioneers". This largely consisted of dressing up like pioneers and walking around in the snow while looking as miserable as possible. Oh yes - they also carried baskets containing small crusts of bread. Nourishment for the impending trek - I'm sure. Who thought of this game? Oh yea - Rae. Always Rae. Basically, what this game ment for me was about two loads of laundry. Oh well - let 'em be kids - right?! Silly kids!

B-Ball Brady

Brady is an awesome basketball player! He just finished his first official season in Jr. Jazz for 3rd graders. He really loved it. Kelly helped to coach his team. They had a great time together. One more sport that they can play together. I'm sure glad that they love to hang out!

Sledding!

So we have been enjoying winter! We really are tired of it by this time of year, so we are trying to continue to have fun and find new things to do. This past weekend we took the kids to Jackson and went on a tubing hill right below Snow King ski resort. There is a rope tow that hauls the tubes to the top of the hill - and then groomed trails to tube down. We had so much fun. We went with Allison and her kids. We also took the kiddos to the Jackson Visitor center. For some strange reason my kids love to go there. Go figure. Anyway, we had a great weekend - and are still enjoying winter (we will have it for 3 more months, you know!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLY!

Rae made him a beautiful golf cake!

More beautiful winter

Rae took this picture one morning as she was feeding her rabbit before school. She was amazed at how beautiful it was outside. I was amazed that she noticed - and raved about it so much!

More winter fun!

I guess when in rome . . . . . .

You can't complain about winter in these parts! You just have to embrace it! On presidents day Kelly and I took a great snowshoe trek up the canyon. We had an awesome time. I was so tired - but it was a lot of fun. We just had a lot of new snow, so the hiking was extra fun.

January in Good 'Ole Star Valley

So we have been freezing around here! For the past week and a half, the temperature hasn't gotten above zero - until yesterday. Kelly has been going crazy because he hasn't been able to go snowshoeing or skiing. Just too darn cold! So he celebrated the balmy weather yesterday (I think he said it was in the teens) with a hike up his mountain. Aren't the pictures awesome? I think they are beautiful! He really does love climbing that mountain. I don't know what book-on-tape he is listening to at the moment, but it is such good therapy for him.
It is January! This is the time we hunker down inside and cuddle up with a good movie or a book. And thanks to Brady, we have been doing just that. He has been wanting to watch all of "The Lord of the Rings" movies again - so every night this week we have settled ourselves upstairs for much tv goodness and popcorn. What could be better? The whole fam, crunchy treats, and a steller flick! How I love my life!

15 YEARS!

Happy Anniversary - to me and my honey. How I love the man! I simply cannot wrap my head around the fact that it has been FIFTEEN years that we have been married. They all have been so good. I am excited to experience the next fifteen! By far the best accomplishments of the last fifteen are my three good friends pictured above.

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful holiday! Santa came, we unwrapped, everyone was happy! The kiddos played and played with their new loot. Brady got much Vikings stuff, Rae - new cowboy boots and an american girl doll, Reesie - a doll sled and snowsuit and a cd player of her very own. They were all excited. I was most happy when I saw that my kids were far more interested in seeing their brother or sister open what they got for them than they were about opening their own gifts. They also made me proud when we dropped in to see a nice old man in our ward on Christmas eve- who was alone. We all visited with him, and my kids had a great time. No complaining - they really enjoyed it. We had a wonderful holdiay. We enjoyed Jennifer for the week - and her cuties on Saturday. We sure miss those cousins! Merry Christmas!

Reese with a hole in her head!

Reese has been wiggling like crazy! She has been so excited to have a loose tooth, and low and behold - it fell out! Just like Blythe! She has been so excited!

Kindergarten is funny

So I was thinking today about funny things I have heard some of my kindergarteners say this year and thought that I'd share. I sure get a kick out of them. So here goes.

boy- Mrs. Fullmer, where does Reese's dad work?
me- He is a teacher. He teaches English at the high school.
boy- Will we speak Spanish when we are in high school?

boy- Mrs. Fullmer, my dad told me something about you last night (his dad is Warren Hicks, and a friend of my dad).
Me- He did? What was it.
boy - (very seriously - like he was really trying to remember) oh, I'm thinking - what was it? . . . Oh yea, he said, Mrs. Fullmer wets her pants.

boy- After school I like to play with my dog.
me - What's your dog's name?
boy - (sits, and looks puzzled for a minute, and then runs across the room to where his mom is working and whispers in her ear, comes back and says proudly) Dixie!

Kenna asked a little girl to stop when she saw her picking her nose and eating it (ahhhhhh!) The girl stopped and then said to Kenna - Mrs. Schwab, you would think that those things would taste better - but really they don't.

I was helping write letters to Santa in Reese's class on Friday, and I asked one boy - Have you been a good boy this year? He replied, we haven't decided yet.

In another class I work in, a first grade girl was asking Mrs. Richards how to spell Mississippi - and another boy in the group piped up and said- Oh man, that is so easy! The girl replied, then how do you spell it? He wrote this on his paper and then handed it proudly to her - Mrs. Sipy.


They just kill me! I sure love my job!

A day in the life

Okay - so I was recently ridiculed for my blogger slacking. What can I say? I didn't have much to say for myself. Life has been fairly ordinary - same thing, different day, and not much to say. So I decided to take my camera around on my ordinary day. I took pictures of what I see everyday, and what I do. I took pictures of the cuties that I work with - I teach kids to read - very cool. There ya go - a day in the life of Gina! Big Smile!

Finally - a china cabinet!

So here it is - I absolutely love it with the china in it. It looks great! Big smile.

Happy Birthday Reese!

Yep! The baby is now 6! Remember how shocked I was when Rae turned 11? Well I'm thinking 6 is just as bad. She sure is a cute 6 though! We just had a family party this year. That's what Reese wanted. We had dinner - Reese wanted Hoot-Nanny ("sour-stuff") and then watched a movie. It was such fun. Rae and Brady were great with her too. They played with her the WHOLE afternoon and evening. Just catered to her every wish! They are awesome! Reese sure had a great day!