Our Trek West: Earl Idol

Saturday NIGHT 7/2

It should be pointed out that Heidi and Evie worked their patooties off organizing the reunion. For the evening festivities, Heidi put together Earl Idol, a "competition" that showcased the little bit of ham bone inside eveyone.

Our GIANT family, composed of 3 generations, was divided into 4 different teams. Each team had various members from each of the 4 main families. We elected our captains and came up with our own unique team names (The Badonkadonks, The Ash-Kickers, The Ches and The Bunkerville Bunch).

We also had identifying colors that we wore with pride.

Our Trek West: Earls Make A Splash!

Earl Reunion 2011 - Riverton, Utah

Saturday 7/2

My mom's side of the family had a whopper of a reunion over 4th of July weekend, organized by my cousin Heidi and Aunt Evie. We spent the morning getting reacquainted at a splash park.

Mom, nephew Joel, and sister Sheila

My sisters Dusty, Sheila, Bonnie and me

A whole lot of cousins

Uncle David, Mom, and Aunt Evie

Sister Bonnie and nephew Tucker

Aunt Martha

This reunion was especially fun because all of my first cousins came. Heidi hired a photographer to take some special family pictures and I can't wait to see the finished products. Some people even managed to snap some cute "behind-the-scenes" pics of the photo shoot.

Aunt Karen, Aunt Evie, Mom, Uncle David

Uncle Jack and Aunt Karen

My Daddy

Earl Girls

The people that had all the kids

My brother Tim

Our Trek West: Lakeside

Where was I? Oh yes! Lakeside.

Monday 6/27

My sister-in-law Dusty should get an award for her multi-tasking abilities. Tim had to go to that pesky job of his, so Dusty was put in charge of entertaining us all.She spent the day juggling her duties as hostess, mommy, and boat captain.  She made endless trips around the lake, giving us all wild rides on the giant tube (with Evan on her lap I might add). She patiently worked with all the water sport novices. Jakey gots lots of tries on the wake board and Emma bravely rode the ski board.

Because of the heat, we spent lots of time chillin' in the lake. I was the sunblock Nazi to Emma, slathering SPF 70 on her whenever I could wrestle her to the ground. Her medications make her extra sun sensitive and prone to burns. The last time I was lax about her sunscreen she got a terrible rash all over the exposed areas:




















Tim was able to join us late in the day, just when the sun was starting to set over the desert (my favorite time). He took some turns on the wake board and amazed us with his flips and jumps. Man - he has mad skills! His daughters are following in his footsteps too. Ava is fearless out on the water. Even 3-year-old Rachel knows how to ride with finesse on the ski board.

Tuesday-Thursday 6/28-6/30

The kids and I returned to Gilbert with the Tim Colyar fam to spend a few more days with them.Some of my favorite moments included:

• Jake grooving with his little cousins to Just Dance 2
• Eating out at Oregano's and enjoying their delicious salad and pizza
• Staying up way too late talking with Dusty
• Checking out the local Costco
• Shopping at the mall and DownEast Basics
• Looking at houses with the kids
• Sleeping...a lot!!!

We eventually made our way back to the west side for another night at Freedom Plaza with Grandma and Grandpa Saunders. We swam in the indoor pool and had contests to see who could swim the length of the pool in one breath. The kids played billiards and ping pong while I tried out the exercise center. Emma and I came to learn that Jake snores (loudly) while he sleeps. And, he sleeps like the DEAD in the morning. He cannot be moved from his bed unless it's his idea. Teenagers!

Up next: The Earl Family Reunion with LOTS of pictures!

Emmy Entrepreneur

Emmy has a mind for business.

Last spring she started making and selling flower hair clips to the girls at school. Even the teachers bought her wares. She created a spreadsheet and carefully documented her purchases, sales, and profits. Late into the evening she could be found bent over her desk with a glue gun in hand. Bi-weekly trips to Michael's became a habit for awhile.

Once summer hit, lemonade stands became the thing. Unsuspecting drivers passing through our neighborhood would be accosted by a swarm of girls pushing Crystal Light. Who can resist that?




















Do you need your dog walked? Emma's got that covered too. Her dog care business is really taking off. Yesterday she exercised Riley with the help of her many assistants. Apparently it takes at least 4 little girls to walk a dog right.

So, what's next for our little entrepreneur? Babysitting! We just signed her up for a Safe Sitter child care class at St. Luke's hospital. Emma has been dying to start babysitting, and we think she'd be great at it. She's wonderful with babies and kids. With all the little ones in our neighborhood, Emma's sure to have a booming business in no time.

Our Trek West: Homecoming

The pictures are still rolling in, but I'd like to get blogging about our trek west anyway. My memory is fading fast! Maybe I can add photos later...

Friday 6/24

The kids and I flew from Detroit to Phoenix without Rick who stayed behind to work another week. My sister-in-law, Debra, graciously offered to pick us up from the airport with her 3 kids in tow (ya, she's that awesome). She then whisked us away to dinner at Los Compadres, my all-time favorite Mexican restaurant. If you go, be sure to order the whole bean burro or the cheese quesadilla. G-ma and G-pa Saunders met us there for dinner, along with my brother-in-law Mark and his Rosie.

After dinner, Mark let me take his Envoy so I could get around town all week. It felt huge compared to my Santa Fe, but I loved the extra room and the rear a/c for the kids. It got me thinking about a new car.What do you think about the Honda Pilot or GMC Acadia?

We drove out to G-ma and G-pa's new digs at Freedom Plaza. Their place is like a hotel - PLUS! They have a dining hall, cleaning service, library, swimming pool, exercise facility, you name it.They don't even have to change light bulbs. They just make a phone call and someone will come and take care of it. Needless to say, G-ma and G-pa quite enjoy it.

The kids and I, along with Debra and her kids, stayed the night with G-ma and G-pa. It was cozy, but fun. We swam in the indoor pool, watched TV, and stayed up too late. G-ma spoiled us with a whopper of a breakfast the next morning. The aroma of her bacon, biscuits and gravy filled the entire 5th floor!

Saturday 6/25

After our brief stay with the Saunders side of the family, we joined up with my parents and Bon's clan to watch Gracie's dance recital. It was a production! My sides hurt from giggling at all the cuties shaking their tail feathers. Grace  wore a pink flapper costume and sparkly makeup. She was darling on stage and knew all her steps. She definitely got the performer gene!

Later we enjoyed a late lunch at Paradise Bakery, another favorite we just can't get in the Midwest. We also saw a matinee showing of Cars 2. It was cute and funny, but not at the same level as the original. Boy howdy, I do love me some Mater though!

The kids and I made our way to the opposite edge of the valley to stay with my brother Tim and his family. They moved to Gilbert last year and have been raving about it. We've been anxious to check it out as a possible home after Rick's residency ends next June.

We felt right at home at Tim and Dusty's place. Their house is roomy, comfortable, and just right for their busy family. Jaiden was kind enough to give up her room so Jake could have a bed and bathroom all to himself. Em and I got to share the downstairs guest room and bath. We slept so well that we made a mental list of what makes a great guest room: a separate thermostat for the a/c, plenty of distance from the busy parts of the house, a fan with good white noise, TV with the Disney channel, a down comforter, and a separate bathroom. They sure spoiled us!

Sunday 6/26

Poor Jakey got sick in the night from some tummy bug, so he opted out of church the next morning. Emma and I went though. Tim and Dusty's ward was huge with LOTS of kids. It was so fun to watch the cousins during Sacrament meeting, knowing those days of wrestling kids are behind us. Emmy got to go to Primary with the girls and Aunt Dusty, who is a counselor in the presidency. I was warmly welcomed in Sunday School and Relief Society. I love to visit new wards and see that the Church is the same wherever you go!

After the block, Tim took me on a drive to show me the area. Everything one could need was in close driving distance and the neighborhoods were so beautiful! I especially appreciated that there were so many places to ride bikes, jog, and play. The community in which they live is different in that there is no rocky, desert landscaping. The streets are lined with trees and every yard has grass. Greenbelts and parks are everywhere! It is such a nice change from all the brown.

Early that evening we packed up the cars and drove out to Lakeside, a community near Gila Bend where Dusty's family has a house on a private lake. There we met my parents, Bonnie, and her kids. We made a Sunday night dinner, just like the good 'ol days. Dusty baked her famous homemade cinnamon rolls and we all had a nice binge. Exhausted from the sugar rush, we  tucked ourselves into bed so we'd be well rested for a day of fun on the water.

Stay tuned for my post about Lakeside, out-of-this-world pizza, and Bonnie's new house!

Zucchini Bread

Before my friend Emily moved to Georgia, she harvested some zucchini from her garden and gave it to me (as if vegetables would soften the blow of her departure). I now have enough zucchini to feed 10 families. Just look at these monsters!

Since I've never baked zucchini bread before, I turned to youtube for some help. I didn't find a recipe. I found this:

Instead of spending the morning baking, I've been watching this guy's videos. Hilarious! I especially liked "Stray Dog". Enjoy!

Dumb Dog

My organ debut was yesterday which meant that our family had to get to church a half hour earlier than usual. In our rush to leave, we left the pantry door open. Shelby took full advantage of the situation.

Lucky for her, we keep all the dog treats on the bottom shelf. Lucky for us, we keep all the people treats on a shelves she can't reach. It looks like Shelby overdosed on Happy Hips with glucosamine...and deoxidizer packets clearly marked "DO NOT EAT". It's a shame that Shelby can't read.

She's a naughty girl!

Coming soon...

Hi folks!

Check back soon for some serious blogging!

I'm in the process of downloading pictures and gathering my thoughts so I can document our family's adventures out west. I'll also share some of our findings as we contemplate moving to Gilbert, Prescott, or Peoria. If any of my readers have pictures to share of aforementioned adventures, please do so via e-mail ASAP!

Loves,

Aud

Jaiden and Em outside of Oregano's in Gilbert

Forgotten Spring Photos

Last spring, when it was still cool enough to go outside, I decided to play with the camera. The kids were away at school so my only available subject was the dog.

Me: "Hey Shelby! Let's go outside and take some pictures of the cherry tree."

Shelby: "I don't have thumbs so you'll have to do all the work."

Me: "Do you think you could tip your head to the side a bit, like you do when begging for cookies?"

Shelby: "I would never beg. I'm too proud."

Me: "Come on Shelby! At least pretend like you're excited to be outside."

Shelby: "You've got 2 minutes until my mid morning nap."

Shelby: "I think my work is done here. Show me my bed!"

Losing our Neighbors

The unthinkable has happened. Our beloved friends and neighbors, the Dworzcyks, have moved to Georgia! They weren't really planning on moving, but a job fell into their laps that they couldn't refuse. Who would have thought that they'd be the first to go? We moved into this neighborhood because of them!

Saying goodbye is the worst. We've really had to do a lot of it lately, so you'd think we'd be good at it. Not so. Now where are we going to eat the best chocolate chip pancakes ever? Who is going to make sure our basement doesn't flood when we're out of town? Who am I going to call to distract me while I clean my house?

Last night our 'hood got together in the streets for one last hangout with the Dworczyks. There were kids and bikes everywhere! I snapped a few pictures of those cute Dworzcyk kids alongside my own cute fam. How we'll miss 'em!

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye

It's time to find myself again. I've been released from my calling as early morning seminary teacher and downgraded to a substitute role. I've had a sinking suspicion that a change was coming. With Emma's health problems, I'm needed more at home. I hoped I'd get a chance to keep serving with the youth, but I got called to be an organist instead. Time to start practicing I guess!

Our last day of seminary (all the way back in May!) was a celebration of sorts. I presented each student with a personalized award that was really more inside joke than achievement. Take a look at their certificates:

Christy earned the Future Teacher Award for her adorable handwriting and supreme organizational skills.

Rachelle received the Woman of Stealth Award for sliding in and out of seminary without a sound (she was one of my quiet students).

Tyler was the Slyest Texter this year. I think that award speaks for itself.

Ben got the Teacher Stumper Award because he would ask some deep questions of me. I got to do some extra reading because of him!

Despite her brother, Esther managed to get the best attendance again. I'm so glad I got to have this little ray of sunshine in my class each day!

In contrast with Esther, Darren earned the Walking Dead Award. He was often there in body, rather than spirit.

Colin can really put away the Pop Tarts and donuts! He rightfully earned the Bottomless Pit Award

Dayna likes to burn the candle at both ends. She got the Night Owl Award for staying up too late.

Jessica was my right-hand man, er, woman. She was a wonderful secretary for our seminary council.

Alexis was a teacher's pet. She faithfully kept up her binder all year long, which earned her the Beautiful Binder Award.

Paul was so early sometimes that he'd beat me to seminary. He got the Early Bird Award.

Justin DiFabio earned the Difabulous Award for making us laugh on dark, cold mornings.

Brandon was our seminary president and lead jokester. He also did a bang up job leading us in hymns much of the time. He received the Dynamite Director Award.

BEST BED HEAD AWARD. Need I say more? 

What a trip! I remember how scared I was to start teaching seminary. I had never really worked with teens before. My degree is in early childhood education, how would those tools apply? I was surprised how well they did.

Now I can say that I love working with youth of all ages. They weren't mean and scary like I originally feared.

I love these guys for letting me be a part of their lives. They're my students, yes, but friends too!

Hooray for these brainiacs for memorizing all 25 scripture mastery verses!
Not pictured: Alexis

Michael holds a special place in my heart. He's so enthusiastic about seminary, I think he would make a great teacher!

Whenver I run into these girls I get a hug. How sweet are they?!

I hope my kids learn to be as good to each other as Ben and Esther are. Their folks did something right!

We're so tired, but we know it's worth it!

Brandon is an affectionate guy!

Thanks for a great 2 years!