Party Like it's 1999!

When graduating from High School, my parents gave each of my sisters and I a choice for our graduation present:
-a gorgeous Hope Chest that we could keep forever and and store sentimental things inside and maybe even pass down from generation to generation.
or
-a quick, weekend senior trip with friends and no adults, and when it was over it was over.
I'm pretty sure I was the only one of my siblings to choose the fleeting option. The rest of my sisters all have nice pieces of furniture.


So here are a few pictures of that awesome senior trip. Our last real get-together before going our separate ways. We stayed at a nice hotel on the beach in Santa Monica, shopped the Promenade, went out to eat and just had so much fun being by ourselves with no curfew!

Here we are, thinking we are so cool holding the unopened drinks from the mini-bar.


Throughout the years, although we have grown apart, we at least have tried to get together around Christmas when it is most likely that the 4 of us are in town at the same time. This is Christmas of 2005. Crystal wasn't able to make it, but she is actually on the phone in the picture.


So now it's 2010, and eleven years later. Crystal (our loyal shepherd) had the idea to gather together for a kind of "senior trip" reunion. At first I didn't think it could happen with all of us being in different locations, and 7 kids between us to make arrangement for. I was very surprised it all came together. I was planning a trip to CA in July, so it was amazing that it worked out for everyone else that same weekend.


Mara got us a great deal on a posh Hotel in West Hollywood. We had 2 days to spend together and it was so much fun.


We started by visiting another friend from High School, Nathan. He's part-owner of a vintage clothes store there in W. Hollywood and he was also Crystal's date for Prom our senior year.


Then we checked into the hotel...






Went to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch...




And then Crystal got all sentimental on us and it made things really awkward.


Just kidding. She was laughing so hard that she started choking and so her eyes were all watery.

We also walked up and down Melrose where Mara and I really had to hold back on buying a "totally worth it" $3000 top. Not. That place is crazy.


We did stop at some Mexican restaurant for dinner, and then found a cute little bakery to have dessert.



I ordered a cookie with ice cream on top. This is what they brought out.


After a few minutes of awkwardly forking my food, a server came out and said, "Oh, sorry, our freezer is broke, but it's still good!" And then walked away. Gross. But you know me, never one for contention. A pushover, if you will. (Unless it has to do with my kids. Then I become a big ol' Mama bear.) So luckily I had Jessica there to straighten things out for me. :)








We had plans to go to a comedy club later that night, but when we went back to the hotel to get ready, we were all too tired. Yeah... guess we're not 17 anymore. But it was good because we got more time to catch up and also reminisce.


We busted out my old High School albums and laughed at how Crystal looks the exact same but with bangs.


As we talked about cheerleading, each of us, at our own time, busted a move that we somehow remembered. I love Mara's cheesy smile.



Jessica always remembers the most. It's crazy! I think this was the "Peter Piper" dance. I was so lost.


And someone tell me why Crystal can still do this?!


The next morning we checked out of our hotel, but not before getting one more group shot before Mara had to leave.


We went to IHOP for breakfast where we started remembering a few basketball cheers. I think this was "Traaaaaaaveling."


We had to say goodbye to Mara after that because we were going to Magic Mountain. Apparently it's a bad idea to go if you are pregnant. But just for old time's sake we busted out a Half right there in the parking lot. Yeah. We still got it. I have it on video if you don't believe me. :)


So the 3 of us went to Magic Mountain. I hadn't been there since High School, and it was crazy how many new rides there were. We were there about 9 hours and got on 6 rides: Colossus (to break us in a little), Goliath (I will never let my kids ride that one!), Scream (not bad), X2 (freaking awesome, minus the head bang I got at the end) Tatsu (totally my new favorite), and then Viper (cuz there was no line.) It was bloody hot the whole time... except for the sudden downpour we had during dinner.


It really was so much fun catching up with these girls. I love them. I never realized how lucky I was to have found such awesome friends. Here is a brief update of all of us as of July 2010:
-3 moms
-1 pregger
-7 kids (all boys)
-1 Seven-ish week old embryo
-3 weddings
-1 divorce
-1 mission
-2 elementary school teachers
-1 massage therapist
-1 undergrad student
-1 4th year medical student taking a hiatus for research and to earn a Master's
-1 future social worker
-3 in CA
-1 in UT
-1 moving to Maryland

Anyway, it was a blast. Thanks Crystal for getting us all together again, and thanks Charles for making it possible for me to go. :)

8 Years

Today is our 8 year Wedding Anniversary. We celebrated a few days early so we could have a little 2-day getaway. We dropped the kids off with my parents...

and went to our favorite Italiano Restaurant...


and ate this...


mmmm... Charles' looks better... but I think mine was bigger...


Then we checked into here...


then left to go see this...


The next day we went here...


then here...


and brought home this...


Charles was in heaven with his Buff Moz and Salami and Prosciutto on Ciabatta.


Then we went here... And got in bad moods...


So we went to see this... to cheer ourselves up.


We have been so spoiled this year with having time together without the little ones. We had a week in Arizona, a week in Mexico and now this. I feel like we may have maxed out the "Grandma privileges" for a while. Thanks Mom for taking them so much for us. We have REALLY appreciated it. Maybe next time we'll send them to CA. You cool, Sherrie? :)

Charles, thanks for 8 crazy-fun years. I love you. :)

4th of July

Hi, This is Jaden. This is about the 4th of July.

This is Bradley. He is scared of fireworks. This is why I took the pictures of the fireworks. And it's why I am writing this blog.


These are fireworks. They are smokeworks. I like to call them smokeworks because they smoke and they're fireworks.


These are what they look like when they are not doing it anymore.


These are what they look like when my dad put them in the trash can of water.


These are loud ones. These are really loud and cool. I mean those are really cool, but not loud. They can turn colors. I took that one when it's yellow.


This is Bradley looking out the window. He was too scared to stay outside.


Kaleb is silly. He threw one of the poppers up at the house.


That is me throwing the poppers.


This is Bradley throwing the poppers. He came back outside because we weren't doing the loud ones.


This is so funny. I taught this to Bradley. It's so funny that he does it with his socks. That would hurt!

That is when we did the Sparklers and we were singing "The World Has Just Begun."


These are our favorite. Period.


Daddy is helping Bradley with it because he is scared.


That is so funny, Kaleb. You are so silly!

Calamity Jane

C.J. Ashton
Oct. 21, 1996 - July 6, 2010

Although she was not "technically" my puppy, she was special enough to me to memorialize. Ironically, CJ was born on Kare and Curtis' birthday, and passed away on Julianne's. She was 2 months old when she came home to Kare and Alli on Christmas of 1996. She was half lab, half cocker-spaniel, and the prettiest little puppy I have ever seen.

The really cool thing about getting a dog (something my mom swore we would NEVER do) was that our good friends, the Collins' also got a puppy that Christmas... Junior. Junior and CJ were brother and sister.


I remember when we would come home from school to find no puppy in sight. She used to somehow hop over the 6 foot wooden gate and run to the Collins' house to find her brother. It was amazing to me that she knew her way there.

I remember how cute it was when she could follow this list of commands: "Sit. Lay. Roll over. Play dead. Shake. High five. Up." She was so awesome. Was it Julianne who taught her all of that? I'm sure Dad had an important roll in it. I remember him having intense training sessions with her.

She was Mom's faithful morning-walk companion.

She was always so excited when anyone walked through the door.

I was really amazed and touched, when I would come home after about 4 months away at college and she was just as excited to see me.

If you were ever trying to sleep in, she would always scratch on your door. Not to get you up, but to join you.

I remember David taking CJ and Junior to run free at the field at the church. I was always so nervous that he gave them so much freedom. But when he whistled, they always came. Man, CJ was a fast runner.

She was Mom and Alli's guardian when Dad had to move to Utah without them Alli's senior year of High School.

CJ had a rough time during her last days. Mom, Dad and Alli did a great job of taking care of her, and making the hard decisions.


She was very very sick. She hadn't eaten in days, she barely drank any water and whatever she did drink, she threw it right back up. She didn't have enough energy to make it out the doggy door or go up and down the porch steps.


Mom read that vet's won't ever tell you what to do for fear of getting sued, but this vet reassured Mom and Alli by saying it was definitely time to put the poor puppy out of her misery. The vet said she was pretty sure CJ had cancer, and was very yellow with jaundice when she was finally put to rest.


I wish I had a picture of Kare and Alli with their puppy, but I don't. Although I am anti-pet now, I am glad we had CJ. She was the spunkiest, prettiest, and coolest puppy ever. And it was extremely sad to see her go. But we are all happy that she is no longer in pain.

We all miss you, Pretty Girl.