Mom's are GREAT!

My sweet mom gave all of us girls this pillow last Mother's Day. I just love it and it's been on my couch ever since. Since I've received it, it has changed a bit. The button's used to all be in place and it was so adorable. My kids love to hold it while they watch movies or TV and just pull at those little buttons and play with them a lot. Now it looks like this:

Now every time I am straightening up the couch and I look at it I just have to laugh. Two of the buttons are missing and two are loose, but two are still holding tight! I want to sew an addition at the bottom that say's - "...sometimes." I still love it an keep it on my couch even though it's falling apart, it just reminds me that mom's try their best. Things aren't always held together perfectly, but it still works out and we get through it all, even with missing buttons sometimes!

Trip to Navajo Mtn.

Burke and Kaleb made the trip to Navajo Mountain a couple of weekends ago. I was going to have Burke tell about these pictures, but I've waited too long and he's TOO busy! So I will post these fun pics and tell a little of what I remember.

Inside of one of the huts. Some are used as sacred places of worship and some are sweat huts or something. Pretty cool how they're built. Kaleb liked going inside all of the ones they saw that were out for display near their hotel.



Burke took a picture of their bus for some reason. He said that after he did that a tourist took a picture of it too. He probably thought if this guy is taking a picture of it then it must be picture worthy. So funny!

They call these the Mittens.
This is near the school. They teach the kids how to garden. So awesome!
And an apple orchard.
Cute boys. I'm glad Burke took Kaleb along. He sure loves time with dad.
This is the Mexican Hat.
It was a very long trip. About 5 or 6 hours on the bus one way! That is why the girls and I stayed home. Maybe next year...maybe.

MELON DAYS

It was our annual melon days celebration here in Green River over the weekend. We had quit a bit of family come and celebrate with us and we love it when they come! We missed my sister Tiff's family who just had a baby and my sister Juli's family, but hope to see them next year!

Friday night is the Melon Days Queen pageant. Kaiya's little dance group performed in it this year and at the park the next day. Erin did her make-up for her. She loved that! Thanks Erin!!!

My friend Danielle is her dance teacher and they had a lot of fun learning this dance to the song "Watermelon Crawl." There were 23 girls in the dance group and they did such a great job!

I was recording with my camcorder and trying to take a picture at the same time! So this is what I got, not great at all, but at least you get to see the red pom poms, they loved those! Me, Robyn, Sophie, Candice, Erin and my Dad and Gail all went to the pageant.
The boys stayed home and did this: (I posted a video of them playing together, down at the bottom of this post. It cracks me up every time I watch it. Kaleb is just making noise because he doesn't know all of the words and Jordan is choreographing his very own dance. It was so funny to watch! They had a blast together.)

Sophie and Kaiya waiting for the parade to start.
Emily and Amberly, cuties!
Jared and Quentin.
Erin with her CUTE hat! I need one of those, but I don't think it would be as cute on me, she's adorable.
"We want candyeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!"
Candice and Katelin.
Here's the video, enjoy! The lights were off, so it's pretty dark, but you can still hear and see most of Jordan's dance. :)

Thanks everyone for coming! We love you all!!!!!!!!!!

Funeral of Jean Foster Simmons

Burke's Grandma Simmons passed away on September 10th and we were able to go to her funeral yesterday in Bountiful. Her funeral service was just beautiful. All of her children spoke and all but one sang "Nearer My God To Thee" together and it was beautiful. President Uchtdorf and his wife came also. They are in their ward and his wife was Jean's visiting teacher. It was so special to have them there and hear how they loved her also.

Her burial spot was in Beaver Dam, near Tremonton.

This mortuary worker was so sweet with the kids. They had questions about the burial spot and he answered them all and talked to them about the resurrection also. The kids loved listening to him, he talked to them with such love.



I always have so many tender feelings as I watch pall bearers carrying a casket with such love. It unify's them in a great and special task. Such a sweet moment for them and those watching.

The kids were so sweet as they watched also.
Grandpa Simmons shared his gratitude for all who came to the cemetery. He is the sweetest man. He cared so much for his sweet wife all of their years. President Uchtdorf came to the funeral and spoke for a moment (he is in their ward) and said that he noticed that Jean was always dressed nicely and matched - when she couldn't do anything on her own anymore, it was Grandpa that would pick out her outfits for her and do her make-up and hair. President Uchtdorf said that now all of the women that know Jake (Grandpa) expect the same of their husbands when they get older too. It was so sweet. He really set a great example for us all of charity.
The pall bearers all put their boutonnieres on the casket in a circle when they were finished setting it down.
It was a long day of driving and sitting and the kids did pretty well. Every chance they got they would run and play anywhere they could find an open space.
Kaleb picked Katelin up to bring her to me at one point. I though it was so sweet how he carried her across the whole field, she's not as light as she used to be.
He's such a sweet big brother.
The Cal and Cyndy Simmons family.
It was a wonderful day in remembrance of Grandma Simmons. She was so sweet and so funny and so beautiful. I always loved listening to her remarks, she always gave everyone a chuckle even to the end. I always felt her sincere love for me even though I'm not a direct grandchild of hers I always felt like I was. I'm grateful we will all be with her again someday. I'm so grateful to have known her on this earth.

Ottley Reunion

We had our Ottley family reunion on Saturday. Burke had a game and Kaleb did not want to miss another birthday party for one of his friends, so the boys stayed and the girls went. It was in Aurora at a park near my Grandma's house. I was the only one of my siblings that could go this year, so I'm glad we could be there and represent the kids! Everyone always brings an item they made or would like to put into the raffle. We buy tickets ($1 each) to put toward each item we would like to have. Then a ticket is drawn out of a bowl for that item to see who wins it. The purpose for this is to raise money for our next reunion. I think it's a great idea and everyone enjoys it each year.

This is my grandparent's home. Since my grandpa passed away the siblings have been getting together to fix up their home. Grandpa kind of liked everything to stay as it was, so now they're getting their hands on things and it's looking so nice. I had to put this up for my siblings who haven't seen it. They are also getting new windows and putting a new roof on soon. It looks so different. They painted it and put up the new railing. So much fun!

Here's some pictures of the day:

My dad and his wife Gail talking with Grandma Ottley.

All of the girls lined up really quick when the food was being brought out. We always start eating late without fail at these reunions, so by the time it's all ready everyone is ready to eat!
Gail and Grandma, such cuties.
Loni and Lisa getting tables ready.
My cousin Todd being silly with twin cousins Shana and Shelby.
Here's the playground at the park that Kaiya fell off of something and hit her head on the rocks and came to me with her bleeding head! It only bled for a few minutes and is fine now, but I really don't like her getting hurt. She does it often. All she could say is " I don't want staples in my head again," through her tears, since last time her head was bleeding that is what had to happen. Poor thing!!!
Dad caught Yvonne stealing a cucumber before we started eating!!!
My dad has always got his funny face on. I took three pictures of my uncle dean and my dad and I kept catching one of them doing something with their mouths, so here's the least silly one. CUTE BROTHERS!!! Love them.
I'm really glad we went even though we had to go without the boys. We had fun visiting with family.

Volleyball trip

On Friday and Saturday there was a volleyball tournament in Blanding. We decided to tag along so we could spend some more time with Burke. Volleyball season is really busy so we have to figure out how we can spend more time together. I'm glad we went. The team didn't win a lot, but they did learn a lot and are figuring out how to play together better since it's a pretty new team this year. They are doing pretty well. It was really fun to watch them play.

Kaleb sat by Burke like this the majority of the time. He loves hanging out with his dad even if he's not doing anything. I just love those boys.
He's always got to make a funny face when he see's the camera pointed at him. If that's all he's gonna give me then that's what I'm going to put on here! Hahaha!
Kaiya and Joslin listening to music together. They were smiling because they knew I was pointing the camera at them. The assistant coach has three girls with number 4 on the way. Her husband is a bus driver and drove on this trip. The kids always have fun together.
We played a lot outside also since we were there at the high school or junior high for most of both days we were there. The kids were trying to stand on their heads and this is how it turned out:

Katelin's best headstand.
Kaiya's turned into a crazy handstand. Hahaha, look at those legs. So cute.
Kaleb's best attempt at a headstand. They sure had fun trying. And I loved watching it all. :)
They played on the little grass hill and pretended to save each other.
They all wanted to listen to music this time. Good thing we had two music players and a bunch of head phones and a head phone splitter so that more than one person could listen at a time. I'm glad we figured it out because they loved it and were quit entertained for a while.
Katelin was listening to Kaiya's CD player by herself on our way to the bus and many people going to their cars had to stop and laugh at how cute she was singing away. She loves the kids music.

We had fun hanging out together this weekend and are also glad to be home. Life is fun. :)