For the run of it!!

I had been taught the concept of setting goals as a child but never really GOT it until after Eric and I were married. The man is GOAL oriented and most of the time I really love that about him. I love that our kids are learning it and the importance of always having goals and striving to reach them. I get tickled pink to walk in to our daughters room and see pages of goals and reminders tacked up by her bed! At times it has been so easy for me to set a goal and achieve it and other times not so much but I guess as long as we are always trying it still counts for something!!!
With the kids being back in school, camp being over and me finally feeling more like myself it is time to focus again. I have for sometime wanted to train to run a half marathon or something of the like, and as if to read my mind a friend posted a request for runners for a relay team on her face book. After a couple calls and some research I eagerly agreed to be a member of her team and am sooooo excited to have a goal and a purpose to work toward.
We are going to be running the Ragnar Del Sol Relay, which is a 202 mile race running from Prescott to Mesa. We run as a team each girl running 3 separate legs of the race. It is going to be one LOOOONg, sweaty, exhausting running party!! I will probably be posting updates of my/our progress and FEARS as we go along but I am so looking forward to the process.

Back to School 2009

Wow!! How did this happen? I am pretty sure we just got out of school like last week and it is already time to start the madness all over again!! This year is another HUGE milestone year for our family. Last year our baby started kindergarten and our oldest graduated from 8th grade. This year our oldest starts HIGH SCHOOL (ahhh!) and seminary.
Keaton is in 1st, Malerie is in 5th, and Kiley in 7th. Dang we are getting old! It does come with it's advantages I guess. The freedom we have now from our kids independence it pretty darn good. They all love school, they are excellent about doing their homework and work really hard to get good grades. They wake up and get ready almost always with no problem with little help from us, and they like to make their own lunches. Not so bad!! This year Keaton gets to come home the same time as the girls which works out really well. They all walk to and from together!!
I've had a harder time sending Braydon to high school then I did sending Keaton to kindergarten. I feel like we are feeding him to the wolves. He has had such a shelterd pleasant life up till now and I am afraid reality it gonna come a knockin real soon! We feel so blessed that he had the opportunity at the beginning of summer to meet an awesome group of kids that he will be in seminary/school. They all hit it off right from the beginning and have hung out all summer long. They are such good kids from amazing families and I truly believe that they will all be a great strength to each other over these next few challenging years! We are so thrilled that he is excited about school and seminary and pray that it lasts!!
Thursday before school started we got a call from the P.I. teacher. She said they had been reviewing the AIMS test scores and Kiley had excelled in all the areas. Based on her score they offered her a place in the advanced language and reading class. She was so excited to get the opportunity and we are so proud of her!!
I am thankful for good schools and good teachers and am looking forward to another good year!!!



Braydon somehow thinks now that he is in high school he is exempt from having to do our annual back to school photo shoot. It kind of worked for him considering he had to be at seminary by 6am! But mark my words I am going to get a picture!!

2009 Peoria Stake Girls Camp

July 10-14th

I'm not sure where to even start with all my different thoughts on this subject? This was my fourth year as Stake Camp Director and it was very different then my first 3 for many reasons. It was a struggle to get motivated about all the work that was ahead and I had to work a little harder for ideas and inspiration. I was really worried how things would turn out with all the MANY changes that have taken place in our Stake etc. and then at the same time totally comforted, I knew I was doing what I was suppose to and Heavenly Father would have my back!! Regardless of the struggles I have always 100% enjoyed working with and for the girls and other YW leaders in our Stake so it is always WORTH IT!! With the Trek and many other activities that were competeing for our time this year it was easier to simplify and just focus on the important stuff and also I finally did a little better with the delegating!! It is amazing for lack of a better word, the personal growth I have experienced over the past 4 years. I am not the same person I was when I first received this calling. I have learned so much from the girls, other women, my mistakes, my successes, overcoming challenges, from going way out of my comfort zone and so on!!! I am so thankful that each year my testimony and love of my savior grew and continues to grow stronger and stronger.
It was Kiley's first year at camp and I was able to share that with her (sort of). I was so busy with who knows what and she was so busy being a little social butterfly, we barely saw each other. It is a little surreal. My personal memories of camp are so clear, as if they were yesterday so it doesn't seem possible that my first daughter is already here! She loved it and I am so proud of her. She had the best attitude and made sure she had fun no matter who she was with or what she was doing.She made many new friends and hopefully her testimony grew as well. I hope she always cherishes these memories, and I won't be the least bit surprised if she ends up being camp director herself someday!!! I really would have thought that by the time camp was over I would just feel this overwhelming feeling of being done. That was so not the case!! I still love it every bit as much as I did the first year probably even more. Unfortunately it was time to pass the torch. I was released a few weeks after we got back. It was a mix of emotions to say the least. I am thankful and looking forward to the opportunity to serve in my own ward again but am going to miss the blessings of serving as camp director. They aren't getting rid of me that easy though. One way or another I will be back and I will admit when I really think about it the idea of being able to just have fun and enjoy it again is very appealing!! I love, love, love the new camp director that was called she will do an AMAZING job, no doubt about it so that eazes the pain a little! I look forward to many more years at camp and eventually being up there with both our girls. Causing trouble and having a blast!!!

Peoria Stake Trek 2009

I am really behind and now out of order on my blogging but I can't not blog about what an amazing experience the trek was!

First of all I have to say how thankful I am to belong to a church that goes to GREAT efforts to provide enriching activities for it's youth and how THANKFUL I am to be so blessed to participate in these activities! I am thankful for all the money, time, effort, planning, prayer, and hard work that goes into making these activities successful. I am thankful to our pioneer ancestors and for the extraordinary sacrifices that they made on our behalf. I get so emotional thinking about all of the hardships that they endured and cannot fathom how truly difficult it was. But we have TRULY reaped the rewards of their efforts!!

We were so happy that Braydon turned 14 just days before the Trek and was able to go. More importantly we are so proud of him for willingly choosing to go and going with a positive, and excited attitude. There is no doubt he got everything out of it you could by doing so!!

Eric and I had such an AMAZING experience 4 years ago when we were able to go as a Ma & Pa. We were hoping to have the chance to do it again but understand that others also need the opportunity!! We were asked to be on the back up food committee with our good friends, Dave and Lisa Stubbs, Ryan and Kalyn Taylor, and Trent and Sherri Dutry. We were responsible for cooking for all the adults that were there as support, we figured about 100 people give or take 50!!! As daunting as it was we had a blast. We were up cooking at 5 am and went to bed somewhere around 11pm every night! But when your with friends it's more fun then work! The bonus was we got to sleep in our comfy warm trailers, take showers, mostly wear normal clothes, eat as much as we wanted and not have to walk 16 miles pulling a hand cart! Let me tell you, we fed them good. Steaks and baked potatoes, BBQ chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, REALLY good stuff!!

It is also so fun being up there with so many awesome people and getting to know everyone better outside of our usual Sunday environment. We have an outstanding Stake and new Stake Presidency and we are thankful for that too!!

The Trekkers after being dropped off by the buses at the starting point get assigned their Trek Ma & Pa and family, which is a mixture of boys and girls age 14-18 with a big brother and a big sister per each family (usually a young single adult). The Ma and Pa's introduce themselves in some corny, embarrassing way. Then the families play get to know you games. Braydon was in the Crump family which he was thrilled about because they are one of his friends parents! His older cousin Dallas was the big brother. I'm not really sure how the Crump's got so lucky as to have not one but two Perkins!!! The Ma and Pa's get to do a "shake down" looking for any contraband ie. phones, food, deodorant, makeup etc. Then the real fun begins!! Building the handcarts and loading all the "stuff". This is no small feat getting equipment and belongings for 16 people in one tiny handcart. Once everyone is loaded and lined up they are on their way. They walk for roughly 12-14 miles up and down hills and all over. They don't stop to eat till they get to the first camp which was around 1 or 2 in the morning. It's exhausting. At one point the first night they do what is called "a women pull". When the pioneers were making the trek out west, a lot of the men were pulled away from their families to go help with the war. So they simulate something similar. The boy and men get pulled away from there trek families. They are not allowed to talk or help the women pull or push in any way. Just WATCH. It is heart breaking and empowering at the same time to watch these girls struggle and find the strength to pull these heavy hancarts up this huge hill. I cannot keep from crying anytime I think about it. It is a truly humbling experience. Again I just cannot imagine what it was like for these women to continue on without their husbands and sons at their side For MONTHS! They are my heros. Braydon had a good experience and gained a new appreciation for these girls!

The next morning after they were so rudely woken up at 5am by an Indian invasion. They broke camp and finished the next couple miles to the final camp. Saturday was filled with "team building" games and activities, like hair washing and plowing. We snuck over and watched for a while. It was awesome watching these kids dressed up like pioneers, working together, playing together and STRENGTHENING their testimonies TOGETHER!! There was a hoe down and a fireside to end the day. GOOD times! Sunday was absolutely beautiful. There is nothing like having church in the peace and beauty of nature, the spirit is so strong! It was just an amazing day.
Monday morning when the kids had trekked back out to the top where they had started, we had a BIG bbq lunch waiting for them. They were stinky, dirty, tired, hungry, but had an experience they will hopefully never forget. We can all walk away a little more thankful and appreciative of our ancestors. Thankful for our families and the gospel in our lives! We are looking forward to the next one in four years. Hopefully Braydon, Kiley and Malerie will all be there!!

Trent and Eric-DOUBLE trouble!!

Dave and Lisa did an outstanding job organizing this committee

2 of the best looking pioneers I have EVER seen!!

Braydon, Jade, Michelle, Kamrey, Lincoln, Jaci

Riley and Braydon

One good looking Pioneer family!!

The Crump Family

4th of July- one of my favorite days of the year!!

Saturday July, 4th

Thank you Missi for getting up so early and getting us a good spot for the parade!! We love going to the parade, for the tradition, the patriotism, being together as a family, wearing red white and blue, throwing POPS, ALL of it!! This is the first year in a while we were there together(siblings). We have usually ended up doing our own thing. The cousins were all so darn cute in their festive red, white, and blue!! As always I would get all choked up any time a group of our Country's Veterans would go by. I made sure everyone around us stood and paid them the respect they have earned and deserve. I am so thankful to live in a country where we have the freedoms we so abundantly enjoy. We have really tried to be more aware and have more gratitude in our hearts for even the little things!! Thank you to all the men and women who contine to serve and sacrafice for each of us!!
It was a good time! A few of us walked around the Freedome Festival until we were to hot and hungry to stand it! The kids and I headed back to Uncle Tadds for a little down time and decided it was a good day to go swimming. So all of them and all of us swam for a couple hours. Then it was time to get ready to go to Missi and Cody's for a BBQ and fireworks!! I love being on their farm despite the SMELL and the FLIES!! I'm really not sure why? Maybe my memories of growing up there, or the freedom of being outside in all that "fresh air"!! Our kids really love it to, all the animals. Especially the baby calfs that slobber ALL over you and this time they had a lamb and a goat! Uncle Cody takes them for tractor rides and lifts the bucket as high as it will go and lets them dive off into the cotton seed! It doesn't get more fun then that!! Our dinner was awesome, Mike ordered like a 6ft sub from Sensuous Sandwhich (one of the best sub places ever!!) and we had all the sides, GOOD stuff!! We got a little rain shower just when we were getting started on fireworks but that didn't stop them!! My brothers, brother in laws and Braydon are like kids in a candy store with lighters and things that blow up and make a lot of noise. They were having a blast with all the fireworks. Not all the kids were big fans but they endured!! We just broke out the glow bracelets and they were happy!! It was a good ending to a great day!! The week flew by way to fast but it was a success in every way. It was the first time in a long while I felt like we were on the mend as a family. Relationships are healing and their is hope for us as a family! We had some good talks and really good memories and I guess if I have to leave, we left on a good note. It was kind of emotional for the first couple hours but I was able to pull it together!! We are very much looking forward to our next visit!!

Braydon skipped the parade to hang out with his older cousins!! I guess he is getting a little old to want to wear matching outfits!!

I fell in love with this cow and her big brown eyes!! If I had somewhere to put her I would have brought her home!! I forgot to mention Keaton watched a calf be born!! I think he thought it was pretty cool, or he might have been traumatized not to sure??

Utah Continued...

Tuesday June, 30th

Today was kind of a free for all day. The girls snuck away again to do some shopping in one of my favorite places, the Park City outlets. We had so much fun just being together, bumming around the shops. The dads and Braydon went to the movies and all the cousins just had fun being together and playing at the cabin!! After we got back to the cabin and made dinner we all just relaxed and played games. The bigh boys had plans to go long boarding down in the canyon and Braydon had VERY much been looking forward to it. When it was almost time to go one of the boys broke the news to him that they were short a board and he was going to have to stay behind. As his mom I was so bummed for him cause he was the one who had kind of set the plan in motion and I knew how much he was looking forward to it, but I was relieved also because I am a mom and I like my kids whole!

The next morning when we met up for breakfast at the blue cabin my dad broke the news, that they had had an accident long boarding. My bother in law PAul had wrecked pretty bad and went face first in to a bolder. He had a couple pretty BIG gashes that required many stitches and shattered hid nose. He had also taken all the skin off a knee almost to the bone. SOOO not good! They had spent the entire night in the ER. That is a real vacaction killer! But again I was thankful Braydon was safe and sound and I think so was he!!

Wednesday July 1st

My parents, sister and I went down to Salem where we grew up to attend the funeral of my great Unlce (who was more like an uncle). I didn't know this before but at the funeral I learned my cousin Mary who is just a year or so younger was the 100th grandchild and got to be named after great grandma Wright!! They were our neighbors growing up and their kids are our ages. He lost his fight to a brain tumor and he will be dearly missed. I was thankful to have been able to be there and see and support them. Following the funeral we all met up at Jumping Jacks and let the kids play for a few hours!! Then we headed over to Mike and Kelliann's for pizza and drove over to check out their new house!! Then back up the canyon to unwind!!

Thursday July, 2nd

We took all the kids to the Kamas Rec center to go swim. I had no idea they would love it so much. We swim all the time at home so I would think it not that much of a novelty. I think we stayed for about 5 hours!!!! It was the perfect activity for the day, about an hour after we got there a huge storm hit and it was pouring outside. We had a picnic lunch on the fllor in the rec center because it was pouring so hard we couldn't go outside!! I absolutely love watching my kids interact with their younger cousins. They adore them and love entertaining, playing and interacting with them. I appreciate what awesome examples they are to all those little kids and get so excited to watch them all grow up together and be such great friends!!!

After the rec cneter we just relaxed at the cabin. At this point everyone is getting a little worn out!! And of course we played more games!!Kiley jumping off the high dive! ( I missed the picture of Keaton jumping off, he totally was doing flips and everything!!)

The most "PRUNEY" kids ever!!!

Friday July, 3rd

Everyone went to Heritage Park in Salt Lake. This is another one of our favorite places to visit in Utah. I keep thinking my kids will get sick of coming here but thankfully they still LOVE it!! It was a perfect day. The sun was shining, it wasn't to hot and it is a beautiful place!! The kids all did great! No whinning or fighting, everyone stayed together. This is the first time we've been here and everything was open! We rode trains and pony's, made crafts, played on the play gorund and just enjoyed being together! After the park the kids and I headed down to Springville to stay at Uncle Tadds. We can't come to Utah without visiting them. Don't tell the rest of my family but those are their favorite cousins!!(Technically they are my cousins and their second cousins but Porter is just a couple yers older then Braydon). It was late when we got there so we visited for a few and then hit the hay. We had an early morning with the fourth of July the next morning!!Kiley Halley and MalerieA whole lot of cousis!!!

I love this picture with the Salt Lake Valley in the background.
This was one of my favorites. All the baby kids (goats) and baby lambs. That is my dream to live on a bunch of land have a huge garden, goats, sheep and what ever other animals tickle my fancy!!