This Little Piggy

This little piggy got a haircut- That little piggy did too-Two little piggies got chop-chopped and now the little piggies are through.

Scout got her first haircut, and she was really brave. She held as still as a two-year-old could, and her little semi-bob looks really cute on her. I didn't get too many pictures because she was ready to receive her "prize" for holding still, and there were all kinds of nail polish colors on the nail table in the salon to look at...and touch....and, well, you know. As you can see, Mommy was getting a needed hair job as well, and we had a fun mini mommy-daughter date. I can't really do full pigtails in Scout's hair anymore, but before the haircut, that was the ONLY thing I could do because the ends were so frail and uneven, so we are looking forward to pigtail days again someday, but we really love the little short hairdo, and we said a fond farewell to the small mullet she seemed to be growing.

Labor Day Luau

Every year Ben (or Keahi as he is called by his luau group) dances at the Thanksgiving Point Labor Day Luau, and it is one of my favorite events. I love the spirit and dances of Polynesia, and the setting at Thanksgiving point is perfect for a luau. Somehow, no matter how many times I see the dances and hear the music, I still love it the same every time. I guess I am just filled with a grattitude for the many different cultures there are to celebrate, and I am so glad that Ben loves this part of his heritage. The girls love to cheer and clap for their daddy, and even though it was a little CHILLY this year, we had a great time. Sorry my pictures aren't that great....okay they are pretty bad, but I love them all the same. Mahalos to Maria and Junior for all their hard work, and for their little ones who get dragged to all the practices and such, but still love it and smile anyway. Maria gets extra points for being 9 months pregnant and still doing it all. This is a tradition I love.

Hawaiian Ancient


Tahiti


Samoan Slap

Hawaiian Ancient



Hawaiian Couples

Haka

Haka

Repeat (It was an accident, but I like this picture)

Fiji

My little Scout wanted to dance with the little Guava Jellies, but she was too little this year, so I told her that next year she could take hula lessons. Guava Jellies is the name of the little hula class that Taimane's leader Maria does. They are so cute. Impetigo Nose
Tahiti

The Last Tuesday

Last Tuesday was Ben's final whole day off before the semester started, so we decided to go out with a bang (well, a small bang). We went to Park City and Ben and Scouty rode the Alpine slide, and the girls also enjoyed the marry-go-round. After playing in Park City we went to Salt Lake and stayed at the Red Lion before Ben had to be back at work the next day. (Ben actually got a bid on price line...we were laughing about that. He did it just for fun, and then got the bid for the Red Lion, so we had to go, but we were so glad we did). We had a such a good time walking around Temple Square, eating out, and just being together before another (last) semester started. Scout thought the idea of a hotel was so cool!! She and Boston laughed themselves silly jumping and playing on the beds, and eating treats until all hours of the night. The only problem is now Scout thinks we own the hotel and she asks me if she can "go to her hotel tonight." This small little getaway was a reminder of how much I need and enjoy the simple things.

Scout eating her bagel at Einstein's Wednesday morning
Just incase you think we drew a mustache on Boston, she actually was incorrectly diagnosed with cellulitis, and then diagnosed with impetigo....just another lovely thing we got to remedy. She still had a blast, and is healing really fast...oh the things kids pick up!


This picture makes me laugh so hard for some reason...I think it is because Scout looks like a blind person with her sunglasses on crooked:)
what?

This is Daddy and Scout coming off the Alpine slide, but they are too far away to tell

Fond Farewell

This post is a little late in coming, but nevertheless it is here! :) A couple weeks ago we went to Sunny St. George to celebrate Danielle's mission call and go to the farewell. She did a great job, and we had a lot of fun seeing family and friends. That Wednesday we went to the MTC to see her off, and it was especially neat for me because I have never been in the MTC to send off a missionary. She is now doing really well, and will leave for Canada on Tuesday! We know that while she may freeze in Canada, she will be a wonderful missionary. This one is for Sister Kamalu!!

It was so good to see cousin Kalel and Kyle and Kim too!
I love these pictures. Especially when you look at them in this sequence. They crack me up.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Morgan

Yeah....he's not sleeping
Grandma Karen made a yummy dinner on Sunday


Boston and Kalel playing their duet

These cool new fountains in St. Geroge were so much fun for the girls to play in. Boston would take a bite of ice cream then wash her spoon in the fountain and dig in for another bite!

Grand Camp 2008- Little Pioneers

A few summers ago my parents started a tradition called Grand Camp. They plan a really fun mini camp for the grandkids and they have a fun theme for each year. This year the theme was PIONEERS, and it was so much fun! Grandma and Grandpa Reeves spent months preparing for it, (when they weren't at work, girl's camp, nauvoo etc.) and made it really special for all the grandkids. Their hard work included making a small handcart, pioneer outfits, little wooden boxes with each grandchild's name on them filled with little "treasures", a camping cup, guns for the boys, pioneer dolls for the girls, pioneer games, and pioneer stories, but the best part about it was that they shared their feelings and testimonies of the pioneers with the grandkids and taught them what it means to be a pioneer.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the sacrifices of the pioneers and even giving it my best efforts and reading about them, I cannot imagine what they must have been through. Seeing my little girls in their pioneer clothes walking around (with comfortable tennis shoes) in the wilderness (a camp site) really made me think about how the mother pioneers must have felt. Really, how did they walk, and walk, and walk, and walk, and walk? They prepared the feast (so to speak) and I am the one eating.

I humbly wonder if I could wrap my baby in a quilt and lay her in the ground for the wolves, feed my girls only two or three ounces of flour a day (The Martin and Willey handcart companies), lay them on frozen ground, carry them across frozen rivers, and still be willing to say "All is well, All is well." Needless to say, it was a good opportunity for me to reflect on the faith of my forefathers, and even my parents and family right now. I still remember having a conversation with my sister Toni about this once, and she said, "Do you think we could do it? Could we be pioneer mothers? I think we could if we had each other."

My little pioneers
Helping each other
Ready for the trek

The youngest pioneer (and the dirtiest in the end)
Scout loved her "pioneer" every day she asks me if she can wear her "pioneer"

I am sure the Pioneers would love to have this cooking crew!


Or would they rather have a nice camper to wake up in?


Playing pioneer bingo in the camper

Boston wanted to be a "modern" pioneer in the Rhino
Thank you Toni and Scott for the awesome Rhino rides!
And for the Camper too. :)

Little pioneer children sang as they walked and walked

Jakey, Boston and Grandma

The little Handcart

Off they go!

Little pioneer children laughed and cried as they took pictures, and took pictures and took pictures.....

The handcart was loaded

Modern pioneers in the Rhinos!



Pancake mouth and camping hair




Our family as pioneers

Grandma and Grandpa

Ben's one-of-a-kind HUMONGOUS Burger

"The perfect burger" as he called it :)