Callin' the Shots

Family Pics

2010-02-22T13:39:00.001-08:00

It was time for family pics again!

My beautiful children!

Happy Birthday John Jr!

2010-02-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

Sunday Feb 21st we went to the Carty's to celebrate

John Jr's birthday!!

How tall is Kylie??? Much taller than her Gram!
My silly Jaycie and I!

Best cousins!

Love my mommy!

John's yummy taco pizza!

Everyone made personal pizzas and then we also had a couple

big ones...

Sweet Pork and Cilantro and Chicken BBQ.

Yummy!!! We had enough left over to open a pizzaria!

Jaycie loves her Gram!

Huh? Who me!

Big John!

Happy Birthday to you...

Johnny J!

Thanks for having us! It was tons of fun!

We love you!!

Brynklie's special night!

2010-02-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

What's the best thing to do on a Friday night??

Hang out with the best kid in the whole world!

And that is just what I did!!! First we started with Brynklie's favorite

meal! Steak! The kid's got taste!!
Brynklie loves to take pictures too!

After we ate dinner, we danced in the dark with our glow sticks on!

Then we did make overs and nails!

What does this look like in the dark?

Just like this!

Cheers! This is Miss BJ after her make over! Too fun!

It's a good thing she won't be wearing makeup for a few years!

After make overs we got in our swim suits and got in the hot tub...

then we played hide and go seek in the dark with our glow sticks!

After we were all done running around having fun, we settled down for a movie

and oreos....

It was the best night ever! Love my girl!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2010-02-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day we always make cookies!

We made yummy sugar cookies with pink frosting and

Brynklie made a batch of chocolate chip cookies

all by herself!

Yummy!!
This is Alex! He helped with the sugar cookies, he was just getting ready to leave
and take his cookies home....
He was a big helper!

Made with love!

Phantom

2010-02-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

On February 6th I went to Phantom with

my mom, Sandy, and Jackie!

It was AMAZING! We had a great time!
Before the show, we gorged ourselves on Italian food at our favorite
restaurant.... Maggiano's

This is Jackie! We had a great time!

Thanks Ladies for a great day!!!

Ice Skating!!

2010-02-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

The Shotwell family loves to ice skate! Have you been to the new

Dixie Igloo??? We love it!

Gettin on the skates! That can be difficult!

Skyler is super skater! The boy belongs on a hockey team!

And the girls are definitly ice princess'

Watch for them in the next olympics!

Grandma is always a fun addition! Grandma Sandy loves to skate too!

Thanks grandma for taking us ice skating!

Hanging out with Jax

2010-02-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

Jax and I decided to have a special picnic in front of the fire...

Corn dogs especiale was on the menu...

Love my baby boy!

Then Jax made peanut butter cookies... all by himself!

What a guy! And he cooks too!

Rolling the cookies is fun!

But eating them is even better!

We had a fun night! Love hanging with my guy!

My Bookends

2010-01-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

This is what Jaxyn and Jaycie do for fun when they are together! They are the two slices of bread.... there's lots of good stuff in the middle too!

Skyler and Cinders

2010-01-27T20:47:00.000-08:00

Skyler has a new found love...

This is his horse Cinders....
Isn't he a handsome cowboy....

He spends alot of time out to the farm with Cinders. He is kind of an old horse,

but Sky loves him all the same.

Hard not to be proud of this kid! Why try!

From Point A to Point B

2010-01-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

The new year found us on the move again....

Everyone showed up bright and early to get us going!
It was hard to find the motivation to start moving!

My mommy and I make a great team! I don't know what I'd have done without her!

It didn't take long to get things moved over... it was only up the street.

Skyler was a huge help... he's being camera shy.....

I had gone the night before and decorated. It was the best thing ever!

We got the furniture moved over and.... wa la! it was home!

Jaycie filling our new home with music... it even sounded like home!

The next day..... my mom and I headed to Vegas with my friend Lori for dinner!

I was so dang tired, but it was great for me to go! We had a great time! But you can't

beat the Cheesecake Factory and good company!

Let's Catch Up

2010-01-24T20:23:00.001-08:00

Life has been a bit crazy for the last couple of months... but I am going to try to the best I can to

catch up a little. Here is a quick run through of what we've been up to!

We had a fun family Halloween Party!

Brynklie was a cute vampire!

Kylie was a little 80's!

Jax was GI Joe!

We had a ton of fun!

Jaxyn had a really great time carving his pumpkin this year!! He did a great

job on it!

Jaycie was a cheerleader for Halloween, and um... she out did any jumps I ever attempted as a
real cheerleader. Dang! The girl has mad jumps!

2010-01-24T19:14:00.000-08:00

Miss Jaycie turned 17!
We had her favorite meal of Venison, Mashed Potatoes, and White Gravy!
It's a yearly tradition!

2010-01-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

We had thanksgiving at my brother John's house, but I didn't get any pictures! What the....

This is my friend Becca and I at the Gala for the Jubilee of Trees. She and I

work the front desk together at Zion Orthopaedics.
This is the gang at Zion... Dr. Andruss took us to the Gala.... it was great!

It was a pretty amazing night!

2010-01-24T18:30:00.000-08:00

Jaycie had Sadies...... It had a Super Hero Theme... like Super Sadies or something....lol She was an AWESOME Poison Ivy!

Jacie and her best friend Steph!

2010-01-24T18:29:00.000-08:00

Then it was time to decorate for Christmas!

Skyler and Kody building a snowman.
Brynklie helping to decorate the tree!

My Jaxyn never has a shirt on.... that kid!

He had a fun time helping with the tree too!

2010-01-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

The finished product!
My Aunt Barb sent my mom and I these bling bling hats! Fun!

Skyler getting ready to hit the slopes! He doesn't need hands to use his cell phone!

Skyler and Kaden.... need I say more?

They weren't too excited... can you tell?

2010-01-24T17:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning at Aunt Cindy's!

Cute Christmas sisters!
Jaycie got a Hippopotomus for Christmas!!!

Ky's excited about her box of oatmeal!

(which was actually a really big hot cocoa cup!)

Dad was tricky wrapping this present.... what is it Sky?

It was his lead rope!!

Later, back at home with the Carty side!

Skyler loves his Grammy!

Fun cousins....

Beautiful girls!

Jackie and Brynklie

Jaycie was really excited to get an ice scraper!

Jax and his new buddy! This robot is fun for all!

2010-01-24T17:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years!

We went to Sophi's house for New Years! The kids are waiting patiently for their mini pizzas!
Playing a little "Just Dance" on the Wii....

Part of the group.... not all of us!

Sophi and I...

Getting ready for the big celebration! We woke the neighborhood up!

Then it was Miss Kylie's birthday!!

She now possesses a driver's permit! Watch out!

Ky and her daddy!

And she blew out all the candles in one big puff!

Supervising the cutting..... make sure you cut that piece for me!

As promised.....

2009-10-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of the rest of my beautiful kids!

Gorgeous Aleisha!

16 yrs old....
Studdly Skyler!
Can you believe this kid is already 13? WoW!

Shaylee Superstar!

Shaylee is 20 years old. She is our only kid that lives out on her own. We love it when we have everyone together though!

Happy Wedding Day!

2009-10-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

October 10,2009

Shaun and Kellie

Jacobsen

We had originally planned to get married in Snow Canyon but

later decided to have the wedding in our backyard.

Thanks to the Jones' we were able to
have a very beautiful wedding!

Love our mommies!

My cousin Patrick came and took our pictures, but in all of
our moving... the disk has been misplaced. I will get more great pics on here

when it's found! My wonderful Aunt Barb was able to make the trip from Minnesota

with my cousin Patrick, it was an awesome surprise!!! I need to

find the picture of us together! I love it!

Our beautiful family!!

Eight is enough??

Shaun and Kellie

2009-09-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a preview of our pics!

It's hard to pick just the few to go on our announcement....

This was so fun!

Just 4 short weeks left.... but it seems like a lifetime to wait!

Go Snow Canyon.... Beat Dixie!!!

2009-09-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

I know that it seems like this blog has turned into "Jaycie's soccer blog" but, I

just haven't had time to blog about much else. I will catch up one of these

days..... I have alot to catch up about! But, planning a wedding, moving, and changing jobs will

just have to wait to be blogged about! Soccer comes first!

These gorgeous soccer players are playing Dixie tonight!

More highlights to come.... tomorrow!
This is the game against Pineview! Love those lucky yellow cleats!

Jaycie heading the ball!

To quote the great John Carty.....

Fire it up SC! Let's GO!

Kids Fall Pics

2009-08-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

It's time for fall pictures again! I'm so excited to get these printed and display them

in my new house!!

Beautiful BJ

almost 9 yrs!
Gorgeous Jaycie
16 yrs
Wow... Kylie
14 yrs

A new addition to our family!

Handsome Kody (spitting image of his father!)

11yrs

Spicy Jax

6 yrs

Skyler, Aleisha, and Shaylee still have to do theirs...

stay tuned!

Bloggin....

2009-08-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

My cute little soon to be professional photographer (BJ) took a pic of me

Bloggin! It's a fun little hobby, and a great way to record your life!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya....Tomorrow!

2009-08-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

My mom treated me to a fun night at Tuacahn! We took in the musical Annie!

This is our friend Jackie and her cutie patootie.... Hailey!
It was warm as usual in the red rock amphitheater... but
worth every minute! The little girl who played Molly
stole the show!
Fun night! Thanks Mommy!

Soccer Highlights 9/27/09

2009-08-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Last night was our first region game in our 2009 soccer season! It was great to be back with the Snow Canyon fans in the stands, fighting the blinding sun & the scorching heat, cheering on our awesome Lady Warriors! The game didn't fare out quite like we all planned, with a loss of 2-1 to the Pineview Panthers. But as you can read in the exerpt below from the Spectrum, Jaycie Shotwell added a notch to her "goal belt"! We hate to lose, but the cheerleader in me is overly excited at having scored a goal! I'm ever so proud of my girl! Keep up the great work Jaycie! On to more games, watch out.... we are just getting warmed up!

Courtesy of the Spectrum: Snow Canyon kept up the fight when Jaycie Shotwell tapped home a shot past Stone on a crossing feed with eight minutes left to slice the deficit in half, but Pine View was able to keep the ball in its offensive half over the final two minutes.

Snow Canyon Girl's Soccer 2009

2009-08-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

Okay... so I may have stolen this picture off of another soccer mom's blog!

Thanks Tanya for the picture! I thought it was so cute, I just had to

display it while announcing that tonight is the

"FIRST 2009 REGION GIRL'S SOCCER GAME"!

We are excited for an awesome year!

Go Snow Canyon! You guys are gonna rock their soccer socks off!

The Ever Talented Brynklie

2009-08-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

What can I say about Brynklie Jo? She is my youngest daughter, and she is amazing! Brynklie sometimes comes across shy until you get to know her. Then she shows the silly little girl that is fun to be around! Brynklie loves people! She is kind to everyone she comes in contact with and is a truly loving, considerate child! Not to mention that she is absolutely beautiful! Couldn't you just kiss every freckle on that cute little nose... and those bright blue eyes!! Am I prejudice? I don't think so! I feel very blessed to call her my own! One day recently, Brynklie came in and asked for my camera. She said she wanted to take a picture of the sunset. So I gave her my camera and went on with what I was doing! She soon came in and showed me the pictures she had taken! I was in awe! I had to go look at the beautiful sunset that she had captured in her pictures! It was breathtaking, not unlike most of our Southern Utah sunsets! She explained to me how she had to get up on the picnic table to "get the right angle" !! Clever little thing!

Below are the beautiful pictures she took! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Soccer has started!

2009-08-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

Soccer tryouts every year are a pretty....character building experience!Anytime you'll resort to sitting in an ice bath with blocks of ice on your legs....

builds definite character!

We're ready for an exciting year of Snow Canyon soccer!

Jaycie in her awesome yellow cleats! Love those things!

It's like wearing rays of sunshine on your feet! :)Proud Soccer Mom!

Sassy Cat....

2009-08-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

One night Jaycie came home from Soccer with a surprise!

She brought this cute little kitty home.

Well..... I'm not much for cats, so I told her that she couldn't keep it.

She asked if she could until she found it a new home.

I'm a sucker.... I said yes! So, let me just say.... this kitty who we named Sassy, was the funnest

little thing! She would hide under my bed and pounce on my feet

while I folded laundry, hiss at Taffy (and soon learned to play nice with her), and chase her tail.

She was very entertaining. We put her out during the day while we were away.

One day she just didn't come home. I have to say, I got kind of attached!

I hope that the family that she found will love her dearly!

We did for the short 2 weeks she was ours!

A short hike in Snow Canyon....

2009-08-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

We needed to take a little jaunt up to Snow Canyon to pick a spot for

the wedding....

Okay, I don't think I've actually made the official announcement....

Shaun and I are getting married on October 1oth!

This is the spot we've chosen!

Petrified Dunes in Snow Canyon

The flower girl....
with attitude!

It's so beautiful up there... just in our back yard!

We're so blessed to live in Southern Utah! Before we headed home, we stopped at the Sand Dunes and ran down the hills!

That was Brynklie's idea!

Have you ever watched your kids do something, they ask you to participate and you don't really feel like it? So you just say.... I'll just watch!

Well.... sometimes there is nothing better than to throw aside your inhibitions and

jump in with both feet! Let your inner child out!

So fun!

Night out!

2009-08-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

If you can imagine... with 8 kids between us... Shaun and I don't have a whole lot of time

for dates alone. Don't get me wrong... we have TONS of fun with our kids!

But a night alone is to be celebrated as well!

This night we went to Troy's BBQ for dinner. They were having

a live band! It was pretty fun!Then we drove up by the airport and we hiked down on the lava rocks...

over looking the city. You could still hear the band from Troy's up there!

See my heels in the picture above.... can you imagine me hiking the lava rocks that hang on the edge of that hill up there? Yeah... I was a brave girl!

We had a fun time! Sometimes just hanging out is the very best entertainment!We ended by grabbin' some ice cream at Cold Stone....

Shaun made me this beautiful flower! Awww.... Cute!

Xynchec; a fun card game to play with friends and family....

2009-08-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

Okay... I totally don't know if that's actually how you spell the name of this card game, but

it's a game that we've played in our family for eons! It's alot like Phase 10.

Anyways... this was Shaun's initiation.

We left the game still speaking to one another!

Success!

Love playin' cards with my family!John and Kimmy!
I'm pretty sure one of the John's won....
I actually think it was John Jr!
My girl and I!

Jaxyn's necklace.... ew!

2009-08-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Okay... this is one of my grossest blogs!

Jaxyn decided he wanted a special necklace.... he's a creative kid!

I was like "uh... no way..."

But Shaun was sweet to oblige! (never stifle a child's desire for creativity)

What's it made of?
Well... when you drop a 5 lb bucket on your toe....

your toenail falls off!

What better idea than to make a necklace of it!

Mom.... they make shark's tooth necklaces all the time!

Uh.... yeah.

It sadly got lost soon after it was made! Dang.... was really looking forward to him

sporting his toenail necklace for weeks!

Back to School!

2009-08-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

It's the first day of school!

Time to get back to the routine and the fun!

Kylie and Jasmine are crazy as ever!

Miss Brynklie Jo.... ready to go!

3rd grade

Jax.... not sure he's lovin' it!

He's getting used to it though!

1st grade

Jaycie had a soccer game her first day.

They have to wear dresses for home games.

Not exactly her choice for the famous "first day of school" outfit!

Junior Year

(can you believe it?)

Kylie and Sky.... lookin' fly!

Kylie-Freshman Year

Skyler- 7th grade

BJ at her desk! What a colorful spot!
Jaxyn is number 22 in his class....
pretty cool!

School Shopping with Grandma!

2009-08-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Okay.... it's time for a massive blog catch up!

I don't even remember when this happened anymore.... I think around August 8th!On our way to Vegas with Grandma Sandy to go school shopping!

Can't go to Vegas with Grandma without visiting Maggiano's!

It was so fun to hang out with the girls!

I don't know when I've ever had so much fun!

You haven't experienced life without driving down the strip and

rapping the casino's with Kylie! Not sure I can even explain how that works!

But it's fun!

Me and my gorgeous mommy! Getting some Mucho Mango for the road trip home!

What a fun day!

Dance the night away!

2009-08-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

If anyone knows my mommy very well, you know she loves to dance!

Tuesday, July 28th we all got together and had some dance lessons!

Skyler gettin' down...... low enough to dance with BJ!
BJ swinging with Shaun!

Kylie is a natural! Shaun's a great teacher! I often wonder if

there is anything this guy can't do!

Jaycie and Shaun doing the pretzel!

Kylie and Grandma.... two steppin!

Kody dancing with Grandma.... everyone had their turn!

Turn Kylie! Jaxyn twirling Kylie..... one, two, three times!

Oh! And it's always Jaycie's style to bring a cute guy!

Trevor is one of the cutest! He and Jaycie were a hit! They had

a full routine by the end of the night!

Gotta love a guy who will dance!

Grandma and Sky! Skyler is a great dancer too! My kiddos

got some rhythm!

Thanks everyone for a fun night!

Believe it or not, they asked when we can do it again!

Soon!

Full House!

2009-08-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is fill my house with friends and

loved ones! So Tuesday night we had a Girlfriend BBQ!
Some of my closest friends brought their families and we had
a great evening visiting!

It was standing room only, and it was a beautiful night!

We sat out back and watched the amazing lightening storm!

Jaycie brought Jake! Alway fun to

include a cute boy in the mix! This is Melissa and Maelee... the closest things to sisters that I have!

Melissa has been my big sis since Maelee and I were running around in

7th grade, causing trouble!

Thanks friends for sharing a great evening!

They're Home!!!!

2009-08-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

After 10 days away at Shotwell Camp, my kiddos came home!!

Safe, sound, and a little dirty!

Brynklie Jo was just happy to see a computer!
Brookie stopped through on her way home to say hi! I love

this kid! She's gonna kill me for posting this picture though.
She was adamant that I not take a picture of her!

But... I love her... she's gotta be on my blog!

Jaxyn was happy to be home! Man, was I glad to see all

these kids! Missed them to pieces!
Skyler was happy to have continuous cell service!
Jaycie was smart and headed straight for the shower....
which explains her missing picture!
Kylie was just ready to veg for a while!
Welcome home my lovely children! You were sorely missed!
Love you!

Road Trip!

2009-08-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

With my kids gone, I was in need of a pick me up!
So, Shaun and I headed out of town for a little weekend getaway!
It doesn't take much to recharge my batteries....
Sun, water, and relaxation was just what I needed!
It was a super fun weekend, but it was hard to go back to work on Monday!

And he even does dishes!
We had so much fun! Can't wait til next time!

What did I do instead of camp?

2009-08-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

The first night, was Shaun's dad's birthday! So we

headed up to Diamond Valley for a family party!
Shaun's cute nephew! If he shows up missing.... don't check my house!
Isn't he adorable?

Shaun's family is great! Love hanging out with them!

Saturday night, it was girl's night out! Maelee, April, and I

headed up to a wedding that my mom was doing dance at.

That didn't last long... kinda lame! So we headed to Iggy's for a while.

It's always fun to hang and visit with the girls!

Makin' Memories!

2009-07-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday (July 16th) I got off work early so that I could spend some quality time with

my kiddos. They left for Shotwell Camp on Beaver Mt. the next morning!

BJ and Olivia helped make some butterfinger cookies to take to camp!

Treats are a big part of camp, and we always have made the

same treats every year to take.....

Jaycie loves her little brother so much it hurts!
Chocolate chip cookies are always a must!
Skyler guarding the ever coveted butterfinger cookies.

Then it was time for fun! Skyler gettin' all spiffy!

We played the candy bar game.....

Skyler downing as much chocolate as he can,

before someone else rolls doubles!

How much can Kylie shovel in before BJ takes over?

Brynklie won the game!

Then we played the skittles game... my tongue still hurts!

That's quite alot of sugar! Ick!

Laugh til your cheeks hurt!

The hand game!

Love that Shaun loves hangin' out with my crew!

All Star Baseball

2009-07-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

Tuesday July 14th it was the All Star baseball game at the Road Runner Field.

We had pizza on the lawn all together before the game started!

My cute sunburned cheekie boy!My Jaycie Kay!

Brynklie and her friend getting their tickets for the game! Shaun and I, and yes... that's my brother behind us picking his nose on purpose!

They had the BEST EVER fireworks display! Seriously... worth going to the game

and sitting in the 102 degrees!

Sunday Fun!

2009-07-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hangin' out on a Sunday afternoon.

How many people will fit on a love seat?

Taffy thinks she's a people too!

Got back to my roots and made some Kahlua Pork and Pani Popo! Yum!So fun to have everyone together!

That's my favorite!

Cliff Jumping at Sand Hollow!

2009-07-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 11th we packed up and went out to Sand Hollow to some

cliff jumpin' and cool off in the water!

Jaycie is very proud of her tan this summer! She's the darkest red head I know!
Sky, ready to do some wild jumps!

Kylie.... future's so bright! Gotta wear shades.... where are they?

Munchin'

Brynks found a good spot to have lunch!BJ and I catchin' some rays!

The group!
Jaxyn's big jump!
Brynklie was a brave girl!

We had a great time! Great way to cool off on a hot day!

2009-07-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

On July 10th, we went Ice blocking! Too FuN!

I don't think these girls had any fun! Hold on tight!

Go Brynklie Jo!

Slippy Slidey!!!

We're gonna crash!!!!Afterwards we had ice cream and sang Karaoke til dawn!

Literally!
Ky and her friends even sang!!When they weren't busy taking cute pictures of their feet!
Or themselves!

Fun night!

4th of July Festivities!

2009-07-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

That night we had THE MOSTEST, BESTEST BBQ in the world.

My brother made a Bacon Bomb... which is basically a heart attack waiting to

happen! We also had his famous brisket, Jim Griffin's marvelous bacon wrapped shrimp

and my cheesy potatoes and Rick's dutch oven potatoes to top it all off!

This was the Ultimate BBQ group!

Jaycie is always to happen to see Jim!

Hanging out at John's

Ky and Maddy... cute girls!

My big brother and I!
Parked on the hill waiting for the fireworks to start!

Sparklie!

John and Kimmie! And yes, Rick is picking his nose on purpose!

My madre' and I!

Tori and Jaycie!

Patience!

BJ all dolled up for the 4th!

Independence Day!

2009-07-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

On the morning of the 4th of July we headed up to Snow Canyon

for a little hike! We did the White Rocks Trail.

As you can see, it was pretty hot! But we had a good time.... lots of water!Stopping for a little break in the shade
At the top! We made it. That smile on BJ's face is forced.
She was not very happy to have hiked to the top.
But she did awesome!
The boys cooling off inside a little cavern.

My favorite hiking buddy!

Gunlock

2009-07-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

Friday, I was fortunate to the have the day off for the 4th of July!!

We packed a cooler and headed out to Gunlock Res. for some fun in the sun!

Sky looked pretty good for the day after!

Jaxyn was all smiles!

Brynklie and Jax with their $ store floaties!

Chilaxin!

Skyler was having fun throwing water on the girls!

The big splash!!

Me and my moment in the sun! These times are precious and few!

I enjoyed every minute of it!

Crash!

2009-07-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

The morning after Skyler's birthday, he and his friends went to the

skate park... early in the morning!

I had a meeting at 9am and when I came out of it....

I had a picture waiting for me.

I met them at the doctor's office, as you can see, he was pretty banged up.
He had xrays of his elbow and wrist, which turned out ok! Thank heaven!

Dr. Phil glued him back together and put some steri strips on

and we were on our way.....

That night we went to the Road Runner game. In true

Skyler fashion.... he can't just take a decent picture with me!

He's almost back to normal! But what exactly is normal???

Happy Birthday Skyler!

2009-07-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

My Skyler had his 13th Birthday on Wednesday, July 1st.

He wanted a new skateboard for his birthday....

We headed over to Lip Trix and he chose one!

Putting on the grip tape...
trimming of the excess grip tape.
He was a happy boy!
So fun!

He then chose KFC for his birthday dinner! We had fun

drinking the bucket of root beer all together!

The kids waiting patiently for the chicken!

Sky and I!

Sky and his Grandma Sandy!

We invited some of Skyler's favorite friends and their families over

for cake and ice cream.

Jim and Trina Griffin

Uncle John

Grandma San!

All his buddies! These are some great kids!

Happy Birthday Sky! You are awesome, and I'm so proud of you!

Love you bud!

Old Friends!

2009-07-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

My good friend Lori came up from Moapa and we went to lunch.

We have been friends for about 18 years. We married brothers.

Now we are both divorced from those brothers, and have rekindled a

long lost friendship!

It's fun to visit and see how much Lori's life has improved.

She's come a long way!

For dinner, I met my old high school friends....

Maelee and Amy. We ran around together when we were

Freshmen and Sophomores in High School.

We went to dinner at Chili's. I didn't get to stay long. My car had broke down at Catherine' house. Nice little wrench in the evening. NOT! It was great to see my friends though!

clockwise: Amy, Maelee, Mindy (Maelee's sister, another good friend from high school), Amy's friend Catherine, and me!

Soccer Camp

2009-07-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

This week Jaycie went to Dixie College for Soccer Camp....

I was only able to attend one game, and this was the only picture I got!

Not a proud moment. I failed miserably! She had lots of fun and scored many

goals through out the week! We are looking forward to a fun year of soccer!

What a Crazy Week!

2009-07-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

My Crazy Week started on Saturday (June 27, 2009). I had worked all day at

Infowest. Taffy was with the kids all day. About 6pm, Taffy started walking weird, and couldn't jump up on the couch or

into the car anymore. Very strange for my energetic puppy!

By 8pm she had a seizure. Jaycie called me in a panic. Luckily, I was

on my way home. Between 8pm and 11pm, Taffy had 4 seizures.

These were very scary. Each time, I just knew we would lose her.

We took her into the Emergency at around 11:30 pm. When

we handed her over to the assistant she seized again.

They rushed her back and gave her a shot of Valium, and packed her in ice.

The assistant came out and quizzed us about if Taffy could have

possibly picked up some kind of drug, or had a large amount of chocolate.

They were able to treat her and she came

through it. She is perfect now, and we feel very blessed to still have

our little pet.

In the above picture, Shaun is holding Taffy while they give her

subcutaneous fluids. They gave these fluids to her by putting a needle under

her skin and squeezing the bag of fluids into her. It gave her a hunch back.

You can kind of see her hunch back in this picture.
Seriously, I don't know what I would have done without Shaun.
He took care of me and Taffy. I was a mess. Then they force fed her charcoal. This was to absorb whatever was in her
stomach. Within the hour she was doing tons better, just walking a
little tipsy from the Valium. Even after the Valium her heart rate was 240. A
normal dogs heart rate is around 80. I am just so grateful that she is alright!

Wednesday night dinner with good friends!

2009-06-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night, my bestest of good old buddy, ol' pals came over

with her family for dinner!

Maelee and I go way back... to 5th grade!

I will spare you the details of our colorful past together!

Let's just say.... we always have fun!

Sky enjoying his root beer float!
Maelee and I. People used to ask us in middle school if we were twins!
Lol.... um, yeah... I'm just especially white for being of Navajo decent!

Maelee's Jaxon and her nephew DJ.... dishin up the goods!

We have a Jaycie and a Maecee (2 weeks apart in age) and a Jaxon

and a Jaxyn (2 weeks apart) Not planned!

Maecee! She's tons of fun! I'm so excited to have them here!!!

Saturday Fun (June 20,2009)

2009-06-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a great mixture of work and fun!

I started out working my one Saturday a month at State Farm!

Then... Jax and I washed my car!

What a good helper! Me and my Superman!

Then it was time to play!

BJ on the slip and slide! She made a big splash!

Doesn't this look like fun! I need an adult size Slip and Slide!
We had guests over for dinner.... I made Navajo Tacos!

I put Shaun and Mom to work making scones!

Ky thought it was time for a deep conditioner!

Jaycie was a good sis, and helped her rinse! I was wondering if it'd turn into a

water fight! It didn't.... whew!

We then took the kids up to Pioneer Park to hike around!

Love hangin' out with my kiddos! Sky is almost as tall as me!!!Brynklie Jo is my kid!! She is a little nervous on the rocks!

I loved that Shaun was so patient with her. Making sure

that she was able to do it herself, but that he was there

for her in case she was in trouble!

My kiddos... see the temple in the background..

love taking pics here!
Silly faces! It was a fun day!

Spin.... Again!

2009-06-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

Friday night the kids wanted to go to the Spin Park again!

This time Ty Ty and Marley Jo came with us. (Jaycie was tending)

Jaxyn always has tons of fun with his cousins!

This is Jaycie's crazy way of pushing the kids on the swing!
It gets them going so super high.

Jaccie, Skyler, and Chandler... the only way I got them to let me take
their picture was to threaten them with Skyler being grounded!
It worked! My parenting skills are phenomenal!!!

Jaycie was practicing her photography skills this night. Shaun and I were

visiting on the grass and she caught this great picture...

awwww, cute!

Karaoke Night!

2009-06-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Thursday night (June 18th) we went and had Karaoke night!

Kylie hasn't learned to love Karaoke yet... so she practiced her photography skills!

Ky's self portrait!

It's the Eye of the Tiger...... ( they are so thrilled)

I can't find the picture of Jaycie singing! I think she had the most fun of anyone!

I'll find it and post it!

Brynklie being a good model for Ky!

Road Runner Baseball!!!

2009-06-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 13th

Sophi, Mom, and I went to the Road Runner's Game!

Gotta love the baseball games! It started to rain really hard, so the

game got called off for a minute. We all huddled under the bleachers til it

stopped. It was Star Wars Day! I totally wanted a picture with Darth Vador.

But I couldn't get his attention... what's up with that?

Just the girls!

Sophi and I makin' kissy faces! We can't do it

quite as good as Ky and Jaycie.... are we too old?

Lol.... but we had fun!

2009-06-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday (June 6th) we went to Zion Natl. Park!

Jaxyn's all excited to go hiking!

Riding the shuttle.....

We were on our way to the Emerald Pools but it started to rain really hard.

We high tailed it back to the shuttle....

and settled for Weeping Rock!

Which turned out to be a great thing. The kids played in the creek for hours...

Skyler and Kody went on an adventure up the creek and saw places that not many

people get to see. It was a beautiful day, and we had tons of fun!
We ended by making a candy stop at the Springdale Candy Company.

I had read about it and couldn't wait to go! It was a sweet end to a perfect day!

Round and Round

2009-06-15T19:24:00.001-07:00

On Friday night (June 5th) Shaun and I took our kids to the

Spin Park.....

This place is a definite favorite of ours!

Kody stands by while Jaxyn plays Indiana Jones!
Aleisha spinning Skyler
Do you think he's gonna be sick!?

Too much round and round for me!

Brynklie spinning in the buckets!

If ya haven't been to the "Spin Park", do it soon!

It's tons of fun!

All Summer in a Day!

2009-06-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

A week ago, I was feeling a little cheated....

Summer is here, it's beautiful outside, and here I am stuck inside.

I felt sorry for myself for a few days... Remember the short story by Ray Bradbury...

All Summer in a Day?

I think that's what it was called. They did

a short movie about it. I remember watching it in grade school. Anyway, in the movie

a little girl gets put in the closet because she is an outcast. While she is in there, the sun comes out (which doesn't happen but every 7 years on Venus and for only 1 hour)

the other children forget about the girl in the closet and

go out to enjoy the sun. Flowers bloom, the children frolic and play...... the little girl in the

closet is forgotten. I was feeling like that little girl. I decided that I would be locked inside no longer! It was time for all summer in a day!

I started my day off with a run, followed by a full body workout. It was great! We headed to

the pool next! Caught some rays.... had some Arby's for lunch!
The kids had a blast! And I got to watch them... which made it that much better!
A little Jamocha shake in the sun is always fun!
We went home and had baths and next headed to a movie...
Return to Witch Mountain (I give it 2 thumbs up) and then had ice cream!
I forgot to take pictures though....duh!

Then we loaded up the fandamily and went to a Road Runner's game!

Sky loves having his picture taken!

Ate some Bratwurst with Sauerkraut! Mmmmmm Yummy!

Hung out with friends!

Got some Mascot signatures on our arms... okay only BJ and CJ did this!

Watched BJ eat a hot dog bigger than her!

and enjoyed time together.....

It was an awesome day and I felt totally rejuvenated! I think I can

handle a few more weeks til I get a day off for the 4th of July!

Love being with my kiddos!

Happy Summer Everyone!

Block Party

2009-06-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about summer is pot lucks or BBQ's! That

makes a block party the perfect outing to me! Food, friends, and fun!

Jaycie doing her best to raise one eyebrow.....

keep tryin' kid!

Brynkers and her friend Avynlee chowin' down on some melon!
The best summer treat!

Don't let Jax's attire fool ya..... it was a warm evening.

I don't know what was up with the hoodie!

The block party was great fun! Always nice to get together with neighbors and

friends! We have the best neighborhood! I feel especially blessed to be in Jason Schick's

neighborhood! He made the BEST cherry pie, and I don't even like pie!

Check out this blog!!!

2009-06-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here catching up on everyone's blogs....yes, even though I may seldomly leave comments.... I read all of your blogs on a regular basis! Here is a blog that was of interest to me....http://www.karascupcakes.blogspot.com/. I think Anne will particularly love this blog! I may just have to start making cupcakes! Yum!

Washington City Expo

2009-06-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

So, this is what I do for a living.....Not exactly.... But I do work for State Farm Insurance and Financial Services, where

I am the bank specialist and insurance team member. This past weekend we did

the Washington City Expo. It was lots of fun and our booth was a hit!

Maybe the popcorn helped! This is my boss Greg! We had a penny guess too, a little kid won it!

He was so excited! I can now add popcorn popping to my resume! West states theaters..... watch out!

Mothers and Daughters/ Fathers and Sons

2009-05-31T13:37:00.001-07:00

May 22nd was Fathers and Sons in our ward. Jaxyn was invited to go with the Jacksons! Skyler went with the Slivers! I took my girls to Night at the Museum and then out to dinner! It was a fun night for all! I will get pictures of the boys and post along with this as soon as I can! Love the look on Brynklie's face! She was kinda being a little stinker! But fun anyways! She was a human year book since it was the last day of school.... hence the writing on her face! Jaycie and I at Ernestos for dinner!It's a tradition for someone in our group to be having a "birthday" when we

go to Ernestos! Good thing the staff loves us! We don't do it for

the treat they bring to us.... we love to hear them sing!

This is Kylie, the "birthday" girl and her song birds! If you haven't been to

Ernestos for your birthday and haven't had them sing to you....

do it, it's great fun!

Last Days of School.....

2009-05-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

The last days of school are always the funnest! A time to reflect on the past year...

the friends and memories that were made!

Here are some of the fun things that the Shotwell kids did on their last days of school!Kylie and her friends the last day of school! Jayie on her way to the techno dance at the high school!
Silly Skyler ready for his last day at school!

I don't even know for sure how to comment on this picture...

is there a male word for harem? Whatever that is....

this is Kylie's!

Kindergarten Graduation

2009-05-31T13:11:00.001-07:00

Our kindergarten days have come to an end.... My baby is definitely growing up. Here is Jaxyn at his kindergarten graduation.

The kindergarten program at Santa Clara Elementary is A-1! These teachers know

how to handle these kids! It was a great program!

My handsome graduate!
We are so grateful for Mrs. Heger. She is amazing! She is seriously

the best teacher I have ever witnessed! I am even mesmerized when I have been

privileged enough to help in her class. Jaxyn loves her and will miss her very much!

On to Summer Days.... followed by full days of school for my soon to be first grader!

Lady Warrior's go to State!

2009-05-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

Our Lady Warriors Softball Team went to state the last week of school!

As funny as it is.... we ended up playing Dixie in the semi finals at Cottonwood up North.

Silly! Anyways.... we were 3-1 in the 6th inning and things were looking pretty good.

To our dismay, there were several errors made in the 7th inning and Dixie moved on to the finals. Miss Jaycie was privileged to play out field! Awesome! What a great experience!

Before this kid is out of high school, she's going to be wearing a state ring!

Happy Birthday Jaxyn!!!

2009-05-31T12:47:00.001-07:00

While away in Provo for Kylie's dance competition.....a certain little man turned 6!

Yes, my baby is 6 years old now!

Happy Birthday Jaxyn!

So, when we got home on Sunday, it was time for a Birthday/Mother's day BBQ!

This is Jaxyn and his buddy Tuffy!

The kids had a ball in the pool..... tis the season!

Jaxyn had tons of fun with his family and friends! His Grandma and Grandpa Shotwell

came down to be with him and also his Grandma Sandy. Not to mention the

Carty's.... they're always in for a party! It was a fun filled day.... I can't believe my baby is 6!

Love you little man!

This was Jaxyn's mother's day gift to me! He was too cute about it!

Thanks bud, you make me proud!

Provo Road Trip!

2009-05-23T12:58:00.001-07:00

It's Mother's Day weekend.... what a great time for a road trip!

Kylie had a dance competition in Provo, so we took the opportunity for a

great trip with the girls.... I know the picture above doesn't look like I'm driving...

but I am! My new car, in fact! Yeah me! Anyways... do I look tired? We didn't leave til 11 pm!

Yikes!
Jaycie and Savanah Rae.... funny girlies!

Kylie and Jasmine, the best of friends! These girls were in charge of keeping me awake...
They did a FINE job! Ugh!
We made it to Provo at 3:30am. Then we were up to have breakfast the next morning
at 9am to start our day!

I don't often post icky pictures of myself... but it's only fair!

Don't get used to it.... I usually delete these pics! Keep in mind I am on very little sleep!

A good breakfast went a long way this day!

Jaycie and Savy taking an after breakfast nap....

A little primping.. and we're headed to the mall!

Ky getting beautiful!

Shopping.... great therapy!

So sweet!

Ky and Jasmine, doing what they do best....spending my money!

On to the dance competition.... this competition was great! It was short and sweet!

Kylie getting her hair done for the routine!

This is the finished product! Ky's lyrical costume!

Kylie's awesome team took 1st in their lyrical and their jazz routine.

The studio took best choreography and best sportsmanship!

Rock on Dance Tracks!!!

After the competition we went to dinner at The Mayan Adventure!

It was great fun! Exciting entertainment and good food!

Yum Yum!

Jaycie and I were smart.... we just got appetizers and went straight for the dessert!

What an adventure!

Me and my girls! Love 'em!

gorgeous girls

sillies!

The next morning was Mother's Day! We got up and had breakfast... took a little dip

in the pool and hot tub, and then headed home!

Kylie even looks great straight out of bed...no fair!

Fun Trip!

Kylie made me this cute apron for Mother's Day!

What a sweetheart! Thanks Ky for making my Mother's Day special!

(don't mind the beautiful pic of my g sleeves... I had a tank on and hadn't put on my jacket yet..oops!)

On the way home, we met Maelee and Maecee in Fillmore!

It's always great to see good friends!

Driving home... chillin!

It was a great trip! I'm so grateful for the time I got to spend with my girls! They

are great! Love them to pieces! Thanks girls for the fun trip!

YW Recognition Dinner

2009-05-23T12:50:00.001-07:00

Back in November Ky and Jayce got their YW Recognition awards.

Every year the Stake holds a special dinner for those who accomplished this great task!

There were many girls there, mostly seniors, many juniors, some sophomores like Jaycie...

but I'd dare say that Ky was the youngest!

Such cute sisters!

Thanks to their leaders, Denise Wilde and Heidi Dahl for all the

help, love, and support that they give them!

These women are amazing! Missing from the picture are Ky's

Mia Maid leaders, Brittany Schick and Jill Gines!

Skyler's Spring Concert

2009-05-23T12:42:00.001-07:00

Skyler had his Spring Concert for Choir. Mrs. Harris does a great

job with her choirs! This one was all rock and roll.

The kids appeared to be having a great time, and the audience

completely enjoyed it!

The blondie inthe middle.... that's my boy!
Skyler and his buddy Kaden! These guys are trouble!
Actually they're great kids!

Kylie's Spring Dance Review

2009-05-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Spring time is always full of fun dance competitions and dance reviews! This

is Kylie's season to shine. After months of hard work, blood, and tears (okay that may be an exaggeration.... or not!) the girls get to perform the dances, and recieve their just reward!For the dance review it is traditional for the girls to get their hair done professionally..

Ky's turned out so dang cute! Isn't she beautiful!
Kylie and her friends.... Kenzie, Jasmine, and Shaylee

Our thanks goes to Miss McKel... she's great! She has pushed

Kylie to her limit over and over. Helping her to become the dancer she is today!

Thanks Kel!

Kylie in action..... this is her Lyrical dance!
I'm so proud of Ky. I get teary every time I watch her dance. She
has come such a long way! I look forward to her high school
dance career! Should be a blast!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2009-04-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, I also missed blogging my mommy's birthday!

I got her a cute watch at the dance comp! I think she liked it!!!

We had a fun weekend, invited her over to my house for her favorite dinner.... hamburger gravy and mashed potatoes, followed by fried ice cream and kareoke. What could be better? She's so easy to please! I'm so grateful for this woman! She is such a strength to me, so supportive to me in all I've ever done. She has amazing talents that I wished I possessed! I'm glad she's mine! Happy Birthday Mom (belated as it may be) I love you!

Jaxyn loves his gram!

Rick Springfield Concert

2009-04-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know it's been a while since I blogged..... like a month in fact. Mi Vida Loca!! But you're about to get a crazy catch up!
April 27th we went to the Rick Springfield Concert! I will say this one thing about this concert..... He was amazing! Okay... I have more to say! He rocked!!! This guy is like, almost 60 and looked and sounded great! He was very personable with the audience and very interactive. At one point he walked on the backs of the chairs through the audience, holding on to hands as he went along for stability! He made the comment that if we needed to grab his behind to keep him from falling.... that it would be allowed! So, I will admit.... when he walked passed me and didn't need my hand for stability, I saw the need for me to grab his behind to help stabilize him! Highlight of my night! Lol.... It was great! I will definitely go to another Rick Springfield concert if the opportunity arises!

Pretty hot for an old dude huh!

The ladies loved him!

2009-04-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

Hangin' out with the Carty's is always fun!

Sunday we went over for some of Uncle John's awesome burgers!

Grandma Sandy, Maddy, and Jaycie..... cute girls!
Jaycie grabbin' some grub!

Hangin' out!

Love you family!

Layin' around on a Lazy Sunday afternoon!

Thanks Carty's for the good grub...and most of all the great company!

Love you guys!

Kylie's Parowan Dance Competition!

2009-04-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning we were up early to head to Parowan for the

Rammette Dance Competition!

Kylie, Riley, and McKenzie ready to kick some drill team behind!
Brynklie and Jaxyn were good sports!
Even Skyler came along! As you can see...the sun is rising behind him!
Pretty good brother to sacrifice sleep to go watch his sister dance
all day.....
Excited for the drive to Parowan!

Donuts and Chocolate milk are a staple for dancers!

The boys got a little restless....but they were really good for the most part!

Brynklie just had to have a carmel apple! Yummy!

I didn't get any good pictures of Ky dancing. They were all dark. I raced back to

the dressing room to get her in her lyrical costume before she took it off....

but I was a tad too late!

She's cute anyways!

Our team did great! Ky's dance group took Superior in both of their dances and our studio

took Overall Best Studio! 3rd year in a row!

Dance Tracks Rocks!

Oh, and this is the beautiful weather that we enjoyed while in

Parowan! What the heck?? It is April 25th right? I heard it was a beautiful day in St. George!

Friday night at the Irvin's

2009-04-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

Friday night the Shotwell's and the Irvin's got together!

We started off with Pizza at the Snow Canyon/Dixie Softball Game....

and ended with hangin' at Sophi's house!

Here's Jaxyn and Carson doing what they do best!

These two are 2 peas in a pod!

The kids planned this dance off....

Sophi and I were supposed to be partner's! Luckily time got away from us!

We didn't have to put these poor kids to shame with our funky moves! Lol!

There was just enough time for ice cream!

Here's the moms... I don't know what I'd do with out Sophi.

She has been a life saver to me!

It's always nice to have a friend who understands what you're going through.

It's only a plus that our kids are the same ages and they love to hang together!

Silly boys!
Brynklie and Riley.....all smiles!
Thanks Irvin's for a fun night together!

Kylie.....Brace Face no more!

2009-04-26T20:44:00.001-07:00

That long awaited moment has finally come! It's time for Kylie Sue to finally get her braces off!
Yowza~ that looks like fun!

Yank!

Look Ma!

I need an explanation for what is going on in this picture. I'll get back to you on that!

Kylie has been looking forward to this day for several months.

I'll post a cute pic of her soon without her braces! I'm sure she's gonna love

that I posted these pics on here!

All in the name of history!

I love you Ky!!!

Jaxyn's First Ride

2009-04-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

It looks like Jaxyn had his first ride this past week!

What a stud!
Off he goes!

All geared up!

Skyler recently bought himself a new motor bike.

He has spent alot of time this spring riding!

It's a fun brother activity!

Senior Ball

2009-04-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

Jaycie was invited to Senior Ball by Kurt Campbell.

He picked her up early (as is the tradition)

and took her to breakfast!

They went to Jumpin' Jacks to play
Da Boys!

Then they went skim boardin'

Silly kids!

Then it was time to get ready!

Shawnee was a great help!

Pretty girl!

Pinning on the boutonniere.

Guys always have it easy! Puttin' on the corsage!

They looked great!

I wish we would have gotten a pic of Jaycie's shoes!

She wore hot pink tennis shoes that she had decorated herself~

Awesome!

Easter Treat from Mom!

2009-04-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Easter was not the normal traditional celebration this year.
Lance had the kids in Provo for a family homecoming. I was home and hung out
with friends. I'm grateful for great friends who see me through those "lonely" times!
All is well! On Thursday night instead of giving the kids the traditional Easter Basket etc.
I took them to dinner and then shopping. One only needs 1 Easter Basket...
The Easter Bunny handled that one just fine!

My littles and Me!

And the Bigs! Jaycie was not with us due to a school activity!
The joys of having a teenager! We missed her!

Grandma Sandy accompanied us! Sky loves his gram!

Ky is excited about her salad!
I've learned that every moment spent with your kids is so precious. I always knew that before,
but have come to a new appreciation. Cherish every moment.
Happy Easter!

Skyler's Track and Field Day

2009-04-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

Skyler ran the 800 m.

On your mark.....

Go Skyler Go!

Leading the pack!

Break away!

He finished in 2:46.52

1st Place

He's a stud, I'm so proud of you bud!

Love you!

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

This year for Easter, the kids were with Lance. They went up North for their cousin

Weston's missionary homecoming! Going to Aunt Pam's house is always fun!

They had a great time!

What did Jaycie find?
Kylie found her basket in Aunt Pam's new pantry!!!

Skyler is just so hoppy to be there!

Cute Miss Brynklie!

Jax was so excited about his new motorbike shirt!

It looks like it was a great Easter!

More Softball!!

2009-04-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

The Friday before Easter, Jaycie had more fun softball games!

I love softball season! It's perfect Southern Utah weather (minus the wind) and

there is a great show of support from the community! Throw in a little

Warrior Pride and you've got the best spring activity you can find!

Jaycie getting ready to steal home!

Safe!!!

I don't know what she's doing exactly....but I think she looks way cool!

Swing Batta...

Easter Eggs.....

2009-04-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year! Time to figure out how long exactly it takes to boil the perfect easter egg!

This year, I didn't take much time to think about it. Normally, I end up calling my

mom and ask the same question year after year.....How long do I boil the eggs for?

This year, I ended up just winging it! I do that a lot lately! It was late and I was tired...

frankly....I just forgot it takes some thought to end up with a great finished product! Perfectly yellow yolk....I filled my largest pan with water and put it on to boil. I was also trying to get

the kids' homework done....get some dinner on....you know all the normal evening stuff!

The water was boiling and I realized that I had yet to put the eggs in the water! Ugh!

Not an easy thing to do...add eggs to boiling water without breaking them!!

So I gently lowered all 4 dozen eggs, one by one into the water. Set the timer for 10 min.

and prayed for the best! When the timer went off I wondered, do I leave them in the water?

Or do I put cold water on them? Ahhhh...should have called mom!! But I decided to be

a big girl and just figure it out for myself! I ran cold water on them til they were cool. It was time for the test....

1. How does the egg peel? Perfect

2. What color is the yolk? Perfectly Yellow!!

3. How does it taste? Awesome!

I did it! Maybe flying by the seat of my pants is the way to go!

I bet you didn't realize boiling eggs could be so self gratifying!

Skyler was the king of Snow Canyon colored eggs.
Brynklie Jo decided that coloring the eggs directly with her fingers!
What a mess!

Cutie Boy!

Mass Production!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-04-18T12:52:00.001-07:00

I had a great birthday this year! My bestest friend from
my childhood (Maelee) came to town, got together with Sophi and I!
It was totally fun!
Above....Sophi and I at Iggy's!

My mom joined us for dinner, she's always up for a good time!
It was a great night!

Sophi and I doing some texting! Gotta love those texts!!
I'm makin' sure she doesn't say the wrong thing! lol

The three amigos!
Can't wait til Mae comes back! It was so fun!
Thanks guys for making my birthday special!

This was Friday night. My good pals made sure that I got the special birthday treatment at Texas Roadhouse! Ridin' the Saddle and getting a big Yee Ha!!

Girl's Night Out

2009-03-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

March 21,2009

Some high school friends came down to have a girl's weekend! I was only able to join them for dinner because of the move. But it was SUCH a great time!

Left to right : Amanda Holt Nelson, Mary Fredell Braun, Pamela Rice Smith, Kellie Carty Shotwell, and Beth Bedke.

Preference Ball '09

2009-03-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

For Preference Ball, Jaycie and her friends got up at 6:30 am

to kidnap their dates for breakfast!

The whole group of kids, before caving.

Jaycie and her date....Cody Patterson

She asked him by giving him a Mt. Dew at the movie that had a note attached that said:

Do the Dew, and come to Preference with me!

Simple but sweet!

They had dinner at the Ence's house. Their back yard was

decorated immaculately! Look how beautiful the table looked!

And.....look how beautiful my girl is!

Spring Break Hot Tub Party

2009-03-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

After the ball games, we warmed up the hot tub!

Jaxyn's lovin' the girls!!
Jaycie and Steph soakin' after the games!

Me and Jax.....relaxing!

Kylie and her posse

Spring Break Softball Tournament

2009-03-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break, we stuck around and watched a bunch of ball! Jaycie had softball tournaments all week long! It was tons of fun!

Jaxyn, my little cowboy! He was quite the trooper! We were draggin' these

kids from ball park to ball park!
Kim and I hangin'!

She's a true Babe!

Jaycie and Bailey! Cute girls....

Right Field!

Playing Catch up!

2009-03-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Okay! Here we go.......we're back in business!

It's time to play a little catch up!

March 6, 2009

Lazer Tag and Iceberg with the Bottom's Family!

Miss Reagan is enjoying her ice cream!

Skyler and Johnny

Sky was such a trooper to hang with all the little kids!

Brynkers, Mommy and Jax

John and Dru

These guys are so great! I REALLY don't know what I

would do without them! They are THE BEST!

Thanks guys!

Temporarily Out of Order!

2009-03-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know if anyone noticed, but I missed my Bloggin' Sunday! Well, my lap top is in the shop....having some things fixed and removed! So I'm unable to post pictures for the time being. Let's see if I can give a quick update of what is going on at the Shotwell house! I'm finding it hard without pictures to recap..... Probably the newest happening is that I have found a house. But that is really probably a next week's happening! I will be starting to move in around Wednesday of next week. It'll be great to have a fresh start. Will post pictures when we are settled. It will be an adjustment, but a step in the right direction. Tuesday night after looking at the house, I headed on over to the Lamoreaux's to see Gil. (For those of you who don't know our neighbors, Gil is a sweet 2 yr. old boy who recently fell out of his 2nd story window onto their concrete driveway. After a week of trauma, he and his family are home and doing well.) It is just amazing to me that he is so perfect. I am so grateful that he is healthy and well. I have no doubt that it was a miracle that he could be so good. When I got there I expected him to be in bed, but found him in the swing out back playing with his siblings. I just marveled at him. They are an amazing family and I am so grateful that they were blessed with such protection. Love you Lamoreauxs! If you haven't read Robyn's blog about their story...you should. But get a box of kleenex, you'll need it. Friday night my good friends, the Bottoms' had the kids and I over for Pizza! They are great friends and watch Jaxyn and Brynklie for me after school every day. I really don't know what I would do at this point in my life without great friends. You really find out who your friends are. Thanks to all of you for your love and support. After Pizza we went to play Laser Tag. It was a great time! I have pics to post, and will.....soon....I promise! We then headed to Iceberg for some gigantic shakes! Thanks again Bottoms! I needed the night out, and we all had a blast! Not much else to report. Hope your week was great! Spring Break starts for us on Friday! Nothing in the plans.....gotta work! But it'll be great for the kids to have a break! Looking forward to dance competitions for Kylie coming up next month, and softball! Jaycie made the high school team again this year! She is also doing track, so she and Ky will keep us busy! LOVE IT!

Vegas Road Trip!

2009-03-02T20:42:00.001-08:00

Well, Saturday we had big plans! Jaycie, Kylie, Skyler, Grandma Sandy, Trina, Jackie,

Pam and I loaded in the Suburban on a Road Trip to Vegas!

Destination.......Maggiano's Little Italy!!! Well, we ended up with a few minor, okay MAJOR problems!

Look at the lug nuts in the picture above. Count them!

Big O tires had recently put new tires on the Burb. They

torqued the lug nuts a bit tight! All but 2 studs

were broken off into the roater.

Not easy to drive 75 miles an hour on!

We actually are very lucky that we didn't have an accident!

Waiting for the tow truck to come!

Officer Eric Seitz from the Moapa Police stopped to keep us company!

This is a shout out to Officer Seitz! Thanks for the help!

You might think that the kids would get a little impatient!

Heck no! They looked at it as the perfect opportunity to

practice their modeling and photography techniques!

Who would have known that such cute photo opps were available

just past Glendale, NV!

(good ol' Glendale....family memories of Warm Springs!) The tow truck finally got there, and we were finally on our way!

Big O took good care of us.

Skyler and I had fun riding the escalator at the

Fashion Show Mall. People probably watched us

and thought....small town folk! Lol!

See....Escalators are fun to pass the time on!

We had a bit of a wait!

Me and my kiddles!Girls just wanna have fun!

And they did!Great times!

We finally got seated! But our party had to

be split in half.

No big! It was fun....we didn't have to sit at the

"adult" table! We had a blast!

Good food, Great friends! I was SO happy Trina came!

She is a great friend, I wouldn't know what to do without her!

Can Skyler eat this whole yummy Apple Crustada by himself?

Heck Yeah!!!

This cute little guy was sweet enough to come sing to us!

He wanted a picture with me, since I was the photographer!

"photographer's never get their picture taken"

Little does he know! hahahaha

Manners? What are they?

They may have eaten too much!

It was such a great time! I'm so glad that we made it, and

had the experience, truck problems and all!

I am woman hear me roar!

Meow!

Busy Week!

2009-03-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

Pet Day for Jaxyn and Taffie!!!

It was Pet Day at Kindergarten on Thursday!

What is a mom's biggest nightmare about pet day?

That the dog will get loose and run around the school causing great

commotion and disruption???

Absolutely!

My nightmare came true!

But, in the end we caught her and Jaxyn was able to give a nice little

report on his puppy!

What fun!

Spring made it's appearance in Southern Utah this past week!

It's my VERY most favorite time of year! Renewed life and clarity abounds!

So, I took a minute to do some yard work! I will have to take some pics of my

daffodils that are starting to bloom! I'm a happy girl!

Brynklie Jo couldn't resist jumping in my pile of leaves!

What good is a pile of leaves if you can't jump in them right?

Why is Brynklie dressed up like a Rodeo princess?

It was the Daddy Daughter Western Jamboree!!!

So, Brynklie took her daddy and enjoyed a night of fun!

Happy 16th Birthday John Jr!

2009-02-22T19:58:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to my favorite 16 year old nephew!

John Carty Jr!

Jaycie and John are the same age, and have always

been so close! It's nice to know he's out there looking out

for her! The second best thing to having a big brother!

John is an amazing kid! Not only does he have a strong testimony of the gospel and is

a great example to all, he is an AMAZING football player! He holds the squat record for SCHS

and he is only a sophomore. Weighs in around 215 and is 6'.....all muscle!

Keep an eye out in a few years!! He'll be someone famous!!!

Hangin' with the birthday boy!
Happy Birthday Big Guy!
Oh, and no surprise.....he's already been asked to Preference Ball!

Let the Dance Fun Begin!!!

2009-02-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was the kick off to the dance performance season!!!

2009 Eshelle Review

Ky's dance team was invited to do in between performances!

This is their tribal dance!

I'm sure I've told you that I LOVE to watch my kids perform.

Whether they are playing ball, singing, or dancing!

I get that great feeling of pride and get a tear in my eye!

Being a mom is amazing!

Kylie dances with her heart! I love to watch her!

Look at those facials!!! She is AWESOME!!!

Kylie and her girls!
The night was ended with a
special performance by the
Papashelles!
The best part of this is that someday
Lance will have the opportunity to do this!!

Jaxyn loses his first tooth!

2009-02-22T19:43:00.001-08:00

Friday, 2/20/09

Jaxyn lost his very first tooth!!!

The tooth fairy even came and gave him a dollar!!

My baby is growing up...

dang.

Night out with Gram!

2009-02-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night Brynklie and Jaxyn had a night out

with Grandma Sandy!First they went to the Playplace....

Then for ice cream at Iceberg!

Sounds like Grandma spoiled them!

Thanks Grandma! They had a blast!!!