Jason Hoyt Memorial Weekend

This weekend, Rich had what he would describe as a "life-changing" event. He got together with his old roommates from the flag house to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Jason Hoyt's passing. Jason was also a roommate of theirs who died in a car accident shortly after Rich and I were married. Jason meant alot to all these guys, and changed them for the better. As they got together this weekend and golfed, ate, attended the temple, and reminisced, they were all very touched by some powerful experiences that occured while they were together. They also started a scholarship fund in memory of Jason. To donate to the fund, or for more information, click here.

Superstar

Trevor recently signed to play volleyball with BYU in the fall. Frankly, we were all surprised. We hadn't seen Trev play much at all, and really only heard Mom and Dad's report on their "baby boy". To hear them tell it, he was the best 18-year-old volleyball player in the world. Turns out, he is! (Of course, this is his sister writing!) We all got to see him play and just happened to catch a really great game...er match. With rally scoring, it was super exciting. We can all hardly wait until he's playing in Provo! :-) Good times. . .
P.S. Trev's face in this picture tells it all...he was super excited to get all the family together for a shot after the game!

Santa Barbara Beach

On Friday afternoon, we headed to Santa Barbara for a trip to the zoo and to see Uncle Trevor play in a volleyball tournament. The traffic was crazy, so with our late arrival we decided to just go to the beach instead. Perfect plan!

Lola was in heaven! She and cousin Mia were in constant motion the entire time we were there! Lola was really brave, even with the cold water, and about ten minutes in, I knew that skirt was not going to stay dry. We hiked it up as best we could, but to no avail. But, how could we stop her from having so much fun?!


Livi could barely stand keeping the water below her knees! After this quick trip to the beach, Livi and Grandma agreed that we had to come back this summer to really enjoy it. We left the beach and headed to Trev's game. Grandma took Lola's skirt and I took Livi's pants and we hung them out the window to dry as we drove to the game. They were ready for wear once again when we arrived!

California Vacation

Sunday afternoon, Rich and I headed south to San Diego for AERA. My parents watched the children for four days, while Rich worked and I relaxed (okay, Rich did a little relaxing too!). We had such a great time. We were able to visit Emily and Tom in their So Cal digs, and enjoyed every minute. I've decided San Diego is the place for me! Monday morning we checked into our hotel downtown, and then enjoyed the days with shopping, eating yummy food, and even a little running. It was a perfect vacation. In fact, it was so perfect, we didn't take a single picture together! Tom and Emily were nice enough to take an afternoon off to take me sailing. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and we had to take out a power boat instead. The picture above is Tom mustering all the excitement he can about driving a power boat rather than sailing. The picture above that is Emily and I, though I think Emily's smile is forced through chattering teeth! It was still great to be out on the water! We headed home Wednesday night, after dinner with Emily and Tom again. I returned home totally relaxed and ready to be a Mom again! Of course, the children had a great time with Grandpa and Grandma Jo.

Easter Sunday

We spent Easter Sunday in California at Grandpa and Grandma Jo's. On Saturday, we had TWO Easter egg hunts. Rich and I were puzzled at first, as to why we needed two, but then came to understand that since I left home, an "adult" Easter egg hunt has been added to the agenda...complete with eggs that include, money, gift cards, and treats only an adult could love. It was ruthless, but a blast!

General Conference

After a phone call Sunday night from Grandpa O., we decided to take the family down to Utah for General Conference that weekend. The girls had a great time playing with their Utah cousins (including the new Baxter crew!) and Rich and I had an unforgettable experience on Saturday. We met up with the Osguthorpe adults (thank you Katie for watching all the kiddos!) and had lunch at the hotel prior to the afternoon session. Then we all walked over the the conference center to attend the afternoon session together. It was remarkable in so many ways. After the session, we enjoyed dinner with everyone, as well as Wes and Ben (who ate more shrimp than I thought humanly possible!). The boys headed out to Priesthood while the ladies stayed and chatted a little longer before heading home. It was a perfect day, and we feel so blessed to be part of this family!