Florida Trip Part 3

OUR CRUISE TO THE BAHAMAS!!! What can we say??? This was such a fun cruise. Our Ship was HUGE and very retro being an older ship and all.
After a night of sailing, we arrived in the Bahamas. We all went different ways to enjoy this island. Aaron and Savannah went to the "Blue Lagoon" to play with the Dolphins, Tyler and Jenny rented scooters and the girls hitched a ride to the resort "Atlantis" for some serious fun in the sun and Brad and I took a boat over to Atlantis. There were all sorts of marine life, a very huge resort-like swim area (think Sunsplash) and after a mile walk, a place to play with the Dolphins. It was gorgeous!

Just a preview....

Many of you know that we went to Orlando Florida for the first part of our family vacation. Many of you have heard our Fear Factor story. So, with that in mind, and if you are a little squeamish...please be advised that this is very ICKY!! More pictures and fun stuff to share will come.....but this is worth every minute!

Mom....I was hit by a car!

Message on the phone: “Mom I’ll be home right away, sorry I’m late, I got hit by a car! Don’t worry I’m fine!”

So this is Aly telling you the story of the summer night of June 12, 2008:

I left Savannah, Aaron, Jenny, Tyler, Mom and Dad to watch “So You Think You Can Dance,” to go rollerblading. Almost to my destination, I’m caught by surprise as a car hits me.

So I call the house and finally get a hold of Aaron, saying, “Hey, tell Mom I’ll be late because I was hit by a car.” Aaron quickly gives the phone to mom saying, “Aly has been hit by a car.” A little panicked, Mom listens as I try to tell her that the car sped away. She asks a few questions and then quickly hands the phone to Dad. He gets on the phone and tells me to return to the accident site after I told him I was almost home. So, being the obedient daughter that I am, I quickly turned around and rollerbladed back to the scene, about 1 ½ miles away. In the meantime....

Dad gets up immediately with much concern and with Aaron, they speed off to help me. (Oh by the way... they have to PASS my car to get out of the street.) Dad gets on the phone with me to get directions...here is the conversation:
Dad: “Is the car damaged?”
Aly: “I don’t know, probably not? It wasn’t that bad.”
Dad: “Where are you?”
Aly: “Look ahead, I’m standing under the streetlight!”
Dad: “Where is the car?”
Aly: “I don’t know, it drove away!”
Dad: “Drove away? How did it drive away?”
( I point to my roller blades that are still on my feet and said)
“I DON’T HAVE MY CAR!”
Boy... you shoulda seen their faces... they might have bruises on their jaws they dropped so fast

Dena is now telling the story:
That’s when Brad calls me and says: “Aly was hit by a car, she was ON her Rollerblades!” I am quite shocked and turning to the others tell them that Aly, not the car, was hit! She is OK and Dad is bringing her home. We start to wonder how both of our detail men (being Brad and Aaron) could have missed the Stratus - Aly’s Car - as they drove off to her rescue. Only one answer...real love and concern for her....not the details of a car sitting in front of our driveway!

Once home and safe, we realize how lucky....no, how blessed we were tonight. Guardian angels were watching over our daughter! She could have had serious injuries or worse. She is bruised and will probably be quite sore tomorrow...but she is safe and home. Aaron helped her to call the police where they took a report. She didn’t have many details, so not much can be done. Tyler was disappointed that she didn’t whip out her phone and take a few pictures as the “criminals” sped away. All in a night at the Weech’s!

20 is a GREAT Number!!

20 you say? WHY?? Well, last night, Stephanie (my sister), called to tell us their good news! Yes, you guessed it! She is expecting her 5th baby! YEAH!! December 31st is the due date, but they are hoping for an earlier arrival date. They are hoping for a boy, but as of now, do not know which it will be. The number 20? That is the lucky number of grandchildren Grammy and Grampy will have! They are ecstatic!

Eeensy, Weeensy Spider....

OK...so Aly calls me this morning and says: By the way, Mom, there is a HUGE spider at the ceiling right at the front door. Just thought I would let you know. THANKS!! So Savannah and I go to the front and look:

Savannah starts to squeal and says...... "YOU need to get rid of it!!" I tell her she needs to help. We come up with a plan. It is a VERY big spider and if it moves, we are both going to go into cardiac arrest. So here is what we did:

Aren't we brave??

Of course, Savannah was 5 feet away from all the action, squeeling like a little girl. She is REALLY afraid of spiders, so I was very proud of her just staying in the same room!

Summer Begins

Our first summer FHE. Savannah bought a new tortilla press. We wanted to try it out with some yummy recipes I had from Char's store. So, we decided to have FHE over at Grammy and Grampy's and then remembered....it was their anniversary.

By the way.....

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to two wonderful people and 47 years of marriage.....WOW

So, we (the Weech Family) invited ourselves over to the Olivers...bribing them with good food and homemade tortillas. Of course, we didn't tell them that they were wheat tortillas and it was our first time making all this wonderful food. But they didn't mind and opened their home to us. By the look of the picture...you can tell the pool water must be a little on the cool side...the warm jacuzzi was the popular place to sit, visit and relax.

Thanks Olivers for letting us crash your pool and share our FHE with you!!

Nothing New

So, I'm looking at all the blogs and realize that we are all in the same boat. Nothing really exciting to report about, too busy to think of something creative and trying to get into a routine for the summer. Summer....this should be a fun, relaxing time, shouldn't it? Aly leaves tomorrow for the Pioneer trek along with some of the Oliver cousins, Jacque is working and playing hard (ask her!) Aaron and Savannah go to work each day and come home tired and go to bed fairly early...sounds like Brad's schedule. I'm swamped with two large RS projects right now. Super Saturday is cruising along and my next Enrichment class is almost ready. That is next Tuesday and I just found out that Bishop wants the men to join us! Hmmmm.... I'm not sure I'm the person to be teaching this class but the research going into it is quite interesting! I've also got some ideas on getting completely prepared with documents and such, as instructed by the brethren. Our RS president is excited about that project too! MY!!

Final Results....

Remember my ambitions? One pioneer dress, bonnet and apron to match?? Mission accomplished and in one week! THAT is quite remarkable since my sewing skills are lacking. But, the end result is a cute pioneer dress. Even in the rough, Aly will be in style...as if she wouldn't be, right? Sorry the pictures aren't perfect (we leave that for Jacque), but here are a few displaying the dress and extras. Now, to the next project!!

Update

Aly found out today that she won the election! My faith in the system is a little more balanced now. She is very excited. Just thought I would let you know :)
Nothing else new. I'm attempting to sew a pioneer dress and bonnet for Aly. Attempt is the operative word and I'm having quite a struggle. It seems I think I can sew until I make the attempt and then reality crashes in on me and I'm spending hours on a simple project. I guess I needed something to do!

Same Ol' Same Ol'

Not much to blog about. The important part....Aaron and Savannah "home" for the summer is as exciting as it gets! Aaron finished school with amazing grades, Jacque just finished her last final this week, Tyler finished up this week and poor Aly...is still in school! She is awaiting the results of a 2nd vote for Student council.
Oh....here's a gripe I have:
Running for student council has "rules" you have to abide by. Given. So, Aly abides. One of the rules is that Voting Day there is no "campaigning". Meaning, no texting to vote for Aly or anything like that. You can text: "VOTE", but not who. So, her opponent writes on all the chalkboards/wipeboards to "vote Alex". Blatant rule violation. Apparently, there were others in the freshman class that also cheated. So.....
You would THINK that the cheaters would be disqualified, right? Oh No, not at the High School where principles and morals are taught (that is dripping with sarcasm if you couldn't tell). Instead, they decide to have another run-off for those who cheated. I don't understand that and would have voiced my opinion in a phone call had Aly said I could. But, she thought I would come off as a raving lunatic mom....(maybe). So, today, was voting again and so we wait....
Why can't the good, non-cheaters ever get the reward??

Girls' Night Out

Finally! After waiting for over a month, we headed down to Tucson to our Michael Buble in concert. Jenny, Jacque, Aly and myself had a blast. It was a great concert and the venue was small enough (only 8000) seats, but all seats had a great view. In fact, at the end, the girls were down at the stage and Jacque barely missed the chance to "touch" Michael. THAT was funny to watch. He is quite the entertainer. He sang all our favorite songs except Sway...which is Aly's favorite. It was a wonderful birthday present from my wonderful husband and all my girls!

ENJOY!!

Naturally Seven

This was the group that opened for Michael Buble. They do all the instrument sounds with their voices. It was amazing! (We thought of you, Doug!) Yes, we bought their CD, but you can take a look at what they can do here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5MkNOXSdkA

Here's also a small sampling of our favorite guy:

Birthday Celebration Continued

So, here is the new, improved, much older Jacque. We love her new haircut....don't you agree?? It is adorable and very hip. We went to dinner and had a great time. Happy Birthday Jacque!!

Happy Birthday Jacque!!

Our beautiful young Adult! Jacque is 19 today. She is in the midst of finals, so we are celebrating by going to Charlestons tonight for dinner. She now has a new wardrobe of cute skirts and jewelry to match. She is also getting her hair dyed and cut today...so we will see a new, more "hip" young adult tonight.
Beautiful things about Jacque:
Stronger convinction of truths she holds dear
More organized as she juggles school, family and work
Still a best friend to all, always willing to forgive, always wanting to make others' feel better
A best friend to her sister
A daughter we are blessed to have in our home, in our lives and part of our eternal family.

Sunday Family Activity....

Hmmmmm....so....when our family gets together, sometimes, there are bragging rights. For as long as I can remember....Stephanie has been the Queen of the leg wrestle. She has beaten most boys, teenagers and adults for a very long time. She use to do this as a teenager to keep the boys' egos at a minimum. So, Jenny comes along and she is the "queen" of her family in the leg wrestle department. (NOT including Tyler, of course!). So, the two decided to have some fun and determine the real "QUEEN"..... see for yourselves!

New Temples

It's been a busy morning with all the buzz. As many of you know...two new temples were announced by Pres. Monson. Both in Arizona with one being in "Gilbert" and the other in the "Gila Valley". Of course, everyone is speculating on the exact location...should be fun and exciting to watch the progress of these two temples. I KNOW the families in Pima are excited and so are we....wow....wow!!

Kade's Mission Call

Tonight, Kade Kargas received his mission call. We are so excited for him. He is reporting to the England London South Mission on August 8th! WOW!! Darleen drove down just to be there for the opening of the letter and is staying with us for the night....which makes Jacque one happy cousin!!

Kade's Reaction!

Tagged...

OK...now I know what a "tag" is. Silly me!! Yvette tagged me and I get to tell you my favorite things in each room.
Brace yourself....we have quite a few rooms!
Walk in...living room....favorite thing...my grand piano. It is a beauty and makes the most beautiful music. Best thing about it?? It was a "splurge" from my wonderful husband!
Turn right....kitchen...need I say more??? What DON'T I like? I love the space, the large island and the gorgeous cabinets. I love, absolutely LOVE this room!
Keep walking...family room...favorite thing...my pictures of our kids on the wall. I get to look at their beautiful faces each day...amazing!
Keep walking....craft room...favorite thing...hmmm..it's a craft room and where I have therapy. My albums would be my favorite things.
Aly's room....her closet...it's the most organized closet I have ever seen...colors, styles, rotation mode, shoes...all at her fingertips.
Jacque's room....her Japanese lanterns that hang from her ceiling. It gives her room the most amazing lighting. She has a collage of pictures that she has taken that I adore on one wall also.
Brad's Den....I'm not in this room much...hmmmm.....maybe the computer system that keeps the rest of our house in tip-top technological shape!
Our master room...the bed...large, comfy...what more can I say?
Downstairs:
Family room....the walls...striped in red with 32 large posters of all of our favorite movies. This was a fun room to create. We asked each kid to name some of their favorite movies and then I did a lot of ordering. Aaron's favorite?? Ghostbusters Tyler's favorite?? X-Men Jacque's favorite?? Pride and Prejudice Aly's favorite?? Lion King Brad's favorite?? It's a Wonderful Life Dena's Favorite?? Field of Dreams
Guest room #1 (Aaron's) Picture of Eagle with scripture....given to him by his Grammy
Guest room #2 (Tyler's) Hawaiian motif....whimsy and fun....downstairs where no one can really see it!
There you have it! I tag Pam

FINALLY!!!!!!

Yes....the taxi service has done it's duty! On the other hand, watching your 'baby' drive off in the car can make a mom tear up! She did well. The MVD tester said that she didn't miss a thing....and then Aly hit the curb as she was parking. The nice lady said....ooppss....spoke too soon!! But she passed and promptly asked if she could drive to the Gilbert High School for the guys volleyball game. WOW!!

SAVANNAH....

It's your birthday and we love you! Here's a little song to keep you smiling for the whole day...made especially for you.





PS: It's also Adam Weech's birthday. That little tike is 3! Happy Birthday ADAM!!

Happy Birthday Elder Roberts!!

Here's a happy birthday to you from all the cousins! Of course, Grammy, Grampy and all of us Aunts and Uncles wish you a wonderful coming year too. We love you!!

Another Jacque post...

It's feast or famine when it comes to blogging my girls. Sometimes, there are just alot of activities to share. No, I don't love Jacque more....as some may think out there in blogger-ville. I've got some more great pictures of Aly and the cast of Back to the 80's. They are coming.



Back to my post:



Saturday, Jacque ran in the Pat Tillman run. He was a huge football player who turned down a multi-million contract in the NFL to serve in our army. However, he was killed in "friendly fire". Quite tragic. So, they had a huge run in his honor. His number was 42....so....it was a 4.2 mile run, ending on the 42-yard line at ASU. Jacque and her friend, Chris, having been running to "get in shape". She did quite well considering this was her first long race. The race went up and over the Mill bridge, so there were a few climbs that Jacque was not prepared for. Her time for 4.2 miles? 35 min. 22 sec. She did quite well and is now preparing for another in two weeks...this time an 8-mile run. Wish her luck!!!

Answers....

....to all those questions..

Yes, it is Joe Nichols. Jacque went to Country Thunder with Chelsey Robson. They were in the Box seats, which gave them backstage passes and freebies and dinner and all that! That is where she met "Joe"

She had a blast!!

Yes, Jacque is taking a contemporary dance class and they do alot of moves on the floor. Since Jacque doesn't have much padding...her bones take a lickin'. She LOVES her class tho!!

New Clues....

OK....Jacque's newest passion is something she used to do a long time ago

Her cute "guy" had a #1 single.... Brokenheartsville
NO googling to find the answer!!!!!!

Isn't this fun??

Who is THAT??

NOPE...it's NOT a boyfriend!!
Clue #1: Why would Jacque have a cowboy hat on?
Clue #2: He's a recording artist



Any guesses??
Yes, I must be into playing games today.....have fun!

Jacque's Newest Hobby

OK...this is Jacque's new past-time.....getting bruises you say? No, that's the end result. You should see her wrist bone, her knee and her shins. So...what do you think she does to develop these bruises each week?

What do I do?

Sometimes, at the end of the day, I wonder just exactly what I do. I know I didn't stay in bed. I know I haven't eaten any bon bons OR even watched TV. But, in reality, I wonder if I'm leaving any memories of our family's events to cherish in coming years or to look back on with grandkids (oh, wait....that hasn't happened yet!!) or just to remember some very special times. So as many of you know...I scrap. But this year, to date, I have nothing to share. Why you ask? Well, after creating TWO wedding albums...neither one I kept, I started an album dedicated to Ashley, our sweet 8-yr old niece. That one was given away. The 2nd was a belated Christmas present to Eileen, a Disney Album that was very fun to create. That was given away. SOOOOO....I needed something that would stay on my new album table. I started with our 20th Anniversary Cruise. I thought I would share some of my favorite pages and now, have gone to a few "therapy" sessions and am doing MUCH, MUCH Better.

My Therapy!

General Conference

Just thought I would blog about how I felt about Conference this weekend. Participating with my family in the Solemn Assembly was quite touching. Listening to the testimonies of these good men as they bore solemn witness to the sacredness of the Prophet's calling was strengthening to me. So, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite quotes. Please comment and leave your favorite quote also...we all read them!

"Scientific methods do not support spiritual matters. We receive our knowledge thru the Holy Ghost" Dallin H. Oaks

"Enduring to the end is not a do-it-yourself-project. We need the Savior to cleanse us within." L. Tom Perry

"No role in life is more essential than that of motherhood." M. Russell Ballard

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ! My resolve has been strengthened to do better, to be kinder and to come closer to my Savior.
Love to all!

And the Show Begins.....

Aly is in the middle of performing in the play
"Back to the 80's"
It's a cute show and the characters are getting better with each performance. Only 3 more nights...Mon., Wed., and Closing night which is Friday. Here is one of the posters with Aly's cheerleader character and the other is a picture of her "prom night" attire.

April Fool's Day......NOT!!

So, this is the day for practical jokes. First, Aly texts me and says that a certain flirty boy at school kissed her and says: "April Fools!"
I text back: "on the lips????"
She responds: "Yes!!"
That did not make me very happy, so I text: "I do not like that boy!!"
I felt like calling his mom! She texts me back and says...."April Fool's! hahaha" Yeah, she got me.
Then... on the way to the temple (Tuesday is Temple day for me), I'm talking to my mom (aka: Grammy) and she is telling me how gullible she is and falls for another Stephanie joke. We are laughing at her gullibility. I get this hairbrain idea for a joke for Jacque, so while I'm in the temple parking lot, I text her my idea.
So, as you can see, jokes are on my mind as I walk to the temple.
I go in, and they scan the bar code on my recommend and he looks at me and says... "hmmm...your recommend in not good...it's expired."
I'm thinking... hey! I didn't think the temple was an appropriate place to play a joke. So, I ask a little incredulously: "Are you serious?"
He responds that my recommend expired on my birthday month (March) and since this was the first day of April...it's certainly expired. Talk about the foolish 5 of the 10 Virgins! They were able to call someone and let me "in" for today, but I need to get a new recommend. As I was waiting in the front lobby, the man behind the desk asked me if I thought he was pulling a joke and I admitted that I did. He laughed and said... we don't do that in the temple! DUH!! Goes to show you that your frame of mind does affect your attitude in the temple!
And with general conference around the corner, I'm without a temple recommend for 2 weeks. Please pray that nothing happens to me....I don't think I've ever been without one!! NOT a good feeling :(

A Warm, Fuzzy Story to share

....edited for accuracy by Brad....
Sunday always finds Brad leaving about 30-40 minutes early to go to church so that he can prepare for his SS Lesson AND of course, to save our row. Today, he became a ‘geese herder’. As he walked into the church parking lot, Brad saw a geese family (meaning the mom, pop – 2-3 feet tall and 6 little ones - still with bright yellow feathers – no more than six inches tall) out for a family stroll that had taken them to the north parking lot of the church. He went inside and put his materials in his classroom and recruited a few young men to help get the geese to safety. Please get a mental picture of this: This group of good-doers went outside and by now, the little family had wondered to the northeastern most part of the parking lot…a sure sign that they were lost! Within the next 30 minutes the parking lot would be full of cars and people. So, with arms stretched wide, Brad herded the geese out of the back corner, and then these men and young men, in their white shirts, ties and suits, “herded” the geese to the main street, Guadalupe. The little ducklings had to try a couple of times to jump high enough to get up and over a few curbs. And, one of the little ones kept getting stepped on by the parent in the rear. Each time, he got up and quickly caught up with his siblings. The front parent kept dipping her head up and down. While the back parent (probably the dad), kept his beak open and kept hissing at Brad, especially if he got too close. They kept their little family between them at all times. At Guadalupe, Brad and another adult leader stopped traffic while the geese family crossed all five lanes to the sanctuary of the Riparian on the other side of the street. When the geese family headed into the first lake, the geeppards (geese sheppards) headed back to the church. What a wonderful good deed for a Sabbath day! Who said that a tough attorney couldn’t have a soft heart!??

Soccer is OVER!!

I guess I'm suppose to be sad. 1/2 of me is. The other half?? Well, you have to realize that we have been spending our Saturdays and now Friday evenings out at the Soccer fields since Sept. 2007. That is with a few exceptions for holidays and weddings! I'm ready for a break. However, this is Aly's favorite, most favorite thing to do. You have no idea the sacrifice she had to make when she was cast in the play. Anyways, so last night was her last game. They came away with a tie. Hopefully, I can learn how to upload some of the video we took...she is quite the "beast". In fact, one of her kicks hit an opponent in the face (of course by accident!) and took him to the ground, bloodied him up and he was escorted out of the game. He came back later and after the game, Aly went up to him and apologized. He gave her a hug! BOYS!! Now, we have tech week (oh what fun for her) and track practices...which are back to back. Homework?? Well, we start that around 10:30 p.m.! Quite the life she leads!

First BIG Milestone!

This is a bit personal, but what the heck...sometimes it's good to share the ups and downs. For the past 6 weeks, I've been watching what I eat, and incorporating exercising into my every day life. I'm trying....this time....to make it a life-long habit, so it is a very slow process. Hence.....the 50 by 50 goal. (at the bottom of my blog) 50 lbs by the time I reach 50. I figure I need to look forward to that wonderful age and why not think of it as being the healthiest I've been in a very long time. So, slowly but surely (that's why my ticker is a turtle), I've been plodding along.

WELL....

Today, I hit my first 10 lbs. That is quite a milestone for me. 1/5 of my goal is complete and I'm exercising on a regular basis. This is not easy. Sometimes, I get down-right cranky because of the choices I need to make to stay on goal. Did you know that there is food at almost EVERY event....and usually NOT fruit or veggies???? So, again, it's choices and consequences....seems like I've learned that somewhere else too! I'll keep you posted!!

El Gulfo, Jacque style

While Brad, Aly and I were at Disneyland, Jacque hitched a ride with the Goodmans and went for the weekend to El Gulfo, Mexico. She had a blast, enjoyed the beautiful scenery, and had fun with her cousins andTyler and Jenny.

Back to the Eighties TICKETS

Tickets for the GFAA play are now being sold. We were thinking that since most of you read the blog, it would be easier to give the details here and then if you are interested, please call Dena and she can get you tickets. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door!! All performances are at Mesquite Jr. High with general seating. Doors open 30 minutes early.
The details:
Dates and times:
Fri. April 4th - Opening night - 7:30 pm.
Sat. April 5th - 2:00 Matinee and 7:30 p.m.
Mon. April 7th - 7:00 p.m. - Great FHE!!!
Wed. April 9th - 7:00 pm.
Fri. April 11th - 7:00 p.m. - Closing night
Let us know...it's cute and fun and you will be singing all the songs, I promise!

Easter Pictures

Easter Pictures (along with Christmas Pictures) are a tradition in the Weech family. As our family has grown up, we are amazed at the changes. Now, we are down to our beautiful girls. We didn't match at all this year, a first in many years. It's getting hard to find matching colors and styles for these style-conscious girls! But, here we are. We sure miss Aaron & Savannah and Tyler & Jenny, but know they are starting their own traditions and celebrating this season together.

Easter Part Two

Pictures are always fun with teenaged girls. You would think that two beautiful girls wouldn't care so much to have their pictures taken. Not these two. They were like little kids......not cooperating and goofing off. I threatened to blog the goofy ones and they laughed at me....so....here we are....in all our "seriousness"

Disneyland Trip

We finally took Aly to Disneyland. Since Jacque could not go, Aly took one of her good friends, Rachel. They had a blast, made lots of memories and walked many miles! I think their favorite rides were the California Screamin' Rollar Coaster and Grizzly Run. We also took them to Balboa Pier where we did a little shopping and over to the Newport Temple to see that beautiful temple. It was a long ride home, since Brad stayed over to meet a client. For the last 2 -1/2 hours, Aly drove home. That kept me awake and kept her adrenaline pumping as she battled all the semis! She did a great job and we got home around midnight. It was a great trip!

Disneyland Trip Continued