The Northern Hatches

Finally an update!

2010-05-23T18:50:00.003-06:00

We have been busy, busy, busy with life! I will try and make this short and to the point. Soon after Andy's birthday we were able to go to the open house for the Vancouver, British Columbia temple. I absolutely loved it. The colors were amazing. Crenna took some really good pictures of tulips and daffodils. By the way, all pics are from Crenna. We were able to see Melissa Call, Josh's cousin and my old roommate from college, as she lives up there. We saw a few sites and then headed back. We were excited to find a Sonic on the way home since we haven't been there since Arizona.
We had a nice Easter watching General Conference and having our neighbors the Bredensteiners over for a ham dinner. It was very yummy! The kids enjoyed coloring eggs the day before under the supervision of Crenna. Thanks, hon.
This weekend we were able to get away for a much needed getaway since Monday is our anniversary. We took the kids over to a timeshare in the Olympic Peninsula. The kids were excited to go on another ferry and I was just glad to have some r-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n. I think everyone had a blast. We loved the place where we stayed and would love to go back. We drove to Forks so that I can say I have been. We also went out to La Push since we love the beach. The kids plus Josh really enjoyed it there, picking up rocks, shells, and starfish. We went through the mtns on the way back to our timeshare where we drove by a beautiul lake and in the only rain forest in the United States. It was really neat. On the way back on the ferry today we were able to see a pirate's ship in the bay. The kids thought that was really neat.
Now tommorrow is back to the grind. School is winding down. The kids will be getting out of school in June and it can't come any sooner. We look forward to our family vacation to Mexico and Utah this summer. We hope everyone has a wonderful cool summer.

Random Blog Update/Andy's Baptism!!

2010-02-22T00:19:00.003-07:00

So I am not good at keeping up with this whole blog thing. It has been almost a whole month and I have not posted anything about Andy's baptism and that the tooth fairy has been overly busy this past month. Let's start before Andy's baptism.

We headed down to downtown Seattle to get a closer look at the space needle and go get some yummy food down at Pike's Market. We love that place. We don't go hardly often enough. We tried fresh churds, Yummy!! and I bought some really pretty tulips. Can you say I love Spring and it could not come fast enough. The boys also had to play with a crab. Boy, did the owner get a little upset when Anson thought it would be cool to pick it up. Soo, we moved on. We bought our yummy doughnuts that have a line around the corner on Saturday, but are worth the wait. We also tried the best apples ever and even found out they came from the state, what, not Mexico. We were shocked. They are called Honeycrisps and they are do die for. We ended the day in a latino market where the kids had to have those chocolate marshmellows on a stick, sorry, the name isn't coming to mind. It was a good day!!

Andy was baptized on his birthday, the 6th. My folks flew in on the Thursday before and stayed the weekend. Thanks Mom and Dad for coming. We had fun!! Andy was so excited to get new scriptures, bag, and pin. He wanted to go to the buffet place after, since he thought it was so cool that we could eat whatever we wanted and all the ice cream you wanted too. Yes, we have hit the eat, eat, and eat, stage with that boy. It was a special day and I hope he remembers it always. He is very fond of his Dad and was glad that he could have his Dad baptize him.

Ok. so the twins are loosing teeth all over the place. They went to the dentist and now all the teeth are falling out. I know it isn't their fault. Anson now has holes on top and two holes on the bottom. He is trying for more, but I think that is going to be it for a while. I hope. Aaron has decided to follow suit and play catch up. He has a hole on top and two on the bottom as well. He is working on the other on top. Needless, to say, the tooth fairy has been hard at work.

We have also been enjoying some wonderful weather. It has been sunny and in the 50s, which is cold for most of you in Arizona, but that is almost perfect weather here. I know we are babies now. We will probably melt when we go south for the summer. Good thing for a/c. We managed to get outside this weekend and clean up the yard a little. Can I say it is nice to have kids that are old enough to do some of the weeding!!! I guess that means I am getting old or I really don't enjoy that job. Andy and Maya did a great job helping out. We planted some tulips in the back and are hoping it doesn't decide to freeze anytime soon. Cross your fingers.

We continue to keep busy with school, work, and kids. I have added Cub Scouts to my list of things to do. Andy is going strong trying to get his Wolf already. We have to remind him to slow down. I wish I could tell myself that somedays. Well, I guess that is it for now. Can't promise I will blog before another month, we shall see.

My Baby Isn't A Baby Anymore!

2010-01-15T10:02:00.002-07:00

You would think after almost 7 years you would realize you can't hold your baby in your lap like a baby. I look at him now and realize he really isn't a baby anymore. I feel a little sad. But he is so excited that his tooth finally came out. Now he is working on the other one that is loose too. Aaron is trying to catch up. His 2 front teeth are loose too and he has one on the bottom trying to come out. We will keep you posted. They both might be asking Santa this year for 2 front teeth.

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-02T23:31:00.005-07:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. The year went out with a bang at our house. Everyone except Anson stayed up until midnight at our house. We had lots of fun having a Wii marathon. We got Toymania from J and Melanie for Christmas and we just love it!!! Thanks guys! We also snacked of course and some of us played Monopoly Deal. That is a really fun game. I would say that because I won twice and I beat Josh in Monopoly, which never happens. We have enjoyed being way busy over the Christmas vacation. We moved to a house with a yard in the back just about a mile away from our old house about a week before Christmas. I don't know what I was on, but I got the whole house done and with the help of Crenna, lights out front in 2days. Yes, 2 days. We were able to enjoy Christmas with my parents who came in on the 23rd. We had pizza on Christmas Eve, family tradition and the kids opened up their Christmas Eve gifts from Nana and Papa. Thanks for doing the drive for us guys. We had lots of fun, even though we didn't do much but sit around. And pretty much since Christmas that is what we have been doing, sitting around playing on the Wii. The kids have enjoyed it, but school starts back Monday and the Wii will start to collect dust once again. Hope everyone had a fun and relaxing holiday season. Miss ya all.

Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

2009-12-02T00:57:00.003-07:00

So a few weeks ago we went up to Steven's Pass and played in the snow. It was a good thing everyone still fits in their snow clothes. All we had to buy was gloves for everyone. We had lots of fun throwing snowballs at each other and no one actually got hurt. WaHo! The kids had a blast and it just got me excited about going snow skiing. Let's see if I can get away this winter. We had a nice Thanksgiving last week. We had some friends over for lunch/dinner. Great conversations and all the kids got along great. I'm still enjoying the leftovers with Crenna. We are now looking forward to Christmas, but before we can get all our favorite Christmas decorations out, it is time to move again. We decided that we don't like paying such a high rent, so we found a little bit cheaper home, still in the ward, schools, etc. What am I thinking mid-December and moving, right? I'm an expert, it should go quick. Cross your fingers. I am just glad it actually has a backyard. Once I get the address I will let everyone know. A few days after the move Nana and Papa are coming for Christmas. It took quite a bit of twisting of the arm, but turns out all I had to say is that Maya put them on her Christmas list and vuala, they are coming. The kids are very excited to see them. Me too! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a fun New Year. See ya next year!!!

Playin' CatchUp

2009-11-01T18:20:00.002-07:00

Everyone has been bugging me to update my blog, but it has been on the back burner since I started school at the end of August. We are still alive though and loving Washington State.

Before school started we went to Utah and went to Thanksgiving Point to see the animals. We had tons of fun tubing up at Jordanelle up past Park City. And swimming at South Jordan pool. We love our trips to Utah to see Nana and Papa.

We also were excited to see Grandma and Grandpa here at home. They came and stayed for week and had a productive tourist trip. I think they liked it, just a little!

The kids started school back on Crenna's birthday. She had a little party with some of her friends from church and school here at the house. We made homemade pizza and they made friendship bracelets. I think they all enjoyed themselves.

We went up to Deception Pass one Saturday to get out of the house. We took a picnic and went down by the shore where lots of people were salmon fishing. We tried to not scare the fish, but if you know us, we are not very quiet. But man you should of seen some of those fish.

My parents came up in October for a week to see the kids. We had a fun time. We took them to a carnival at school. I took them downtown to Pikes Market and down to the Locks in Ballard. I think they had a fun time hangin out with the kiddos.

We have been enjoying the fall colors, since we haven't really experienced seasons that much. It is sad to see that a lot of the trees are starting to get naked. The inevitable is coming. Hopefully it will be a calm winter and won't snow too much.

Saturday was Halloween and we went to our church trunk or treat. It rained so we didn't stay too long. We stayed home and the kids watched Casper, I took a nap, and the kids had fun passing out candy.

Next week is our Primary program and it will be great when it is all over. I am sure that all the kids will do a great job. Crenna is one of the narrators. This will be her last program. Can you believe that?

Summer Fun!!!

2009-08-02T18:37:00.005-06:00

This is the first time that we have actually had a full summer and we still have another month before school gets back into session. We have tried to keep busy with different activities. At the end of June Andy went back to Utah with my parents and had some one on one with Nana and Papa. The other kids and I took some opportunities to try a few new places out. We went out to a man-made island in Everett where we enjoyed the sun and sand. We also checked out a really cool children's museum in Everett too. The kids had a blast!!! For the 4th of July we just hung out. The kids got a little wet in the backyard. On the 9th we all headed out to Utah to spend some time with my folks. We were also able to go to a little day reunion up in Layton with Josh's family. The kids had a blast and it was great to see everyone. While we were hanging out in Utah, the kids swam, played with the next door neighbor girl, and participated in the children's parade. The kids had fun watching themselves on the TV after we got back. We came back and have had an adjusting July. The twins just celebrated their 6th birthday this past week. I took them to pick out a gift, we went to IHOP for dinner, and then over to the movies in the park. We were excited it wasn't a hot night. Friday we went up to a church owned ranch and stayed the night. They had a really neat waterslide that we couldn't get the boys off of. We had so much fun we have planned to go back at the end of August when Josh's parents come to visit. And we can't wait for them to come on the 19th.

New pics of the kids

2009-06-30T15:23:00.002-06:00

Schools out for the Summer!!!

2009-06-28T23:26:00.009-06:00

A few weeks ago for Activity Days we decided to make bread for the sacrament. The girls had a lot of fun making a mess and getting gooey in the dough. I was glad when it was over and glad that I don't have to make bread that often. It turned out great and they were so proud of their creation that Sunday.

And so now that school is out we have just really been enjoying the weather. June was a record nonstop sunny dry month. It really has been gorgeous weather we have been taking advantage of. My parents bought me a bike for my birthday so the kids and I have been riding alot. My folks came up for a little over a week a few weeks ago to see Crenna graduate elementary school and to see the kids. I think we all loved having them here. Andy left with them and has been enjoying one on one with Nana and Pappa, that is until we get there on the 9th of July. Anson has since learned to ride his bike without training wheels and loves that he is such a big kid now. Andy learned the same day as Anson but had been riding with the training wheels but not using them, so they came off and off he went too. One more to go, Woo Hoo! Aaron prefers riding his scooter, so it might be a while for him.

We were able to go to a Minor League baseball game the other night. It was a lot of fun. The team is called the Aquasox and their mascot is a red eye tree frog, Aaron's favorite animal. The kids got a free glove and the boys got a ball for reading a month at school. We plan on going to many more games, since they had such a blast.

We like to go to a park near our home and play tennis and throw the ball around and let the kids play on the playground. Yesterday we headed over and the boys played with their new glove and ball. Well, needless to say Anson didn't quite catch the ball one time and got a nice shiner. Pictures to prove it. We will be using a softer ball from now on.

Today after church we decided to take a drive over to Whidbey Island. One of the largest islands in the US. We drove over this really neat bridge. The kids and I decided that we wanted to walk across it so Josh drove and met us at the other side. It was a beautiful cool day and we had lots of fun seeing a new area of Washington.

Maya's 9!!!

2009-05-25T16:28:00.005-06:00

Maya celebrated her 9th birthday on the 9th. We had great weekend. One thing she wanted was a free no boys day. I don't know how she managed that one, but the boys headed out for our Father/Sons Outing. They left after school on the 8th and the girls headed out for our girls night out. We went to BuildaBear before we headed to a movie. We saw Monsters vs. Aliens. Saturday after going to walmart so I could do a little shopping and Maya could get a present with some of her birthday money we came home where she decided that she wanted to ride her bike without training wheels. When that girl wants to do something, she does! We had pizza with the boys for dinner and had her birthday cupcakes, followed by a movie-Hotel for Dogs. By then we were all tuckered out from a long few days.

Sunday was Mother's Day. It turned out to be a nice quiet day. We had a great meal that daddy made, cute cards and gifts from the kids and a nice long nap after church. I just love being a mom.

We celebrated our 13th Anniversary this weekend. I can't believe it has been that long. We took the kids to Night at the Museum 2 and had a blast. Saturday was a laid back day and in the evening we went out to Red Lobster for a nice yummy meal. Josh commented that for what we paid we could of had a nicer fish fry at home and that man he misses that food down in Mexico. But he says that on a daily basis though. Nothing new. Crenna made a cookie cake for us for our Anniversary. Maya frosted it. It was super yummy. I love that she loves to bake too. My big helper. Monday was Memorial Day and we just were lazy. Kids played outside, mom laid around for most of the day, but we are going to the park so that Mom and Dad can play tennis, while the kids play at the playground. I also bought poppers so the kids could play with them in the front yard. Good times.

Weekend Expedition!

2009-05-03T20:05:00.005-06:00

We haven't done much lately, just the same old same old. We have been enjoying the sunny weather and warmer temperatures. Well, not 80 degrees, but pleasant 65-70. In my opinion perfect temps. The kids have been riding their bikes and playing outside with neighborhood friends.

This weekend we were hoping for sunny weather, but it decided to drizzle. Around here that doesn't stop anyone though. We had thought to go back to the tulip festival, but I was not up to the drive, so I had heard of a really nice beach with a lighthouse and playground just west of where we live. We got our umbrellas and took off. We checked the lighthouse off and got a map of all the lighthouses in the area. I think that will be our new expedition we can do on the weekends or this summer. Love free things. After we took our picture we went over to the playground so the kids could get some energy out and I checked out the water to see if I could see any starfishes. There is supposed to be a tidepool with them, but I think the tide was high because we couldn't find the pool. Maybe next time. It had pits to have fires, so I think we will go back and have a little fun with smores and a bbq. I'm loving that there is more than 2 things to do up here compared to the few same things in Mexico.

We wish all the mothers and the mothers to be a Happy Mothers Day on the 10th and a big Happy Birthday to Maya on Saturday who is turning 9. Love ya honey!!!

Spring is in the Air!!

2009-04-13T22:08:00.008-06:00

This weekend was great for our family, well me maybe more. My favorite flowers are tulips and it just happens they have a tulip festival the month of April up north of Seattle about 40 minutes from our house. We were able to go this past Saturday. The weather cooperated for us and it wasn't too cold for the tulips. A few of the varieties were out and it was so beautiful to see rows of them. I officially love Spring. I haven't seen blossoms on the trees in years. You guys in Arizona don't know what you are missing.

We had a nice relaxing Easter. On Saturday morning the kids colored eggs and after church on Sunday they hunted them. After that they ate all the candy that the Easter bunny gave them.

All in all we had a great weekend.

Trip to the Seattle Aquarium!!

2009-03-31T20:54:00.002-06:00

This week is the kids spring break so we decided to go down to the Seattle Aquarium. We had a lot of fun and the weather was great. Can't beat that.

Our Disneyland Trip by Crenna

2009-03-31T19:32:00.005-06:00

These are some of the pictures that Crenna took from our trip to Disneyland. The kids ask all the time when the next time we are going. Wouldn't it be nice if we lived near it so we could go on a regular basis. Wishful thinking!

Practical Jokes.

2009-03-09T12:45:00.002-06:00

So this weekend Crenna got a practical joke kit. I didn't see what was in it, which I think I should have. Last night when I was getting ready for bed, I went to go to the bathroom and right by the toilet was a very big bug. It was kind of dark so I really couldn't tell what kind. Naturally I screamed and then I went and screamed for Josh who was still downstairs. He came up with his shoe to pound on it, and then he started to laugh. I didn't think it was so funny that he was laughing at the bug, but it turns out that my lovely wonderful daughter Crenna played a trick on me and put a plastic cockroach by the toilet. Ha Ha. I did laugh and then I tried to place it somewhere were she would find it and maybe scream herself, but to no such luck, she wasn't scared. All my kids know how much I love bugs and things of that such. They try and make me scream any chance they get. What great kids I have!

One down 4 to go!

2009-02-27T00:13:00.002-07:00

So I told Josh that I would move to Washington, but that we were going to get some things done. One of those things is to teach the kids how to ride their bikes without training wheels. I'm an awful parent when it comes to things like that. Poor Crenna is 10 and yes, yes she finally has her training wheels off. It is a way big thing for us, since they don't get on their bikes very often. She got out there last week and I noticed she wasn't even using them. After a little bit of anxiety on her part, we took the training wheels off, and off she went. She was so excited. Now we have 4 more to go. Hopefully it won't take 2 more years to get Maya trained. Cross your fingers for us!

Just a day out in Seattle

2009-02-27T00:04:00.002-07:00

Last weekend Josh surprised us and took us on an outing to the famous Pike Market downtown Seattle. We had a fun time watching a few fish get thrown. We looked at all the interesting things for sale, and went down by the harbor near the aquarium. I bought some tulips, my fave. I am so glad the season is just starting. It sure is a crazy market with lots of people, but I wouldn't mind going back. Kids had fun and we even got a little bit of chocolate for being so good. All in all it was a good outing.

Crenna's new doo!

2009-02-20T12:24:00.003-07:00

After looking at Crenna's bad haircut that she got down in Cabo, we decided to see my great hairdresser in Utah to help us out. See if she did a good job. She looks so grown up now.

Disneyland 2009

2009-02-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Long Time No Blog!

2009-02-20T11:37:00.003-07:00

It has been forever since I have blogged. I have gotten hooked on Facebook and have neglected updating my blog. Lots has been happening with our family since our episode at the beach in Cabo.

We made the move up to Utah at Thanksgiving. We had a great meal with my family and a fun time visiting. Josh stayed a few days and then headed back to Cabo for work. After the break I got the kids in school and got them on a schedule. We did that until it was Christmas break. We had a great Christmas. Josh came in for a few weeks. We went tubing up by Heber. The kids had a blast, even mom and dad did too. Josh left on the 1st of Jan., again back to work in Cabo. The kids were on year round school so they had the whole month off of Jan. We went to the library alot and played on scooters, and did the school work that the teachers had sent home with them. It was a long month, but we knew that after Jan. was over we were headed to Disneyland for a week.

Josh's work shut down and they parted ways. He packed up the house and was headed north by the end of Jan.

We had an awesome time at Disneyland. The kids had an awesome time. They loved all the rides and we all enjoyed each others company. We also headed to the Santa Monica Pier, where we ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We drove down the famous Rodeo Dr. and I was so excited to finally see the famous Beverly Hills Hotel. We walked the Walk of Fame down in Hollywood. Crenna even got to see her Hollywood sign more than once while we were there.

The kids are back in school and I am loving that we are back on a schedule. We are happy to be back as a family once more again. I hope we never have to do that commute back and forth ever again.

Stay Out of the Water!

2008-11-22T20:02:00.002-07:00

So today we decided to take the kids up to San Pedrito for a last romp to the beach. We got up there and we're really excited to get in the water. The older kids went out on their boogieboards and caught a few waves in and then Anson stayed back and caught a few ones near the shore. After all the rains we had the beach and the floor bottom of the ocean had changed. We didn't take what happened next into consideration. Anson had just gone back to shore when I looked out and noticed all the other kids were way out and by the rocks with Josh. It got really scary.
Aaron was fighting his way back to shore so I swam as fast as I could to get him. He was getting knocked by every wave that came by. Josh was trying to hold on to the other kids. I thought we were going to lose one of them today. Crenna and Maya made it to the rocks, but got quite banged up in the process. Josh and I were pretty exhausted after all of the commotion. We packed up and got the heck out of there. Andy says he won't go in the ocean again and that we should just stick to the swimming pools. I hope they are not traumatized for the rest of their lives. We are just so grateful that no one was seriously hurt and that we have a knowledge that we can be together forever. It sure does make me appreciate my kids more. I won't take them for granted anymore.
On a good note. We got home and washed up and took the kids for a last time at Hard Rock Cafe. We had fun and Aaron and Anson had to look at all the cool instruments. Crenna also lost another tooth. One of her fangs. She was glad to get it out. But there is a big hole there now. We will be heading up to Utah on Tuesday so the next few days will be busy. It will be a long drive, but the kids are getting really excited. Yeah!!!

Crazy 8

2008-11-15T09:27:00.003-07:00

So I got tagged. Don't fully understand these tags. But here it goes.

8 shows I watch
1. Ugly Betty
2. Greys Anatomy
3. 90210
4. Private Practice
5. Amazing Race
6. Desperate Housewives
7. Gossip Girl
8. Privledged

8 favorite restaurants
1. Texas Roadhouse
2. La Country in Cabo
3. Wendys (I know it is fast food) I'm a junky.
4. Pizza Villa (good old Merced, CA)
5. Cici's Pizza (Yummy buffet)
6. The Pie Pizza Factory (see the theme, pizza makes me happy)
7. Long John Silvers (not for the fish, just chicken)
8. Cafe Rio
8 things that happened yesterday
1. homeschooled
2. took girls out to dinner
3. cleaned house
4. washed clothes
5. played on webkinz ( I know it is for kids, but it is so fun)
6. stopped kids from fighting
7. forgot to eat breakfast
8. folded and put clothes away

8 things I look forward to
1. Moving to Utah
2. Playing in snow
3. Thanksgiving and Christmas with family again
4. No more homeschooling
5. Kids on a schedule
6. Disneyland in Feb.
7. Speaking English at Church
8. hopefully going skiing

8 things on my wish list
1. Newer IPOD
2. 4 door Jeep Wrangler (maybe when the kids are out of the house)
3. KitchenAid
4. Josh to find a job in Utah
5. Winter clothes (I only have flip flops and shorts)
6. A bigger paycheck
7. go skiing
8. see Twilight in English

8 words or phrases I use all the time
1. Stop.
2. Be kind.
3. Oh my.
4. Whad ya say?
5. Get off your DS.
6. Times up.
7. In a minute.
8. Let me think about it.

8 people I tag
I'm not going to tag anyone, but if anyone wants to, go for it.

Submarine Trip, Crenna style.

2008-11-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

Yellow Submarine Trip

2008-11-09T16:30:00.002-07:00

Last Saturday the whole family was able to go on a really cool yellow submarine (well really it was a boat and in the bottom it was deep enough with a ton of little windows to look out, that you felt like you were in a submarine), hence the yellow submarine. Dummy me didn't take any pictures of the actual boat, but Crenna took some good ones of the fish and animals that we did see. Hope you enjoy.

The rest of the week was pretty much the same. Homeschool, homeschool, and some more homeschool. It went alot better than the week before. Our first official week with the new program and books started out with workers in our house making lots and lots of noise. But soon we won't have to deal with workers and homeschooling.

Josh and I have decided that we would try the commute thing. Me and the kids are moving up to Utah to be close to family and to get on a stable structured schedule. Josh is taking us up a few days before Thanksgiving and then he will be back for Christmas. We are hoping that he can find work by February and that way when he comes for our big family vacation to Disneyland he can just stay. It has been a tough, rough year and we are hoping with the help of my family we can all be a little bit more sane.

Celebrating Halloween Mexican Style!

2008-11-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween !!!

2008-11-02T16:31:00.002-07:00

I'm not much for one for Halloween, but I know the kids love it, so I made the famous sugar cookies and we all got ready for our neighborhood Halloween party. The kids had a blast. They had a few fun games they played and then a haunted house. They said it wasn't that scary though, go figure. Then they went with Josh around the neighborhood and went trick or treating. I stayed behind at home to hand out candy. Now we get to look forward to Thanksgiving. Can't wait for that yummy turkey!!!

Better Late then Never

2008-11-02T16:01:00.004-07:00

As I was going through my pictures on my camera I realized that I forgot to post Crenna's birthday. It was the week before I got sick. She had an awesome time. Some of her friends tried our homemade pizza and loved it, so I made pizza for her party at school. We had cupcakes and a tradition here in Mexico is to smash it in their face. I don't quite understand that one. We were going to do a pinata of a dolphin, but she decided she liked it too much, so she kept it.

I´m a Bad Blogger

2008-10-24T09:35:00.006-06:00

I hate to say it, but I am a bad blogger. I was just looking at it and it has almost been a whole month. What have we been doing for the past month? I guess that is what homeschooling will do to you. We have been sticking mostly to that and waiting for our books to arrive from San Diego. Yes, it has taken almost a full month for them to arrive. They are coming on a truck today. Yah!!!!!!!!!!!! If you ask the kids what has been the funniest part so far of homeschooling, it would probably be a few science experiments we have done. The topper was the Pop Rocket where you put alka seltzer in a 35mm film container with a little water and see it pop way up in the air. We also did a little field trip to Chileno Bay. It is a great beach to search for crabs and fish. I even got brave enough to get a little close to the fish. The kids had fun making fun of me because every time the fish got too close I would run back to shore. Ha. Ha.

Another busy happening at the Hatch house this month is that the tooth fairy has visited more then once this month. Crenna was the first to lose one of her first molars. We had to look up on the computer if you were supposed to because we were not sure about that. Sure enough ya do and since she pulled it out herself the tooth fairy gave her extra money. Then not a few days later Aaron lost his first tooth. He is still excited about it and he even has another one that is loose too. He keeps telling Anson that he is older and bigger because he lost his tooth first. Andy also lost a tooth, but I´m not sure exactly how many days after Aaron. He also had one of his front teeth come in. The other one is trying to break through too. It will be so wierd to see him with 2 front teeth, but well worth the wait. And the day I update my blog, Crenna pulls out another molar. It was actually one that she had to get capped because of a cavity. She was excited to get it out because it had been bugging her for a few weeks. I told her that she had to pay the tooth fairy for that tooth. No, not really.

The kids are all excited about Halloween next week. Crenna is going to be Hannah Montana we think, Maya is a devil, Andy is Superman, Aaron is a "Yes, sir", (an Army guy), and Anson is Spiderman. We are having a party down the street at a friends house with a haunted house and games. It should be alot of fun. I´m making my yummy sugar cookies and letting the kids decorate them, so I will be busy next week doing that. The Mexicans really don´t celebrate Halloween. They celebrate the day of the dead which is the following day.

We are excited about the holiday season being upon us and hope that anyone that wants to visit, can.

Homeschooling

2008-09-29T10:07:00.001-06:00

Things Change

2008-09-29T09:28:00.002-06:00

So it has been like a whole month since I last blogged. It has been a very bad month at the Hatch home. Mom was sick and is still trying to get better. I don´t know what I got, but it knocked me out with fatigue and nausea and a really bad headache. We all say that whatever Sandra my mother in law had when she came back from watching my kids at the beginning of the year had I also got too. We both never figured out what that was. All my tests came back negative and after 3 or 4 blood drawings I was sick of that. If you all don´t know I have the worst veins in the world and to get one draw out of me is pretty good. So I have been laying around for the last month and a half. My wonderful husband has been running the house and the kids. Last week I started getting more of my appetite back and energy, just in the nick of time too. After having a few of the kids turned away at school for not having the right uniform last week and seeing that the twins are not learning anything at the school except how to play on a jungle gym Josh came to a conclusion that we were done with the whole Mexican school system. We have been talking about homeschooling since we got here, but it always felt overwhelming to me with all five, but after talking about it and looking into some of the programs that are out there, Josh pulled the kids out last week. The kids were excited to hear that they don´t have to wear uniforms anymore. So when Josh comes home he gets the kids ready for bed and gets lessons ready for them for the next day. We ordered the program for the kids and are waiting for the books to get here. I am really excited about it. They took placement tests and we realized that they are all a year behind, so we have paid a lot of money this past year and they didn´t learn a thing. The program is excellerated so I am hoping by the time we move back to the states (wish I knew when that was) they will all be up to their grade level again. The twins have an advantage and will be way ahead since they are just starting kindergarten. All keep you all posted on the whole Homeschooling thing to let you know if we are still all alive.

SCHOOL IS IN SESSION

2008-08-31T17:21:00.002-06:00

Well, kids have been in school now going on 2 weeks. I am so glad we are on a good schedule. Twins one or the other sometimes both take naps after school. They get really tired after a hard day at school. We have a nice meal after school with Josh. It´s great that he comes home for an hour or so because some nights he will come home late and the kids won´t get to spend that much time with him. Maya has started gymnastics and absolutely loves it. If she can only start remembering all the other things that she needs to do in one day, my life would be a breeze. All the kids have chores this year and it takes alot off of my load. They get a little little allowance. The twins love that they get money. The boys are all saving up for a light up light saber. They don´t know but I have already bought them and they only need to save up half and then they can get them. It will only take them another month if they don´t get anymore deductions from their small allowances. So this week my big outing will be searching for costumes for a dance that all the kids are doing at school for the Mexican Independence Day. Should be fun!!! I love going down in the Centro, not really! I am very impressed though that they gave me 2 weeks to find the costumes. I might be searching for a seamstress too if I can´t find everything we need. Man mom don´t you wish you were here to help me with this one :). One exciting thing that happened to me this week was I was asked to speak in the Spanish branch sacrament. That was fun!! More nerve racking then the time I had to speak in the Spanish branch out in the States. I hope they treat me like a youth and only ask me to speak once or twice a year. I can cross my fingers, right. Not much else exciting has gone on at the Hatch house. Maybe this next week I can post some pictures of the kids in their school digs. Can´t promise anything though.

Pretty Cool in Utah!!

2008-08-21T21:52:00.003-06:00

We had lots of fun in Utah also. We had a birthday for the twins. I can´t believe they are 5. Time flys by quickly. We went swimming several times. Some at the Army Base by my parents house and a few times at the Lehi pool. The twins loved going down the waterslide they had there. We went to a really neat aquarium that had a few stingrays, sharks and even some seahorses. Aaron bought a stuffed stingray keychain and he carries it everywhere he goes. He thinks that is a pretty neat animal. We also went up to Temple Square on Traxx the train and saw the Joseph Smith movie and then went over to the Gateway where they have a really cool fountain that the kids can run through. They loved it. For the twins birthday we went over to a new little amusement park where they had bumper boats and go karts and a roller coaster. They had tons of fun. I even went on a few rides. We went camping with my parents ward up one of the canyons and the kids just had a blast. There was a fire that started down at the lower part of the canyon and we ended up being evacuated around midnight. I drove my mom´s car home and the kids just stayed asleep in the motorhome. They had no clue that they were sitting in the driveway the next morning. Kinda crazy, huh? We went to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point once again. The kids can´t get enough of that place. I wasn´t so thrilled to go, but it was $2 a person and my mom had not been yet. We also went with a few of my cousins and their kids. That made all the more fun, although I think the whole state was there with us. What can I say, Utahans like a good deal. We went to a really neat candy factory with my cousins and their kids. We got to see how they make the candy and even taste test a few of them. The kids had the most fun in the candy store, I think. Man they make the best Salt Water Taffy. Our last day before we left we went to the Zoo. Aaron loved seeing this rare white alligator they had. We loved the weather and the company and we´re sad to go, but I´m sure that we stayed our welcome out. Thanks for putting up with us for so long, Nana and Papa. Can´t wait til next summer.

Visiting Grandma´s House

2008-08-21T12:59:00.006-06:00

We had fun at Grandma´s house. We relaxed, swam, and went up the river. It was good to see all the cousins. It rained alot, but that was okay. It kept the temp. down. We went camping in Pacheco and enjoyed the rain there also. We only stayed a day it was raining so much. We thank Grandma and Grandpa for putting up with us for a few weeks. Can´t wait until we can come again.

We´re Back!!

2008-08-15T08:56:00.002-06:00

We decided to finally come home. We got back on Wednesday the 13th around 4pm. We had lots of fun at Grandma´s house in Chihuahua. Then the few days we spent in Arizona was great too. We got to see Marcia and the kids and Grandma Mimi. Then we were off in our rent a car up to Utah. I did it in a day. We had to stop a little more often then I wanted for pee stops, but we got there in a little over 11 hours. I thought that was pretty good. We had lots of fun with Nana and Papa, but when it was time to go we were ready. School starts on Monday and it will be good to get back on a schedule. We are thankful for all our family that put up with us and can´t wait until our next trip out to bug you all again. Thanks again. We love ya!!! I will post pictures later when I have a little bit more time of all the neat stuff we did.

Count Down to Summer!!!

2008-06-15T23:08:00.002-06:00

We are getting very excited for our much anticipated summer vacation. I keep counting down the days left of school. I think I might be a little bit more excited then the rest of the crew. The school parties have kicked into full gear. Friday they celebrated Dia del Padre. Josh went and they sang and danced and recited poems and ate, and ate, and ate. He said it turned out really nice. They are having a few other activities this week, but the kids are not going to go. Can you believe they do a camp out with all the kids?? Even the 3 yr olds. I am not sure I will get used to that school activity. They are throwing a big graduation party the following week for all the kids that are graduating Kinder. Andy will officially be in Primeria next year with all the big kids. The last week is tests and then Kinder will finish on the 27th and the girls will finish on the 30th. Hooray!!!!!!!!! It has been a very long school year, and summer will probably fly by, but we are going to live it up and enjoy it as much as we can.

Change of Address!

2008-05-29T22:08:00.002-06:00

Yes, you would think we could stay still for just one second. Well, we have but not our post office box. We decided not to spend the 250 or whatever it was for 6 months for the box here in Cabo and have a box out with John and Sandra in Columbus, NM and then have Sandra ship it over through the Mexican UPS once a month. Saves us mucho dinero. It was only 35 for the whole year. I can put that other money away for a plane ticket or use it on a tank of gas when I come out in a month. Yeah! Here is our new address then if you ever want to send a birthday card, hint, hint uncles and aunts or just to have it. PO Box 966 Columbus, NM 88029.

My Little Photographers Work

2008-05-25T17:16:00.001-06:00

My Little Photographers

2008-05-25T16:57:00.002-06:00

Aaron got a hold of my camera and started taking pictures. These are a few good ones in my opinion that are worthy for the blog. Some might be taken from Anson or Andy too. Aaron actually does a really good job and he thinks it is really cool to see the picture after he takes it. Maybe someday it will be his profession. Only time will tell.

My Little Girl is Growing Up

2008-05-25T16:41:00.001-06:00

Crenna wanted to do something different with her hair, so I suggested we do a perm. One of my friends told me of a good hairstylist here in Cabo, so while my folks were here I took the opportunity to have them watch the other kids while we went and did that. She looks really cute and more grown-up. Not a good thing in my book cause I want her to stay young forever. I know, not going to happen. She loves it because it is less work on her part, since she just loovvees to comb her hair.

Locas Crenna and Maya

2008-05-25T16:40:00.001-06:00

Glass Bottom Boat Adventure

2008-05-25T16:18:00.001-06:00

San Pedrito!

2008-05-25T16:03:00.001-06:00

Maya's Baptism!

2008-05-25T15:30:00.002-06:00

Maya's Birthday Celebration!

2008-05-25T15:13:00.002-06:00

I''ll Catch You Up!!

2008-05-25T13:12:00.003-06:00

It has been a long while since I last blogged. Last Sunday I went to download pictures of Maya's Baptism and family outings and could not find my USB cord to download. I remembered putting it with the laptop. But that was no where to be found. It has gone missing. Then during the week I remembered that I could make a CD and get the pictures that way. YAY!!!

We had a great time with all the family that came for Maya's Baptism. We went to several different beaches, but I think the one that everyone most liked was the one that we are boogieboarding at, San Pedrito. Me gusta mucho!! I would go there everyday if it wasn't so far away. I would become a boogieboard bum.

For Maya's birthday Josh and I went over to her school and did a pinata and had cupcakes with her classmates. After school we went to dinner at Hard Rock and they sang to her. We all went after that to her baptism. That was a fun experience. It was supposed to start at 7pm, but when we got there the gates were closed and there was no parking on the streets. I found a spot, but my family who were behind me could not find a spot to park. Needless to say, with all the one-way streets in the area, they got lost and could not find there way back. By the time we found them it was 8pm when we started. All went well though. My mom did a great job on the talk. Thanks mom again!! It was a very special experience that I hope Maya never forgets.

Sunday we celebrated Maya's birthday again and had cake and ice cream after a yummy dinner. She had like 3 parties. But I am sure it was not enough. You can never celebrate to much for your birthday.

Monday the kids didn't go to school, so we took John and Sandra on the glass bottom boat tour. It was fun because the tour guide was very entertaining and the waves were a bit choppy. In the afternoon we went to a beach near us called Tobasco and Crenna and Maya went parisailing. Crazy!! Locas!! It would take a lot to get me up in one of those things. They absolutely loved it and Crenna keeps on telling me she wants to go again.

All in all it was a fun visit with a great purpose. Thanks again to those that took some time out of their busy schedules to come to visit us on our little island.

Count Down!!

2008-04-27T22:20:00.002-06:00

We are all getting very excited for our visitors to come. Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, Papa, U. JJ, and Auntie Mel are coming in less than 2 weeks. We are soo excited to show them around and catch a few waves on our boogieboards (care of Jordan and Arian). We wish more of you could come :( We will try and not have too much fun in your absence.

We are thrilled that Maya has chosen to be baptized. She has had like 100 questions about anything and everything. Of course, I tried to answer them all, but if I didn't have the answer she went straight to ...Crenna and dad, of course!!

I am having a swap with some of the play group this week. I don't swap, I just get rid of, but it is here at the house and that will be the last of the things that are still in the way. It will make me so happy when it is all gone and the house will look less cluttered.

The kids will all be out of school too. They have holiday for labor day and cinco de mayo. Josh will have Friday and Monday off, so we plan on seeing some sun at the beach. Don't worry G. and G. Hatch, Nana, Papa, U. JJ, and Auntie Mel, we won't be tuckered out from all the play time at the beach, PROMISE!!!!!

My calling went much smoother today. I have sooo much more to learn, but we have the Primary running like a Primary now, so if the chorister could just get her Spanish to sound like Spanish, that would make it all the more better. Yo puedo!!!! I can!!

Movin In!!

2008-04-14T09:38:00.003-06:00

Well, we are back to our normal routine. Kids are in school and going full blast with that. Mom continues to run her errands on a daily basis, unpack, and try and keep up with the laundry. Pretty boring, but that is what we have been up to for the last 2 weeks. The kids have managed to occupy the pool on a daily basis. They are lovin that and so I am. I can get some things done at home while they are swimming. It is also a good reward for the twins if they work at school. We went to our new ward yesterday and I am pretty sure Josh is going to be much happier here. The kids even enjoyed Primary, Yaaah!!!! I didn't even get out of there without getting a calling. Man do they work fast. You know that's the way I like it. I guess I didn't do a good enough job with it the first time so they are putting me back in to try it again, yup, primary chorister, but now I have to do it in Spanish. It wasn't so hard in English, but now I have to learn them all in Spanish. I wish I could take a video and show you how silly I am going to be up there in front of the kids, but I think I will spare you my embarrassment. I guess this is just another way of getting me to learn the language quicker. I am sure they will put Josh to work just as quick. We will keep you posted.

Fun in the Sun!!!

2008-03-31T23:16:00.001-06:00

Last Day of Samana Santa (Spring Break)

2008-03-31T22:51:00.002-06:00

We had to go out with a bang to end our Spring Break. We went down to Chileno Bay which is in between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. It is a community that Josh might be taking on with his company. It has a nice beach where the kids can swim and play in the sand. A lot of people come to snorkel. We haven't ventured into that yet. I actually want to try and you know how I like not knowing what is in the ocean with me when I swim. One of these days. We met up with some of my friends from our play group and played for like 5 hours. Needless to say, some of us got fried, even with the sunscreen on. The kids all enjoyed themselves and want to go back another day. We even saw a pirate ship and some fun loving dolphins. They were really close to the shore. So tomorrow it is back to reality. Kids back to school and mom packing away and moving things over to the new house. Yah!! The kids have already started bugging me if they can go swimming. What can I say, I have a few waterworms.

Woo Hoo!!!

2008-03-30T15:32:00.004-06:00

Spring break is almost over. Kids start back at school on Tuesday. Pobre Cita! Too Bad. We had fun though during break. We went to the beach a few times, went to see Horton Hears a Who in Espanol, went banana boat riding (that was way fun), went bowling. It was muy divertida (very fun). We also packed up a few things so that we can start moving over to the new house. This past Saturday we took a few loads over. The kids are very excited to get into their new house because for one it has paved streets and they can ride their bikes, it also has a playground, but mostly because it has a community pool. I like the fact that the kids will keep busy and I can send them outside to play without any worries. It was a quiet community, but the Hatch hurricane is a comin'.

Easter 2008

2008-03-27T02:12:00.002-06:00

We had so much fun decorating eggs. We had a hunt tambien. We even got a surprise as well. We were able to watch New Testament several times during the day. We are grateful for our Savior's sacrifice.

Nothing like camping on the beach!

2008-03-27T01:21:00.002-06:00

I was honored to attend YW camp with our Branch this past weekend. What an experience to be able to serve in the YW's. It is so different here, then anywhere I have served. The YW need much support here, since they receive very little from their parents. We enjoyed ourselved very much. It was only an overnighter, but we accomplished soo much!! You don't want to get me started. I will talk your ear off. Let's just say it was not a disappointment. Many hearts were touched and changed.

My little adorable trees!!

2008-03-27T00:54:00.006-06:00

At the kids school they celebrated the beginning of spring or the dia de primavera (I think). It turned out so cute. Any excuse to have a fiesta. We enjoyed ourselves and so did the kids.

Andy turned the big 6 this past February!!

2008-03-27T00:49:00.002-06:00

We had a great time celebrating Andy's birthday here in Cabo. We went whale watching for one of his presents. He wanted chocolate cake with chocolate frostening and when it was all gone he still kept on asking for more. That boy just can't get enough chocolate.

Paradise!

2008-03-27T00:13:00.004-06:00

We went whale watching for Andy's birthday. I think we saw more dolphins than whales, oh whale!