Memorial Day 2010

Today is Memorial Day! I don't think I realized what this day is all about until I got older. Now I understand and it makes me so grateful for all of the men and women who sacrifice for our freedom! It also makes me think of people who have passed on before and I try to remember them and their families. Like last year I got up early and ran the Woods Cross 5K Fun Run. Last year I ran it in 27:55, but this year I ran it in 26:09. I was super happy with the improvement from last year and from my last 5K run in August, which I did in just over 27 minutes. After the run, I went home and got Nick and the kids and we headed back to the park for a flag ceremony and breakfast. It was fun have the kids attend the flag ceremony. We sang the national anthem and watched the scouts hang the flag up on the pole. It was so cute to watch them put their hands over their heart.
We listened to a few speakers talk and the mens choir sing. To keep the kids entertained I let Carson take a few pictures including one of me.

Then we took one of the two of us.

Then we stood in a long line to get breakfast, which was totally worth it since the kids at almost ALL of their breakfast. It was yummy!!! It was only $1 a person and mine was free for running in the fun run.

It was a pleasant morning and we can't wait to do it again next year! After we got home we ran a few errands to help Nick and Carson get ready for their fishing trip! They are going with Gpa Brower and Uncle Chris up to Flaming Gorge to go camping and fishing for a few days. Here is Carson getting ready to go.

I am sad to have the boys leave us, especially since Carson was gone for a few days last week, but I know that they will have so much fun. It will also give Kaylee and I some good one on one girl time! We just can't go to far since the boys took the van and I am left with Nick's big beast of a truck! :) So I think tonight will be a movie night and I might try and get some more sewing done. I asked Nick to take some pictures while they were gone so I could blog about it when they return, so keep your fingers crossed that he remembers to do that! I am sure Carson will do a good job reminding him since he is quite the photographer himself!

Brower Family Time!

On Sunday, after the broadcast we went to church and then headed up to Tremonton. My whole family was there, including Marisa and Tiffany and their families. We enjoyed an afternoon of dutch oven chicken and potatoes, salads, and watermelon. Here is Hallie and Kaylee enjoying the watermelon.
Can she get any cuter??? Grandma Joy and Marisa.

McKenzie Jo.

Kaylee and Uncle Aaron.

Kaylee and Uncle Chris.

Mayci. She is just a few weeks younger than Kaylee so it is fun to have them together and play.

Me, Gma Joy, Marisa, Kaylee and Mayci.

Tiffany and Kaylee.

Dinner time!

After dinner we played. Uncle Chris jumped on the tramp with the kids and kept them entertained!

Hallie and me.

We switched babies.....Kaylee with Natalie!!!

It was a beautiful day for a BBQ and get together. It doesn't happen often that we are all able to get together, so when we do it is FUN!!!!

After dinner we headed over to a park and launched bottles on the rocket launcher.

Grandpa tried really hard not to get too wet when the bottles launched!

While the big kids launched rockets, the little girls played with Grandma and Justin on the swings.

We had the spectator section for those of us who preferred to stay away from exploding bottles of water!

Nick and Justin had WAY too much fun with the bottles. They filled them with rocks and duct taped them together to launch them.

It was a great day for spending time with family! In about a month we will all be getting together again to send Christopher off on his mission! Until then we are doing as much as we can to spend time with him!

Bell Time!

Last week we had an extra rehearsal for Bells to get ready for the Memorial Day Broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word. After we ran through our songs, we hung out in the 'Horseshoe' while we waited to practice with the Motab Choir. This is my good friend Paige, who rings right next to me in Bells. She is such a joy to be around and is super sweet and nice!
All of the members of BOTS are amazing people and it is so fun to get to go every week and be a part of this organization. The other thing that is fun about being in BOTS, is that we do a lot with the choir, and of course my mom is in the choir so I got to see her that night! She is on the front row in the blue/green striped sweater.

Here is me and Paige hanging out during rehearsal in the Tabernacle!

I got up bright and early on Sunday morning to be at the broadcast. We had to be ready to ring by 8 AM. We do a run through and then go live at 9:30 AM.

Here I am with one of my bells. I am currently playing D5 and E5. And I LOVE IT!!!

During a break, Mom and I took a minute to take a picture. There is another girl in bells named Serena and her mom also sings in the Choir as an alto with my mom.

It was a wonderful broadcast and was perfect for Memorial Day. We did patriotic songs including hymns from the armed forces. It was beautiful! My sisters Marisa and Tiffany came down and watched the broadcast at the Tabernacle with Aaron, Austin, Braydon, and Rachel. It was so fun to see them there! The BOTS are getting ready for our concert on June 11. It is a concert that gives tribute to our country's flag, so it will have a patriotic theme as well. I can't wait, since it will be my first concert as a permanent member of BOTS. Again, I feel so blessed to be a part of something so amazing and wonderful!

Bennett Reunion Weekend

Every Memorial Day Weekend the Bennett Family Reunion is held in Holden. This year we still all got together as a family, but instead of a reunion, we attended a funeral for a family member. My father in law's cousin, Sandy Bennett Wade past away on May 24th, after a battle with brain and breast cancer. It was a beautiful service and she was a great mom and grandma. She lived in Fillmore and always attended the reunion every year. She was only 63, so it was very sad, but her family is very strong and we know we will see her again someday!
On Friday, after Nicholas got off of work, we headed down to Holden, minus Carson, since he was already down there. We had dinner and enjoyed visiting with Uncle Larry, Aunt Lynda, and Aunt Toni. The kids swung on the swings while the men changed tires on the truck. I got up early and went for a run before getting ready for the funeral. My niece Makenna was sweet enough to stay with the kids while the adults attended the viewing and funeral in Fillmore. Sandy was buried in the Holden Cemetery. After the burial, we took the kids back over to Fillmore for the family dinner.
It was different to be eating dinner at the church instead of the cabin, but it was still nice to be with family. Carson had so much fun playing with his cousins. Makenna is so nice to Carson and Kaylee both, I wish we could take her home with us!

After the funeral was all over, we did eventually make it up to the cabin and play.

Grandma Karen, Kaylee and Austyn.

Grandma Karen and Papa Bear!

Makenna and Sam McCall.

They had Chase's cute tractor power wheels at the cabin. The kids had a blast taking turns riding it!

Papa Bear entertained the kids with four wheeler rides.

Lynda, Karen, Makenna, Toni and Kaylee.

Carson had a fun helping Papa change the sprinklers on the field. He wore his sprinkler boots, but I wasn't fast enough to get a picture in them just him putting his cowboy boots back on.

Makenna and me!

We stayed long enough to roast a hot dog and then headed back home since I had to be home for the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast Sunday morning. So we made it home around 9:30 Saturday night and unpacked and went straight to bed! It was a fun weekend in Holden, but we were all exhausted! Carson played so hard while he was down there. He came home with a goose egg on his forehead, a scraped up chin, and a bit of a sunburn on his face. You could tell he had a blast though. He can't wait to go down again and help out on the farm!

Carson's Graduation

Yesterday was Carson's Preschool Graduation. We all got dressed up and went to the Bountiful Library to watch his graduation program. He looked SO cute!
Gma Karen, Gma & Gpa Brower, and Uncle Chris came to watch his graduation program. We were so happy to have them there with us!

The program was so cute. They each had a speaking part and sang a bunch of songs that they learned throughout the year!

Carson did a great job with his part. He had it memorized and when Miss Wendy held up the microphone for him to talk, he told her "I don't need help..." and then said his line which was:

"In April we were glad to know we finished every letter, but April also brought with it a load of crazy weather!" I was going to take a picture of if, but I was so wrapped up in watching him say his line that I forgot to take a picture! It was a proud mommy moment! Then while we watched a video of pictures from the school year of the kids, they went out of the room and surprised us by changing into really cute graduation cap & gowns. Then they were awarded their Preschool Certificate from Miss Wendy.

Presenting the Class of 2010.

Then it was picture time with the graduate.

Carson and Kaylee.

Grandma Karen and Carson.

Mom, Dad, Carson and Kaylee.

Uncle Chris, Gma Joy,Gpa Brower and Carson.

Mom and Carson.

Miss Wendy and Carson.

One of his great friends, Brooklynn and Carson.

Both Grandmas were SO proud of Carson! He did a great job!

After the graduation was over, we headed back to our house for some chocolate cake. Carson and I came up with the M&M design! It was yummy! (In case you can't tell, the M&M's spell his name!) I know that it was just a preschool graduation and some people might think that we made too big of deal about it, but I say they are only young once and we should celebrate as much as we can and do as much as we can to show them we love them! After we had cake Carson was lucky enough to go with Grandma Karen home to Holden. We are headed down there this weekend so he can come home with us, but this will give him a chance to play a bit longer with his cousins and help work on the farm, which is his favorite thing to do! But I sure miss him, and he hasn't even been gone a whole day! I love you Carson and we are all so proud of you!!!!