Mommy & Morgan Day

Morgan went in for a routine wellness checkup this week & since her throat was just a tiny bit red & scratchy (but no fever or soreness of throat) the doctor swabbed her throat. Imagine my surprise when the next day the doctor's office called to say she had strep throat. My response, "Should I go get her from school?" Seriously! She still wasn't even feeling bad. So with Morgan home from school, we had a Mommy & Morgan day. And one of her requests...making "magic finger jello" in heart shapes. It was a fun day with my baby girl!

Waterfall Weight Limit?

How many kids can fit on our waterfall?

At current count...24!!!!!

Family Work Projects

Growing up it seemed that whenever my family all got together for a holiday or a long weekend there would inevitably be the family work project. I always thought my Dad must have planned some project right before we all arrived like adding on a patio covering, framing out a bedroom in the basement, building shelves in the fruit room...so that he could have some extra slave labor.
On Labor Day I had new insight into my previous perception. Most likely my Dad was trying to get a project done before everyone got home and it just took longer than anticipated...hence the family shows up and everyone pitches in to get it done. On Monday, the Crump Family started its "to do list" bright and early so we could be done before friends showed up to bbq and swim. The main project was to get the old, deteriorated trampoline out of the ground and the new trampoline safely installed before guests arrived. Of course, nothing can be that simple! So as all our friends arrived, Kyle was still in the hole, surrounded by various rusted trampoline springs, a variety of weeds that had been growing unseen in the hole and a deteriorating old tramp frame that was difficult to dismantle and pull from the hole. Without exception...every Dad that walked into our backyard headed straight to our work project and in short order dismantled & hauled off the old trampoline and cleaned out the entire hole. So a big Thank You to all you Dads...Carl, David M., Jason, Brian, & Troy for laboring at our house on Labor Day. And an extra shout out to Jared & David D. for staying late to install the new trampoline. We are so lucky to have our Arizona Family that we can always count on!

Happy Anniversary from our Kids!

Today is my anniversary (well actually OUR anniversary...I do share it with Kyle). Anyway, Kyle took a half day off work and took me to a movie which was a great present. But my cute kids had been scheming for the past week...so when we got home we had a vase of homemade flowers and the best card from the kids in honor of our 21 years of marriage. So cute I just had to share it!

21 THINGS WE'VE LEARNED

FROM OUR MOM & DAD

21. Dad deals better with the school principal.
20. Everyone can be called Superman but very few actually are.
19. Never take a dog hunting...even if his name is Hunter.
18. Never never never never never never never never never GIVE UP.
17. European boobs should ALWAYS be covered at the beach.
16. Get 'r done.
15. Never get engaged on someone else's wedding day.
14. Ice fishing is NOT that fun.
13. We would make a hot pioneer family.
12. Buckle Jeans can cure EVERYTHING.
11. Diet coke and chips ARE a meal.
10. Do what you love and love what you do!
09. Be positive.
08. Strive to be your best.
07. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is here on this Earth.
06. We are an eternal family.
05. Follow the prophet.
04. Serve others.
03. Small things really do matter.
02. We have a loving Father in Heaven.
01. Our parents ROCK!!!

A Mother's Homework is Never Done!

The kids are in bed and the house is quiet, the lunches for tomorrow are packed and in the refrigerator, backpacks are repacked and hanging on hooks by the door...AND I JUST FINISHED MY HOMEWORK!!! I'm not kidding. I had more homework tonight than my 3 kids put together. We seriously sat down at the kitchen table all together to begin the homework process. Tyler was done first and off to search the internet for a dirt bike that he is never going to get. Morgan was done next and headed outside to play house with Cassie (our dog). Lincoln was done next and off to take a shower and choose out her new school outfit for tomorrow. And there I was...all by myself...still filling out the countless forms and paperwork that gets sent home at the beginning of each year. Seriously! My husband called me from out of town and I was like, "I can't talk...I've got to get all this paperwork done and handed in tomorrow." And you've GOT to PAY ATTENTION to what you are filling out. One check in the wrong box and they may just give your child too much acetaminophen or you've suddenly volunteered yourself to be in charge of all the classroom parties for the entire year.
Then my husband made the mistake of asking me what I'm going to do tomorrow with all the kids back in school for the day. Well, you guessed it...more homework. I've got to go to a music store to buy specific reeds for a 6th grade saxophone player and another store to buy the music book they'll be using all year (could the teacher not just order them in bulk and then not give it to the kid if they didn't bring in their money?) I then have to sign up at Fry's & Basha's so that our school can earn money from my patronage of their stores (another process that must be completed yearly). I'm then off to buy school supplies that were not mentioned on previous lists. I must remember to stop by the school and complete THREE forms that then allow me to be a volunteer at the school, get my picture taken for an id badge and, if I think I might want to volunteer for a field trip, must visit the district website and complete that information. This all must be done yearly even though I am in my 8th year of volunteering at this school.
All in all, I really miss summer vacation!!!

Dream Big

What a surreal moment! I am in Copenhagen, Denmark listening to Beyonce on my ipod and blogging on a computer that is in Danish but yet I can pull up my blog from another part of the world and pictures that were taken before I even left home. Technology is crazy!!! We encourage our kids to set goals for themselves but sometimes I wonder if it is possible for them to dream big enough for this ever changing world we live in. Certainly as a teenager I would not have been able to comprehend the amazing opportunities that were in my future...let alone understand such technology that had not yet been created such as ipods, blogging, digital cameras, texting my kids before we taxied down the runway to say I love them again, checking my e-mails in another country, etc. And so I wonder what amazing opportunities still lay ahead for myself and for my kids. I guess that will give me something to ponder as I lay awake jet-lagged tonight. Then tomorrow we climb on a ship to travel through various ports throughout the Baltic and so for the next week I will leave technology behind and explore the history of some amazing European Cities.
Note to Readers: My teenage daughter thinks I am the ONLY mom that listens to Beyonce so if you too love Beyonce, give a shout out so my daughter can knew her mother is NORMAL.
Note to Burglars: Though I am not at home...our very large & scary guard dog is along with a housesitter that is a Green Beret, martial arts expert and a member of a local SWAT team.

My New Love

I am so in love with this little guy. This is my nephew Zachary Kevin Warner. I have been able to spend so much time with him these past few weeks. I first saw him on July 3 when we arrived in Utah and it was love at first sight. He is named after my brother Kevin who passed away 7 1/2 years ago. There is something in the way he smiles that reminds me of my brother. He is such a sweetie and we've had lots of good cuddle time together. And my sister is amazing! This is her 5th baby and she is such an organized Mom. Her house is very calm, always clean and she makes entire meals from what they grow in their garden. She is my sister that lived in Arizona until two years ago. We parked our RV in front of her house during our visit and it felt like we lived near each other again...walking in the front door without knocking, making ourselves at home, treating each other's kids like our own. I miss them living in Arizona SO MUCH but I love how happy they are in their new location and know that is what is best for them.

Kyle's Motto - Tri Your Best

So what do most 42 year old men do on a Saturday Morning at about 4 AM? Well for Kyle, June 6 before the sun came up and while his wife and three kids were still catching some shut eye for a few more hours (well not too many more hours since we had to leave for a swim meet at 6:30 AM), Kyle was loading his bike & helmet, swim cap & goggles, running shoes & ipod into his jeep for a Sprint Triathlon at Lake Pleasant. And for any of you non-believers out there... here's the pictures to prove it.

Photos of Kyle's Lake Pleasant Triathlon

Our Dad is Superman!!!

So I know that there are a lot of really great Dads out there and we would even like to wish all of them a Happy Father's Day. Forgive us if we burst anyone's bubble with this next part...but our Dad is pretty much the best Dad on the planet. In fact, we would even go so far as to suggest that our Dad may be a superhero. Since he is out of town on this Father's Day, we've been snooping around just a little to see if we can confirm our suspicions. Evidence to date includes: an unusually large number of superman neckties (how many does the Dad at your house own?) and other superman paraphanelia such as fridge magnets, note pads, etc. It also seems that he throws suspicion off of himself by constantly calling other people superman. Interviews with numerous business, church and neighborhood colleagues verifies that they have been called superman on more than one occasion by our Daddy.

At the very least, our Dad possesses superhuman qualities such as the ability to rise at 5 AM and go for a 6-8 mile run then come back & swim laps in the pool. He then works a 10 hour work day and while driving home remembers to call the appropriate child and ask them about their school exam, talent show, swim meet, school play, sport or dance practice, etc. He joins the family for dinner and regales them with trivia that is so random but has been garnished from that day's learnings, radio listening, scripture study, self-help book, etc. He always has some advice for how each kid (& even Mom) can get more out of their next days swim practice, cross country run, gym workout, lifeguard class, backyard basketball drills, etc. He always believes that each of us has the ability to do a little better, try a little harder, stretch ourselves a little more. (I think he forgets that we aren't superheroes.) He doesn't go to bed until the last child is in bed and then reads from some kind of a motivational or leadership book before going to sleep. He then wakes up 6 hours later and does it all again. And his schedule on a weekend...last weekend he trekked close to 20 miles with a youth group. And the weekend before that he did a Sprint Triathlon then came home, did Saturday chores, then helped with a Young Women Fundraiser. You can see that he rarely runs out of steam.

So on this Father's Day we want to send a super duper amount of love out to our Daddy. Superman or not...you save the day for us on a regular basis.

WE LOVE YOU!!!

Lincoln, Tyler, Morgan & Daniece

A Mother's Payday

So as every Mother out there knows...sometimes our paydays are not very regular. I've even been known on a particularly hectic day (okay...so I've done it more than once) to actually call my husband at work and tell him that I need to renegotiate my contract. For it seems that when I took on the role of MOM, I should have thought to negotiate for sick days, vacation days, workman's comp, a normal length work day, etc. But, alas, I didn't and so I relish the mother paydays that make it all worthwhile. By the end of 8th Grade Promotion (yes...I somehow ended up being the Chairperson) I was a little tired & cranky until I found this sweet note from my 14 year old taped to my mirror:

Dear Mom,

Thank you for all you did for

the Promotion Dance. It really turned

out beautiful. I know you put in a

lot of time, work and money.

Thank you for making this a

memorable night. I love you.

Love,

Lincoln

Of course, all that work was suddenly worthwhile. I was immediately glad that I had been so involved no matter how much time it took. And, I will probably agree to chair the next event that my child is involved in. Cause face it...if I had a warning label on me it would probably read, "Mother, so easy to operate even a child can do it." A smile, hug, kiss or thank you from one of my kids and I'm pretty much putty in their hand. Caution: No one tell this to my kids as they are already too good at manipulating me as it is. I don't want them having anymore insider information.

Picnic in Paris

The 8th Grade Class of Paseo Verde Elementary celebrated their promotion from elementary school into high school with a PICNIC IN PARIS. Traditionally, this party is held at the school but hosted and paid for by the parents of the 8th Graders. And so the task commenced of transforming the multi-purpose room at the school into a Paris park with a skyline of the city and the Eiffel Tower in the background. Of course, efforts began in November to raise funds to pay for the event and many, many, many hours of labor filled the next 6 months (and I thought the only labor involved in raising children was going to occur at childbirth...right!!!) But the outcome was a night that our 8th Graders will not soon forget.

Romeo & Juliet Spotted in Crump's Backyard

Last night we were entertained with what arguably could be the best show of the year. But first I will try to recreate the program (handwritten by Morgan) that we received as we were escorted to our seats (patio chairs) at center stage (on the patio facing the backyard). The show was a rendition of Taylor Swift's Video "Romeo & Juliet". Highlights included Morgan (Juliet) chasing Nick (Romeo) through the flower garden, Nick located on the ground serenading Morgan who is at the top of the playhouse, and finally a proposal at the top of the waterfall. Truly spectacular! So here is the program with 7 year old spelling and all.

Brodeway Show

Song & Video this night

No phonse or cameras until after the show

There will be a show with flash fotorgeffe (photography)

Romio & Joliet Video

You can make your own fan letter and talk about it on the letter.

It will say, "Dear _______" and you may right about your

faverit persen in the show. It could be Ben or Nick or Morgan

or Tyler or Lincoln and everything about the show

or you can right about every persen.

Dr. Allen Day & Nurse Donnalee Day The nurses delivered this baby of a mother who
had hiked into the village while in labor because
she had heard there was medical staff in town.

All in a Days' Work--in Haiti

When I say All in a Days' Work in Haiti...I mean literally. This is my brother Allen Day and my sister Donnalee Day. And so these two Days spent 7 days on a medical mission in Haiti. You can tell by these beautiful photos that they fell in love with the children & even some of the adults that they were able to help. I have loved the tales of their experiences...so many in such a short amount of time. They have decided that they will go again next year. I want to go but am going to have to develop some medical skills in the next 11 months. Apparently my occupation as a party planner/wedding coordinator is not at the top of their list of needs. But I LOVE looking at these photos...amazing & inspiring!

Once they received medical attention, each child got some LOVE,

Then they got a lollipop,

And finally a smiley face sticker...

which most chose to wear on their foreheads!

Children in Haiti

You Gotta Love the Ladies of this Storm

The Lady Storm finished their basketball season last night... one game sooner than they would have preferred. Losing by a mere one point to Cotton Boll (a team they had beat just two weeks before during regular season), the Ladies shed a few tears at the missed chance to play for the District Champion-ship on Thursday. Taking third in District is nothing to take lightly. This team had only three players who had played for Paseo Verde last year. Truly remarkable was the way these girls worked together. They developed some terrific friend-ships, outstanding ball skills, the importance of team work, and commendable sportsmanship. Assistant Coach Eberhardt said that in his eight years of coaching, this was the best team he had ever coached. Coach Wyers was equally complimentary of the way these girls conducted themselves individually and collectively. This team won the Centennial Coyote Basketball Tournament early in the season when they had only been playing together as a team for 3 weeks. They continued to play beautifully together winning every game throughout the season except one against Frontier when they lost at the buzzer by one point when the other team made a three point shot.

I'm proud of all these girls. I have to give an extra shout out to Lincoln. She played in EVERY game. In fact, she ended up being played the second player off the bench all season. I also want to give a great big thank you to all who came and supported her. During this past week of District Tournament, her fans included: David, Kristen, Ben & Nick Dorsey; Bishop Brewer & Family (okay...his daughter plays as well), Carl & Debra Lee (Carl works with Lincoln in Young Womens); Don, Darlene, Brittany, Brandon & Bradley Condello; Dave, Shelly, Jade, Paige, Rian & Canyon Mckenzie and Nilda Hitchcock (her YW Leader). I know you are all busy...but it meant so much to Lincoln & to me. THANK YOU!!!

Go Lady Storm!!!

Lincoln stretching out before a game!

Lincoln anticipates the opportunity for a rebound! The Lady Storm started every game with an enthusiastic team chant!

A Light Bulb Moment

I just finished reading "The Shack" by WM. Paul Young. This book about a man and his conversation with God has literally given me some greater understanding into my own relationship with my Father in Heaven. This man named Mack is explaining to God that he knows he is a big disappointment to him. When God questions why he feels this way, Mack explains how he knows he is supposed to put God first in everything...that God should be at the top of the pyramid and everything else takes a place below. Yet he finds that there are so many times he chooses work, family, friends, interests instead of God. I love the response from a very loving God & his son Jesus Christ to Mack's concern.
He says, "I don't want to be first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything that happens to you. Rather than the top of a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life--your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities---is connected to me but moves with the wind, in and out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being."
This really was an aHa moment for me. I loved it so much that I used it in Family Home Evening last night. Because in real daily life even if we are getting up early to read our scriptures, saying our daily prayers, serving our family & others, fulfilling church responsibilities (which I can't say I do EVERY day) there is still a big portion of the day spent tending to other things on my pyramid and so I guess I always felt as though I fall a little short in putting God first. But it is SO much more DOABLE to rethink life as a mobile where our Father in Heaven & Jesus Christ are part of EVERYTHING we do each day. So beautiful...its simplicity changed my thinking!

Patriotic Speech Contest

Well...these kids may be proud to be Americans...but I am proud to be their Mother. Lincoln & Tyler both competed in their class Patriotic Speech Contest and each of them won and represented their class in the Paseo Verde School Speech Contest. Lincoln competed in the 7th & 8th Grade competition and took 2nd place. Tyler competed in the 5th & 6th grade competition and also took 2nd place. I was so proud of them. I was also so impressed with speeches given by their very good friends and fellow competitors...Ben Dorsey, Paxton Alger, Alison Lillemon and Alexis McCall. Hats off to each of you for writing & delivering very powerful messages about what it means to be a citizen of this country. I was moved to tears more than once. WELL DONE!

Patriotic Speech Contest Photos

View From My Window

I'll never forget the first time I planted flowers in Arizona. I planted them Memorial Day Weekend. They died the second week of June. Wow! A whole two weeks to enjoy my petunias. Obviously, I was gardening in Arizona but with my "growing up in Utah" gardening knowledge. It has taken me some time to get the hang of having a beautiful flower garden in an area completely foreign to anything my upbringing prepared me for. I guess that is why this view from my kitchen window is so beautiful in my eyes.

Welcome to the Valley of the Sun

I love tourist season here in Arizona. Only we prefer to call our tourists a more loving name...family. Starting the day after Christmas and usually lasting until the middle of April, we are thrilled to be visited by many out of town guests. Now while I like to think it is my charming personality that makes everyone just want to be near me, I have a feeling that it may be the fact that our weather during these months stays beautifully between 60-80 degrees while other areas are facing ice storms, temperatures dropping below zero, cars that won't start, driveways & sidewalks that need shoveling...you get the picture. But even if it is the weather that draws them here, we are the benefactors of some really good times.
We have been especially spoiled this year. My brother Allen & family visited us over New Year's. My Uncle Lamar, Cousin Bryce & friends were here for the Fiesta Bowl. My Mom was here in January. Donnalee came in February followed shortly by my brother DeVere & family. March brought my Mom again but this time she brought Dad. And most recently was my brother Kyle and his cute girlfriend Brynna (they just left this morning). What good times we have had with every one of these special visitors. We have had 3 months of swimming, playing games, shopping, spring training baseball, long walks, park days, rock band/guitar hero, and more Mexican food than can be numbered. And so now tonight while everyone has their own bed back and no one had to wait for a bathroom to be available, we are so sad that the tourist season has come to an end.
So here's a shout out to our family...mark your calendars now. The snow will fall in Utah...the sun will shine in Arizona...and the Crump Casitas will once again be taking reservations.

Confession Time

Okay...I have just a couple of confessions to make. First, I am a fan of the Twilight series, have read all four books and will read any future books in the series no matter whose perspective it is written from or how many times it was leaked to the internet before it was ready to be published. Second confession, I am a huge fan of Stephanie Meyer. I mean KUDOS to any mom who figures out a way to accumulate a fortune...not to mention make her name a household word...while never leaving her house and kids. And finally...yes!...I bought a ticket (along with my little sister Donnalee and a group of her college sorority sisters) to the midnight showing so that I could see Twilight the moment it was released. Whew! I feel better having all that off my chest. Now I have drawn the line at wearing a t-shirt that says "Bite me, Edward!" or naming one of my offspring after one of the main characters. But then...never say never!!!

St. Patricks Day

St. Patricks Day fell right smack dab in the middle of Spring Break this year. You'd think that would mean that we would all be off the hook from having to wear green or from receiving numerous pinches. However, my brother Kyle and his cute girlfriend Brynna made sure that this Irish holiday received its much deserved attention. We were greeted bright and early on Tuesday morning with the smell of bacon, eggs & blueberry pancakes. The kids had to rub the sleep from their eyes when breakfast was served...everything was green. Yummy! Never has green food tasted sooooo good. THANKS KYLE & BRYNNA!!!!!

Senor & Senorita Crump on a Mexican Adventure

Hola! Como Estas! Senor & Senorita Crump just returned from a fabulous trip to Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. We had the perfect recipe for a much needed vacation...lots of rest & relaxation, a spectacular view, gorgeous sunshine, a splash of adventure, and an endless supply of chips & guacamole served poolside. For Kyle, it also included some golf and fishing which I gracefully declinced the invitation and opted instead for reading in my favorite chair overlooking the ocean.

Perhaps the only thing Kyle loves more than adventure is convincing me to take the adventure plunge with him. I must have been intoxicated by the overwhelming scent of exotic flowers & suntan lotion when I agreed that an "Outdoor Adventure" did sound fun. Before I could say, "he cambiado mi mente" (I changed my mind), I was on a speed boat headed across the ocean. Upon setting foot on land, we jumped into the back of a truck & began the bumpy ascent straight uphill. When we ran out of road, we switched over to mules and traveled the remaining elevation on narrow, dusty trails. At the top of our climb, we strapped into harnesses and prepared for the journey back down...all accomplished through a series of zip lines and repelling. As I got more used to our method of transportation, I was able to really appreciate the scenery...the raging river below the zip line, the water fall we were repelling down next to, and the sun peaking through the trees as we hiked from one platform to the next. Six hours of adrenaline surges...but I survived with a smile on my face, a few sore muscles, sweat marks and only one bruise. Not to mention...I had a husband that was so proud of his adventurous wife. And how do I feel about him..."le amo mucho mucho!"

The Proof is in the Pictures

We just had the cutest little group of visitors...Justin (7) Carson (4) and Hayden (almost 3) along with their parents DeVere (my brother) and his wife Lynda. We had such fun. They left the frigid weather of the Salt Lake Valley and brought their swimsuits and smiles to the valley of the sun. Of course, Tyler was thrilled to have boys out-number the girls. The week consisted of legos, rescue heroes, pokemon cards, matchbox car races, shooting hoops, baseball and LOTS OF SWIMMING. Spring Training at the home of the Mariners and Padres was very good to this group...they caught a total of 9 baseballs between watching practice and a tie game between the two home teams. The weather was in full cooperation with temps. reaching into the 80's. Swimming was on the agenda every day (except Sunday) and we were super sad to see this little group climb into their minivan this morning with their sunburned cheeks and tired little faces to head back to their cold house. LOVE AND MISS YOU GUYS!!!