The Belnap's

Recommendation

2011-06-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I found a fabulous website that I'm sure you've heard of...I'm usually the last to know!

I absolutely LOVE it! Usually when you cook at home as opposed to eating out one tends to save money. Well, that has not been the case the past several weeks. I have been cooking and baking like a crazy lady. I don't think our family has ever had so many good meals in a row! No mac & cheese or $5 pizza nights here! At least for a few weeks. Chad has put his foot down and recommitted me to our monthly grocery budget! so I've had to rein myself in a bit. I have their cookbook which is fabulous!

It also made a great Mother's Day gift for mine and Chad's mom. The kids really love it too. The pizza on the grill we made a few months back is from there and we all had tons of fun with it. Great recipes that are right up my alley. Who doesn't need some new dinner ideas...and dessert?

Janey's Baptism

2011-06-21T11:09:00.001-07:00

We all gathered at the Stake Center a few weeks ago for Janey's Baptism. It was a really special day. I'm so grateful for a worthy husband that can baptize our children! What a blessing that is!! And for all of our family and friends that were able to attend. Janey asked her Aunt Angela to give a talk on Baptism, which she did fabulously! After she got "dunked" we headed over to Chris & Monica's house for some lunch. Delicious BBQ Chicken Salad! Everything went perfectly. I could not have asked for a better day! I'm so proud of my sweet Janey girl. She is so excited to officially be a member of the church. She is such a good girl and brings so much joy to our family.

Russell Family Reunion

2011-04-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

My Grammy turned 85 in February and so we decided that was a great reason to

P-A-R-T-Y!

Uncle Cliff, Mom, Grammy, Uncle Terry

I love 'generation' pictures.

~GRANDKIDS NOW~

L to R Back row: Kurt, Brett, Kara, Cory, Jason, Kyle, Leah, Joel, Scott, Brad, Chris

L to R Front row: Trisha, Amy Erin

GRANDKIDS THEN

(1984ish. Kurt & Brett weren't even born yet!)

L to R: Laurel, Amy, Kara, Scott, Erin, Kyle, Chris, Brad, Leah, Jason, Trisha, Joel, Cory

~GREAT GRANDKIDS~

Family came from across the country to celebrate with us. It was a blast!!! We haven't all been together like this since the Christmas of '89, I think. (That's the year Gram got each family a Nintendo for Christmas! Which was the greatest present ever!) Let's just say there was a lot of food, laughing, noise, arm wrestling, basketball, picture taking, talking, chaos...and very little sleep.

I just added this picture because I can!

Media Fast

2011-04-29T14:53:00.001-07:00

Every year our ward does a Media Fast in preparation for April General Conference. For us, a Media Fast is where we turn off the electronics and spend more time as a family. That means no TV, video games, blogs, internet surfing...anything that is just basically a waste of time. We still check email and occasionally check the news but other than that we try to be technology free. Monday is usually the hardest day for everyone but by Friday we are all usually surprised that we did, in fact, survive a week without movies, Wii, DS's & Disney Channel. Here are some of the fun things we did.

Parker & I made playdoh and played several rounds of Memory. I also got him set up outside with some wood, nails & a hammer. What boy wouldn't love that? We played soccer, read books, cleaned bedrooms, organized closets, canned chicken & potatoes, went for walks...

We played outside A LOT

We made personal pizza's on the grill. It was so fun and the kids loved it. Not to mention they were DELICIOUS!

I love that our ward does this and am so glad we only do it once a year :-) It's a much needed wake up call to how much time I spend doing things that really don't matter. When I take those distractions away, I do so much better at accomplishing the things that are really important.

Brenna's Blessing

2011-03-04T10:53:00.001-08:00

We are so lucky to have so much family live here close by. Chad blessed Brenna on the 6th of February and we are so grateful for all of our family that was able to attend; even Great Grandma Belnap was here visiting from Utah and Aunt Jamie & Uncle Clayton visiting from Montana. Chris & Monica have such a beautiful home and were so kind to let us party there. My tiny house wouldn't hold us all! So, after the blessing we headed over to my brother Chris' for a yummy dinner of soup, bread bowls, spinach salad and cinnamon rolls for dessert!

4 Generations

Grandpa Belnap, Chad, Great Grandma Belnap

4 Generations

Grandma Robyn, Grammy, Me

My gorgeous sister-in-laws Monica & Nicole. And kiddos Deegan & Kinley and Rigdon is hiding behind Deegs.

Of course I had to choose Superbowl Sunday to bless Brenna so all the men made themselves comfortable in front of the TV.

i'M iN lOvE

2011-01-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

with this little girl!! She's 2 months old now.

love that tongue

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T21:36:00.002-08:00

This year we did things a little bit different for Christmas. With money being tight, like I'm sure it is for just about everyone, each of the kids got 3 gifts. Something they WANT, something they NEED, and something to SHARE. This worked out so well. The kids had a great Christmas and I didn't overspend! My brother Brett stayed the night with us on Christmas Eve so he could play with the kids and they love this! He's such a good sport and so patient with them. He played Lego's with Russell for hours. What a great Uncle. We had a wonderful day relaxing and eating. Grandma & Grandpa came over for a yummy Ham dinner and we finished off the day playing cards with the missionaries.

Ready for bed. New jammies from the Pajama Elf. Brenna's not impressed!

Nice and warm by the fire. It really wasn't cold enough for a fire...but it's tradition.

Brett & Russell playing Lego's

Russell's 11th Birthday Party

2010-12-30T21:36:00.001-08:00

Somehow Russell convinced Chad to throw a birthday party for him. They played kickball and of course shot some paintballs. Chad got some helium balloons and the boys had to try to shoot them.

Russell shot one of the balloons and the paintball got stuck inside! Pretty funny!

Chad, Russell, Brett, Parker & Blake.

The Crew

That evening the Elder's stopped by to help us sing Happy Birthday and have some cake & ice cream. They are a hoot and the kids LOVE them.

Cooper, Elder Dursteller, Russell, Janey, Elder Harall & Parker

Merry Christmas

2010-12-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

Here is the Christmas letter Chad did this year for those of you who didn't get one in the mail.

Happy Holidays to All,

This has been a remarkable year for the Belnaps and Pure Flooring. We have had some great things happen for us. First and foremost, we have a beautiful little girl – Brenna. Secondly we hired our first employee and he is doing great things to help our business grow.

My wife endured well her pregnancy with our new addition. This pregnancy was a rough one for her. She was really sick for most of the beginning, put on bed rest for much of the latter part and then, as most women, was really uncomfortable at the end. This was her hardest pregnancy and so I am grateful to her for all that she did while it was going on. It is hard for me, as a man, to understand the displeasures of pregnancy, but I can tell you that I don’t want her to ever have to do that again. So we will be complete with four amazing children.

My children are doing wonderful. My oldest, Russell, is almost 11 yrs old and continues to do well in school. He has been really blessed with great teachers to help him improve in his abilities. He continues to read at an elevated level and he really enjoys it. He is currently loving video games – don’t worry we monitor the amount. He wants to attempt to play any musical instrument that he can including the drums, violin, guitar, and piano. He and I played a lot of paint ball at the beginning of the year, but after I broke my leg, we haven’t been able to play. Janey, my 7 year old daughter is still as sweet as can be. She loves to be a part of a music program called “Let’s Play Music.” She gets to go to a class weekly to learn music. She is doing great in school and loves to play with friends and neighbors. Parker is 4 years old and is a sport maniac. He wants to go outside at every opportunity to play basketball, football, soccer, ride scooters, and bicycles, anything to get out of the house and be active. He “graduated” from his preschool class this year too. He also enjoys having his older sister read to him. Brenna is now six weeks old and is starting to smile back at us and look around and be more “awake” when she is awake. She is a sweet and good baby for us. We think that it is because she gave Trisha so much grief during the pregnancy. I cannot tell you why she is so good, but I know that she really is and we are so grateful.

My big news for the year was that I broke my leg in June. I had to have surgery to repair the bones. I had to get a plate and 8 screws on the tibia bone and 2 screws on the fibula bone. I became utterly worthless for six or seven weeks. I have recovered to about 90% but still can’t jump or run, but I didn't do much of that before so it’s OK. When I broke my leg, I was actually able to hire Brett Anderson. He has worked with me before and knew our systems and expectations. He has been with us for 6 months now and is doing great. He has a great work ethic, quick to learn and we have a lot of fun working together.

We are still doing great in the business. We are actually going to be expanding into water damage restoration this next year as well as carpet cleaning. This next year we are going to be doing more advertising via email, so if you want to get some great specials - sign up, just go to our website at pureflooring.com and enter your email address. I respect privacy and will keep all emails secure.

We wish everybody a happy and safe holiday season. There is much to be grateful for and we want you to know that we are grateful for you and all you have done for our family and business.

Here is my shameful plug. We would love to help clean your carpets, furniture, or tile for Christmas. We have been busy and are excited to help in any way we can.

Chad, Trisha, Russell, Janey, Parker, & Brenna Belnap

Pure Flooring 480 275 7658

One Month

2010-11-28T19:36:00.000-08:00

On one hand I can't believe it's already been a month...on the other I feel like I remember every single day of the past month. I am enjoying my sweet baby so much. Maybe it's because I know this is my last or maybe I'm just so glad to not be pregnant anymore but I am relishing in the time I get to spend holding her and watching her sleep. She has such an amazing spirit and I'm so glad she's mine.

Brenna Evelyn Belnap

2010-11-13T16:12:00.001-08:00

We are so excited that our sweet Brenna is finally here. She is such a good baby, which I am so grateful for! The kids are loving her. No one has asked if we could send her back yet. I am finding that with #4 the hard times don't come from #4, they come from #'s 1-3. I've really had to work on my patience. They all love to hold her and burp her and help bathe her. Sometimes it seems like there isn't enough of her to go around. She eats about every 3 hours and is a good sleeper the majority of the time. I'm getting use to sleeping in 2 hour increments. It really helps that she goes right back to sleep after she eats during the night. I am feeling so much better since having her. My family is so glad to have me back, and I am too.

Arriving at the hospital.

Update on Chad

2010-06-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

We went to the Dr. today for Chad's first follow up appointment. They took new x-rays, took staples out and his cast off. Pretty gross. But the Dr. was happy with the way everything looked,what they were expecting I think. Basically right now the hardware is just holding the bones together so they will heal properly, it doesn't actually speed healing or anything like that, it just holds everything in place. They put Chad in a walking boot that he is not allowed to walk in yet. He can't put any weight on his foot for at least 4 more weeks. We go back for another appointment in 4 weeks and then the Dr. will see how he's progressing and either give him the okay to bear weight or might make him wait up to 4 more weeks. We are really praying that things will look GREAT at his next appointment and he will be able to put at least some weight on it. Chad can take the walking cast off in about a week for showering, which makes me oh so happy, but other than that it stays on, even for sleeping. He's done so good at following the Dr.'s orders, I haven't had to yell at him once! He was able to go to a couple of carpet cleaning appointments this last week. We are so fortunate to have my brother Brett step in and do all the "labor" and Chad just goes and hangs out in his reclining camping chair at the jobs. We'll have to get a picture of that! Brett is a really hard worker and has helped Chad in the past on bigger appointments so he knows for the most part how things are run. They are going to try to move up to 2 appointments per day this next week and see how Chad does. Russell has also been able to go to a few jobs and work hard with his Uncle Brett, whom he worships! We have been so blessed through this experience. Just to be able to have Brett so we have some sort of income is such a HUGE blessing. The ward brought in meals everyday last week for us! My wonderful sister-in-law and nieces came over last week and cooked up 50 lbs of meat to go in the freezer. That way I can just go out and grab a pound of meat and put something together for dinner. Another HUGE blessing. I've still been pretty sick, Heavenly Father hasn't taken that trial away yet :-) but I'm doing my best to get through each day. It's not always pretty and I'm rarely the "fun" mom my kids wish I was, but we are surviving.

Outside of his foot, across the ankle. I think there are about 20 staples there.

Inside of his foot. There are 2 staples there.

X-rays taken today. 1 plate & 11 screws. About 20+ staples.

Chad's Broken Leg

2010-06-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

So I decided to just give all the details here of Chad's exciting weekend. On Friday he went to an appointment here in Mesa and was unloading all of his hoses and stuff. He was walking backward pulling his hoses to the house when he tripped over a rock twisting his ankle one way and then the other trying to catch himself. This resulted in broken bones, both the tibia and fibula just above the ankle. I came and picked him up, bringing my brother and a friend to get Chad in the car and to clean up all of his hoses and to drive the truck and trailer back, and took him to the hospital. First let me say that the wheelchairs at Gateway stink! They are not like regular wheelchairs and I could've used a driving lesson BEFORE I put Chad in it. OK, so Chad is in the wheelchair and turning whiter by the second, the part of the chair that holds his leg out only comes to his mid calf so his foot is literally hanging off the end and it's made of hard plastic so it's digging into the back of his leg. Seriously?! Whoever came up with that really needs to go back to school. So I'm pulling him through the doors and I can't get enough leverage to push him over the bump so I'm busting up laughing pushing as hard as I can and he's got his arms spread trying to grab the outer part of the sliding doors to pull himself through. We both had a good laugh...as he's about to pass out. So I take him to the front desk, the receptionist looks at Chad and proceeds to ask his name, address, birth date and I am just waiting for him to fall out of the chair unconscious. Finally I satisfy her with enough information and ask for a bed. They take us straight back. They get him in bed and are trying to get him as comfortable as one can be with a broken leg, propping his leg on a pillow etc. After the nurses leave I'm trying to readjust things and Chad decided he would like another pillow to elevate his leg more. So I go and ask for one...and they don't have anymore. What kind of hospital is this that runs out of pillows?! So I ask for another blanket to roll up and put under his leg. I went back in, told Chad they were out of pillows, and we got another good laugh. Really? no more pillows. So, the Dr. comes in, they take x-rays, and we wait and wait, and Chad decides he needs a way better story than just tripping on a rock to explain his broken bones. He goes with the "saving children from a burning building" story. And now that Chad has heard the life story of the x-ray tech, the bed transport guy, and some of the nurses (Chad certainly has a way of getting people to spill their deepest darkest secrets to him) they tell us Chad will be admitted and will need surgery on Saturday morning. They took him up to his room and the main nurse comes in to introduce herself and asks him what happened. He goes with the burning building story and she promptly asks "Are you a firefighter?" I'm trying my hardest to contain my laughter and explain to her that very rarely is the first thing out of his mouth in any way serious! (only when he calls me on my cell and says he broke his ankle, then he isn't kidding!) I stayed with Chad until they get him all hooked up and then left to get him some stuff from home and to get the kids to bring them back so they could see that dad was OK. Friday night went pretty well for Chad. They kept him on some good drugs. He didn't get much sleep, who does in a hospital, but he said he was able to fall back asleep easily each time he was woken up. Saturday's surgery went as planned. The Dr. put in a plate and 3 screws on the outside part of his ankle and 2 more screws on the inside of his ankle. He was in recovery a little longer than expected his oxygen levels were low but they got him all taken care of. They rest of the story is pretty boring. Just laying around and waiting. We were expecting him to come home on Sunday morning but his white blood cell count was too high, which can be a sign of infection. So now it's Monday morning and we are praying he comes home today. We all miss him a lot. It's just not nearly as fun without him around :-) This comes at a really bad time for us, is there ever a good time?, with me being so sick with this pregnancy and Chad being self employed but Heavenly Father is pouring out his blessings on us. We are so blessed with amazing family and friends. Thank you all for your prayers, phone calls, emails & text messages. I know I am not alone and help is just a phone call away.

On the left side, the outside of his leg, there is a vertical break. On the right side, the inside of his leg is a chunk of bone that totally chipped off.

Oh Parker...

2009-08-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

I like to buy from the Managers Special rack at Fry's for treats for the kids when they get home from school. Well, yesterday I got some donuts and stuck them in the freezer for another time.

And this morning I woke up to this

So now, I have this

Parker is known for getting up in the night and getting food. I have woken up to him, in his bedroom with the door shut no less (1st sign of trouble is always a closed door!), surrounded in wrappers and food of all kinds; Hershey Kisses, Starburst, gum, pop tarts, trail mix, dry oatmeal, chips...the list could go on and on. Usually we put a little rig I made on the fridge to keep the doors locked shut but it has recently gone missing... I wonder who could have taken it.

When I was little there were 2 boys that lived down the street named John & Jason. Whenever something went missing or someone did something"bad" me and my brothers would ALWAYS blame it on John & Jason. It is really quite funny to me that today, over 20 years later, when something goes missing I still think of John & Jason.

Toothless

2009-08-05T14:45:00.001-07:00

Janey lost both of her front teeth today. With the help of her older brother of course... They were supposed to be cleaning their room when I hear the ever so familiar cry. So what do I do? Ignore it of course. Until Janey comes into the kitchen and is bleeding all over herself and still balling. Now that she is over being mad at Russell she can't stop looking in the mirror. So funny! Here are a few pics of her showing off her toothless grin...

Bakersfield

2009-07-13T18:24:00.001-07:00

While we were in Cali we decided to head north and visit Chad's sister Heidi and her family in Bakersfield. It was a quick visit, less than 24 hrs. but totally worth it. Heidi is working on building up a portfolio for her photography so we were lucky enough to get her to take some pics of us. Here are a few.

California - WARNING: lots of pics :-)

2009-07-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

We decided to head to California after some friends of ours set up some work for Chad over there. We played at the park, went to the beach and had tons of fun with our friends. Thanks Blaine and Vickie for letting us stay with you.

They have several different water parks that we went to. The kids loved them. Wish the would make more here in AZ.

Sorry...I can't get this pic to turn but cracked up at Janey and her sunbathing.

The ice cream man there was relentless. I swear he followed us from park to park. But we only caved once.

Carson is so stinkin cute. I loved this pic of him.

Cole, Janey & Caden. The boys were fighting over who got to sit by Janey. We finally decided that she should just sit in the middle ALWAYS :-)

Janey and her cousin Katrina who happened to be at the beach the same day as us. They were visiting from Texas.

Parker didn't care much for the water, but the sand was a different story. He was in heaven.

Janey, Zachary, Russell & Katrina

Russell had a blast on the boogie board with his cousin Zachary.

Catchin' a wave.

Where Does the Time Go?

2009-05-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

My Janey turned 6 on Monday. Where has the time gone? Here is a little slide show so you can head down 'Memory Lane' with me...

She is such a sweet girl and I'm so glad that I'm her mom (and I hope I'm not screwing her up too bad, lol).

New Family Photos!

2009-05-01T18:04:00.001-07:00

Check them out and let me know what you think!

Happy to you me...

2009-03-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

You may be a little confused by the title of this post...however, that is how Parker sings happy birthday to himself. He turned 3 last week and has had a blast singing to himself and telling everyone that he's "fwee". So cute:-) We had some friends & family over for his "party", if you can call it that. Just a little get together for cake and ice cream. He specifically requested that he blow out his candles all by himself. So we did that a couple of times. Overall I think he had a great day. Happy birthday Parker boy! I love you to pieces...

The Wheels on the Bus

2009-02-09T12:13:00.000-08:00

Parker started riding the bus to school today. He's too little to ride the bus I know but that doesn't change the fact that he really wants to and that most of his school friends ride the bus too. Here are some pictures I took of him right before he left. So StInKiN cUtE! and it's a good thing. He can be such a turkey sometimes but look at that face....

5 Months Later

2009-02-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

The last several months feel a bit like a blur. Not really sure where they went or what happened. I'm pretty sure we had a Halloween, a Thanksgiving, a Christmas, a New Year's ... somewhere in there, right? I have a few pictures to prove it. I don't know where I've been these last months, but let's try this again...
For Halloween I made Janey & Parker scrubs. Russell was a secret agent. We all had a great time at the ward trunk or treat.
Thanksgiving was split between the Anderson's & Belnap's as usual. I also had the privilege of turning 30 on that day. My family did a great job and let me know my "special day" was not forgotten just because it was Thanksgiving. We were also so excited to have Chad's sister Heidi here with her family from California.
Next was Russell's 9th birthday. We went to grandma's for dinner and had his favorite; BBQ Ribs and mashed potatoes. I can't believe he's 9. When did I get this old?
Grandma Robyn's birthday came next. I won't tell you how old she is...because I love her and want her to still love me:-) I got a great pic of her blowing out candles with the kids.
Christmas was awesome this year. The kids got a loot as usual. Chad got a bike and I got a new camera...finally! I've been dying without one.
Then in January Parker started preschool. This has been such a great thing for him. He comes home in such a good mood. He eats lunch and takes a nap. Sometimes I feel bad because I just don't get to spend much time with him on school days but he's happier than he's been...ever.
Well, must wrap up for now. Enjoy the pics.

Parker's Surgery

2008-09-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

Parker had surgery on September 3rd to repair a communicating hydrocele. The condition is fairly common and the procedure went smoothly. We had to be down at the surgery center by 8:30am. Parker could have no food or water which was devastating because Parker loves breakfast. As most of you know, Parker is not an "easy going" child. He wants what he wants, period. So, that being said, he was not a happy camper in the waiting room. We were only there 10 minutes when one of the office staff pulled me aside and said there were complaints that he was being too loud and that I needed to "please take him out in the lobby." Ok, whatever, I took him out in the lobby...until he found the drinking fountain. I went back inside, pretty frustrated by now, and asked them what I was supposed to do. I can't wait in the waiting room because we're being too loud. We can't wait in the lobby because Parker can't drink before surgery. So, they stuck us in a room in the back and shut the door on us. Needless to say, I was NOT impressed with our treatment. Have they never had an upset child come in before? Maybe one that is scared, hungry and in an unfamiliar place? Once they took him back for the procedure, which was after 10am, things were fine. He was only gone for about 45 minutes. When I went back to recovery to see him he was sucking on an otter pop ready to go home. Usually the kids will have some after affects from the anesthesia; they'll be really tired and sleep for several hours... not Parker. He was trying to run around and be crazy right off the bat. He slept for maybe an hour and a half and other than that, you'd never known he had surgery. -That boy makes me tired :-)

This was taken about an hour after we got home. I love how his leg is propped up on the couch.

Eventful Summer Part I

2008-09-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

I have really struggled with writing about my summer this year. It has been very eventful. Some of my most fun and painful memories all in such a short time. We have done lots of camping, which we love, with friends and family. Chad & I also took a no kids trip to Havasupai. We had a group of about 25 that went down together; some old friends and some new ones.

Part of the Crew

Havasupai holds a lot of mixed feelings for me now in light of all that happened during that trip. We hiked down on a Friday morning and had lots of hiking, playing and relaxing on our "To Do List" for the weekend. We stayed in a lodge down there as opposed to camping. Friday was a pretty lazy day, after we hiked down of course. Some went to check out the falls, others like me, took an uninterrupted nap. Friday night was a blast. We all congregated in one room and laughed until we were so exhausted we couldn't stay awake any longer! Saturday a group of about 10 of us decided we would hike down to Beaver Falls. That's about 8 miles from the village. The trail that leads there is not well marked. One must pass across the river twice, climb ridiculously made ladders, and scale rock walls to stay on the right path. After we reached the falls we spread out to try to find the best way down the rocks to the water when my sister in law, Alisa, slipped and fell about 12 ft.

Our guitar playing hero, Patrick

She actually fell on a man, Patrick, who was sitting on a ledge below playing his guitar (I know, seriously) who grabbed her leg to keep her from tumbling into the water. So much happened so fast from this point that it's hard to put it all here. Some hiked all the way back to get help and have a helicopter dispatched, others went back 6 miles to the campground for more water, and others knelt down where they were to offer prayer, not knowing what else they could do.

Jason (Alisa's husband), Me, Steve, Patrick & Rueben giving the thumbs up.

I was fortunate enough to be down on the ledge with Alisa. She had hit her head and was bleeding, she was most definitely in shock and had a severely broken ankle. Those of us with her kept her awake and talking. That was no easy feat.

It was amazing to watch the helicopter pilot maneuver down into the canyon. He
had no more than the propeller blades width on either side of him as he
descended. Seriously amazing!

About 6 hours later a helicopter that was given wrong information about where we were and was flying around trying to find us FINALLY appeared. We all gave a HUGE sigh of relief. Soon Alisa would be flown out of the canyon to the hospital, given lots of pain meds and everything would be fine... The helicopter medic repelled down, strapped Alisa to the backboard, zipped her up in a bag, hooked her up the the helicopter when the pilot decided he didn't have enough fuel to fly Alisa out of the canyon and with night coming on, didn't have enough light to safely rescue her.

Preparing for the rescue.

It still makes my heart sick to think of her spending the night out on that ledge. Let alone doing it with nothing but Motrin for pain! Since there was nothing else we could do we left Alisa for the night with the medic and her husband, Jason for the long 8 mile hike back to the village, in the dark. As soon as I walked away from her the emotions of the day started seeping in. I knew I had 8 miles to go and didn't have the energy for crying...yet. By the time we made it back to the lodge it was well after midnight. We were met by the rest of our group who had waited up to make sure we got back alright. Everyone was exhausted.

The following morning we learned that Alisa was flown out and taken to Las Vegas were she was taken straight into surgery. She suffered a concussion and shattered her ankle.

Alisa after her initial surgery before her trip home from her Las Vegas.

This is by far not the end of the story, but I think it will do for now. Heavenly Father's blessings were poured out upon us during this trip and are undeniable. About an hour after Alisa's fall, we were happened upon by two fire fighters that were able to assess Alisa's condition and they stayed with us the entire time. They even stayed the night up on the ledge above to offer assistance if needed. The man on the ledge, Patrick, that kept Alisa from falling in the water turned out to be a tour guide. Without him there is no way the rest of us would have been able to find our way back in the dark. Alisa has shared many times how the prayers of those back at the lodge sustained her through that awful night. There is no other explanation than the intervention of our Father in Heaven. I am so grateful for the gospel and the knowledge I have that even when things seem really bad and we don't know what to do, we can always turn to Him.

Anderson Reunion 2008...you may want to sit down for this one.

2008-07-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

For the last 17 years my family has gone camping in the White Mountains for the Anderson Family reunion. It is so fun to spend time with family we only see this time each year.

A picture of the meadow we camp near. It's really awesome because we camp on the side in the trees then the kids can run and play and we can see them from camp. We've been coming to this spot for the last 12 years.

Russell with his Uncle Joel. He was learning how to drive all by himself.

I love this picture. My dad and nephew Cooper.

Here's Parker pitching one of his fits. He's a pro. Nobody would pay any attention except his cousin Cade. I guess you take the sympathy from where ever you can get it.

In this 1st picture, Parker is trying to whistle like his grandpa while sitting on the quad. He loved sitting on the quad but he was very selective with who he would ride with. The last picture is kinda dark, this is my niece Kinley, Parker & Janey.

All the boys went shooting in the meadow. Here's Russell shooting a 22.

My uncle made a game called "Washers". It kept Parker entertained a lot of the time. Basically you throw the washers and try to make it in the holes for points. Pretty fun!

Some pictures around the campfire. My brother Joel with his son Rigdon, my nephew Cooper providing the bunny ears and Brielle cracking up on the right. -Russell whittling wood and his cousin Cooper.

Janey & her cousin Brielle. This was Brielle's 1st time camping. She had a BLAST!

In the meadow the kids played softball and volleyball. It was so awesome to see Parker playing and interacting with his cousins. Very out of character for him.

My dad brought his fishing boat and Parker used it as a jungle gym.

Here is Janey with my Uncle Richard. He is notorious for "eating" ears. I remember him "eating" mine when I was a little girl.

The only picture I'm in & I had to take it myself. My sister-in-law Nicole & I. She is a tough cookie! Camping in a tent for 3 days with 3 children and 7 months pregnant. She would've made a great pioneer.

The only picture I have of Chad...he had to come back during the week to work -thanks honey, you're the best!- Here he is being silly as usual. He is always cracking me up!

P.S. A heartfelt thank you to all of you that have been so supportive during the last several weeks. With Daxton's passing I'm so grateful to those of you that helped me take care of my family by bringing meals, babysitting, listening or giving a hug.

I absolutely love this picture. This is the way I remember him...

In Loving Memory...

2008-06-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

Daxton Douglas Kunz
Daxton Douglas Kunz born on May 31st 2007, went back to his Father in Heaven on June 9th 2008. He was special to all those who knew him with his big blue eyes and his rosy cheeks. He is survived by his father and mother, Doug and Brittany Kunz and his 2 sisters, Savannah and Mikenna. He was loved by all his grandparents, Craig and Margaret Walter and Ryan and Ranae Kunz, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. We will miss our chubba wubba and baby brother. A viewing will be held Friday, June 13th from 6:00-8:00 PM at the LDS Mesa East Stake Center, 2228 E. Brown Road, Mesa. Viewing will also be Saturday, June 14th from 10:00-11:45 AM, with services to follow at 12:00 PM at the Mesa East Stake Center. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Daxton Douglas Kunz Memorial Fund, Wells Fargo Bank, Account No. 9612719972. Bunker's University Chapel handled the arrangements.

Kindle

2008-04-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

Wow! So a friend of mine introduced me to the "Kindle" last night, and I'm speechless. This has moved to numero uno on my wish list! As many of you know, I love to read. I can't finish one book without knowing what I'm going to read next. Check out the video...Wow! I just don't know what else to say.....

Chad here, and I say that it is extremely awesome. After you see the the video, check out the price tag and see why it is going to stay on Trisha's wish list for a very long time, or until she earns enough money through odd jobs around the house. I believe $2.00 per bathroom, $2.00 for weed pulling, maybe a few dollars for being nice to our children. You know little by little.

Now for my rebuttal. Chad will do anything for a clean house so apparently I will be doing "chores" now...at least for a little while (until I get my kindle). Anybody have any odd jobs for me to do? I guess I should just stand out on the corner with my sign "Will Work for Kindle".

...And I didn't even cheat!

2008-04-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

Take the Quiz
I knew we were meant to be...
(Chad's a little upset, so I have to do his too...)

Take the Quiz
She is on Chad's "List" after all, so I guess I'm okay with it.
(Don't tell...but Chad really wanted it to be Brad too.)

Reflections of Christ

2008-03-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

For those of you that haven't made it to the Visitor's Center yet to see the "Reflections of Christ" display, here is what you're missing. This video doesn't do it justice. I would encourage all of you that can to go see it quick before it's too late.

Swinging & Easter

2008-03-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

My kids love to swing! Janey's been teaching Parker how to swing on his tummy and he's just getting the hang of it so I took the camera outside and got a couple of good shots of him. Parker loves to be outside so we spend quite a bit of time in the backyard. The back door just stays open most of the time so the kids can go in and out. Janey will go out there and just start singing at the top of her lungs, usually primary songs, and I just laugh because I know the whole neighborhood can hear her. She's such a funny girl.

The Easter Bunny made it to our house this year...again. Just like always, but Russell was more worried on Saturday night about getting to bed early than he is on Christmas for Santa! He was up at the crack of dawn on Sunday (6:30) and he took the liberty of waking Parker too. And as I'm sure you all know...when the baby's awake so is the rest of the house, ugh! Finally at 7:00 I let him go out in the family room to see and what do you know...he came (like always)! I didn't take any pictures on Easter (I know I'm a bad mom), but we had a good time. Our ward had a great Sacrament Meeting program, lots of songs. Then we headed out to the Belnap's for dinner. It was nice to relax and visit with family.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy PaRkEr

2008-03-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

Parker turned 2 yesterday! We had a fun party with grandma & grandpa and a few friends. Here are some pics...

OH...NICE

2008-03-12T12:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Janey came home from playing with her friend Mikenna at Mikenna's grandma's house (The Walter's). When she got home she proceeded to tell me "mom when I was at Mikenna's grandma's house I was farting a lot! But I said excuse me mom." Chad & I just about died laughing. And for those of you that don't know...Janey has the stinkiest bum ever! My sweet little girl just fartin' away...What do you do?!?

Not Again...

2008-02-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

Russell gave us another scare on Saturday. He was playing at his friends house and decided to climb the orange tree in their backyard (and like I said in my last post, he loved to climb). They were picking oranges to make juice. Well when he reached for what he thought was "a good one" the branch he was holding on to broke...and down he went...right on his head. He fell a good 12-15 feet. When I went to go pick him up I could definitely tell things weren't right. So, I took him into the urgent care. From there they transported us to Maricopa Medical Center via ambulance. They took him there because they have a trauma unit and when a child falls from over twice their height, it's considered a trauma 1. Anyways, so after they cut his clothes off, took chest x-rays, CT scans...we find that he has a concussion and some pretty nice scrapes and bruises. I'm so grateful that's all it was. And Russell has promised to keep his feet on the ground for the next few days at least.

London's Run

2008-02-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

Oh gosh...I'm really not very good at updating this thing. Things have been busy, no surprises there! On Saturday, the 2nd, we went out to Schnepf Farms to participate in London's Run. I ran the 10K with my brother Joel, his wife Nicole, Chad's sister Alisa and her husband Jason.
Well...I didn't really run with them...more behind them! I'm certainly not a fast runner, but I always finish...eventually! There was so much going on out there for the family. My kids had a blast eating ice cream, making necklaces, climbing rock walls and getting lots of free stuff! Russell loved the rock wall. Apparently he scaled it 3 times while I was running. He's my climber.

Russell was the "Super Star" in his class last week. We made him a cool poster of pictures and stuff to show off to his classmates. Janey is loving preschool. She got her shots this week for kindergarten, which totally freaks me out. She cannot be old enough for that! Parker is doing good. He's been seeing a speech therapist for the past month or so and I am seeing some big improvements. For those of you who don't know...Parker is not much of a talker. He's a crier, all the time!!! But since we've been doing speech therapy he is learning to use other ways to communicate with others (me primarily). He is a much happier boy, which makes me a happier mom. Chad & I are doing great. I have another run planned in April, then Chad & I will take another trip to Havasupai in the summer. Chad's been playing a lot of paintball lately. He's got a good group from the ward that gets together a few times a month. Business is picking up. We've had a slow winter, but things are definitely turning around.
I love hearing from all of you and getting to read up on your families & the happenings in your lives!

P.S. Many of you have been asking about my friend Charlene who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She is doing great. For more updates, you can visit her blog. (I love the new family pics Char.)

Catch Up

2008-01-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's been awhile since I've been able to sit down and post. I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year! We sure did. Things have been very busy, as I'm sure it has been for all of you. On Thanksgiving I was able to run the "Turkey Trot" with two of my brothers, Chris & Joel, and a sister-in-law, Nicole. It was a lot of fun and I ran into lots of old friends out there at Red Mountain Park. Chad brought the kids down to cheer me on! Hopefully, he'll run it with me next year...We enjoyed way too much food with both of our families!
After Thanksgiving we had my niece, Morgan stay with us for several days. She is the same age as Parker, and they are great friends. When it was time for her to go home, Parker wandered around the house looking for her for a few days. It was so cute.
Then, the first part of December, my dear friend Charlene called with some shocking news, she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. That just has blown me away. I haven't known anyone that has had cancer that I'm really close to. What a hopeless feeling. I just love her to death and we've been close friends since right after Chad & I got married. After visiting with her Dr. they decided to do a double mastectomy. Her surgery went really well. For her hospital stay, I decided to try my hand at quilting. I made her a quilt with pictures of her sons on it. I was so excited to make it. I felt like it gave me something worthwhile to do for her. I finished it in about a week and a half working on it constantly. Many thanks to my husband and friend Ann for helping with my kiddos during that time. I'm not much of a sewer and taking on a project like this was huge for me, but it ended up being such a spiritual experience for me. I know it probably sounds so lame, but I know I wasn't sewing by myself. I can't sew a straight stitch if my life depended on it, but everything turned out just right. I cried the whole time I was making it...I know she was really happy with it and grateful. I'm really thankful for the whole experience, it has helped me see what is really important to me because things can change at any second. I am so thankful for my family, that we are healthy and have the tools we need to be together for eternity.
Russell turned 8 on December 21st and was able to be baptized on the 22nd! We had lots of friends and family in attendance! Russell was pretty nervous about being "dunked" but he did great. Afterwards we went over to Grandma Robyn's for some lunch. Some of us weren't very keen on getting pictures taken, but I'll post one anyway.
Christmas was awesome this year! The kids were very excited that Santa was able to make it to our house...and that he didn't leave coal in their stockings. We were able to spend Christmas Eve with my family for dinner and a gift exchange. Then Christmas Day we spent with Chad's family. I love this time of year. Being able to spend more time with family and the cool weather of course.

Brag Time

2007-10-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I had the awesome opportunity to hike the Grand Canyon with some of my in-laws, my father in law, Delwyn; my mother in law, Flo (she didn't hike, she was our driver); my sisters in law Monika & Alisa; and brother in law Jason (Alisa's husband). (There were also about 30 people there from my in laws stake in Glendale and some from Peoria.) It was such a great experience and I still can't believe I did it. We left early on Saturday morning and hiked from the South Kaibab trail head to the North Kaibab trail head, twenty one miles! It took me 10 hours and 10 minutes! It was definitely hard, but I felt so excited when I finished. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face! From the North Rim trail head my mother in law took me back to the lodge were we stayed. When I got to our room, I couldn't find my overnight bag anywhere! So I hung out for about an hour in my nasty sweaty clothes until we could locate my bag! And of course, by the time it was my turn to shower, the water was COLD! We stayed on the North Rim Saturday & Sunday nights. The lodge sits right on the edge of the canyon! There were so many gorgeous views, I took lots of pictures, but just added a few. They had a really nice restaurant, quite pricey, but when your hungry...who cares, right?! On Sunday we were able to have Sacrament meeting then we just relaxed and walked to some of the scenic lookouts. Monday morning we hiked back from North to South (I was one of the few women to hike back!) When we got out of the van at the North Rim trail head (at 6 AM) the temperature gauge read 28 degrees! Coming back it took me 9 hours and 40 minutes and was actually easier for me than hiking the other way. Anyways, I have an awesome sense of accomplishment. I trained for quite a while but still didn't think I would do as well as I did! Now I'm proud to say that I'm one of the few that has hiked the Grand Canyon "Rim to Rim to Rim"!

Delwyn, Me, Monika, Alisa & Jason @ S. Kaibab Trailhead Saturday morning

The lodge where we stayed is right on the edge of the canyon.

Monika, Me & Alisa at a North Rim lookout.

A couple of good pictures of the trail. On the left is the north side, the right is the south side.

I did it!! Me on Monday afternoon, back where I started at the South Kaibab Trail head, 42 miles in total.

Map of the trail we took.

Six Years

2007-10-03T10:03:00.001-07:00

Chad & I celebrated our sixth anniversary on Saturday. We went out to dinner to one of our favorite places, Julio's Too. The original is Julio G's in Scottsdale, but Juilo's Too is closer (Val Vista & Baseline) and almost as good. Sometimes it's almost like I can't remember what it was like not being married to Chad, and other times, like when I look at these pictures, it's seems like just yesterday. Crazy how time just gets away from me...

Celebrity Look A Likes

2007-09-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

Is this a joke?!

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

Who Looks Like Who?

2007-09-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

I don't know how they come up with this stuff, but it's pretty fun anyway.

Four Things

2007-08-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

I have officially been tagged by my sister-in-law Heidi.
Job's I've had:
1. File Clerk for City of Mesa, summer work program
2. Office assistant for Farmer's Insurance Agent
3. Office assistant at Haw's Flowers
4. Receptionist/Account Analyst for SSSC (Student Loan Company)
Getaways:
1. Back to Kauai with Chad (Anywhere alone with Chad)
2. NYC
3. Washington D.C.
4. Europe
Movies I put on repeat:
1. High School Musical 1 & 2
2. How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days
3. The Sound of Music
4. Cinderella
Guilty Pleasures:
1. Reading, especially when the house is a mess.
2. Word puzzles/games
3. Facials
4. Pedicures
Places I've lived:
1. Glendale, AZ
2. Tucson, AZ
3. Mesa, AZ
4. That's it, not real exciting.
Places I've Vacationed:
1. Kauai, Hawaii
2. Bear Lake, Utah
3. Big Lake, White Mountains, AZ
4. Disneyland, California
Favorite Foods:
1. Molten Chocolate Cake from Chili's
2. Pizza Cookie from Oregano's
3. Mexican Food, Julio G's
4. My mother-in-laws cinnamon rolls
First Kiss Location:
1. On the couch at my parent's house. Of course, I had to kiss him.

Now I tag Ann, Michelle, Kim, Mikelle, Jamie & Jenni.

California

2007-08-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

This last week we went to California. We have some friends over there in Corona that set up several jobs for Chad. He worked almost the whole time, but the kids & I had fun! On Thursday Vicki & I took the kids to Newport Beach. Parker didn't like the sand or the water. If I put him on the blanket he did okay. (He held his leg up, so it wouldn't touch the sand. What a goof.)

Janey enjoyed playing in the sand and a little bit of water. But Russell, he was so brave. He took a kick board out there and was having a good ol' time in the waves. I was trying really hard not to be an overprotective mom and let him just try things out, but it was scary for me letting him go so far out there. He had such a great time! He loves the ocean.

We stayed with Blaine & Vicki until Saturday. Thanks you guys for opening your home to us. You always make us feel at home! Then Saturday afternoon we went to Bakersfield to see Chad's sister Heidi and her family. They have a new baby, Preston, and he is so sweet! Janey, adored him.

We went to the park and played while Chad cleaned their carpet. There's a pretty bad fire down in the Santa Barbara area and all the smoke made the sky so orange. That's why the park pictures have a weird tint.

Sunday, was the long trip home, 8 hours. The kids really did pretty well, considering none of them would sleep...Ugh! I don't know what it is with them, not even Parker will sleep. Thank goodness for portable DVD players.

Eclipse

2007-08-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Okay so the newest book in the Twilight series came out today and I'm so excited to read it. I went down and got my copy today and am wishing my kids were back in school so I could just sit and read! No such luck...not yet at least, just 5 more days!! I am so hooked on these books, so if you haven't read them they are 1. Twilight 2. New Moon 3. Eclipse written by Stephenie Meyer. For more info go to http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/.

Crazy Summer

2007-07-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

This summer has been my fullest in a long time. The kids and I went to Bear Lake in Utah to the Belnap family reunion July 3rd-8th. It was quite an adventure! We went with 2 of Chad's sisters, Angela & Alisa and Alisa's 3 kids. It was a lot of work, but well worth it.

The following weekend I flew back to Utah for a Lia Sophia Conference alone! I stayed with my cousin Kara and had a great time taking advantage of some "me" time. Kara & I got pedicures and she took me shopping at a great place called Rod Works. Check out their website http://www.rodworks.com/

This last weekend we went camping up by Big Lake in the White Mountains. The weather was gorgeous. It rained every day. Here is a picture of Janey and her cousin Kinley. Then a picture of Kinley and Grandma Robyn. Kinley was giving me the "crazy eye" when I took this picture. I think it is so funny. Click on the picture to enlarge it...then you'll see what I mean.

Here is a picture of Russell. He went fishing and caught a crawdad. No fish...bummer. All of the kids had a great time playing with cousins they only see once a year. Every year when we get home Russell wants to know how many days until we get to go back. Then the disbelief on his face when I say "about 360 days". That feels like forever when your 7.

Trying It Out

2007-06-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finally given in...I sit here and read everyone else's blogs out there, I guess it's about time I started my own. Recently Chad & I hiked Havasupai with a bunch of friends. We had a GREAT time. Here are some pics from the trip.