Here are the most recent blog entries that cover January and part of February 2010:
1. Snow in Georgia
2. Young Women New Beginnings 2010
3. PJ Gets Braces
4. Snow in Monticello
5. Angelia’s Baptism
6. Cody Update
7. Shayne’s Birthday
8. Megan – Academic Team Competition
9. Liz Plays Soccer
So…we got a call at 5:30 am on February 12th from our school district (automated, of course). School was being cancelled because it MIGHT snow 
. It would have been funny at the time if it hadn’t been so early and we didn’t already have 2 kids up getting ready for early morning Seminary.
So, the kids were home all day…no snow…until about 1:30 pm. We did end up getting about 4-5 inches, which is atypical for here. And, since snow only comes possibly once (or twice) a year, the South isn’t equipped with snow removal equipment…which makes for treacherous driving conditions as it all freezes up.
The kids had a great time playing in the snow though!! I missed a bunch of good photo ops while they were playing…but here are the few I got plus a couple of videos:
This was the night it started. Frank and I really wanted to go out for date night...but we turned around and came back home because the roads were so bad. It was sooo beautiful everywhere though.
Frank again...he is standing at the top of the driveway...we left the Honda parked at the top because we were worried we wouldn't be able to get out of the driveway.
This was taken from the top of the driveway at the cul-de-sac looking back toward the house (yeah, it's in there somewhere).
This is looking down the road away from our house (out from under my umbrella).
The house looking all Gingerbread Housey.
Looking off into the backyard.
Liz and PJ...
VIDEO: A quick look around the yard…
Snow in Georgia from Shayne Nolden on Vimeo.
…and a little bit of snowball fighting going on…
More Snow in Georgia from Shayne Nolden on Vimeo.
Every year our (church) Young Women’s group has a “New Beginnings” program where we get reminded what the program is all about, why it is important, why we should be setting goals and encouraging the girls to set goals and accomplish them.
I didn’t get that many photos because I was running around trying to get my PowerPoint presentation up and running at the beginning. Right before we started, I had to swap out computers because I couldn’t get my laptop to connect to the church’s WiFi. It all turned out ok though and I think it all went well.
Our theme was: “The Worth of ‘Soles’ is Great” and everything related to a SHOE somehow…but ultimately it meant that “The worth of SOULS is great in the sight of God.”
Megan (Left) with a couple of friends.
Mikayla (Right) was one of the main people in a skit we did.
Liz (2nd from Right) was part of a group of girls that sang the song "Be Strong," which goes along with our 2010 Theme: "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Joshua 1:9)
The church has a great new website for the youth of the church:
It has everything they need for Personal Progress, Seminary (scriptures/songs/videos), YW Camp, For the Strength of Youth, etc.
It finally happened…PJ became a “brace face” just like Liz . He was sooo excited to finally get them (even though Liz had told him how bad they can be)…until they started hurting during school later that day and he couldn’t eat lunch. He is getting used to it now though.
BEFORE 1
BEFORE 2 - you can see the nervousness ;-)
AFTER 1 (at the Ortho Office)
AFTER 2 (getting dropped off at school...still thinking they are no big deal).
What a crazy weather year we are all having! My hometown of Monticello, Utah, got dumped on big time this year with the white stuff. Some people who have never been there think it is weird that they would even get snow in Southern Utah…but Monticello is at 7400 feet above sea level on the foothills of a mountain. Still…they have been having a drought for as far back as I can remember…so a storm of this type hasn’t come along in a VERY long time.
Grandpa Slade ready to tackle the snow...
That's Grandpa Slade in the backyard with a backhoe...it gives you some perspective on how deep some of the drifts were.
Here he is out front trying to dig out the cars.
This is looking out from the house toward the shed...the lower half of which is hidden.
This is looking out of the window...it gives you perspective on how high the snow was.
Another window shot.
Those are some funky icecicles! This is just evidence of how much and how fiercly the wind blows in Monticello...the snow didn't just come down...it got blown all over the place.
Another window shot...
This is a neighbor helping my parents dig out.
This is my dad driving the loader out at the farm...even the backdrop is white!
I don't know who this house belongs to...but I hope they can find the rest of it :-).
The Monticello Temple amidst the storm.
Angelia has been coming to church with us for a couple of months now and she really wanted to get baptized. So, at the end of January, she was baptized by Elder Folker. Frank was able to do the confirmation. She is a really sweet girl with a lot of faith.
Angelia with Elders Folker and Davies.
Angelia with her mom and cousins (Daija & Dorian) and the Elders.
Angelia's mom with Daija & Dorian.
Megan before the baptism.
Liz before the baptism.
We had a dinner at our house after the baptism. These are our current Elders: Campbell, Folker, Davies & Eversole...great guys.
Here is Liz with the Sister Missionaries, Leavitt and Whitworth...we love them.
Liz, always "on top of things." :-)
PJ had just bought himself and iPod Touch. He and Don were checking it out. PJ LOVES that thing.
Cody has been dating Whitney for the past couple of months. Here they are on a few of their outings:
Cody and Whitney...
Cody, Whitney, and Whitney's brother at a BYU game...
This was in the BYU newspaper after the big BYU/Utah game. You can see Cody and Whitney (red circle)...
It wasn’t a birthday I was looking forward to…but it turned out to be not so bad. I guess I should just be happy to be alive, very healthy, and to have a family that loves me! Life is good.
The family took me out to dinner at Don Tellos (TexMex). We had fun.
...Meggie Lou waiting for food...
...Mikayla and Don eating chips while waiting for their food...
The kids at Don Tellos...except for Liz (missing to the left) and Cody (who was in Utah at the time)...
Ooohhh...Frank got me some pretty jewelry for my birthday...I was totally surprised!!
Modeling the jewelry...not sure what the hand was for...it was a necklace and earrings :-).
Word got out it was my birthday (hard to hide when you have 6 kids at the table)...so they brought me a sombrero and a chocolate drizzled sopapia (yummy!) and then sang to me.
So, we watched Liz's soccer game and then got home just in time for cake, ice cream and presents before everyone headed off to bed (all sugared up). It was a fun birthday.
VIDEO: So, we didn’t bother to put candles on the cake (fire hazard, ya know?)….so I just pretended…
Shayne’s 2010 Birthday from Shayne Nolden on Vimeo.
Megan is our resident “smarty.” She is on her high school Academic Team and travels around to competitions. I went with them to a recent Saturday outing and took a few pictures…
That's Megan...second one from the Left...but you knew that, right?
...and the opposing team...
Megan and some of her JV teammates...and their coach (on the right).
Liz played on a recreational (indoor) soccer league team this winter and had a lot of fun. Her friends were on the team and one of her friends’ dad was the coach.
Liz's Soccer Team Winter 2009-10.
That's Liz on the Field.
...and Liz on the bench waiting to play.
That's so totally Liz!
Check out Liz in A-C-T-I-O-N…
Liz Playing in a Recreational Soccer League from Shayne Nolden on Vimeo.
and…
Liz Playing in Recreational Soccer League from Shayne Nolden on Vimeo.
NOTE: You can click on a photo to see a slightly larger version of it AND scroll through the photos like a slideshow if you would like!
