The Hurst Family

St. George 1/2 and Dixie Tour

2012-01-21T19:32:00.000-08:00

We headed down to St. George Friday morning. Jeffrey had a chance to work on his driving skills for a couple of hours.

When we got to St. George we headed to Dixie Campus and were able to take a tour of Cammie's college choice.

The Dorms

We met up with the Baldwins at the Dixie Convention Center to pick up our packets. After checking to our hotel we headed to the Pizza Factory for a carb overload. Yummy.

Our Hardware Store.

Kevin was able to get some shots of me at mile 12ish. I was feeling really good still, but my IT band was just starting to feel irritated, but I was able to keep up my pace until the big finish.

I'm real proud of my 2:06 time. This is my second 1/2 marathon and I was well trained and prepared for it. I had no problem with the hills. I'm sure the altitude made a big difference because I felt like I could power up the hills with no problem.

Kevin got a picture of the clock just after I crossed the finish.

I'm excited for my next 1/2 in August.

Christmas

2011-12-30T15:11:00.000-08:00

Another wonderful Christmas for the Hurst family. God bless us every one.

Amberly's BYU-I Graduation

2011-12-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Amberly on her graduation with her Associate Degree from BYU-I on Friday, December 16th 2011. Now she is off to BYU (mom and dad's alma mater) to major in ? So proud of you Amberly!

Jeffrey's Christmas Concert

2011-12-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

The End of an Era

2011-12-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

Janna had her braces off today. Doesn't she look beautiful?

Horsley Family Christmas Party

2011-12-11T18:36:00.001-08:00

Fun times at the Horsley Family Christmas party Sunday night. Thanks for coming everyone. We missed you Cook family, Amberly and Jer.

Janna's Choir Concert

2011-12-11T07:06:00.001-08:00

Thursday was a busy night for our family. Janna had a choir concert which Kevin went to and I went to Young Women in Excellence with Cammie. Cammie was on the planning committee for it and did a great job making a beautiful evening. Good job on the pictures Kevin.

Christmas Party at Grandma's House

2011-12-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

Kevin's mom threw a great party Saturday night. It is always fun to get together with her Nelson family and get reacquainted.

The Lady of the Hour.

Aunt Jane

Lori Ellen and Kami

Michael and Jeffrey

Ethan and Cammie

Suzanne and Reece

Janna

Ethan and Abigail

Kimberlee and Amy

Wendy and Matt Winzenried

The three that started it all...Sue, Allen and Ron

Austin, Ryan and Ethan

Rachel and Elijah

Wendy, Chris and Kevin

RaeAnn and Kevin

One of Grandpa Nelson's ornaments. Sue gave one to each grandchild.

Scott and Kami

Morgan and Allen

The Hurst boys, Michael and Jeffrey. You can tell they're related by looking at their hands and feet.

Resting after it's all over. Thanks Sue and Leon for having this fun party to reconnect with extended family.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-03T11:56:00.001-08:00

Gratitude

2011-11-19T07:24:00.001-08:00

From Wikipedia: According to Cicero, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.” Multiple studies have shown the correlation between gratitude and increased wellbeing not only for the individual but for all people involved. The positive psychology movement has embraced these studies and in an effort to increase overall wellbeing, has begun to make an effort to incorporate exercises to increase gratitude into the movement. Although in the past gratitude has been neglected by psychology, in recent years much progress has been made in studying gratitude and its positive effects.

Found this on Sugardoodle:

Dear Lord:

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when
the alarm rings, thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the
morning light as long as possible,
thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bed-ridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic,
when socks are lost, toast is burned and
tempers are short, thank you, Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks
like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at
times unbalanced, thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry;
Even though the routine of my job often is hard,
thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from
day to day and wish my circumstances were not so
modest, thank you, Lord, for life.

New York

2011-11-08T18:35:00.000-08:00

New York City with my sisters. What fun!

We got up early to get in the stand by line for Regis and Kelly. We made it in...barely...and got to see the soon to retire Regis and the lovely Kelly. It was also amazing to see Michael J. Fox as their guest.

One block away was the temple. We were able to visit the church side. The church is true, even in Manhatten.

We grabbed a cab and headed to the Jarvits convention center to get Janice checked into the marathon. It was huge.

One of the best kept secrets in Manhatten is Highline Park. It's an old high railroad that has been made into a walking park. It was amazing. Cammie wanted me to take aesthetically pleasing pictures and this was one of the best places to get them.

New Yorkers get creative when they have to park.

We headed to the World Trade Center next. Not much to see unless you want to pay, but it was interesting to get the perspective of how close all of the buildings are around ground zero. The memorial looks like it will be fantastic.

Trinity Church was a very reverent place and it was special to be in an Episcopal church since dad belonged to the Episcopal church before he joined the LDS church.

Battery Park gave us a view of the Statue of Liberty.

New Yorkers come up with very interesting ways to make a living.

First time on the subway. We only got on the wrong train once. Ended up in Harlem, but we learned how to read the map.

New York taxis will forever have a special place in our hearts. We had a guy try and be pushy and get us to take a pseudo taxi from the airport to the hotel. We realized he didn't have a taxi license so unloaded our luggage and went to find a REAL YELLOW New York taxi.

Time Square is indescribable. I think we saw every nationality and heard every language as we walked around Times Square.

Toys R Us on Times Square had amazing Lego creations.

A whole store dedicated to M&M's.

Another highlight for me was Wicked. Amazing. I love that musical. My all time favorite.

The event that brought us here...the New York City Marathon. Janice had an amazing experience. Her time was 4:05. It was almost as much fun for us as spectators. The weather couldn't have been better. I even jumped in at mile 23 to run with Janice for 1/4 mile or so. I RAN IN THE NY CITY MARATHON.

Frances, Lydia and I headed on a walk through Central Park to meet up with Janice after the race. We were able to have some great photo moments and more aesthetically pleasing pictures for Cammie.

Great job sister. What an amazing trip with my amazing sisters. I'd love to do it again soon.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

The tourist, the witch, the biker and the tennis nerds.

Welcome to the Family

2011-10-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

We recently welcomed a new addition to our family. Say hello to Dyson. We are so excited to have Dyson in our family. He's a hard worker and so helpful. I also think he's very handsome. The kids all love him as well. We hope to enjoy his presence in our home for many years to come.

Seven Random Things

2011-10-10T15:47:00.001-07:00

Okay Amberly, this is because of YOU.

Seven random things about RaeAnn:

1. I was baptized in a garage.

2. I prefer to fall off the boat backward rather than do the giant step when entering the water to scuba dive.

3. I went to kindergarten, first and half of second grade in Juneau, Alaska.

4. I am NOT afraid of spiders or snakes.

5. I am now a big fan of the spin bike.

6. I HATE Geico commercials!

7. I have the cutest leather bag for work.

The Future Looks Bright

2011-10-07T18:55:00.001-07:00

Janna is the VP of History for the FCCLA club at the Jr. High. It is for future leaders and I say she makes our future look very bright indeed.

Heber Valley Camp

2011-09-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

We had another wonderful family reunion at Heber Valley Camp this weekend. It was beautiful weather and so fun to be with the Horsley Family. I feel so blessed to be part of the big, loud, fun Horsley family. I'm so glad we will be together forever.

Red Rock Relay

2011-09-13T15:49:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I ran the Red Rock Relay in Zions with Frances, Donna, April, Megan and Brei. We were Van #2 The Sun Van. Our other team members from van #1 The Snow Van were Todd, Rachel, Chad, Chad, Jared and Jeff. We didn't see much of them, but the girls in van #2 had a great time together.

I wasn't able to run as well as I wanted due to some injuries and a cold, but I finished all my legs, even if I had to power walk my 3rd one. I felt proud of my accomplishment and had fun with these ladies.

Frances had us sparkled up.

Frances

First Run.

Frances tagged along with Brei for one of her legs.

April

Donna

Megan

Potty Break

We added this for the last leg.

Our friend Jordan worked the race and it was fun to see him now and then.

Van #2

Sitting in the cold river to help the swelling.

Way to go Team "Kickin A to Zions." It was fun to race with all of you.

Amberly is 20

2011-09-05T13:45:00.001-07:00

I have been a mom for twenty years. I'm so glad Amberly came to our family twenty years ago. She is smart, beautiful, spiritual, talented, dependable, fun, creative and so much more. She is a great example to her brother and sisters and to her parents. I'm so glad you chose to come to our family, Amberly.

Amberly chose to go to the Cheesecake Factory for her birthday. Great choice. I loved it. We will definitely be going back.

Happy Birthday Amberly!

Family Pictures

2011-08-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

For family night we took family pictures at the railroad tracks. I think they turned out great.

RaeAnn's First Half Marathon

2011-08-27T13:52:00.001-07:00

I did my first half marathon today. It was a great experience that I will never forget. Even though my IT band started to bother me at mile 5, Frances and her running friend Julia kept me distracted and made it fun to run even with some pretty painful knees. Plus we looked really cute.

I had the best support from my girls and Kevin. Amberly and her friends Sarah and Amanda helped at the mile 9 aid station and Janna, Cammie and McKayla helped at mile 11. They all were there to support us at mile 1. It was great to know they were waiting for us and were proud of us. Kevin leapfrogged us and took great pictures. Thanks Kevin.

This whole course was really hilly, but mile 10 had a doozy. The signs kept us walking fast

(there as no running this one).

Overall I was very happy with my time and that I finished so strong. Even though it hurt, I was able to finish strong and proud.

I didn't realize this race was to support autism awareness until after I had agreed to do it, but I am so happy to support such a great cause. I love teaching my autistic primary boy, Kevin Rodham every Sunday and this was a great way to support him.

First Day of School

2011-08-23T15:13:00.001-07:00

Great First Day of School

Love of my Life

2011-08-18T15:27:00.001-07:00

Kevin has been in China and Taiwan for the past 2 weeks. I can't wait for him to get home. I love this man more and more every day. I have realized that Kevin has a super power. When he is physically around, everything works as it should. When he leaves, things don't function properly. I need his powers here to keep the cars running.

It's the simple things...

2011-08-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

I had my first tomato from my garden yesterday for lunch. It's the simple things that make life worth living.

Sister Retreat 2011

2011-07-30T19:27:00.001-07:00

I Thank Thee O God for A Prophet

2011-07-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading President Monson's biography by Heidi Swinton. In my patriarchal blessing, I am counseled to study out of the best books and I can truly say that this has definitely filled that advise. I sustained this man as the 16th president of the church without reservation in 2008, but today I do so with a deeper understanding of who he is and how the Lord has prepared him to be the prophet today. I have come to LOVE Thomas S. Monson while reading this book. I had a dream last week that Janna and I snuck into a meeting in a neighboring stake and President Monson was there to surprise them so we hurried and got in line to greet him and he came right to the two of us to shake our hands. I feel loved by President Monson even though we've never met. I'm grateful for the example of his life and I commit to try and be more like him which will make me more like my Savior.

I Thank Thee O God for THIS prophet!

Lagoon

2011-07-20T11:32:00.001-07:00

We had a fun time at Lagoon on Monday. It's fun to go to amusement parks with big kids. I enjoy being with my family so much. Family is what it is all about. We finished off the day by seeing Harry Potter. The only thing that would have made it better is if Amberly had been there. Next Monday, when we bounce back, she will be home to go with us.

Smith & Moorehouse

2011-07-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

Had a fantastic campout at Smith and Moorehouse July 13th-July 16th. It was absolutely beautiful and so much fun to be with our camping friends. Can't wait for next year to do it again.

Sparkler fun

2011-07-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

The kids figured out how to use the fireworks mode on my camera and had a lot of fun making words and designs with the sparklers. I love my kids. They always keep life fresh and fun.

Proud to be an American and a Mormon

2011-06-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

I watched this video posted on Facebook by the church news and ended up watching it 3 times. It brought tears of patriotism and pride to my eyes each time. I'm proud to be an American and a Mormon.

http://youtu.be/GBXXLzE0-rY

Stonehenge

2011-06-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

Guess what Kevin saw today. STONEHENGE.

Strawberry Days 5K

2011-06-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

So pretty much what I do everyday this summer is run and do assignments for my 3 Masters classes. School Law, Curriculum and Historical Philosophy, and Creative Teaching. Sounds fun right. Well today all that running paid off when I ran the Strawberry Days 5K. It was a fast course, but I was still pretty proud of my time. 28 min. 28 sec.

It was so fun to run with my great friends from Manila. Great job girls. Can't wait to run with you again.

My Street Artists

2011-06-01T16:54:00.001-07:00

I have always admired Cammie and Janna's artist abilities. Hopefully it won't rain for a while so we can enjoy their talents on the driveway for a few days.

Red Rock Relay

2011-05-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

What an amazing weekend we had in Moab this past weekend. Sarah, Frances, Todd, Maria, Jeffrey and I ran the Red Rock Relay with Glen as our great support crew. It was one of the funnest things I've done. I really hope we are able to make a tradition of it.

We signed in Friday evening and then headed to Eddie McStiff's for dinner. It was yummy.

Got to decorate the vehicle, right?

The whole team at the starting area.

Jeffrey was a trooper to hang out with us OLD people all weekend.

Sarah started us off right. Leg #1

Then she passed the slap bracelet to Todd-Leg #2

Great job Todd!

We stopped for some scenic pictures. This canyon was incredibly beautiful!

Then RaeAnn takes over for Leg #3
This was 5.4 miles for me and the most I've ever run at one time. I felt great although my knee hurt the last 15 minutes. It was so helpful to have my support crew meeting me every mile or so. I can't wait to do it again.

Maria was our runner at Leg #4 and she had to start off with a wicked hill, but she did great. Here Frances is giving her a little support.

Some more diversion for the support crew. Trying to throw rocks into a hole in a sand hill. I think Jeffrey got the closest.

What a view!

Exchange of bracelet and Jeffrey is off for Leg #5
Pretty steep, but hey, he's young.

Sarah took the next Leg, #6. Glen and Maria ran it with her. It was a steep one too.

RaeAnn had a walking partner in Maria for Leg #7. This was a real steep one so we hiked it. My knee was gone after my first leg so it was good this was a hiking leg.

Jeffrey did Leg #8. It was suppose to be VERY HARD. He thought it wasn't so bad.

At the bridge during Todd's run. It was so pretty.

Jeffrey and his favorite uncle. At least at the moment.

Go Todd on Leg #9

Frances finally gets her turn on Leg #10. Lots of down hill with Maria to support her. Maria ran 26.24 to help her train for the Pocatello 50 during Memorial weekend.

Just when we were starting to get quiet in the car, we had some bovine and reptile excitement to keep us jazzed.

Maria was in charge of Leg #11. She got to spend some quality time with Glen. He felt he was missing out on all the fun.

Finally we have our power girl on Leg #12 to finish off the race. 15 miles of down hill and she had some jello legs, but did so great. Way to go Frances.

Got our medals and our stripes. Way to go team. This was such a fun relay. I can't wait to do it again next year.

On the way home we stopped to see Delicate Arch. It was a pretty good hike. Would have been easy if we hadn't just done the relay, but it was way worth it.

Great weather, great run, great company, great weekend. Loved it!

Easter Treats

2011-04-24T18:47:00.001-07:00

Easter Cookies

These cookies are basically made from vinegar, egg whites, salt, sugar and walnuts. Each ingredient has a spiritual representation and a scripture attached. As we beat the walnuts with a spoon we read about Jesus being scourged by the Roman soldiers, eggs represented life, etc. You put the cookies in the preheated oven overnight (turning OFF the oven), and in the morning the cookies are hollow, representing the empty tomb when Christ had been resurrected. (Yes Amberly, I stole these pictures and words from your blog because I was too lazy to type what you'd already said so well and because we ate our cookies before I got a picture.)

Kevin wanted to buy the kids those silly store bought baskets that look so fun and full of fun stuff and then you open them and its mostly packaging and tape. We did end up supplementing them with some more goodies. Amberly is at BYU-I and our nephew Josh is staying with us for the weekend, so he got to enjoy the fun store bought basket instead of Amberly.

Happy Easter

Happy 23rd Anniversary

2011-04-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

So glad I married this guy 23 years ago. April 23rd was our 23rd anniversary. Cammie says to say 23 things I love about Kevin so here goes in no particular order of importance:

He is very kind. On our second date we went to the hospital to see a friend of Kevin's who was paralyzed and he climbed on the bed and teased her till she was laughing.
He is punctual. He doesn't like to be early, but I can count on him not to be late without letting me know.
Kevin has an incredible memory. He didn't really have to study much, he would just look over his notes and ace a test. It drove me crazy in college as I studied my brains out.
Kevin always gets the best parking place. It's truly a gift I envy.
Kevin has always supported our family well. Even when he was laid off after 9/11, he did whatever work he could find to help us get by.
Kevin is very good with money. We have never lived beyond our means and we always save for a rainy day.
Even though going to church and the temple causes his "spiritual ADD" (Kevin's words) to kick in, he still goes. What blessings we receive because he chooses to be WHERE he's supposed to be WHEN he's suppose to be.
Kevin doesn't like it when I'm mad. He tries very hard to listen and understand where I'm coming from and make things right between us as quickly as possible.
Kevin talks to me. I know some guys are the silent type, and Kevin has his moments, but he likes to just talk with me about everything and I love that about him.
Even though my family is big, and loud, and overwhelming, Kevin still comes to support family functions with the Horsley clan. He might hide in the other room with some of the other brother-in-laws, but he's there and supports my relationship with my family.
Kevin also supports his own family. He tries hard to be a good son and brother, uncle and cousin.
Kevin can fix almost anything. He doesn't do it as much now that we can afford to have other people do it, but he can build, fix, change tires, brakes, whatever.
Kevin is great with computers. He cleans up the virus' and other messes the rest of us make of the computer.
Kevin is a great dad. He was reluctant to be responsible for another little person, but once Amberly was here, he never looked back and has always been there for the kids.
Kevin has always supported my dreams. When he graduated from college and I had a year left, he took a lesser job in Provo, so I could finish my degree. He has supported me when I went back to work and have done my graduate work.
Kevin likes the outdoors. He takes us camping and he has introduced our family to scuba diving.
Kevin loves to travel and loves to plan trips. I wouldn't want to travel with anyone else. He makes every trip special.
Kevin is a good friend. He is loyal to those he considers his friends and would do almost anything for them.
Kevin fulfills his priesthood responsibilities. He is the stake financial clerk and takes good care of the stake finances. He is a great example to Jeffrey of a home teacher and a priesthood holder in the home, by always being able to give blessings as needed.
Kevin watches cartoons. The little kid in him is still going strong.
Kevin doesn't swear. He's been a good example of using good language to me and the kids.
Kevin is great at his job. He works hard for Wavetronix and cares a lot about how he is doing at work. He's very honest in his dealings with his employer.
The best thing about Kevin is he's my best friend. He's the one I laugh with, cry with, fight with, worry with, walk with, parent with, travel with, dive with, everything with. I can't imagine my life or eternity without him. Thanks for a wonderful 23 years. Can't wait for decades more with you Kevin.

THE LIVING CHRIST ACTIVITY

2011-04-23T15:03:00.001-07:00

Earlier this year, the stake young women's presidency challenged all the young women and their mothers to memorize THE LIVING CHRIST. We culminated that challenge today at the visitors center by hearing from Sister Ashton of the General Young Women's Board, watching THE TESTAMENTS and all 200 of us saying THE LIVING CHRIST together as we stood under the CHRISTUS statue. The spirit was so powerful. What a wonderful way to celebrate the EASTER weekend, remembering the real reason we celebrate EASTER.

Happy 17th Birthday Cammie

2011-03-31T16:57:00.000-07:00

Cammie turned 17 today.

Cammie has been so excited to be able to give blood now that she's 17. We went to the Orem Red Cross and she had her dream come true. For her birthday she gave the gift of life. What an amazing girl. I love you Cammie.

We finished off her great birthday by taking Cammie to eat at Cafe Rio. Yummy. Hope you had a great birthday. You're a great girl.

Great Job Jeffrey

2011-03-12T13:15:00.001-08:00

Sunday, March 6, 2011 Jeffrey was honored at a court of honor for 7 other boys in the ward who have earned their eagle scout award. We're very proud of you Jeffrey. You worked hard and you did Great!

This weekend Jeffrey started his Lacrosse season. The boys have some work to do, but they got some good experience and looked great doing it.

Go Vickings! Jeffrey is number 39.

Soldier Hollow

2011-02-26T20:22:00.001-08:00

We had a great time at Soldier Hollow this week-end with our family. What a beautiful place we live in.

Janna's Birthday

2011-02-21T08:09:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to my Baby!

We can officially go to PG13 movies as a family now. Yeah!

A post without pictures

2011-02-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

I don't think I've ever done a post without pictures. Lots of people do. They share their thoughts, feelings, dreams. I guess I kind of use pictures as a crutch to not get too personal here on cyberspace, but I think I'm going to give it a go.

It feels like it's still January. The older I get, the more I have truly come to HATE January. I am so tired of being cold. January through April are generally crazy months at school and I feel like I just survive until Spring Break. This year, things aren't as stressful since I don't have my own class, but they are still kind of crazy. I've been trying to create a Guided Reading training video for a few months now. I'm close to being done. I've been coordinating testing and that is going to go strong until the middle of May. My masters classes have started in earnest and I start teaching Reading Round-up in 2 weeks. I have also signed up for an autism class to help me understand my cute Kevin Rodham better so I can be a better primary teacher for him and I'm also an Activity Days leader, which I'm enjoying much more this time around (thanks Melinda).

I've noticed I'm a good compartmentalizer. I can take all these different responsibilities and make a filing cabinet in my mind and keep things organized. But winter makes me not want to file. Things start to feel a bit overwhelming and I want to just shut down and read or watch t.v. and eat popcorn until the middle of April. The cold kind of makes me want to hibernate. I've definitely started fantasizing about living in the Caribbean from November until April. I am a sun lover, much to the dismay of my skin, but I do love warmth.

Well, this has been a test of RaeAnn's emergency cold spell system. I don't generally ramble about things like this, but it seems to help many of my blogging friends to lay it all out there so here is my ramble sin pictures.

Oh, and I miss working on my spanish lessons. If anybody has the Rosetta Stone, I'll make you a deal. I'm done with level 1, but the pass code to level 2 won't work for me on the complimentary copy my brother gave me.

I also miss running outside. I hate the rec center (sorry Amberly, I know it's your new employer, but I'm just saying).

I think I'll be done for now. It feels like this post needs something....maybe a picture.

It's Me!

2011-01-30T20:08:00.000-08:00

So Kevin was on TripAdvisor a few days ago and noticed some pictures of the Hotel we stayed at from the same time we were there. He starts looking at them and guess who he sees in the background of one of them. ME! Weird to think some stranger took and posted my picture on the internet.

Cozumel

2011-01-22T08:07:00.001-08:00

We enjoyed a wonderful trip to Cozumel from January 16-January 20, 2011.

Salt Lake Airport

On the airplane

Dallas Fort Worth Airport

Octopus on our night dive.

Kevin, Jeffrey, Michael, Amberly

Nurse Shark

Turtle

You can't tell from the picture, but this lobster had to have been 4 ft. long.

RaeAnn and Amberly

Jeffrey

Chakunab park-Dolphin Discovery and Manatees

Horseback riding and swimming in the ocean at Mr. Sanchos beach club.

Hurst Family on the town.

Scott and Michael

Resort Pictures:

Skylink@DFW airport.

Home safe and sound. A bit tired, a bit sunburned, very happy.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T15:31:00.001-08:00

We started off our Christmas celebrations this year, by putting together puzzles for Christmas Eve after a dinner that I slaved over, Papa Murphy's pizza. The kids put their puzzles together while we listened to some Christmas stories by O. Henry that Kevin had downloaded from Audible. Then the kids opened their sibling gifts and Kevin and I opened our gifts from the kids. Then we watched Christmas movies, read Luke 2, said family prayers and the kids went to bed.

Santa came early and then Kevin and I were able to have visions of sugarplums dance in our heads.

We've been able to compromise and get the kids to stay in bed until 7:00am. You'd think all these teenagers would WANT to sleep in, but the magic of Christmas morning is still alive at our house. At least for Jeffrey as the picture shows.

Kevin's sister Terri had us this year and she made us all our own personalized snuggies. With as cold as it is today I must say it's the perfect gift.

Thanks Terri.

Merry Christmas 2010

Horsley Christmas Party 2010

2010-12-24T18:16:00.001-08:00

We had our Horsley Family Christmas party on Sunday Dec. 19th. We were able to celebrate Lydia's birthday as we celebrated Christmas together as a family.

We missed having John, Sherri, Nathan,David, Greg, Janice, Taylor and Morgan. We love you guys and miss having you with us when we're blessed to get together.

Thanks for opening your home to all of us Baldwins. I love our family.

London

2010-12-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

Kevin went to London last week with his boss and all he got were these soso pictures. Guess next time I'll have to go with him and show him how it's done.

Christmas at the Hurst's

2010-12-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

Kevin got home from London late last night so we decided to put christmas up this afternoon. I got new decorations for the tree at the after Christmas sales last year so it was fun to have new things to decorate this year.

I also buy a new Christmas toy every year to add to our collection. We've gotten quite a few to put under the tree until the presents come.

My favorite decorations are the nativities. It is the reason for the season after all.

Be near me Lord Jesus I ask thee to stay, close by me forever and love me I pray.

Follow the Prophet...in this there is safety and peace

2010-12-10T17:27:00.001-08:00

Finally! Got the stuff I bought at the case lot sale put away. It really does make you feel safe and at peace to know you have followed the prophet and are prepared for what may come.

Christmas Concerts

2010-12-09T20:08:00.001-08:00

Janna and Jeffrey had their Jr. High Choir Concert tonight. Both choirs did a fantastic job. I texted Amberly to tell her she would be proud of how well they did and she said she was on her way to HER choir concert. I wish we could have gone to support her. I'm glad she's enjoying college so much. Looking forward to having her home for the winter.

My first car accident

2010-11-24T18:35:00.001-08:00

I was heading east on 300 N. in A.F. today, after getting Harry Potter tickets and a lady was at the stop sign on Center street headed south, but didn't see me and hit me on the drivers side. I saw her at the last second and tried to swerve, but it was too late. I spun around and stopped at about 160 degrees. Everyone was physically ok. The lady who hit me was pretty upset. I ended up driving her home when Amberly came to get me because she didn't have a ride and she was pretty teary. I kept trying to tell her it was o.k. and we were just grateful no one was hurt.

Sadie Hawkins

2010-11-20T15:00:00.001-08:00

Cammie went to Sadie Hawkins last Saturday with a group of friends. Their theme was "Take me out to the ballgame." She went with a boy named Jake Hutchings. It seems like they had a great time.

Cammie and Jake

Breaking news...Cammie got her ACT score back today and she got a 27 on her first try. She's REALLY pleased with herself as she well should be. You rock Cammie!

Florida

2010-10-22T08:09:00.001-07:00

Kevin had to go to Florida for work the week of fall break and I got to fly out a day later and meet him there. We were able to take a day and drive from Ft. Lauderdale to Key Largo to go diving. The weather was rainy that day, but cleared up on Friday. Kevin worked again friday so I spent the day enjoying the Florida sun at the beach just down from our hotel and by the beautiful pool at the small resort we stayed at. We had a wonderful time. I can't wait to travel with Kevin again.

View from the restaurant we ate breakfast at.

Happy Couple.

I had the beach almost to myself. It was wonderful because I'm not really into crowds.

Sweetest Girl

2010-10-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'm totally going to brag here so if you don't like that please stop reading this post now.

Last night was a rough night. Jeffrey started throwing up around midnight. (Shouldn't a 14-year-old be able to make it to the toilet by now?) I had to leave to take Kevin to the airport a 3:45 AM so when I got back I curled back up in bed to catch a few more winks. I let Janna sleep in knowing that Jeffrey was sick, Cammie was at a math review and Kevin was at the airport and it would just be the two of us for breakfast. I woke her up and told her to get ready for school and I would get back up to eat with her in a half hour. When my alarm went off, I could hear her unloading the dishwasher and when I came out what did I find?

My sweet daughter had cleaned the kitchen and made a pretty breakfast for us to eat before she left for school. What a thoughtful girl. I love you Janna.

Busy Weekend

2010-09-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a busy one, but a good one too. It started Friday with Manila's 1st annual Mini-Marathon fund raiser. It was a great success. The course was 2.62 miles and we had about 500 runners. The students entered a shirt design contest and the winner's design was put on the shirts.

Here is the great 1st grade team that I get to work with this year.

Here I am finishing the race in 27:00 minutes. Not too bad.

Then I rushed home to get ready to go to Heber Valley Camp for the annual Horsley Reunion. It was so beautiful and so much fun to be with my family.

Hanging out around camp.

Doing the zipline.

Sunday we headed to Kevin's parent's house to celebrate the multitude of September birthdays. It was a great way to finish a weekend filled with family. I love our families.

Not a Fan

2010-09-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Kevin's not a fan, but I quite like this flower ring I found at Taylor Drug today. What do you think?

Birthdays and Dorms

2010-09-16T17:16:00.001-07:00

Nineteen-years-old. I can hardly believe my little baby is 19 and headed to college. We celebrated Amberly's birthday by driving to Idaho to take her to BYU-I. I'm so excited for her to have this wonderful stage in life. I know it was such a happy, exciting time for me and I'm so glad she gets to experience college life.

The birthday girls.

The girl and the dorm room.

One last family out to eat dinner.

"No Jeffrey! You can't have Amberly's room!"

Pretty chilly for Labor Day.

Everyone keeps asking if I was sad to be leaving Amberly in Idaho. I was mostly just excited for her. She is very prepared and ready for this stage in her life. It doesn't hurt that the spirit has told Kevin, Amberly and me that this is the right thing for her. The fact that she has 3 cousins in Rexburg, lots of good friends in Rexburg and an aunt and uncle who adore her an hour away in Pocatello doesn't hurt either. Enjoy college Amberly! It's a wonderful time of life.

First Day of School

2010-08-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

Another school year has begun. It felt weird to not be all excited and stressed out about my new class. I really missed it. I am enjoying the more relaxed feeling as I began this year as the TSA at Manila. I think it will be a great year. Especially since I'll be getting my Master's degree from SUU this year.

Our baby isn't a baby anymore. No more elementary school kids.

Janna-7th grade

Jeffrey-9th grade

Cammie-11th grade

Manila Elementary TSA (Teacher on Special Assignment)

Barney Family Reunion and 5K

2010-08-14T15:58:00.001-07:00

We had our annual Barney family reunion this morning. This was the first time we had it in the morning and we did a 5K and 1 mile fun run for the "kids" since so many of our clan like to run. Auntie and mom got the food for us and had it ready for the runners as they finished.

Logan, Marcus, Brayden

Matt and Beth

Auntie, Lindy, RaeAnn

Laura and daughter, Lindy, RaeAnn and Amberly

The Hogge Family

Mike, Rand Mike's daughter, Ron

George, Debbie, Vince, Joseph, Beth

The Barney Girls-Dallas, Ria, Maryann, Susan

Sammy, Cammie, Amberly

Brian, Glen, Sammy, Jackson

Lydia, Arrie, Jade, McKayla

Lydia, Arrie, McKayla, Frances

Allie, Janna, Kylee

Jack and Jenny

Laura and Becky

Marcus

Mike and daughter

Ron and his grandkids

Rand and his daughter

Laura and daughter

Jeff less than a year after heart attack. Looking Good!

So I checked the proof the printer sent me and in his defense it was spelled FAMLIY on the proof, but I promise, you needed a magnifying glass to see it so I DID NOT misspell family.

I really like the lime green. It is great to be part of such an amazing family. Mom and her sisters got a calculator the other day when they were together and figured that Grandma and Grandpa Barney have 117 direct decendants and 3 on the way and that doesn't include those who have married into the family. Way to go Grandma and Grandpa. Thanks for leaving us such a great legacy. I'm part of something GREAT!

Look Up!

2010-08-06T07:07:00.001-07:00

I've mentioned several times what a beautiful summer we've had. Everyday I've been stunned by the beautiful clear skies and gorgeous mountains. I'm always complimenting Heavenly Father on the vistas we've enjoyed this summer. He has really treated us to some beautiful weather.

This morning, while I exercised, I was again treated to a beautiful scene. I ended up having a spiritual experience. I think it must have been a combination of the view before me, the words I was listening to on my MP3 player and the point in a run when you finally stop feeling your body and you feel something higher. I don't know if that really explains it very well, but that's the best I can do to explain why I suddenly just started to weep. I just felt close to God and it was beautiful. I'm so grateful to know Him. I'm so grateful he knows me. One of the songs I was listening to when this happened was Call the Man by Celine Dion. The Man is obviously our Savior.

Call the man
Who deals in love beyond repair
He can heal the world
Of hearts in need of care
Shine a light ahead
When the next step is unclear
Call the man
He's needed here

Needed in the chaos and confusion
From the plains to city hall
Needed where the proud who walk the wire are set to fall

Call the man
Who deals in once upon a time
Maybe he
Can mend this broken heart of mine
Shine a light ahead
Now the future isn't clear
Call the man
He's needed here
Call the man
He's needed here

I'm glad to know THE MAN and hope to have many more experiences with him like I had this morning. I know that He can HEAL everyone of everything. I'm glad He was with me this morning during my run.

Wavetronix Party

2010-08-06T06:49:00.001-07:00

We had a great time at the Wavetronix summer party on Monday. We went to sugarhouse park for a picnic and then families chose between Boondocks or the Zoo. We chose Boondocks.

The Bumperboats

The Racecars

The Arcade

Thanks Wavetronix for the fun family day and thanks for taking such good care of our family.

Hidden Treasures of Knowledge

2010-07-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

I've really debated whether or not to share this experience in such a public place, but I woke up this morning and felt very strongly that I needed to put this experience where others can share it and this is where I share my life and keep a history so I will give a WARNING here and say if you are easily, grossed out you will probably want to skip this entire post, especially the picture.

The reason I feel I should share this experience isn't for the gross factor, it's for the spiritual factor. I need to share how the spirit has been working in my life this summer, because it truly has been working in my life to make my life better. I know the Lord cares about ALL aspects of our lives and this experience has reconfirmed that knowledge in me.

At the end of our Roatan trip in June and for about 10 days after I was having a lot of digestive problems and stomach discomfort, sometimes even pain. I was trying lots of things that I had tried before and nothing was helping. I was starting to feel pretty concerned and of course made it a matter of prayer. After several days of praying about it and one evening when I was PONDERING the issue, I had the most clear thought that my problems reminded me of when my mom's gallbladder was bothering her, so I went to google and looked up gallbladder symptoms and after reading them became convinced that not only were my current symptoms from my gallbladder, but I had been dealing with symptoms for several years without realizing the root of the problem.

While we were camping at the end of June, I mentioned how the spirit had guided my to the knowledge I needed and my friend Amy Wright said, very matter of fact, "Well of course it did, the Word of Wisdom promises us wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures...if we follow it." I realized then the truth of that scripture and how it was being made manifest in my life.

I started trying to do things to relieve the symptoms and had some success, but the problems would come back and I even called and made a doctor's appointment because I was so uncomfortable. I couldn't get an appointment for a couple of weeks so I remembered my friend Marilyn who I visit taught telling me about doing a gallbladder cleanse. I looked it up on google and found her receipe and decided to try it. I really wanted to try everything I could before heading for surgery so I did the gallbladder cleanse on July 12th. I wasn't able to keep the Olive Oil down that night so I tried again the next night and even though I couldn't get the whole treatment down, it was enough to do the job. After a very rough night, I was able to pass quite a few gallstones. One was especially large and probably the main source of my past symptoms.

After a few days to recoup, I am happy to say I am feeling better than I have in a really long time. Almost all of my symptoms are gone and I am able to feel good as I go through my days.

I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost and for personal revelation. It is my belief that it is worth every "sacrifice" to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost to guide us through this life. Even the very GROSS things like gallstones.

Sister Retreat 2010

2010-07-18T16:51:00.001-07:00

We had our 10th annual sister retreat in St. George this weekend. It's so nice to get together with my wonderful sisters and mom and sisters-in-law every year to laugh, sing, play and have a fantastic time together. This year Amberly went with us for the first time. I think she had a good time too.

We started out with Ruth doing some hair.

We lounged around talking and laughing and then...

we started playing games...which lead to more laughing and talking...

the next day we hit the pool to work on our tans...or burns for some...

after some great shopping we headed to Olive Garden for dinner where I saw my friend Kerry Stott who was there for her anniversary.

Next we headed to Tuacahn for some amazing entertainment in the form of Tarzan. WELL DONE!

Saturday we headed to Zions and tried a new hike we have never done before. Maria has and convinced us to try Angel's Landing. I'm so glad she did. It was amazing. I can't wait to do it again.

We were hot, tired, amazed and of course...PRETTY!

So we cooled of in the river for awhile before we headed back to the condo.

Here are some images and phrases to remind us of our wonderful 4 days.

"That's what she said!"

"You're so fluffy."

"...and pretty!"

Can't wait for next year!

Jeffrey's Eagle Project

2010-07-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

Today we closed a trail up Millcreek canyon for Jeffrey's Eagle Project. He got great support from his troop and we really appreciate Nathan and Devin for helping us drive the boys up. They did a great job and the forest service employees are impressed. Thanks Jeffrey for working so hard on your project. It was a great success.

Before

During

After

What a great group of boys. Good Job!

Balloon Festival

2010-07-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's been several years since we've gone to the balloon festival in Provo for the Freedom Festival. This morning we woke up early, headed to Macey's for chocolate milk and donuts and arrived at the balloon festival just as they were blowing up the balloons. It's such a beautiful sight and a great way to remember how grateful we are to be free.

Nice job Provo, on another great tradition. I'm proud to be an American.

Jessie's Wedding

2010-07-03T16:49:00.001-07:00

Thursday afternoon, I raced home from the Literacy Institute, and we quickly loaded the Suburban and headed to Pocatello. We stayed with John (Sherri and the boys were in Utah), but of course we first stopped at the bakery for some dinner. John was generous and let us make some sandwiches and loaded us up with sweet rolls and cookies and whatever else he could to take to Rexburg the next day. Thanks John for letting us crash at your house with you.

Friday morning we hit the road at 8:30am and met everyone at the hotel they were staying at. Then we headed to the temple for a wonderful wedding. Jessie and Jeremy were married by Elder Christensen, the temple president and I must say it was the most enjoyable sealing I've ever been to. He talked for quite awhile before sealing them, but he was so enjoyable it didn't seem too long.

We had some great picture moments as we waited for Jessie and Jeremy to come out of the temple.

They were worth the wait. Don't they look so happy.

Janna and Cammie had fun entertaining Ethan while we waited to get into the church for the luncheon.

Jeffrey really enjoyed playing with Ethan during the reception. They really are buddies. It's so cute.

After the reception was cleaned up we headed to a place called Big Jud's for a great burger. Nobody got the burger that is as big as a dinner plate, but the regular sized burgers were sure tasty. Then we headed to G's dairy by Suzanne's house. It had the yummiest ice cream.

All in all, we had great food, fun and family the last couple of days. Family really is what it's all about. I'm so grateful to be part of such wonderful families.

Families can be together forever you know!

Gooseberry Campout

2010-06-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great campout with our camping buddies from June 23-26. We camped somewhere we'd never gone before, Gooseberry Campground up Fairview Canyon. It was really beautiful.

We got to use our new trailer for the first time and I absolutely loved it! It's great to brush your teeth without having to spit in the woods.

The scenery was amazing. There were bluebells everywhere. The weather was terrific and we saw lots of wildlife.

Our generous friends shared their four wheelers with us. This was my first time on a four wheeler. It was more fun than I thought it would be.

We of course ate well. We decided to call our dinnertimes Camp-O-Rama instead of

Chuck-O-Rama because we all cook and then share buffet style.

We got in a few games of cards and the kids played Mafia for a long time one day.

Nathan performed The Jaberwalkie for tradition's sake and we sang around the fire like never before. Thanks Jon for bringing your guitar.

It was so fun to share the beautiful outdoors with our neighborhood friends the Crimans, Daniels, Farrers, Wrights, Jones and we even saw the Freemans who were camping not too far away. What a great Campout!

Strawberry Days 5K

2010-06-19T09:01:00.001-07:00

I ran the Strawberry Days 5K this morning. I had two goals. 1. Jog the whole thing. 2. Run it in 35 min. or less. I did jog the whole thing and my time was 34:19. I didn't even have any knee trouble. My next running goal will be the Manila Elementary Fun run in September. I hope to keep jogging all summer to be ready for it. We're doing a mini-marathon-2.62 miles. Should be fun.

Happy Birthday Kevin

2010-06-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

Kevin turned 46 on Tuesday. Happy Birthday. We love you!

More Roatan Pictures

2010-06-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Some pictures of Kevin, Michael, Scott and RaeAnn in Roatan

Some of our Bananarama friends

The Dolphins at Anthony's Key

The beach in front of Bananarama

Roatan Friday June 11th

2010-06-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a bit sad tonight because I know I won't get to get up tomorrow and put my diving stuff on and head for the boat. What a great week we've had. We have gone diving 16 times this week. I filled up my dive log book and will have to get a new one tomorrow from the dive shop.

Fortunately Marco felt well enough to dive with us this morning, but he went home after our two morning dives to rest up. The other dive masters and boat captains want to watch the world cup tomorrow so they wanted Marco feeling good to cover the diving tomorrow so they can watch the game.

He took us to Spooky Channel for our first dive because it is a deep dive of 92 ft. It's called Spooky Channel because you go through swim thrus with cloudy visibility and low light and it really is kind of spooky. You could definitely get nervous if you didn't trust your dive master. It was a good experience although I don't think it's my favorite kind of diving.

After a real quick stop at BananaRama we headed back out to another dive spot called Hole in the Wall. This was another swim thru dive, but it was much shallower and full of light. It was really very beautiful.

Lunch at the deli again and then off on another dive with a new dive master named Sophia. She was amazing. I think I liked watching her as much as the fish because she floated along so effortlessly and elegantly. I doubt I'll ever be as good a diver as her, but I'd sure like to try. We saw two big crabs on this dive. Lots of needle nose fish and the biggest Grouper I've ever seen. He must have been 4 feet long at least.

After getting a bit of sun on my legs I came back to shower and get ready for dinner. Scott, Michael, Kevin and I headed down the beach to a place called Bite on the Beach. It had really good food and when we were done eating we looked down and people were feeding a Barracuda and 3 Morey Eel. I've never seen eel not in their hole. It was very fun to watch for awhile.

When we got back to BananaRama we were standing on the beach and the power went out and suddenly everything went dark. It was kind of cool. A few minutes later the generator started up and everything is back to normal.

I'm excited to see the kids tomorrow, but other than that I could sure stay here for awhile. I really love this place. I hope we are able to come back soon.

Adios Roatan

Roatan Thursday June 10th

2010-06-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Just another day in Paradise. We woke up early as usually because it's so light we can't sleep in. After laying around for about an hour we decided to walk up the road a ways and see what we could see.

At the end of the road is a place called Infinity Bay. We did our snorkeling and night dive right in front of it. We walked through and were real impressed. It's condos that you can buy or rent by the day or week. After lunch Kevin, Michael and I decided to walk down and have a tour. They are REALLY nice. Maybe when we come back here with the kids someday we'll try and stay there and dive with BananaRama.

As we left for our walk we met Marco who had us all set up for our diving, but informed us that he had been sick all night and wasn't going to be able to take us diving today. He went home to sleep so he could come back and take us tonight on our night dive. We had a freelancer from England named Neil as our dive master. He did a great job, but we missed Marco because we've all gotten so comfortable with him.

He took us to a place called West Bay Wall. It was a wonderful dive. I was really relaxed and we saw beautiful corals, fish, lobster. There was a spotted eel that posed for the camera, but unfortunately the underwater setting wasn't on so I don't think the pictures are too good today. We also saw a really big puffer fish, but we were responsible divers and didn't bother him to get him to puff up. I did watch him for about 5 minutes as we floated along.

After a 1/2 hour surface interval we headed the opposite direction to a place called Gibson Bite. It was a nice wall and we saw great stuff. We saw another turtle, but because the camera wasn't set correctly the pictures didn't turn out too well. We also saw two drum fish hanging out together and two lobsters hanging out together.

We got back and had some lunch and now I'm going to go get a little sun while Kevin has another snooze. See if I can get some reading time in.

Our night dive was another incredible experience. Marco was feeling well enough to take us. It was just us four with him again which is nice for a night dive. We went to the same place in front of Infinity Bay, but even though we were in the same spot it was like a new dive with all the stuff we saw. Lobster, lots of different kinds of shrimp, cool starfish, five lion fish hanging out together. We turned out the lights again, but didn't see the string of pearls quite so brightly, but they were still there. Then we swam in the dark again, but not for as long. We were down for 72 minutes, but it felt like 20 minutes. It was really fun. I'm glad Marco felt up to taking us tonight.

After cleaning up we went to the Thirsty Turtle and had some ribs. One of the girls came over to introduce herself because Carolina the waitress told her we were Mormon. Her name is Daphne. She remembered us from church. It was fun to visit with her. That's 3 employees we've met that are LDS.

We're all feeling a bit sad that tomorrow is our last day to dive. We've had an amazing week. I can't wait to add pictures to these posts to illustrate our week. It's been fantastic.

Roatan Wednesday June 9th

2010-06-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

We had our last Advanced Certification Class today. Wreck diving. After finishing with the classroom we headed to a dive spot called El Aguila which is a cargo ship that was purposely sunk for divers. It used to be in one piece, but apparently, Hurricane Mitch broke it into 3 main pieces a few years ago. It was a deep dive. We were at 108 ft. at one point. That means we went pretty fast at the back of the boat and ended at the front that was about 55 ft. At this point we saw quite a few huge Grouper. I guess St. Anthony's Key (another resort) feeds them and they love to hang out for a free meal. One even let us pet him. It was pretty interesting. Then we went through a pretty coral area to finish the dive. I really enjoyed it.

Our second dive was at Pablo's Place. It's the only dive we've had with any current and it wasn't much compared with Cozumel. We saw great stuff here. A barracuda swam along with us for quite awhile.

Our third dive of the day was a place called Tabyana. I finally saw a drum fish here. We saw another turtle and hermit crabs, flounder, shrimp and lots of fish. One thing I thought was really neat was at a sandy spot I could see where a sting ray had laid and left it's impression in the sand.

We were officially Advanced Water Diver after the wreck dive this morning. We'll get the paper work done and get new cards in the mail. I'm glad to have gotten it here where we could have such incredible diving as we certified.

Later I went and sat on a lawn chair on the beach and finished my first book of the trip. Yes I've only read one book. I know that's not much for me, but I've been busy DIVING! While I sat there one of the cats that hangs our here came and curled up next to me for a little siesta while I read. It kind of made me miss Bastet. That's what she used to love to do.

Roatan Tuesday June 8th

2010-06-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

What an amazing day of diving. I love diving in Roatan. We started off the day in the classroom finishing our deep water chapter. Then we headed out to a place called Black Rock to perform our skills.

Before we left the boat Marco had us perform some intelligence tasks. We had to tap the numbers 1-20 in order on his dive slate. (They were not in order) He timed us and wrote down our response times and then after got down to 100 ft. we performed the same task while he timed us. We were all usually a couple of seconds slower. When you get to deep water (between 80 -100ft) you get slightly drunk from something called Nitrogen Narcossis. Sometimes people act really weird and you really have to watch your buddy carefully so they don't do anything dangerous. I thought Scott and Kevin were acting kind of Narced when the got all kinds of excited over stuff we had seen before. Scott kept trying to pull a shrimp our of it's hole and Marco was taking off so I grabbed him to make him follow. He was probably fine and I was being a bit paranoid. Maybe that's my way of getting Narced. We didn't see a ton of stuff because the dive was just to test our deep water skills, but It was still fun.

We came back to the classroom and worked on our Navigation chapter. Then we went to the beach to try out our skills on the beach first and then headed to a place called the Treehouse. Here we went down to about 40 feet and did our compass skills. It was pretty fun to figure out how to measure distance and heading underwater. Then Marco "tried" to get us lost and kept asking us where the boat was. We did see a sting ray hiding in the sand which Kevin got a picture of. Then Marco chose me to get us back to the boat and I had to lead everyone back.I was able to do it with no problem.

We didn't dive in the afternoon so we decided to walk down to the market and deli down the road for lunch. We had yummy sandwiches and looked around at the souvenier shop for a while and then headed back to the resort where Michael and I laid out and then studied our night dive chapter and Kevin and Scott had a little snooze.

We made ourselves a quick sandwich and headed back to the classroom at 5:45 for our night dive chapter. After finishing a great briefing and getting our gear ready, we headed down the beach to the dock Kevin and I snorkeled at on Sunday and geared up to go. It was a place called Infinity Bay. We swam out a ways and then Marco had us finish getting ready and we headed down with our lights on. We swam through some great coral swim thrus and saw a whole different reef than you see in the day. The fish life and coral life is very different at night. The coral is actually more colorful and beautiful. We saw lobsters, sea anenomes, star fish, sea cucumbers fan corals, neuterbraes and much more on the wall. While we swam back over the wall, Kevin saw an octopus. He got a couple of pictures of it. They are rely cool to see at night. After we got over the wall, Marco had us kneel the bottom of a sandy area and turn off our lights. About three minutes went by and then Marco slowly turned us around and there was an amazing string of glowing pearls. It was amazing. But the adventure in the dark wasn't over yet. Our eyes had adjusted so we could see each others outlines. When Marco hit his tank we all started swimming in single file behind him WITH NO LIGHTS. As you kicked up sand little lights would spark and you could totally see the person in front of you. We swam like that for about 10 minutes. It was a real rush. When we got back to the swim through, Marco turned his light back on and we headed out the way we came in. It was one of the neatest things I've ever done.None of us wanted it to end. It was our longest dive yet at 70 minutes and it felt more like 15. I can't wait for our next night dive on Thursday.

Roatan Monday June 7th

2010-06-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

Did you know it gets light at about 5:00 in the morning in this part of the world. It doesn't look like I'll be doing any sleeping in on this trip which is just fine by me.

Today we did three dives. Our first dive was at Canyon Reef. There were beautiful swim thrus that I would have really enjoyed if I had hooked my air to my BCD correctly and could put air in without blowing into it with my mouth. It made it a bit difficult to relax, but about 1/2 thru my weight evened out and I was able to relax more. We saw amazing things. Two morey eels, a really big spotted eagle ray swam by us, lobster and wonderful fish and coral. We ended at another dive spot called Fish Den.

Our second dive was at Blue Channel. Another great dive. We saw another Spotted Eagle Ray, and amazing fish and coral and saw 3 adolescent spotted eagle rays that were really cool.

We came back for lunch and studied for our Fish ID dive while we ate. We headed out and dove at Turtle Crossing which I finally figured out the perfect weight to keep me neutrally buoyant and I was able to totally relax and look for the fish I was suppose to find. Michael pointed out a turtle to me and we saw a really big lobster. We also saw two squid. That was the first time any of us had seen squid.