Whiskey Flats

When we first moved up here we really tried to go to all the big events they have in the valley. Fishing derby, Rod Run, Christmas Parade, and Whiskey Flats. We have stopped going to most of it, but we do enjoy going up to Whiskey Flats for one of the days. They have booths, a parade, and a rodeo people run for Whiskey Flats mayor for charity, we can buy bribes to help them win, then they have shoot outs and dinners, it's a big deal for about a month before. This year we figured it out, usually you can't find a place to park or a good place to watch the parade, so this time we went to Pizza Barn and ate pizza on the deck while we watched the parade. Then when it was over we go park at the Verizon C.O. and the perks of that is we have a nice CLEAN indoor bathroom whenever we want. They have some neat booths and Carmel apples. I love Carmel apples! The weather was really nice so that meant a lot of people, I start panicking around huge groups like that, I'm constantly searching for my kids and people are breathing MY air, and it was hard this year because Alex was seeing all of his friends and wanting to go walk around with them. Jim kept saying sure and I would panic more. When I think about it now I know it wasn't a big deal, he had his phone, and the area it's in is really really small, I could have whistled and he would have known to come find me. So, I guess that's what Xanax is for. Thank goodness for Xanax. Not many pictures but here are the few we did take.

Trever is so funny! I think Sami was thinking about how she could REALLY do this to him when we got home. After about 20 tries of Sami trying to get a picture, this was the best one we could get.

Jimi and Alex got into it too. The top hole was so high that Jimi was standing on Alex's shoulders.

The Fear I WON'T get over!

I don't know if Jim attracts spiders or if I just don't notice they are around or maybe I even pass out and don't recollect the experience. Anyways, when he see's a good one he knows I'll appreciate it so he gets a picture. He said this was the BIGGEST black widow he had ever seen. He finds them a lot in the peds and always tries to sweep them out before he sticks his hands in there. But he has had so much fun with this picture, he pulls it up on his phone and sets it on me, and I'm not stupid I know it's just a picture but it makes my skin crawl. EEEWWHHHH!!! So far he has only came across one snake (his biggest fear) and that was in Colorado. He said he had 2 of his 7foot poles tied together trying to get it out. He finally just left it, didn't even close it up. He came back later and the snake was gone.

I guess this would be a good time to give a public thank you to Jimi who always kills the spiders in the house if Jim's not home. I don't know what I would do without her. We usually only find them in the bathroom and since we only have one bathroom I know that I only have to hold it until she gets home from school and kills it for me so it's all clear to go in. (after I put the picture up I am freaking out, I can't even look at it.)

Sure Bo, Trever can be a bouncer at your party... be careful what you ask for.

Since my computer was gone for so long I had forgotten a few event's that had happened until I saw the pictures. Bo and Coleton had this big party at their house. This is the second they had and last time they had Jim and Terry as bouncers. So they asked Jim to do it again and he planned to do it, until he got stuck at work and couldn't go. He felt horrible, so Trever kept saying he would go do it. So when Jim got home Trever was all dressed in his suit ready to go bounce some kids out of the party. Jim thought he needed just a little more of an edge....

Need I say more? Yes that's a horse bit in his mouth, Yes he is on a dolly cart, Yes he is tied up, and Yes his head is strapped down. He played this up so much, he was growling and acting like he was going to bite. Bo wheeled him onto the dance floor and his friends were freaking out. (well the ones that don't know the Hurley's) Bo gave a warning to the party that they were going to let him loose and beware because he does bite. One girl actually believed him and felt bad for the poor little boy. (high school girls, what can I say?) Trever just thought it was great that he got to go to a high school party, even if it was only for 15 minutes.

DISCLAIMER: NO CHILDREN WERE HARMED IN THE BOUNCING OF THIS PARTY!!! THIS STUNT IS FOR PROFESSIONALS ONLY SO PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME AS WE WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INJURY TO SELF OR OTHERS, DISEASE OR PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE INCURRED BY THE INCIDENT.

we have our own psychological damage to deal with

More Flags, More Fun!

The guy from the Magic Mountain commercials was just dancing away to the music they play, he was so funny! The kids loved him.

Our Christmas present from my parents was season passes for Magic Mountain. We went in January and that was the kids first time there. We went again last weekend but this time Sami didn't go, she stayed with her friend Tayah, but she wasn't sad because after the last time, she decided she really doesn't like the coasters as much as the rest of us. I am a self proclaimed adrenaline junkie so roller coasters are so much fun, nothing like thinking your going t die, getting off alive and then jumping onto the next one. Part of the reason Sami doesn't like it much is because for her first coaster we threw her on the Goliath. I had forgotten that one is pretty scary.

This is Sami and Trever as they got on the Goliath, thier first roller coaster ride, well at Magic Mountain at least.

And as you can see this is probably the reason it was Sami's last. She's the one hiding her head, like that's gonna save her! Trever LOVED it, he rode them all!

And I bet you can't guess which one is Porky Pig and which one is me.

We thought Batman was a statue and Trever said he was going to kick Batman's butt, when he walked over to him and almost kicked him in the shin... Batman came alive! I wonder how that guy wasn't just laughing hysterically when Trever turned and ran.

And nobody laugh, it's no secret that I am as mean as Taz.

More like Elmer DUD!

This is the X2, their faces are hilarious! Jim isn't a screamer he says he can't breathe, I guess this is proof. Looks like Trever can't either!

This is our all time favorite it is the newest one there called the X2. This one plays sweet music in your ear as you make the first climb and as you near the top it starts to blare Metallica then it throws you over the edge head first backwards. You never see the track or any other cars through the whole thing, and then... IT BLOWS FIRE AT YOU!! They just don't get much better than that. They are building a new one and I can't imagine what it will be like.

Batman was probably friends with Taz, because he saw Trever comin a mile away and came after him. I'm gonna say I think Trever won. I knew he was meaner than Taz!

The Tatsu is one of the longest rides there. They strap your feet in and then lay you on your face and you fly through the park. It's intense, Trever isn't big enough to ride it yet so I have only been on it once and it usually takes me a few times to really appreciate one. We all agree that the worst part of the ride is from the time they strap your ankles down until the time you take off. We all start getting claustrophobic!

I'M WITH THE BAND!!!!

I think I mentioned that we played Guitar Hero the other night right? Well something was missing so we asked Terry if we could come look at his games and borrow one. So now we are ON TOUR! We have the drums, bass guitar, lead guitar and vocals. We all took turns but I haven't played the drums yet. I got stuck on the vocals, you have to keep your voice just right or you will get booed off stage. (Everyone else did, not me of course... who am I kidding) I had some revelation last night and that is...

1. I am way to old to rock out ALL NIGHT LONG!

2. I am way to old to rock out ALL NIGHT LONG!

3. Jim and I get just as addicted as Alex when it comes to this game.

4. Competitiveness really causes issues, even if you are on the same team.

5. Being in a band isn't so hot the next morning when you have to get your kids on the bus.

6. Verizon just doesn't understand that we NEED Jim on the tour. They just don't get it when he calls in and says "sorry I'm not sure where I am this morning. Somewhere between LA and Hong Kong. But I'll be in after I find out. (Hey anyone know how he can get off work for a year, say every other year? anyone? Bushlings?)

7. We had 3 fallen comrades last night. Passed out and carried off stage to bed. Jimi, Sami and Trever are just still to young to hang with the tour.

8. The pictures just don't capture the true COOLNESS we felt last night. I guess we just need a new photographer, or camera. (applications and resumes to be left in comments)

9. TRUE rockers can not dwell with the musical drama geeks! Therefore I am going to have to quit the play, so I don't start rocking out on stage and ruin the whole thing.

10. There is a real reason that Mormons aren't usually in the band, a 12 pack of diet Pepsi IS NOT the same no matter what ANYONE says. It has NO effect on stage fright but does get the kids wiry as heck!

11. We should really wait for the Home Teachers to leave before you set up the drums. Alex jumped up after the prayer, shook their hands, and set up the drums. We thought he was going to actually give them the boot right out the door. Sorry Dylan and Carlos, next time we'll give you an autograph.

I am tired, and my arm is actually sore! YES SORE! And now I realize why the number of successful bands usually don't further their education, you just can't do both. So Jim and I are trying to evaluate the band and see if the kids really need to go any farther in school, Trever has the hang of reading, we should be good. All they need to know is a few colors, green, red, yellow, blue and orange. SUCCESS! By the way, if ANYONE can let me know where I can buy some "sticks" (rocker word for drum sticks). Our drummer (Jim) got a little wiry himself and snapped one on the second song of the set. Somewhere between LA and Portland. They all run together after about 2am.

NOW I'm back!

Yeah Yeah, I know I said I was back before. But when I got my computer back they told me that my replacement power charger may have caused my mother board to fry. So needless to say... I didn't use it. I JUST got a new one from Dell. But it took forever to get it! So I sat down to blog and realized that I hadn't taken ANY pictures! Like I thought my camera was broke! It's not, but I guess I will be thankful for my blog because it forces me to take lots and lots of pictures if nothing else. But here is what's been going on here.
1. We had to move the horses, I am so sad!

2. Jim went dirt bike riding with the "guys". And he got the bug again. Last summer Alex was riding my bike, jumped it and hit the huge rock on the other side of the rock. (I was thinking the same thing... Why didn't he find out WHAT was on the other side of the jump BEFORE he went over it?) Well, the rock put a huge hole in my crank case. But we are going to fix it so we can get back out.

3. Jim was really sick and stayed home from work for 2 days. By the second day when he was feeling much better he started going stir crazy. We played a Rubik cube game thingy. We battled on guitar hero without the kids. He wanted to go golfing. He cleaned out his side of the closet (this is a HUGE deal, he never gets rid of anything). We had a guitar hero tournament with the kids. He watched the Narnia show with the boys. We went on a walk and sat on a little hill by the palm tree and talked for at least an hour. And this was all in just ONE day! Jimi was so excited, she was impressed that he went from being TERRIBLY sick to being incredibly giggly. It's weird to say but it's been a long time since I saw this Jim, and I love it! Since he had the "seizure" thingy 4 years ago, he's been a little off. It didn't help that just a month later Ken passed away, then Jimi got sick, and about a million other stressful things. But it's like something broke loose and he's all the sudden back to normal, the funny thing is that he says he FEELS different, more clear headed. Whatever it is I couldn't be happier!

4. The PLAY! What do I say about that? My biggest fear in the world is to be afraid to do something. I know crazy, but I don't ever want to be afraid of anything. That doesn't mean I would do anything, but if it is something I want to do, I don't want to be scared and not do it. Well, singing in public is that thing. I have gotten over others, I don't mind speaking in public anymore, but it's a whole different thing to sing in front of people. I thought it would get easier, but it's not. I'm scared that it's never going to be easier and that it will trump my fear of being afraid.

5. I started doing my genealogy. It's fun, but really addictive. I spent an entire day doing it but I love finding all I can about our ancestors.

6. Alex got an A+ in Math! I KNOW, I don't know how he managed it either. YEAH ALEX!!! On the other side, Jimi was sad because she got 1 A, the rest were A+'s. The drama of being an overachieving competitive almost 12 year old!

7. Did my taxes, got them back, spent it. Except for the IOU from California of course.

8. Did I mention the Play? Yes, I am losing sleep over it. Not to mention stomach problems and panic attacks.

9. I sewed a quilt for the humanitarian aid, a woman from church helped me. (I'm so not good at sewing)

10. Book club, Bunko, Playgroup, Planning Relief Society Birthday (Ok, really Jenny did it), and THE PLAY!

So, tonight I'm going to take pictures! I swear Alex has grown since I last posted. I promise that he is now 2 inches TALLER than me!

I got it back!

I got my computer back, only $503 later! I missed it, I didn't realize just how BIG my screen was until I got it back. It's acting a little funny, to be honest I don't know if it's my computer or if Alex switched my memory card in my camera, but when I put it in I get only music, NO PICTURES! So another excuse.

THE RUN DOWN...

It's been so cold, I HATE snow. Jimi had a few days of being really sweet, not even mouthing off AT ALL! It was pleasant, it ended. But she is getting much better, most days. Alex is doing good, he is doing the after school program so he can turn his homework in right then, so he has no chance to loose it. That made Sami and Trever jealous, so they wanted to do it too. FINE with me, no homework to help with... GREAT! I really really cleaned the boys room and got rid of SO MANY cloths! I didn't realize how many they had, and it makes my head spin to think that the girls have at least 3 times as many! Hopefully this week I will get the girls room done. The kids had a ball in to snow yesterday, I didn't think they would have school today, they did! Jim is working all the time. He got his "stupid berry" wet... hmm how did that happen? So he is patiently waiting for another one. He was getting carpel tunnel in his wrist from doing all the work on the "stupid berry". Yesterday, after I brought my computer home, he was given a newer laptop that has wireless and is much faster than the other one I was using. I'm glad because now NO ONE has ANY excuse to even touch mine! EVER!!!!! I am still chugging alone in the play thingy. We practice on Sunday's after church and a few weeks ago I felt like I did ok, even maybe good. But this last practice I don't know what happened, I lost it. I stunk SO bad! This shouldn't be so hard, and at least it should be getting easier. So why isn't it? Cori, we missed you, it wasn't the same! I'm going to blame YOU because that was the only thing different, so Cori... It's ALL your fault that I stunk on Sunday! Now I am off to figure out where my pictures are, hmmm. And to do laundry, snow day means extra laundry day for me. Besides, the repair dude said not to use the charger I bought, so I will have to get a REAL DELL one, until then I will charge my battery at Tabi's. (if that's ok?)