Arizona or Bust

I've been meaning to blog about our trip to Arizona for Thanksgiving but just haven't gotten around to it. We decided to drive because it was cheaper. We left Friday morning and stopped at Kneaders to have breakfast (GO AND TRY THE FRENCH TOAST...YUM!).

We stopped in Las Vegas on Friday night. We stayed at the Red Rock Resort and it was BEAUTIFUL!! It is a little out of the way but definitely worth it. The restaurants, staff and accomodations were amazing!

We reserved our Harry Potter tickets in advance at the movie theater in the hotel. It was opening night and we didn't want to take any chances. It was well worth the wait.

We arrived in Queen Creek the next afternoon and were greeted by all of our amazing family. We had been waiting so long to see everyone. We got some rest that night and went to church with Jeannie & Glen the next day. They were splitting their ward so we just had sacrament meeting and then got to go home. That night we made a really yummy dinner...pork chops in a mushroom sauce. Jeannie let me get in her way in the kitchen and learn how to cook some of her amazing meals/treats (cinnamon rolls, enchiladas, etc.).

The next day I went into work at the Tempe branch. I am going to be taking some billing over from the girl in that branch starting January 1st and thought it would be a good time to go and learn what I needed to know. We went to lunch at a downtown Chinese restaurant and it was pretty good. That night all of the Purcells and Weltons that were available came over for a Mexican feast.

On Tuesday we went to the mall with the rest of the Purcell's. We stopped by to visit my Aunt Diane and her daughter Emily. Emily just had her 2nd baby and we were so excited to see both of her girls. We enjoyed catching up with the family. Then we went over to Scott & Kitty's condo to play games. After we left there we went to Tom & Joannie's to hang out for a little while. They are so awesome and we LOVE being with them. Riley and the girls came over and we had a great time watching the kids.

Over the holiday weekend we played a lot of Wii and xBox Kinect. If we weren't dancing then we were playing sports. On Wednesday night Kevin and I were having a dance off to Proud Mary (see picture of Tina & Beyonce below...I'm sure we were at least that good) when I came down on my foot wrong and sprained it. For the rest of the trip (and still a little bit) I could be called a complete gimp but it didn't stop the fun of everyone else dancing. Those are some memories that we won't soon forget.

On Wednesday Kevin & I decided that we wanted to spend some time together since he had been gone so much with the play. We decided to go see Burlesque (not ground breaking but the music was good) and then grabbed something to eat at Johnny Rockets which we loved on our cruise. Then we headed back to Jeannie's to make cinnamon rolls and hang out.

Thanksgiving Day was just awesome. It was sunny and warm outside so we were able to set up the tables outside. We had around 50 people there. Grandma drove down from Punkin Center to be with us but had to leave early because she wasn't feeling well. We had an amazing spread with so much yummy food. The only thing missing was celery with pimento cheese (which I bought but forgot to get out of the fridge...sad) so I guess I'll have to have that at Christmas.

On Friday morning we got up and went to see Tangled at the movie theater (we loved catching up on our movies this trip). It was such a good movie and I'm so glad that we saw it. If you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend it. That evening we went to a BBQ at Scott & Kitty's condo. It was a little cold but we still had a good time with everyone.

We were going to drive to Las Vegas again on Saturday and then come the rest of the way home on Sunday but when we checked the weather report on Saturday morning it looked like Utah was going to get a HUGE storm on Sunday so we decided to drive the whole way on Saturday. It was a long day but we had been listening to "The Host" on CD and that made it pass quicker. We stopped in St George and ate with Tony & Brady at a Mongolian BBQ. It was really yummy and gave us the much needed break to finish the trip.

We arrived home at midnight missing the entire storm. It was a wonderful week with lots of family, food & fun. We are so grateful to have so many people in our lives that love us and are excited to see us. We hope that we can go back soon.

Showtimes for Christmas Vacation: The Bi-Polar Express

Hi Everyone! Here is a list of dates and times I will be performing at the Desert Star Theater. The times listed below are for the shows that still had tickets available as of November 18th. There are a lot that have already sold out, so don't delay!

In the Playhouse:

December 2- 6 PM
December 7- 6 PM
December 16- 8:30 PM
December 23- 6 PM & 8:30 PM
December 27- 6 PM & 8:30 PM

In the Dinner Theater

December 4- 6 PM
December 18- 6 PM


And that's all!!

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Kevin and his brother Ramon share a love of the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and wanted to go see it in the theater in 3-D but we couldn't find it anywhere this Halloween. Instead my in-laws invited us over for dinner on Sunday night and to watch the movie. We had a great time and are glad we got to see the movie this year!

Welcome Back Potter

Because Kevin is going to be in the next show at the Desert Star they gave us complimentary tickets to go see the show that is currently playing on Halloween night. It's called "Welcome Back Potter" and is a spoof of Harry Potter & Welcome Back Cotter. It is the kids 10 year high school reunion. One of our friends is in the cast and did a great job (way to go Todd!). We had a great time and laughed really hard. Also,"Scripture Chase" has a whole new meaning to me and I will use it often. If you have time in the next two weeks go see it before it closes.

Halloween Costumes

As you all know Halloween was last weekend. We had a fun time seeing everybody's costumes and sharing in some of the fun of the kids.

Grammy - a Scaredy Cat

The Nelson's

The Hadley's (sans Aspen...we love you!)

Eliana - a Princess

Lexie - Princess Ariel

Cadence - Fairy Princess

Joel - Thomas Enthusiast?

Jaden - Buzz Lightyear

Lincoln - Pea in a Pod

Afternoon Tea Party

Last weekend my Mother-in-Law took us girls to the Grand America for their Afternoon Tea Party. None of us fancy real tea so we got cider or hot chocolate. We tried some very interesting food, some we liked and some not so much, and had great conversation. Their desserts were truly delicious. You'll see a picture below of a flower in a glass. It started out as this little ball and when they add hot water it blooms and then becomes Jasmine Tea...very cool! It took us a while to find a time when everyone could come but it was well worth the wait. Thanks Kitty!

Joannie & Kitty

Karen & Abby

Flower Tea

The Purcell Girls

Quality Family Time

On Friday we headed down to hang out with Kevin's brother and sister in Orem. We had intended to stay the night but ended up coming home because of Kevin's rehearsal (see last post). We had a ton of fun for the few hours that we were there. Tony & Abby took us to a new restaurant called La Jolla Groves (http://lajollagroves.com/) and the food was super yummy. I may have to go back and have the Chicken Crepes...delicious. After that we met Joannie & Brady at the Cocoa Bean (on University Pkwy in Provo) for dessert. This is Kevin's favorite treat when he is anywhere near Utah County. After that we headed back to Tony & Abby's to watch an episode of Modern Family...we love that show!

We want to thank Tony & Abby for being willing to host us whenever we feel like getting way. We love you guys!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Okay, so I'm sure most of you have already heard the good news so this post is for those of you who haven't already heard. Kevin was contacted by the Desert Star Playhouse (desertstar.biz) last week and asked to come down and audition for a last minute part in their Christmas show (one of the cast members got a job in New York and had to leave right away). After a whirlwind audition he received a call on Friday night @ 10 pm and offered the part as Santa Claus. He had to be at rehearsal the next morning at 7:30 am. He only has 2 more weeks of rehearsal until the show opens. They move FAST!! The show is called "Christmas Vacation: The Bi-Polar Express" and is going to be really funny. For those of you who have never been there they do spoofs/parodies of other shows. There are 3 casts for the busy holiday season and each cast has 8 members. He is one of an elite group. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see him work his magic with the Magic Snow Globe...zing! (You'll get it after you see it).

I'll post more information on which shows he will be performing in when we get his schedule. I know he'd love for everyone to come and see him.

Side Note: Kevin has had the opportunity to play Santa a couple of times before so he should settle into the role in no time!

Date Night

Kevin took me out for date night on Saturday night. My friend Melissa told us about a place called "Tony's" to eat in Ogden. It is a little hole in the wall place that serves pizza, sandwiches, and pasta. We had salad, garlic bread, and a pepperoni & sausage pizza for only $13...what a deal! After that we had decided to go see "The Scarlet Pimpernel" at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse. Kevin had see it before at the Hale Center Theater but this was my first time. It was really good music. We got to see our friend Tara at the ticket office and one of the couples from Kevin's show were in this one as well. It is nice when you know someone and can cheer them on. We had a great time and really enjoyed the show. I recommend it to anyone who gets the opportunity to see it.

Thanks Babe for a great night out!

In Memory of Dean Barnhart

This last weekend the whole family participated in the Layton Marathon and other runs in memory of our Grandpa Barnhart. Grandma came up from Arizona to do the 5K with us. We got up early on Saturday morning and arrived at Ellison Park in Layton, UT. Tony & Brady had already started the marathon earlier that morning (they had a long way to go after all). Kitty & Ramon decided to run the 10K and were off and running at 7:30 am. They each came in 2nd place in their age categories with their run times. The rest of us were doing the 5K which started at 7:45 am. We had a nice time walking together and enjoying the fresh air. Once we were done we found out that most of the family had received medals in their age categories. You'll see them all standing below on the podium. We had a bit of a wait for the marathon runners. It was cold but we stayed in good spirits. Unfortunately Brady's body gave up on him at around mile 22 and he couldn't complete the entire race but in our book he deserves to say he did it because that is a LONG way. Tony came in at around 12:30 pm and we cheered him on. He carried Lincoln across the finish line. Once he was a little rested and got an apple to eat. We went to the Kelley's and took some pictures. You'll see we all wore out 4th of July shirts that had "In Memory of Dean Barhart" printed on the back. We are so glad that we were able to participate and that everyone had a pretty good day. We are so proud of Tony & Brady for training for their first marathon ever...you guys rock! I know that Grandpa was there cheering each on and telling us to run faster :)

Who's Ready to Run?

We're Awake...We Promise!

Grandpa, Grandma, Lincoln & Kevin After the 5K & 10K Runs

Our Little Gangsta!

Family of Champions!

Kevin - 3rd Place in Male 30-34 Age Group

Is this real?

Is there a Dentist around?

Tony nearing the finish line

There he goes - 26.2 miles

Lincoln was such a good baby

The Family

We participated in memory of Grandpa Barnhart

Tony & Brady - Our Heroes!

A Room Once Again

Many of you probably know that we are trying to sell our house. In order to get ready to do that we had to de-junk and send a whole bunch of stuff to my in-law's basement (thanks Scott & Kitty). My parents came up last week and helped me finished the spare room which has been more of a disaster room until now. They did so much while I wasn't feeling well (like redo our entire bathroom) and I am so grateful for them. If you know of anyone interested in our condo let us know or you can find the listing on www.judyallen.com (MLS #994151).

Cabin Retreat

Cousins - aren't they great!

Art projects for the kids!

Steven, Kevin & Josh showing their mad shooting skills!

Eliana and her Otter Pop

Grammy's New Airplane (she asked for toys on her birthday)

I think Kevin is a little more rested than Aspen - who's happy to be here?

Lexie's got a great smile :)

Grammy's new marble castle

Me rockin' the Hog

Jaden showing how strong he is!

Over my mom's birthday weekend we decided that it would be fun to go to the cabin with all the Hadley family. Scott & Kitty let us borrrow their truck so we wouldn't have to ruin our car. We headed up around 4 pm on Friday afternoon. As soon as we arrived we felt that relaxation that comes with good mountain air! Kevin had bought a new book, The Hunger Games, and became engrossed. That night we had sloppy joes for dinner and then had ice cream sandwiches to celebrate Grammy's birthday. Being the amazing grandma that she is she asked for toys for her birthday. We got her this cool castle that you can roll marbles down. The kids all loved it and played for hours. We had good conversation and LOTS of yummytreats. The next morning we got up and had eggs, toast, and sausage for breakfast. Then everyone went on four wheeler rides and mom had some crafts for the kids. The guys shot beebee guns and of course there was LOTS more food! We had lunch and then decided that we better pack up and let the little ones have naps on the way home. We had a moment of panic when Kevin couldn't find the keys to his parent's truck (we thought one of the kids might have taken them) but we finally found them at the very bottom of our bag...whew! We had such a wonderful time and I tried to take lots of pictures. Here are just a few...enjoy!