Disneyland 2010

 Screaming on the California Screamer.  Jayden is right next to me but only the tip of his head shows.  He was most excited to be tall enough to ride this with us.  We went on it several times. 

 Everyone wants to ride with Dad.  He goes FAST! (notice I am not riding with him)

 Carissa and Aubrey relax after Calfornia Screamer.  They are relieved we are NOT going on Tower of Terror. (next time, girls!)

 Breanna found a $20 bill! She tried to fine an owner but after no luck, bought a treat for us all.  She is one lucky girl--she has a knack for finding money on the ground.  Later that week she found $100 bill at a theater (found the owner--her relieved dad!)

Aubrey and Kelsey rest while wondering if they should have waited to eat their churros until after Space Mountain while Jayden maps out our next ride. 

Earlier in the year we signed up with a program called "Give a Day, Get a Day".  The idea was to do service in our community and Disneyland would give back to families by giving a 1 day 1 park ticket.  We were most excited because we were all at an age where we could participate and really enjoy the rides.  Our service project was to collect school supplies and make boxes to give to teachers across Arizona.  We had fun rounding up the supplies and we were excited to get our trip planned.  We were also glad that Kelsey got to go with us since she would soon be leaving for BYU-Idaho.  We spent one day at Disneyland and another day at California Adventure park.  The crowds were not too bad and the weather was perfect. 

Spring Break is Sweet!

With the kids and I home for Spring Break (its 90 degrees today) I have been trying to do things with each child that they would like to do.  Yesterday I played a mean game of checkers with Jayden and had his 2 cousins over to play.  Last night Aubrey and I stayed up way too late watching Cake Boss on cable.  We were either tired and delirious or inspired because today we hit the kitchen to make our own fondant cake.  After watching You Tube videos we started making powdered sugar fly. 

 Frosting the cake. . .careful!  No crumbs!

 Kneading the fondant.  Its like playing with Marshmallow Play-doh!

 Rolling it out nice and smooth

 Carefully draping it on the cake

 Trimming the extra

 Jayden had to get in the action

 That means Breanna too

 Making the bow just right

Just right!!  Its almost too cute to eat!  But we did :)  I'd say it was pretty good for a first time.  Now, on to the double decker cakes!!!

Welcome Hancock Herd

Well I heard from my relatives that it has been  a long long time since I have updated my blog.  Sweet Lauren told me "Julie, I check your blog every Sunday, and its been the same FOR MONTHS!"  True, true.  I think everyone is starting to wonder if we just left Kelsey in Europe.  Good news, we got her home and have been plenty busy since (hence the absence in the blog world).  So I shall try to catch up -no, sum up what has been going on in the Hancock home since July. 

In October we were happy to host Kevin's brother Scott and his family for a few days.  We loved having them around and have missed them since they moved back to Idaho.  The kids especially loved having cousins right their age too.  

Jayden and Ryan were inseparable the whole 5 days.  They were identical most days.  They had each lost the same teeth and Jayden even asked to get his hair buzzed so he could be Ryan's twin.  Jayden loved having a "brother-cousin" around.  He was so sad when they left.

Carissa, Aubrey and Lindsey were the gleesome-threesome.  We hardly heard from them except an occasional giggle as they passed through the kitchen for more food.

 Speaking of food, what would a family gathering be without Kevin's Company Cuisine??  Scott said he traveled 1000 miles just to have one of Kevin's famous Hawaiian Burgers, so we couldn't disappoint them.  As always they were a hit.  We also made Kevin's Better-Than-Krispy-Kreme donuts.  That was almost enough to convince them to stay a few more days.

 Almost.  With the food gone and school calling, they packed up and headed home.  We enjoyed the time immensely and hope for another reunion soon! 

Around the World in 20 Days

How do you sum up a trip like this?  There are too many stories and adventures to even begin.  Kelsey will have to make her own trip blog :) .  Here are some of the highlights of her trip.  Or at least my favorite pictures.  She has more pictures of her trip on her Facebook page.  She returned from her trip July 3, a very tired, happy, American.  In all her travels she recognized her love and gratitude for her country.  She was even more happy to return just in time for July 4.  Kelsey reports that she never knew she would be thankful for fewer smoking citizens, our censorship and laws of decency  and free public bathrooms.  All in all she had a wonderful trip with memories that will last a lifetime.  Now time to earn money for college. . .and the adventures continue. . .

Bake Sale Success

I figured I should get caught up on some of the things we have done lately.  Well, not caught up, but at least mention the progress we have made.  Seems time flies so quickly when you are so busy doing what you love--spending time with your kids doing a million and one projects!!
Kelsey's bake sale was a lot of fun and we felt it was successful.  Kevin made 10 dozen donuts ( a new favorite around here) and boy did they go fast!!  Move over Krispy Kreme!  We had a lot of fun and a lot of support from family, friends and neighbors who helped out and also bought items.  Sorry if your diet was ruined this week. . .  It's been most rewarding to see the kids come together, rally around Kelsey and dive in and do whatever we needed to do to help raise money.  Its been rewarding, but I tell them if they want to take a trip like this --start saving now!! :)

Week in Review #6

We made another blog this week-its getting addicting, (ha ha). This one was for Kelsey for her big Beauty Product Drive: Shop in the Name of Love. She's having a big kickoff event Feb 27 and hopefully the media will be there to get some donations rolling in. Check out her blog: www.shopinthenameoflove.blogspot.com (Whew! that's a long one!) I'm quite thrilled that I made the blog all by myself, but now our family blog features Kelsey's picture. Anyone out there know how to keep them separate??

This week was spent mostly getting Kelsey ready for her service drive. Although she didn't get any corporate donations for her trip, she is still going ahead with the service drive. It's been fun to put this together because its something she really wants to do. Fun times this week as we gather supplies and contact the media.

We celebrated Breanna's 10th birthday last week. My baby girl is growing up right before my eyes. She just got her ears pierced too and can't wait to wear sparkly earrings like her sisters. Her birthday was quite an event to put on since it fell on a Wednesday. I hurried home from school and we dashed out the door to eat at In-and Out Burgers. Then we dashed home to frost and eat the cake, and open presents. Then dashed back out the door to attend a school social at my school. Then dashed home to get the girls to Young Womens. Then crashed into bed. She had a birthday party later that week with her friends. Before we know it she will be dashing out the door with the other girls to go to Young Womens.

Now Jayden is counting down until his birthday in May. Too bad he still has to wait for Carissa's and Kevin's too. His eyes lit up when he realized that next year (2011) he will be old enough to get baptized and go to Cub Scouts. He is already thinking up designs for his Pinewood Derby car. He and I went to a Mother Son activity at the Riparian Preserve Water Ranch. It was a nice flat hike around a lake with other moms and sons in the ward. The sun was just setting and it was fun for him to have boys around to run and shout and kick up the gravel with. He loved peeking in the observatory and seeing Mars through the telescope. So now his big fascination is space and asteroids. At the moment he wants to be a pilot and a spaceman.

Week in Review #5

I have decided that elementary schools are the best places to be for holidays. Not necessarily because we teachers get so much teaching done then, but because there is a feeling of fun and excitement that can be felt in the halls and in the kids faces. The day before Christmas break was . . .magical I will say. The students, not just mine, arrived with gifts for their teachers and for each other. Fun crafts, parties and projects were planned, not for the educational objectives, but for the sheer fun of having a holiday. "Merry Christmas!" could be heard in the halls from both teachers and students as we left for our two week vacation.

Valentines Day was just as fun. The students once again arrived bearing gifts, flowers, chocolates, and classroom party treats. The office staff dressed in red and hearts. We passed out valentines and practiced our manners by saying "thank you". We ate party food and decorated cookies "just because". Everyone was once again happy; happy for no reason other than we have a holiday to celebrate. The sad thing is, I can't see too many more holidays coming up that will bring such excitement, except maybe the last day of school. And I am not sure who will be running through the halls full of cheer and glee; will it be the students or the teachers?

More excitement at home too. Kelsey just got word that she has been accepted to BYU-I. She is excited and will hear in about a week what track she is on (what semester she starts). It could be as soon as September or as far away as next April.

A lot of you have been asking for more details of her trip to Europe in June. We have been so busy getting ready for everything that we neglected to mention the details! Here we go: She has been nominated and accepted into a student ambassador program. She gets to travel for 20 days to England, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. She goes from June 14 to July 3. During the trip she gets to meet with members of Parliment and other government officials. At the end of the trip she gets to stay with a host family for a few days in one of the countries. She has been busy busy trying to raise money but we still have a ways to go. She is also organizing a service project to help a shelter for battered women. She is collecting soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, ect--any kind of beauty products that women could use. This project is not required for the ambassador program, its something she wants to do. If you want to donate to her trip or to her service project, let us know ASAP. If you have anymore questions about what she is up to, let me know.

In other news, we also just found out that Breanna won first place in an art contest and that her winning artwork is framed and on display in a store. It got sent to a national competition for FastFrames, but didn't win. She did get a tee-shirt and the store framed it for free. I will take a picture of her and her picture when the store lets her take it home.