The Evans Family

Happy 9th Birthday Harlee!!

2009-12-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

Harlee celebrated her 9th birthday with her silly girlfriends! We haven't even cut the cake, can you imagine how they will be when the sugar from that sets in! I can't believe how the time has flown by. I wanted her to stop growing, but apparently she hasn't listened. She enjoyed the day giggling and laughing with friends.
Happy 9th Birthday Harlee!!

The BIG 12!

2009-12-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

The time has arrived....Madison if offically a 12 year old (which means Chris and & I are really old). I can't believe it is here. We had family over to celebrate this happy day with Madison, she even had a little party with her new classmates...THE BEEHIVES. Yes, Madison will now be going to Young Womens and Mutual, YIKES! Too bad I'm not in there any more to keep a close eye on her and make sure she isn't scooping out any boys, but lucky for her dad IS in Young Mens so you can bet he will be watching much closer than I would. Time goes by too fast, before I know it she will be a Senior. Happy Birthday Madison!!!!!

TaVacci Christmas Concert

2009-12-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

Harlee and Gracee sang their little hearts out at their first TaVacci Concert.

They did such a good job and they were so entertaining!!

I think Gracee was made for the stage, she was right at home moving and a grooven...shaking her stuff like she owned the place.

Good Job Girls!

2009-10-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

It all started with home grown pumpkins. We decided we would try and grow our own....wa laa, the Evans Pumpkin Patch came to life!

Warning: These plants take over!!!

I think the girls had their pumpkins tagged before they were even full grown. They were wanting to pick and carve them in Sept. (I don't think they were excited)

So finally it comes the time to carve and they think they want to carve Van Gogh or Monte.

They were pretty ambitious with the fancy carvings but no one lost their temper and we all managed to keep smiles on our faces the whole time. I think they did a pretty good job.

It was a fun family night!!

2009-10-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a nice neighbor and his beautiful property we ventured out to take advantage of this amazing time of year and the beauty it offers. As fun as it was it wasn't the same without the missing daughter Madison. My poor bug was down and out sick on the couch with pictures being the last thing on her mind. I hope to get some of her when she is feeling better... hopefully the Idaho wind will be kind and leaves us some leaves to enjoy.

Gracee and Harlee had loads of fun playing, jumping and chasing eachother in the leaves.

I think they would have much rather played in the leaves all afternoon than take pictures!

Go Team!!

2009-10-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

So Proud of Madison and the Volleypops! The season is over and they ended it being the Champs! Go Girls!!

Is He CRAZY!!!

2009-09-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

The LOTOJA...definition = At 206 miles, the LOTOJA is the longest one-day sanctioned bicycle race in the country. The race starts in Logan, Utah, climbs and decends 3 mountain passes in the first 110 miles and finishes in Jackson Hole, WY.

On Sept. 12, 2009 Chris & his buddy Brady decided to venture this race, so we traveled to Logan, UT along with some 1200 other crazy bikers. What an amazing experience it was. Alli (Brady's wife) and I were the support for the guys, having water, gatorade, food etc. at all the scheduled stops. Getting to follow them on their downhill sprints pressing foward on the inclines was more emotional than I would have thought. This race was one of not only physical but mental stamina. Even at the point of physical & mental exhaustion they keep going!! They started the LOTOJA in the dark and they FINISHED in the dark!! Yes, they finished. A sight to behold!!!! They both swore that since they finished there was no need to do it again. They say that now....I think when next year rolls around, they will be in that line registering. Chris... you will never know how proud I am of this accomplishment and your drive to succeed.

DISNEYLAND

2009-03-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

"Not Disneyland again, Chris said....but with 4 females in the house, you guessed it, OUTNUMBERED!!!! Majority rules! This was Gracee's 1st trip to Disneyland. She had lots of fun with her sisters. It was cool for Gracee to see all these Dinsey characters in person after spending her whole 3 years of life seeing them on TV. After 3 days of walking I think the whole family was ready to wait another 3 or 4 years to go back! I am pretty sure Chris will not spend our next family vacation here. ( I guess he could just stay home) We did enjoy spending time together as a family.
And YES, that is Kevin Jonas from the Jonas Brothers walking off Thundr Mountain! It all happened so fast I was lucky to even get a shot off. It did make the girls day!!

My Baptism

2009-03-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

The day finally arrived, and what a beautiful day it was.

Harlee was just gleaming and happy. Thank you to all the family and friends that took the time to celebrate this wonderful day with Harlee!!

Happy Birthday Gracee!!!

2009-02-03T20:55:00.000-08:00

Gracee Lu, the big 3! How the time flies. You are probably wondering whats with the tools..... if you can believe it, that is what she asked for... strange I know. You should have seen her face when she opened them up. Tools daddy, she was so excited! Tim the Tool Man Taylor better watch out, she could really give Heidi a run for her money. At least someone around here will know how to use the power tools.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

What a fun New Year! We took some Arizona friends to see what a real winter looks like! They had their first snowmobile experience going to Cave Falls......they loved it!!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-01-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas is here again! It wouldn't be christmas without a family picture with santa.

Thank you everyone for making this a Christmas filled with spirit, love and giving!

T'was the Night Before Christmas....

2008-12-24T23:08:00.000-08:00

T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the house

not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

while visions of ipod's danced in their heads.......

Happy Birthday Girls!!!

2008-12-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

Madison's and Harlee's birthdays again. We rented the local gymnastics center and had their party with their friends. They had lots of fun playing and climbing, swinging etc. I can't believe how fast time flies. Madison is 11 & Harlee is 8!! Never a dull moment with these two.

Chris decided he wanted to show the girls a thing or two.... I think he forgot he isn't a young buck anymore! Someone is going to get hurt!!!

Elder Schroeder

2008-12-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

Elder Trevor John Schroeder has officaly left for the mission field. He reported Dec. 3rd to Provo and will be reporting Dec. 23rd to the Jacksonville Florida mission. We are super proud of him and know he will make an awsome missionary!!!

Not the DENTIST!

2008-11-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

Gracee had her 1st dentist appt. today, and of course the news isn't...she has perfect teeth!

Nope, Gracee got mom's bad teeth, poor thing. I won't complain though, she was so good, she wasn't scared (unlike some 10 year olds I know...Madison) she opened her mouth wide, not a peep!

They were pretty impressed how well she did for her age.

Hopefully she will do that well when it's not just a cleaning!

Mini Me

2008-11-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

Harlee and Gracee thought they would have a little fun in our Halloween costumes.

I think they look better than Chris and I did!!

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

Halloween time again. Isn't Gracee just the cutest Dorthy!

All the girls with their friend Stella are ready to rot their teeth out with candy.

Madison was a 50's girl and Harlee was a U.S. Diva.

Halloween COUPLES BUNKO Style!

2008-10-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

Do you love our costume or what! No...that really isn't me, I wish it was though, it was way better than the cheesy one I had to come up with on short notice. It's amazing what a biker chic will attract!!

Halloween Party Fun!!! Was Chris HOT or what! He got more looks at his legs than I would have. Some times you just have to let loose a little bit.

As you can see us women were the only brave ones to get our group photo. All the men had striped off their costumes within the first 20 minutes of the shin-dig. Party poopers!!

BACK TO SCHOOL!!

2008-08-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

5th grade for Madison. I can't believe it. She was not that thrilled to be going back to school. She would sleep in every day till noon if I'd let her. Guess she will have to wait till next summer for that. She did come home excited after her first day...she got a teacher who is new and isn't as strict with the homework. Madison's happy.
2nd grade for Harlee. She unlike Madison was ready and willing to be going back to school. She was up bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. Even during the summer she never slept in...that wasn't always a good thing. She loves school!

Gracee is still home, although she would love to be going to school with the girls. She asked for them all day today so we took a little trip to the park and that seemed to help her forget them for a short time. She was so happy to see them when they got home. I know it won't be long before she will be joining them.

Cave Falls

2008-08-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

One last day of fun before the grind of school. We decided to vistit Cave Falls and enjoy the beauty surrounding us. We had a great time.

Fun in the Sun!

2008-08-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

The kids have had so much fun this summer hanging out at the lake with friends and family. I will say that the water is a bit colder than those Arizona lakes, but they don't seem to mind a goose bump to two.

Home Grown

2008-08-11T21:02:00.001-07:00

It has been so fun growing my own garden. The girls love to pick and eat fresh strawberries every day. My sqwash and cantaloupe are growing like crazy. It is actually somewhat theraputic gardening. I will be anxious to try some other variations next spring.

It's the Latest TREND!

2008-04-14T23:17:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not have known this, but while we have been away Chris has taken some classes at the local beauty school. Needless to say they haven't let him graduate!! This is called the vaccum do. All you need is central vac and a willing victim. She quite likes this actually. Maybe that is why Chris doesn't every seem to mind vaccuming!

Easter....yes that is SNOW!

2008-04-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, you are seeing correctly. I am sure those of you in sunny weather will get a kick out of this. We actually did hide eggs in the snow. I must say, it was a little bit weird. The kids didn't seem to mind, they just wanted those eggs.

Last Minute fun in the Snow!!

2008-04-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

Gracee and Chris are enjoying their turn down the hill. Gracee was having a ball. Boy did she throw a fit when it was time to stop. Typical red head I guess..
Madison took the sledding like a fish to water. No hesitations, she flew down the hill enjoying every minute of it.

Chris and Gracee got to be the taxi and take all the sledders back up the hill after each run. I got to stay at the botton...someone had to capture all the fun!

We decided since we live in snow country now, it might be a good idea to embrace it, so we all took snowboarding lessons (with the execption of Chris of course, he became a pro going to Sunrise...ha..ha...)

Harlee kicked butt..she didn't have any problem picking it up at all. She was going on her 3rd run down the hill while I was still working on my 1st. Pretty sad.

Madison was the same. She and I took lessons together and she spanked me. I think there is and advantage to being lower to the ground, not quite as far to fall and a whole lot easier to get up.

Plus I think they rebound faster after crashing and burning all day. It is amazing how fast these kids can learn new things!

This is the small ski slope we hit this winter and where we learned to board. Kelly Canyons' the name, and what makes it so nice is that it is a whoping 30 mins. from the house. Can't beat that.

They even have night skiing. We closed our last trip of the season doing it at night and really enjoyed it. I am hoping to get Gracee out there next season. It is awsome to see these 3 yr. olds riping down the slopes on their skis.
The girls were troopers learning this and actually wanting to continue it..usually after we have invested all our money in gear for a sport they decide they aren't interested anymore. So far so good...then again we have all summer for them to change their minds!

OH MY SNOW!

2007-10-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning to white! SO cool. The girls were itching to be out there in the cold. Our first big snow. Harlee didn't waste any time making her cute little snowman. She worked really hard on it. Turned out cute, she was pretty proud of it. Gracee wanted to join so bad, it mad her mad to have to watch the girls from the window. Last year at this time she was only crawling.
Guess we will have to invest in serious winter clothes for her this year.

Left behind, for now.....looking foward to.....

2007-10-06T10:11:00.001-07:00

This is one of the funniest things we used to do in Arizona. Visiting Lake Powell, playing in the water, enjoying the company of good friends and just having a ball!!! We do hope to eventually get back there, hook up with friends and keep adding to the memories!!

But....this is one of the super fun things we have got to do since moving to Idaho. Snowmobiling...

(although, don't get the touring one... man I flipped that thing more than once with Chris on the back, he did tip us to. We had a blast. Nothing like being up in Yellowstone in -15 degree weather hauling in the snow on a snowmobile. Our junkie duning friends would love it!!! Looking foward to doing it again this winter.

Our Leap of FAITH..... our New Business in Idaho

2007-10-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

It's official...we open doors this month with a lot of prayers. We up and left our life in Arizona to pursue a better one here in Idaho and with that move we had to find employment. So here we are once again starting a company with lots of sleepless nights and lots of prayers. I am proud of Chris and all his hard work to bring this to pass! This is our business cards and logo, turned out good I think! I will be keeping you updated as we go foward, especially with some pictures of the amazing granite we have chosen to stock. It's almost too pretty to cut up....

PRICELESS GIFT....

2007-10-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

What a gift! For our anniversay my parents arranged for us to go to the Church Offices and meet with Micheal Watson who works with the First Presidency. What a treat!!
One of the coolest parts of visiting Salt Lake was that Micheal Watson arranged for us to eat on the top floor of the Joseph Smith Building (The Rose Garden Resturant). What an amazing place. It over looks all of Temple Square, and talk about the food.... yum yum! The desserts were to die for. He had flowers for the ladies and a special book written by Pres. Hinckley and signed by him for us ladies. WOW!!

While at the Church Offices we were privleaged enough to get to stand behind the chairs where the Prophet and the Twelve meet daily for Church business. The room was amazing beyond description! Wood panaling (russian walnut) throughout, absouletly amazing. The spirit.....undescribable.

Here we are standing with Bro. Watson and his

wife, my parents, Buddy Youngreen, my brother and his wife.

This room has remained untouched since its contruction in the early 1900's. Amazing to think how many prophets have been in this room!

THERE HERE....

2007-10-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Finally some family members came to join our mad quest for a better life for our family. We are hoping that slowly but surely as we sucker our family members to visit, they will get sucked in like we did and want to join our craziness!!! It's good to dream... right?

All About the Girlz!

2007-10-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Gracee Lu (she is too many things to come up with only one nickname!) A ball of fire. On my toes all the time with her. I think I was spoiled with the other two, they were so mellow..... not this wild child. Got to love her though. She is the Evans cabouse!!!

Harlee Rae (peanut for mom) always full of spunk with a smile on her face. The poor middle child though. I can't get enough of those cheeks. Dad and I love to rub and squeeze them and she is such a good sport about it too.

Madison (if you ask mom though, she will always be my "beautiful bug". She doesn't much appreciate being called that though especially out in public. I always get the evil eye or the "don't call me that" look.) I keep trying to squash her so she will stop growing. Not working!!