The Hill's Are Alive.....In Washington

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Hill

2012-01-31T10:53:00.001-08:00

Erik & Danielle's wedding day was a beautiful day! We loved being together with all of our children and Danielle's family as we celebrated their marriage for Time and All Eternity!

Welcome to the family..... Danielle.

With the Proud parents!!!

Danielle & Bridger

The Pettis Family

The whole family group!

Danielle & Maliah

The Hill Men!

The Hill Ladies!

JUMP FOR JOY!!!!!!!

They were so happy....smiles and laughter are the best!!!

Cutting the cake! (Look at how excited Erik is.....)

He restrained himself.........

I really thought she was going to smash it.....but no!

Some of the Delicious Desserts!!

Visiting with Grandma Olsen

Our Eagle Scout Sons!

2012-01-31T10:27:00.001-08:00

One goal of our family has been that all four of our sons earn and receive their Eagle Scout awards. Each of the boys worked on scouting through out their Junior High and into their High School years, some with more encouragement (or nagging) than others. Andrew is proud to be the last recipient of the Eagle Scout award, AND..............he is also the youngest to earn it!! His goal was to be done before he turned 16 so that he could get his driver's license (the rule in our house was Eagle earned before driver's license..so needless to say some of the boys didn't drive until they were very close to 18). Congratulations Andrew on a job well done!!!

This statue was donated to the Manette Ward by a former member, John Kershaw. It will be permanently displayed in the Scout room of our church building.

The PROUD Father!!!

The family....we are a happy bunch!

WEDDING BELLS ARE IN THE AIR!!! (Again!!)

2011-09-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Erik & Danielle are engaged!!!

(and we are so excited...that we just can't hide it!)

Erik met Danielle at the local singles branch...she had moved here from Great Falls, Montana, to help her older sister for a few months. Secretly I think it was to meet Erik too! She is a beautiful, smart, sweet, awesome, kind, loving and happy young woman and we are so excited to have her become part of our family! Plus someday I will have some red-headed grandbabies!!

The wedding date is set for December 20th, 2011 in the Seattle LDS Temple. We are so happy for Erik and Danielle and can't wait to see what great things they do together as husband & wife.

Solo & Ensemble 2011

2011-02-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

Andrew & James participated in the High School Solo & Ensemble competition today....

...here are a few video's.

Andrew, Janyll Antazo & Michael Chambers

Jordan Geier, James & Matt Pohl

First up.....the Perpetual Motion Squad (or PMS???) singing "April is in my mistress' face."

Next is one of Andrew's groups.....singing "Oh, Mistress".

Save Now

Here's another one of James' groups......"Viva Tuti".

There are a few more video's, but I'm tired and want to go to bed. (I will post some more tomorrow...though I know that the only people obligated to watch them are grandparents!) The good new's is that two of James' groups ( Viva Tuti and April) received FIRST PLACE and now are qualified to move onto the state competition. It will be held the end of April in Ellensburg, WA. So now we are making plans for that. Good job boys!

The Summer of 2010

2010-11-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay.....I know that summer has been over now for a while, but.......I need to play some catch up and get our summer documented. So here goes a MEGA post....hope you enjoy!

We did a lot of things this summer, I spent a week at girl's camp, the kids all had summer jobs, Blake worked on the house, replacing a few more windows, James went to Helaman's camp, we went to see quite a few movies, (Erik is working at a local theater and can get his family in for free), and lots of other fun and not so fun activities. Here are some of the things we did, or at least the ones that I got pictures of..........We started the summer with a WONDERFUL event.....James completed his Boy Scout Eagle Project and boy was it a success. He organized a blood drive for the local blood bank. The Boy Scout requirements were 50 donors with 15% of those donors being first time donors. James worked his cell phone, and good old Facebook and had 57 donors, 50 pints of blood and 45 of the donors were first time donors. The blood bank was very impressed with his work and it was fun to see a lot of his friends come and donate blood. There were a few people who had some issues with donating, one girl threw up, another man nearly passed out, but all in all it was a HUGE success. We were so proud of James and so happy that he finally got it finished. And then he was finally able to get his drivers license....makes me a happy mom too, not so much driving for me anymore. We took some good pictures...here are a few.

Dad donating.....they wouldn't take my blood though, not enough iron.

The set up in the gym

Jacki was very nervous about donating, as she had never done it before, but she did it for her brother.....awwwww.

James even recruited the missionaries...Elder Doxey and Elder Daniels.

One of our good friends, Paul Nelson (sitting on the far left of the picture) recruited some of the sailors on his ship and brought them along.

Next great event of the year was the 3rd Annual Olsen Family Reunion. This year my sister, Beth, hosted the event and we went to the FABULOUS Camp Perkins near Stanley, Idaho. Beth's son, Max, works there every summer as a camp counselor and cook, so it was the perfect place to hold a family reunion. It is in the area around Alturas Lake, were we used to camp with our family as kids. There were so many fun things to do....bike, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, archery, and just sitting around visiting and watching the little kids play. Blake, Andrew and I met Nathan and Maureen there, unfortunately Jacki, James and Erik couldn't take the time off from summer jobs (especially since they had to have time off for the wedding!) Anyway here are some pictures....

Sitting in the lodge, visiting....Becky, Jeff, Mom and Kathy above.

Janet, Kate, Jay, Josh, Andrew and Alan Sr. below.

Kathy, Dad and Janet

Kathy, Charlie and Mom enjoying the camp fire.

Mr. Tommy....what a handsome kid!

Becky climbing the wall.....I think she was the only one of us girls to try.

Max helping Andrew get ready to climb

Charlie, Mike, Alan Jr., Andrew and Alan Sr. waiting their turn.

Blake on the lake.....I also tried Kayaking and am glad no one got pictures of me wobbling in it.

(This picture should be up with the others, but I can't figure out how to move it)

Brian, Kathy and Mom

The Kayak crew....Beth, Kathy, Becky and Jeff.

Henry and Tommy getting water for the fire....that bucket is heavy.

Charlie enjoying his smore.

Archery......Henry, Brian, Andrew and Jack.

Max helping Grandma.

Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of everyone and I never got a copy of the group pictures we took. All in all it was a fun reunion...all of my brothers and sisters came, and all of our spouses, we all got along, we ate good food, we spent time visiting and just having a great time!

Next adventure......Blake took Jacki and James on a great day hike to Glacier Lake in the Cascade Mountain....they got some absolutely beautiful pictures......here they are.

Next was our EPIC trip across the United States. With the coming of Nathan and Maureen's wedding, we debated how to get to Boston. We've talked for years about going to visit all of the church history sights and decided that this was the time to do it...so we bought a new car (or new to us anyway) packed it up and headed out. Now there is a slight explanation to start with though....we drove across the country with only one of our children and drove back home with only one again, but a different one. Over a year ago, we got the opportunity for Andrew to go to the National Boy Scout Jamboree in Virginia, (which will have to be another post....I'm exhausted by this one! :) ) then Erik was also asked to go along as an assistant Scout master. So, they were already on the east coast with the Boy Scouts. Then Jacki just couldn't take too much time off from work, so she just flew out for the weekend of the wedding....so we started out our trip with James only. (Nathan was driving back with Maureen) Then for the trip home, James, Jacki and Erik all flew home to get back for their summer jobs, so we drove home with Andrew...it took quite a bit of coordinating, but it was all worth it.

So heres the beginning of a three week, 9000 mile trip through 23 states.....the trip of a life time.
Our first momentous stop was Mount Rushmore.....so fun to see that phenomenal monument. We hiked up close to the mountain, and took some great pictures.

Next stop....the Winter Quarter's visitors center. We visited the visitor center there and learned about the saints who stopped there. Then we decided to take a walk thru the pioneer cemetery across the street. As we stood in front of the statue (below) I began to read the names of those pioneers who were buried there (above)....and discovered the first wife and children of Blake's Great, great Grandfather, Stilman Pond. We have heard stories of him and his life. He lost his wife and all four of his children before he reached the Salt Lake Valley. We love him for his faith and dedication to the gospel. And are grateful that he remarried and have another family....thus Blake's ancestors.

Winter Quarter's Temple

Next stop....Liberty Jail. Here the prophet Joseph Smith was unlawfully held for four months. They have built the visitor's center around the original building.

Across the street from the visitors center in Independence, Missouri is the Re-organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple. (they have actually changed the name of their church to The Community of Christ). Anyway, they allow you to tour the building for a small fee, so we took the tour. It was interesting.

Also, in Independence, we visited the Harry Truman Presidential library. What a tribute to a great man. Here is Blake beside his statue.

Next stop.......St. Louis, Missouri and the Great Arch. Now, I learned something new here.....I've always seen pictures of the arch, but did not know that you can go up into it. So....we decided that we couldn't pass it up. You sit inside these little pods that travel up the arch, they hold five people, you sit knee to knee with everyone....nice, close quarter. Then at the top, I expected something like the Seattle Space Needle, lots of space to walk around, but no......It was a a very small room, long and thin and not a lot of room to move around, but fun to look out the windows and see everything. WOW!!!

Here's James......630 feet in the air.

After St. Louis, we had to speed the rest of the way to pick up Erik and Andrew. We spent one night in Louisville, KY. Such green, gorgeous country. We had to pick the boys up in Richmond, Virginia...from there we traveled up to the DC area and spent a few days with some family friends from Erik's mission.

Blake and I took a day trip (without kids) to Mt. Vernon, home of George and Martha Washington. Most of the property are still the original buildings, so wonderful to walk and see these things. Here I am on George's back porch looking out on the Potomac River.

We spent one day visiting down town DC. Erik knows the subway system, so we just hopped on a subway, rode it into the city and walked around in the heat and crowds. Here are the boys holding up the Washington Monument.

Andrew is always delightful to have around!

Blake in front of a section of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. So awe inspiring.

so cool?????

Eating lunch at Erik's favorite DC hamburger place....Five Guys. They make fresh french fries with potatoes from Idaho. They day we ate there, they were using potatoes from Rexburg, Idaho where Blake was born. Fun!

We stopped by the DC Temple and the Visitor's Center....and ran into an old family friend.

Leah Anderson is serving in the same mission that Erik did....she was born in Bremerton and Erik and her used to play together as little kids....they even went to Joy School together. Fun to see here there, loving her mission.

We left Erik in DC, so he could spend time visiting people from his mission. ( He took the Amtrak train up to Boston and met us for the wedding later in the week!) From DC, Blake, James, Andrew and I went to Niagara Falls, New York. WOW! WOW! WOW! I learned another thing here.....there are more than one falls. Niagara Falls, American Falls and Horseshoe Falls. What a beautiful place that was...we couldn't get enough of the sights. We opted out of going down to get wet....but it was still amazing.

Here's Blake with the statue of Nikola Tesla, Inventor and Electrical Engineer.

We spent the night near Niagara and then the next day was Sunday. We went to church in Palmyra, New York in the building right across the street from the Palmyra Temple. We walked around the temple site, here we all are.

We also visited the Hill Cummorah Visitors Center and then walked to the top of the Hill. What sacred ground, knowing that the Prophet Moroni appeared here to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

We next visited the Printing Press Visitor's Center...where the first Book of Mormon was printed. Again, it was still the original building.

Then we stopped by the grave of Alvin Smith, brother of the Joseph. Sorry the picture is sort of blurry...but this picture is really for a good friend who says Alvin is going to be her eternal companion. I just had to post this for her!

From there we went to the Joseph Smith Sr. Farm....here's James hamming for the camera.

And Andrew hamming too!

here's a pictures of myself....to prove I was there!

We also visited The Sacred Grove. I would have to say that this was one of the most spiritual experiences of the whole trip, beside attending the temple for the wedding. To know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared here to the Prophet is such a blessing. We spent time just walking through the grove and sitting to contemplate our own testimonies. I am so grateful that we got to visit here.

I had to take this picture.....Andrew was actually snoring!

Next stop was the Peter Whitmer Farm...where the church was officially organized.

Blake, outside the chapel there.

From there, we finally got on the road to Vermont to meet Maureen's wonderful family. They opened their home to us and we had a great time hanging out with everyone there. Here's James playing chess with Sean, Maureen's youngest brother, with Patrick sitting beside him on the couch.

We went with Nathan and Maureen to Boston a few days before the wedding to fill out the paper work for their wedding license. Here they are going into the court house. so sweet!!!

We spent a few hours in Boston, as we had to wait until 8PM that night to pickup one of Maureen's bridesmaid (and former missionary companion and BYU roomate), Brianna. So we tried to visit some famous sights....Here is a statue of Paul Revere.

Inside the Old North Church...."One if my land, two if my sea...."

Being sassy.....I was getting a little tired of Blake always taking pictures of me from behind...!!

Another great place to visit and just a day trip from Maureen's house....the birth place of Joseph Smith. They have a small visitor center there and then this monument to the Prophet. We took Maureen's three brother's with us....they were so fun!

On the way back from the Joseph Smith Monument...we stopped at the Ben & Jerry's Factory. We ate a Vermonster together.....(Maureen needs to send me the pictures) It was 25 scoops of ice cream, 3 scoops of chocolate and carmel sauce, marshmellow cream, 3 cookies, 3 brownies, tons of whipped cream. They bring it to you in a gallon sized bucket and we all ate out of it together. Fun times! Here are Maureen's brothers, Liam, Sean and Patrick.

Andrew and I tie-dyed t-shirts. "I tyed it. I dyed it. I buyed it"

Maureen's Dad planned a great 'Bachelor Party' for Nathan. Burlington Vermont is across Lake Champlain from New York State. So they took a boat across the water and had dinner in New York for Nathan's party. Here they all are.

Patrick, Liam and Andrew.

Andrew and Sean.

After all of the wedding celebrations (which I've posted some about) Blake, Andrew and I struck out for home. Our first stop on the way home was Kirtland, Ohio and the visitors centers there.

Inside the store, in the room where the 'School of the Prophets' was held.

Again, original buildings.

Newell K. Whitney Store....they still have the lists of items people purchased, he was a great record keeper.

In front of Kirtland Temple. This is owned by the Community of Christ, but they open it for tours. We enjoyed seeing the inside and feeling the spirit there.

Another stop...the John Johnson Farm. The Prophet Joseph, Emma and there children stayed here with the Johnson family for several months. It was here that he received the 76 section of the Doctrine & Covenants. And also it was here that an angry mob broke in and drug him from the home out into the fields, then proceeded to tar and feather him. It was on this same porch, where we took our picture, that he stood the next morning and preached about love and forgiveness. What a powerful man Joseph was, I love him.

From Kirtland we traveled to Nauvoo, Illinois. We spent two nights here and it was still not enough time. We loved Nauvoo and the sites...what a powerful experience to travel the streets that the prophet Joseph walked and to see so much of the beauty.

Andrew in the blacksmith shop.

In Brigham Young's home.

We took a quick trip to Carthage, Illinois to visit the Carthage Jail, where Joseph Smith was martyred. We were the first ones there that day, so were able to take the tour just by ourselves and sit in the room where Joseph and Hyrum spent their last hours. What an awesome experience, one that I will never forget.

Night shots are hard to get, but the temple sure glowed at night.

This statue is of Joseph & Hyrum Smith....there last ride out of Nauvoo.

Blake and Andrew making rope in the Family Living Center

One last shot of the temple......it is truly a House of the Lord.

We were so blessed to be able to take this trip. We put a lot of miles on the car, listened to several books on tape and conference talks and I actually read four books also, what a delightful time we had. I am so grateful for my pioneer heritage and for their hard work and dedication. And I am grateful that the church has made these places available to us, to teach us of our heritage. Thus ended the summer.....now on to fall: James' senior year and homecoming court, Andrew beginning high school, tennis, new callings and life in general. Bring it on!!!

Welcome Maureen!

2010-11-03T18:22:00.001-07:00

Well I am finally getting around to blogging about our wonderful trip to the East Coast and all of the church history sites, but more importantly.....to officially WELCOMING my beautiful new daughter (in-law!) Nathan and Maureen got married on the 14th of August in the Boston LDS temple. And we couldn't be happier!! It was a beautiful day, and beautiful ceremony and a beautiful reception. Here a few pics to see.....

Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Hill

One of my favorite pictures....

The Radiant Bride....Maureen

All Smiles!!! :)

Maureen and her bridesmaids....Brianna, Summer, Whitney, Jacki & Candace

My two beautiful daughters.

My handsome boys.....James, Andrew, Blake, Nathan and Erik.

Blake and I.

The whole family....Grandpa and Grandma Olsen, Blake and I, Nathan, Maureen, Jacki, James, Erik, Uncle Mark, Andrew, Grandma Genna & Aunt Nancy.

Wedding Bells are in the Air!!!

2010-07-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

Introducing Nathan and his sweet fiancée, Maureen Davison. We are so excited to have her become part of our family....here's a sneak peek at their engagement pictures. They are getting married August 14th, in the Boston LDS Temple. There will be a reception that night in Maureen's home town of Burlington, Vermont and then on the 28th of August we will host an Open House for them here in Bremerton. If you want an invite, send me a message.

Washington DC

2010-03-31T19:12:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know that Erik has been home for almost 6 weeks, but life has been busy here and I am full of more excuses.....oh well!! Picking up your son from his mission is a must, one that Blake and I don't ever want to miss. Meeting the people that your son has taught and shared the gospel with, hearing there testimonies and seeing their love for your son is something that warms my heart. I am so grateful that we have been able to pick up our sons, Nathan and Erik, we have really been blessed.

Anyway, here are a few pictures from our trip, we had a blast even with all of the snow in DC.

Here we are, just minutes after seeing him for the first time!

I believe this is all of the spanish speaking missionaries in Erik's mission.

Getting ready to go into the temple with Erik. Beautiful temple grounds, even more beautiful temple. Erik considers this HIS temple now.

Celebrating Erik's birthday with David Flores and some of the members. The funny thing about this picture is that the door behind Erik is the bathroom door and Erik had just come out of it. David was so anxious about singing to Erik and showing him his cake that he had to follow Erik down to the bathroom. Erik was worried that no 'smell' would come out, it was hilarious! I tried to get David to wait, but he wouldn't have anything to do with that!

We were in DC with Erik for one week and every night we went to a different members house to eat dinner and meet with them. Here we are after dinner.

One of the great things we ate was papusas, an El Salvadorian stuffed tortilla. I loved them, so I had Sis. Flores teach me how to make them. On Sunday afternoon, after church, we had our cooking lesson. I haven't tried to make them yet here at home, but am anxious to try making them. You take corn dough and stuff it with meat and cheese, then fry them up and eat them with a cabbage slaw, DELICOUS!!!!!

I look perplexed, who knows why.....I just wanted you to see the apron Sis. Flores gave me to wear. Everyone there thought it was great that I was trying to learn how to cook.

Here is Blake and Erik at Gettysburg, we spent a day touring here, it was amazing. I learned so much, like....the battle at Gettysburg actually lasted three days, WOW! (Guess I should of paid more attention in high school.) We toured the museum, then did a driving tour of all of the battlefields. We purchased a CD that gave us an audio tour of each area. At some of the stopping points there were these observations towers, Erik climbed everyone of them. Here are Blake and he at the top of one. (I don't know why this is underlined, it just turned out that way and I can't figure out how to undo it...ugh!)

We loved these statues of Lincoln, he is one of Blake's personal hero's.

Blake and I at the Lincoln Memorial. Very inspiring as you read his words etched on the walls and feel the spirit there.

Here is the Washington Monument. Notice the flags and how they are standing at attention....it was a VERY windy day!

A few days before we arrived in DC, they were slammed with tons of snow. The piles on the side of the road were humongous and everything was frozen. Here is Blake and Erik standing on the frozen reflecting pool, we actually walked from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial on the frozen pond, as it was easier going than on the slushy, messy sidewalks. It was also the closest Erik had been to open water in two years.

Blake at the Capital.

And finally......here we are at the DC Temple visitors center. We have lots more pictures, but don't want to bore you to death. Needless to say we had a fabulous trip and are so grateful for our son Erik. He served a wonderful mission, he gained a testimony of our Savior and of his ministry and we are so proud of him and his efforts.

Two boys down, two to go....(with possibly a daughter serving also!)

(Disclaimer: I spent an hour trying to fix the the alignment of the paragraphs, got REALLY frustrated and decided to just leave it alone. If anyone has any ideas for me, please send them my way, because I can't seem to figure out the stupid thing!)

Family Time

2010-03-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

For the first time in four loooonnnng years, our family was together. Nathan left on his mission in February of 2006 and came home in March of 2008. Erik left on his mission in February of 2008 (three weeks before Nathan came home!) and just got home last week. So we had them together for the first time this last weekend and it was great!!! It is amazing to me to see how they have all grown and matured and have begun their own lives, separate from Blake and I. One of the things that I loved the most is seeing how they interact with one another......and I don't have to act as referee anymore!!!!! (or at least not very often!) On the first day that Erik was home, he and James were switching bedrooms down in the basement. Erik came up stairs and told me that he thought James had really matured and that they were going to get along a lot better now. I told him that "Yes, James has matured, but so have you!" Can I just state for the record, that I love my kids and am so very proud of all of their accomplishments.

Okay done with the mushy stuff.........Here are some pictures we took on Sunday afternoon.....I have to say that I think I have a very handsome family....even in all of their goofiness!!!

(Thanks Maureen for taking such great pictures, I know we were hard to work with!!!)

Father and sons!

I think this is one of the best pictures Blake has even taken! I love this man!

Nathan.....missing the Northwest?

Don't know who the lady with the stroller is, but had to show off my beautiful daughter!

This is the funniest picture because these two really do get along the best and rarely fight!

Notice Andrew's 'zoolander' face?

These two are the biggest goof-off's of the family!

.....skipping, skipping.....

I told them all to hold hands....things got a little bit crazy!

...hand squeezing....

...red rover?....

Family Time #2

2010-03-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures. I know you can have too much of a good thing, but I just couldn't decide which goofy pictures to put in, so you get a lot of them. This is mostly for our parents, they love their grandkids no matter what. Right??

YES, she is still the princess of the kingdom!!!

No they are NOT 'flippin' the bird', they just like to pretend they are. The extra cute young lady there is Nathan's girl friend, Maureen.

And finally.......here is where it all started. Hard to believe it has been 26 years since we began dating and started this whole group! We love our children, each one is unique and brings us such joy and entertainment! We couldn't ask for anything better, except of course, for some even cuter grandkids some day! (Blake looks unhappy, he wasn't....the sun was breaking through the clouds and he was looking into it.....thus the scowl!!! I love that man!)

Better Swimming video

2010-01-23T16:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to YouTube for a better recording of the 'Men with Beards' and their swimming routine. Though it is still hard to tell who is who so.......when they walk on the stage, James is the second one, with the red bath robe. Then everytime they are kneeling behind the paper, James is the second one on the left. ENJOY!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFpkkQSBsXY&feature=player_embedded#

Men With Beards & Syncronized swimming!

2010-01-21T21:49:00.001-08:00

James and his friends from school entered the talent show.....here is their entry! They stole the show if you ask me!!! Sorry it is a little blurry, but you get the general idea. Blake added to the blurriness a little as he was filming because he was laughing so hard and our camera is slowly dieing. Hopefully one of the other parents got a better video but until then, here it is for your viewing pleasure.

HAPPY NOVEMBER!!!

2009-12-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

We had a busy November.......starting with Blake and Andrew going to Pullman to visit Jacki for Dad's weekend. She is having a great year so far and it was fun for them to go and see her and spend time goofing off in Pullman. They went to a men's basketball game, the football game, WSU played UCLA (they got beat! no surprise there!), played ping pong in the good old institute building and generally had a great time. For days after Blake got home, he just kept talking about how nice it was to see Jacki and meet her friends. Heres a few pics.....

WSU's Marching band

The track where Jacki practices......in the summer. They have an indoor track too! (Thank Heavens!)

What cute kids! Apparently it was freezing that day!! Jacki and Andrew gave up half way through the game and went to the Student Union building to play games while Blake watched the rest of the game.

Andrew and Jacki walking on campus!

Now Thanksgiving!!! It is always great to have our kids come home and spend the holidays with us. Jacki was home from WSU for the whole week and Nathan traveled home from BYU for the weekend. We ate lots of pies, watched movies, played football in the mud (not me, I just watched), and even did some hiking. All in all great fun!!!!

Here is Paige Mitchell, Andrew, Maureen and Jacki enjoying the view.

Nathan....KING OF THE MOUNTAIN!

Here's the group.....Joel Mitchell, Andrew, Maureen Davison, Jacki, Nathan and Paige Mitchell. (James and didn't go, he had swim practice and homework and I played the organ for a friend's father's funeral) Blake took the picture.

And here is Nathan's friend, Maureen. She came home with him for Thanksgiving and here they are modeling their finds from Value Village (the local thrift shop!). She is only a friend, so don't anyone get their hopes up!

And finally, here is some of Blake's handy work. Our house was built around 1959, so our windows are very old and not very warm. Blake took on this HUGE project to put in new windows and it is happening one at a time. Here is the first one, the biggest too! From the time we bought our house, the seal was broke on this window, so it was always a little cloudy and you could't see out of it very well. Blake did a great job getting it all done, with lots of help from friends willing to lift heavy old windows around my precious tomato plants without hurting them.

The next window....the half bathroom. Now onto the bedroom windows, which will be tougher, since they are all set in brick. We are excited!

halloween fun

2009-11-01T14:01:00.001-08:00

Here is a quick preview of my costume. More to come in the future :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed making costumes for my kids for Halloween. It is fun to dress up and pretend you are someone else for the night. Some years have been more creative than others, but I think we did really good this year. James came home about a month ago and told me "I want to be 'Max' from 'Where the Wild things are'." I am sure he was inspired by the new movie that is out, but I kept thinking he would change his mind. But no........he kept asking, so on Thursday of this week we went out for supplies. We actually found 5 yards of white fuzzy fabric at the thrift store, so after a good washing, this is what we made. Or should I say "I made", though he did help with the crown. I thought it was pretty brave for a 17 year old to want to wear this costume, but then again we are talking about James, my child of "NO FEAR"!

James can't make a scary face. He is too much of a happy guy!

The first time he put the finish product on, he ran around the house yelling..."I'll eat you up!"

Everyone of my boys has LOVED the Ninja Turtles. So when Andrew decided he wanted to be one this year I wasn't surprised. (We actually still have a big bin of turtles in the toy closet downstairs!) We went thrift store shopping again, finding most everything we need there. We did have to dye the undershirt yellow, and he has plenty of stuffing under there, or should we say he has great abs.

He painted a piece of cardboard for his shell. We actually sewed it to his shirt, so it all has to go on and come off together.

Here's a better view of the 'abs'. I think we did a pretty good job!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE HILL FAMILY!

2009-10-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Blake Hill and his wife Julie were vacationing in Europe... as it happens, near Transylvania . They were driving in a rental car along a rather deserted highway. It was late and raining very hard. Blake could barely see the road in front of the car. Suddenly the car skids out of control! Blake attempts to control the car, but to no avail! The car swerves and smashes into a tree.

Moments later, Blake shakes his head to clear the fog. Dazed, he looks over at the passenger seat and sees his wife unconscious, with her head bleeding! Despite the rain and unfamiliar countryside, Blake knows he has to get her medical assistance.

Blake carefully picks his wife up and begins trudging down the road. After a short while, he sees a light. He heads towards the light, which is coming from a large, old house. He approaches the door and knocks.

A minute passes. A small, hunched man opens the door Blake immediately blurts, "Hello, my name is Blake Hill, and this is my wife Julie. We've been in a terrible accident, and my wife has been seriously hurt. Can I please use your phone?"

"I'm sorry," replied the hunchback, "but we don't have a phone. My master is a doctor; come in and I will get him!"
Blake brings his wife in.

An older man comes down the stairs. "I'm afraid my assistant may have misled you. I am not a medical doctor; I am a scientist... However, it is many miles to the nearest clinic, and I have had a basic medical training. I will see what I can do.. Igor, bring them down to the laboratory."

With that, Igor picks up Julie and carries her downstairs, with Blake following closely. Igor places Julie on a table in the lab. Blake collapses from exhaustion and his own injuries, so Igor places Blake on an adjoining table.

After a brief examination, Igor's master looks worried. "Things are serious, Igor. Prepare a transfusion." Igor and his master work feverishly, but to no avail. Blake and Julie Hill are no more.

The Hills' deaths upset Igor's master greatly. Wearily, he climbs the steps to his conservatory, which houses his grand piano.. For it is here that he has always found solace. He begins to play, and a stirring, almost haunting melody fills the house.

Meanwhile, Igor is still in the lab tidying up. His eyes catch movement, and he notices the fingers on Julie's hand twitch, keeping time to the haunting piano music.. Stunned, he watches as Blake's arm begins to rise, marking the beat! He is further amazed as Julie and Blake both sit up straight!

Unable to contain himself, he dashes up the stairs to the conservatory.

He bursts in and shouts to his master:

"Master, Master! .....

The Hills are alive,

with the sound of music !"

(I am soooo sorry...... But you really should've seen that coming)

What did you expect...

it's from the demented Hill Family! Happy Holiday!

General Conference

2009-10-07T20:18:00.001-07:00

Blake got to be with three of our sons at General Conference this past weekend. Nathan, who is attending BYU, met Blake, James and Andrew (who drove down with other young men from our ward and the other members of the Bishopric) and they got to attend several sessions of conference together. Next April Erik will be home and then they can all go together! It is wonderful to have all of them be worthy priesthood holders. Blake has been glowing all week, still basking in the great time he had with our boys. Aren't they a handsome bunch!!

Questions and Answers with Elder Hill #2

2009-09-30T21:40:00.001-07:00

Here is another one....I loved it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDtHdI2lLQk

Questions and Answers with Elder Hill

2009-09-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Erik's companion took some video of Erik when they came home from the hospital. It is pretty funny to see Erik so 'loopy"!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA2X1UASfPQ

More Accident pictures

2009-09-29T11:54:00.001-07:00

OKAY, so I didn't get the full story, apparently he was a little more 'beat up' then I was lead to believe. But since everything that was hurt will or already has healed, no worries!

Here he is with Elder Gonzales, they took some hilarious videos of him. He couldn't remember anything about the whole day leading up to his accident, so the Elder's were asking him questions and laughing the whole time. I am grateful they thought to video tape him, it made for some good laughs (sorry Erik)!!!

Erik's Bike Wreck

2009-09-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago we received a phone call from Erik's mission president. He was calling to tell us that Erik had been in a bike wreck and had received a few injuries. Apparently, he and his companion where riding their bikes back to their apartment and as he was going down one hill, quite quickly, to gain momentum for the next hill, he wrecked his bike. He hit his head and broke his helmet, so he had a concussion, and he broke his thumb on his right hand. No one really knows what happened, as Erik can't remember anything about the wreck, or the subsequent ride in the ambulance or time spent in the hospital that evening. His companion was riding in front of Erik, so all he saw was Erik sprawled on the ground when he turned around to see why he wasn't right behind him. We are grateful he was wearing his helmet and we are even more grateful that he wasn't hurt any more. He broke his thumb so good that he had to have surgery a week later, he now has two screws and a pin at the base of his thumb, but he has a had a great attitude about the whole thing. He was proud of himself the first time he was able to button his own shirt the whole way and he says it has made him work on his penmanship (which I am glad, because it was never good to begin with! hehe). Anyway, he sent us a few pictures today, so I thought I would share them, so you can all see the 'pain' he was in.

Here he is, after getting the stitches out and before getting his cast on. I am glad that he is happy about all of this!

You can see the screws and pin....ugh! Wasn't it nice of him to take pictures of his x-rays for us!

Here he is with President and Sister Mansell at Arlington Cemetary. They were both so helpful through this whole 'ordeal'. I am grateful that Erik had them to look after him, I really wasn't worried at all about him, because I knew he was being well taken care of. President Mansell told me that Erik was a little loopy at the hospital right after the accident and we had a good laugh together about Erik always being a little loopy, now he just had something to blame it on.

Yesterday (September 22, 09) Erik got to visit Arlington Cemetery with all of the missionaries that will be going home between now and February 17th (when he comes home!) He is right in the middle, you can see his nice white cast.

25 Years Together

2009-09-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today, Blake and I celebrate 25 years of marriage together. These past years have been a huge growing experience, lots of lessons learned, lots of compromises and 'discussions', but mostly I remember the joy and happiness we've had together.

I remember the day we were married so vividly....kneeling across the alter from each other, promising to love, cherish and forgive each other, holding Blake's hand as he trembled and I cried, being so excited and thrilled to be marrying this wonderful man, being overwhelmed with the thought of 'eternity' and all that it implied, being grateful to be in the temple with our parents and most importantly being so in love with this man that I could hardly see straight.

I love him even more now, and am so grateful for all he does for our family! He has always provided for us, he honors his priesthood and fullfills his callings, he spends time with our children, teaching them and playing with them, he supports me in my callings and I know that he loves me!!

Thank you Blake, for 25 years of fun together and here's to 25 more!!! I love you!!!

OUR SUMMER

2009-09-11T12:06:00.001-07:00

Our summer was busy, fun and productive. Between soccer games, scout camp, Helaman's camp, girl's camp, trek, hiking, moving kids to college, family reunion and Education week at BYU, we did get a little bit of rest, though it never seems to be enough. I have been lax on posting, so here is a huge post to make up for it. Starting with James on Trek. Every four years our stake takes the youth over to eastern Washington to Ensign Ranch. There they get to relive the pioneer times, eating and sleeping like they did. James had a great time this year, he made good friends, ate great food and came home absolutely filthy!! I've posted a few pictures from his week. Most of the ones I found of him were when he was eating or resting, I didn't see alot of him pushing or pulling a handcart!

Here he is with his Trek Family.

Skit night - always the ham. Yes, that is a plunger in his hand, don't ask me what he was doing with it.

With his family again - Brother and Sister Barbosa are his Ma and Pa.

This must be the beginning of the week, he is very clean.

One of the activities that happens during the week is the woman's pull. The men are all shipped off to go to war with the Mormon Battalion, and the women have to pull their handcarts by themselves. And of course it involves a long, steep hill.......

Then the men, dressed as angels, come to the rescue and help to get all of the hand carts up to the top of the hill. Here is my 'flying angel' coming to the rescue.

And finally, here is is, just chillin' with friends.

Okay, next is Nathan. He has had a very adventurous year, going to Japan, build boats, hiking all over Washington state and right before school started, he spent two weeks in Costa Rica. Here are a few pictures, sorry they are so small, I stole them off of his Facebook sight.

He spent the first week by himself, just going all over. He visited Montezuma, ate lots of rice and beans and didn't get robbed or sick. (You know I always worry, it is my job!) The second week, two of his friends from school met up with him and they did some more sight seeing. He zip-lined through the forest, played on the beaches and just had a fabulous time!

Just last weekend, he went with some friends to Zion's National Park in Utah. He got some gorgeous shots of the canyons and of course had a great time!

And then we had the 2nd Annual Olsen family reunion with all of my brother's and sisters. One of the things we forgot to do is get one big group picture, we were all together on Saturday at Lagoon, except for my brother-in-lay, Brian and Erik. Oh well, we will remember next year. Here are a few random shots.

My sister-in-law Kate and my sister Kathy. Both Katherine Olsen, funny huh?

My sister Becky and I.

Here is our family, minus Erik, of course. It was fun to have us all together! Only 5 more months and we will all be together again! yipee!!

One of my favorite pictures, Jay, Dad and Ken. For those of you don't know, there are 7 kids in my family. Ken is the oldest, then there are 5 girls, then Jay is the youngest. Ken was 21 years old when Jay was born, so needless to say, they weren't really raised together.

And finally, we spent the day at Lagoon in Salt Lake City. Here are my children, begging to be let out. Actually, we were getting ready to eat lunch and they just wanted me to hand their clothes to them over the fence and Grandpa couldn't resist snapping a picture.

All in all, it was great summer. Now here's to a great fall!

Spring Time In Washington DC

2009-07-04T10:51:00.001-07:00

We just got Erik's memory cards in the mail this week....over 900 pictures....I have had a blast looking at all of them. Here are a selected few, I decided we needed to see the fun that he is having while working so hard at being a fabulous missionary! So here goes.............

..............With a new convert...........

(*a note from Erik)The Fernandez Family, Edgardo is the father who was baptized, his wife,Sylvia, his daughter,Nina, or Sabrina, his son,Bryan, (they also have another son named Santiago (James) who was having a temper tantrum at the time of the photo)

.....my boys and their fasination with Ninja Turtles, it never goes away...........

.....another baptism with brother & sister Heydi & Christian Medrano...........

.....the black name tag............

............the Washington DC Temple in spring. GORGEOUS!!!.......

.............Mormon night at the Minor League baseball game............

......goofing with his zone..........

......Look Ma, I can fly!!!......

......To Infinity and Beyond.......

...........3,2,1...BLAST OFF!!!....

.....Spider Man, Spider Man, does what ever a spider can.....

......High School Musical #4- The Mission Field.....

And here is one reflective picture, I love this. He has been able to go and see some of our nations historical sites. I can't wait to go there to pick him up and see them all myself. (only 7 months, but who is counting.....)

....words escape me, I only wonder what he was thinking???.....

....One more baptism with Hugo.....

.....And finally, the Bike Trip of the Century. They road their bikes from their appartment in Maryland, to downtown DC. Here they are in front of the White House. He took several video's along the way, which I have been unable to download today, I will try another day. All in all, he is having the time of his life; learning, growing, teaching, and having lots of fun along the way. We are so proud of him and his accomplishments, and can't wait to see what else comes his way.

Life in the Pacific Northwest!!!

2009-06-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

Over the years my husband and sons have hiked hundreds of miles in the Olympic and Cascade Mountains. And now they are hiking on their own without Dad. This last week Nathan took Andrew backpacking, just the two of them, they went hiking through the Buckhorn Wilderness. Here are few pictures of their trip.

Nathan and Andrew, starting out on the trail. Notice the snow in the background?

They had some rain during the week and lots of wind, it was a bit cold too!

They did some fishing, this one that Andrew caught they threw back....too little!

This one they kept and ate, boiling on their little backpack stove as it was raining that day and too wet for a fire.

They did get to build some fires though and cook more fish. If you look really close you can see the fish on the stick. (My son is a mountain man!)

Here is where they slept. Nathan believes in "ultra light weight" backpacking, thus a tent is too heavy. He usually only packs this little tarp and sets it up to keep the rain off.

They saw some beautiful scenery. This is Lake Charlia, in the Olympic Mountains.

Gorgeous waterfall and landscape!

Nathan enjoying a little bit of sun!

And here is Andrew, truding up the hill. They didn't always take the beaten path, though Nathan assures us it was all safe.

Here is Andrew again, going down. Notice the snow again.

Another thing that my boys have always loved to do is try to scare their mother. When Nathan was a teenager, he started taking our video camera with him on his scout hikes, and then have everyone do stupid stunts to scare me. He would always ask me as I watched their 'movie' if it was scarey to me. I could always reply that "No, since you are sitting here beside me, I know that you returned safely, so I am not worried". That isn't to say that I don't worry while they are out hiking, because boys will be boys and my children don't usually fear much of anything. That said, here is the video of Andrew trying to cross a stream with his older, more mature brother's encouragement. Again I can say that I am not worried about it, because they made it safely home in one piece, with only one scratched knee. Thank Heavens!

And now to boats again.......Nathan took his Dad and Andrew out for a ride Saturday night. It was a gorgeous evening and they just floated with the tide from Bachman Park to Tracyton.

Here is Nathan under the Manette Bridge. We cross this bridge two or three times a day, but I don't think that I have ever been under them.

Blake, with the Manette Bridge in background.

Another great view of the Manette Bridge. This bridge is about 1/2 mile from our house, Blake walks over it everyday on his way home from work.

Blake and Andrew

Nathan, the happy boater. On one of his first trips with his Dad, he chastised Blake for not having a boat for he and his siblings all the years they were growing up. He realized what he had been missing. There is so much to do in the Northwest, how do we fit it all in???

Summertime and Boat Building!

2009-06-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

So...Nathan has become a boat builder. He came home from college this summer with a list of things he wanted to do....visit Japan,visit the Grand Canyon, go to Costa Rica, build a boat and learn to sail and do some hiking with his family. He has always been one to fulfill his goals; he went to Japan, hiked rim to rim at the Grand Canyon in 2 and a half days and now here is the boat. He found plans on the internet and built this little beauty in our backyard with only a circular saw, jig saw and a hand saw. (I am still amazed) He scrounged for materials, using an old stair railing he found in our attic for the mast, old paint from the previous owners of our home, a tarp for a sail and he now has a boat. He and his friend, Derek Frei, took it on their maden voyage to Port Orchard and back. He is now learning how to work the sails and wants to take it on a longer trip! We don't even own a boat trailer, he just takes all of the seats out of our big van and hauls it around in that. Now he is planning his trip to Costa Rica...................adventure awaits.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ANDREW!!

2009-05-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

On the day you were born, you were automatically loved by your brothers, sister, Mom and Dad, and we have found that everyone who comes in contact with you, loves you....even teenage girls. (Which still happens to be the case!!)

But then again, how can anyone resist such charm and good looks?

We love you Andrew and are so grateful you came to our family, to keep us on our toes and constantly entertained. THANKS!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR FABULOUS SON!!!

Nathan's Japan Trip

2009-05-19T05:45:00.000-07:00

Nathan had the opportunity to go back to Japan, mostly to visit people from his mission, but also to see parts of the country he couldn't see while serving his mission. He was there for 3 weeks and had a blast, and is already making plans to return again, this time to hike and camp.

Here he is with the Bishop and his family from Hakodate, he served here for almost a year. (beginning, middle and end of his mission)

Here is is old mission bike, he gave it to a new convert who still uses it.

In front of the Tokyo temple with his mission President and Dad.
With an old companion, Elder Yagi.
At Hiroshima

Solo & Ensemble Competition for Andrew

2009-05-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Andrew participated in the Middle School Solo and Ensemble Competition. Here is a little snippet of his performance. I always love to hear him sing, so it is hard for me to play for him also, as I usually get a little emotional, I think I did well too!

SUMMER!!

2009-05-09T23:43:00.001-07:00

Today was my LAST day of school! hurray :) My freshman year of college is now officially over....crazy. I am now a sophomore! I cant quite beleive it. I definately grew alot this year. Here are some of the things i learned.....

1. I learned how to feed my self. I learned what foods are BAD for college students, and what foods are GOOD, like pizza :)

2. I learned good hygene. I'm now PRO at brushing my teeth.

3. I learned how to smile REALLY pretty in pictures. I should be a model.

4. I finally learned how to dress my self. I can officially say that i now know how to dress in style

5. I learned that i LOVE my brothers. (and my mom and dad) I really miss hanging out with them when i'm away

6. And finally, i learned that i LOVE COLLEGE!!!!! GO COUGS :)

Ebony and Ivory

2009-04-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the video of Zander and James (Ebony and Ivory) singing their duet. They received three 1's from the judges. Personally I think they were fabulous and should of won, oh well..... Good job guys :)

James At State

2009-04-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

James went to the State Solo & Ensemble Competition this past weekend. He sang with two groups, the Bremerton "Bootie Shorts Alarm" (don't ask) and then he also sang a duet with Zander Martin(which I will post later, after Jacki sends it to me.) The BSA group got a 1 and two 2's as rating from the judges, which was fabulous, as they didn't find out that they qualified until about 3 weeks ago and didn't have alot of time to practice, plus 3 of the 4 boys are only sophomores. At the local competition here in Kitsap county back in February, the BSA got first alternate, thus weren't preparing to go to state until they heard they qualified. Here is the songs they sang. Sorry the piano is so loud, their choir teacher, Cassie Gillis, was keeping her foot on the soft pedal the whole time, it just was a very loud piano. The boys are left to right, Jordon Geier, Brandon Shepard, Zander Martin and James.

More Italy!

2009-04-15T05:51:00.001-07:00

Great buildings! WOW!! You don't see that everyday!

James and John Garber

A cathedral in Pisa

Waiting around!!

Another group shot, James is right in the middle, next to the director, Rollo Dillworth.

He saw lots of beautiful art!! He is holding Medusa's head, can't remember the name of the statue.

Here they all are, hamming for the camera!

The Venice water ways.

More great art!

Riding the Gondola. (James isn't in the picture)

James In Italy!!

2009-04-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

James just recently had the opportunity to go to Italy with his high school choir. They traveled the country side for 10 days, visiting all kinds of beautiful places, sang at three different concerts and worked with a fabulous conductor. He was able to visit the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Coliseum, then on to Venice and gondola boat rides, he shopped for great stuff, buying himself some Italian shoes and Jacki a 'wild' belt. He even brought me home a beautiful vase with hand painted gold leafing. All in all he had the time of his life. Though when I asked him how the whole trip was he said "It was great!! But it would of been funner with the family" I love that kid!!!

James with a friend Annalisa at the Coliseum.

Groups shot!! In front of McDonald's no less, couldn't they have found an Italian restaurant to take a picture in front of?

The Coliseum

James with his choir director, Cassie Gillis and two friends, Kelsey and Cristelle.

A few more Elder Erik's

2009-04-06T18:42:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more of Erik. He had to show us the snow, and he actually sent a few pictures of them riding their bikes in it. And all of my boys like to see if they can scare me with their antics, so I think the bike wreck pictures might be a little 'staged' though the mud on his coat looks real. (Udate: Erik says the crash was 100% real!!) I loved the picture of him in the culvert, though we had to do a little 'photo magic' (thanks Alicia) to errase the graffiti on the wall, let's just say it wasn't appropriate.

The thumbs up sort of gives it away, I know that he is okay!

Elder Hill Update!

2009-04-06T18:20:00.001-07:00

We got more pictures from Erik this week! Doesn't he look happy? (and goofy?) I love digital camera's and SD cards, it is so fun to get 300 pictures at once and be able to see all that Erik has been doing, though it was a little odd to be looking at his Christmas pictures in April. The one draw back is that we don't know who all of the people are in the pictures with him, as you can't write on the back of all of the pictures when they are still on the SD card, oh well! I just hope that he remembers who everyone is.

One highlight of this round of pictures is seeing him with his Uncle Mark, Blake's brother. Mark works for the Little Giant Ladder company and travels all over the country for work. Back in February he was in the DC area, so with Pres. Mansell's permission, he met up with Erik and his companions and took them to lunch. He called us afterwards and told us how happy Erik was and how well he was doing, especially with his spanish. It was a nice report for us.

Erik and Elder Larsen with Felix, a recent convert. Erik has told us alot about Felix, mostly his faith in knowing that when he got baptised the Lord would provide the way for him not to have to work on Sundays and now he has Sunday's off and can attend church. yipee!!

What a card!!

Erik and Mark

Eating lunch!

Attending the temple with his district. They get to go to the temple on transfer days. Erik is right in the middle with the green and yellow tie, you can't miss him!

Blake in Japan!

2009-03-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

Blake has been in Japan now for 3 weeks for work and will be there for a few more. We miss him here, but I know that he is having fun exploring on the weekends. Having spent 3 months there last year, he knows his way around Tokyo pretty good and even has a few great little 'hole-in-the-wall' restaurants he loves to eat at. He has been able to attend the temple several times, spend some time with our good friends, the Connor's, and has even done some hiking. I am sure he will come back with great stories and pictures, as it seems everywhere he goes, he meets people from his past or makes new friends. Nathan is planning on meeting up with Blake in April (when he is finished for the semester at BYU), he served his mission there and is very excited about being able to go back to see his friends.

Hiking at Mt. Mitake with friends from work.

Shopping in the Ginza District of Toyko.

Skyscrappers in the Shinjuku. You can take an elevator to the top floor and see the whole city of Tokyo and Mt. Fuji in the distance. Very Impressive.

Mormon Prom

2009-03-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

Our church puts on a prom every year for the youth, so James invited Larisa Clark. He and Jordan Perrone made cakes with messages inside for their dates to ask them. James borrowed this lovely tux from our young men's president (who happend to buy it at DI in Utah). I took it to be cleaned before the dance, and while picking it up a gentleman came into the drycleaners and commented on the tux. He said, "Wow, that looks like the tux I wore to my high school prom!" I told him it probably was the same tux, and then we had a good laugh over it. ?The dance was in Port Orchard, so they had a progressive dinner, then went to the dance, then went back to Clara's for dessert and hot tub. James and Jordan had a great time, and the girls did too!

James and Jordan

James' date, Larisa Clark.

What a handsome kid!

Getting ready for dinner!

A little more Aristocats!

2009-03-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

Here is another video of Andrew's play. It is actually the begining of the play. Don't anyone feel obligated to watch the whole thing, I am really posting it for Grandma's and Grandpa and Jacki. Though you are always free to watch......Andrew is always amusing!

James-the underwater boy!

2009-02-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

James' swim coach had an underwater camera! Doesn't he look like he is having fun!!

A few more Aristocat photo's

2009-02-27T07:26:00.000-08:00

Andrew with some of the cast!!

Lecturing O'Malley, the alley cat!

Trying not to laugh???

The Aristocats

2009-02-27T05:40:00.000-08:00

Here is a sneak peek at Andrew's school play. It opens tonight!

More Ape Cave

2009-02-25T19:54:00.000-08:00

CAN YOU SEE BLAKE IN THE TREES?

CLIMBING OUT AND UP!

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

2009-02-25T19:34:00.000-08:00

Last saturday Blake, James and Andrew went down to Oregon near Mt. Saint Helens to the Ape Caves. They are some underground volcanic ice flows that you can hike through and in. Andrew said that when they all turned off their lights you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, pretty cool!! They had fun with the scout troop!

Erik's Hump Day!

2009-02-13T08:52:00.000-08:00

Today, Friday, February 13th, 2009 is Erik's Hump Day! He has been in the mission field for one year!!! Congratulations Elder Hill!

James is going to State!!!!

2009-02-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

Today was the Solo-Ensemble contest for choir and James participated in 5 different groups. He sang in a large men's group, two large mixed groups, a quartet and a duet. And he qualified for the state level in the duet. He and Zander Martin are going to Ellensburg on the 24th of April to compete against other small men's groups from around the state. They sang a song in German and the judge complimented them on their pronunciation, she was surprised when they both said they didn't speak any German. He was very excited and we, of course, were very proud of him. When he called Jacki to tell her, he said "I guess we are just keeping up the tradition of going to State." (she in track, he in singing) I personally think it is wonderful, because singing and choir was my life in high school and finally I have a child experiencing a little bit of what I did. (though I never even participated in any solo-ensemble competitions and the only solo I sang in high school was absolutely wretched!) Anyway, I don't have any pictures to post, (I forgot the camera at home), but just wanted to record James' win and remind him how proud we are of him.

Jacki's Race - January 31, 09

2009-02-04T21:21:00.000-08:00

Here is Jacki in the 400, she took 1st in her heat. You really can't see her at the beginning, she is down in the blocks behind the track officials. But you will recognize her when she jumps up, she is really white. hehe!! Typically a 400 is one lap around the track, but this is a small track, so she has to take two laps. It has been a learning experience for her, as she has to figure out how to pace herself and finish strong. I, of course, continue to be amazed with her ability as it is not something I could do. Oh and you have to watch for a few seconds before the race begins, sorry!

Pullman here we come!

2009-02-04T18:39:00.000-08:00

We went to Pullman to watch Jacki run in her first college track meet. (actually her second, but our first) We had a great time meeting some of her team mates and watching them all participate. This is "The Bubble" where the indoor track meets are held. It is a pressurized tent, and there is a double set of doors. You have to go in one and let it shut completely before you come through the next one and your ears pop everytime. It was actually pretty warm inside, though it was nice and cold in Pullman.

Jacki ran the 200 and the 400 and did pretty good. I took some video I am going to try to post next.

We spent two nights there and the kids had fun hanging out together. James and Andrew actually spent the night with Jacki in her dorm. It isn't Co-Ed, but she could have "visitors", so since her room mate stayed with her parents at their hotel, the boys got to hang out with Jacki and some of her team mates. (They did come back to the hotel to shower in the morning, we had to draw the line somewhere.) We attended church with Jacki on Sunday before heading back to Bremerton. It was fun to see Jacki in her school enviroment and to see her having so much fun. We miss her at home, but love knowing that she is happy where she is.

I LOVE DC

2009-01-26T20:38:00.001-08:00

Our beautiful family wearing the shirts that Elder Hill sent us for Christmas.
If you didn't notice...... we match :)

Here we are again, cheesin.

More Elder Hill

2009-01-26T19:49:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pictures of Erik. He is enjoying himself!

Erik in DC

2009-01-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

Do you think he is flirting?

All bundled up!

So, we just received Erik's Sd card for his camera last week, so I thought I would share a few pictures. He is currently serving a mission in the Washington DC North mission for the LDS church. He looks as though he is having a blast and working hard at the same time (is that possible?) Anyway, we always enjoy getting his pictures and wonder who most of the people are in the pictures, but won't it be fun when he comes home and we can sit and look at the together and hear the stories!!

Welcome to the Hill Family Life

2009-01-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I bit the bullet and started our family blog. This should be fun!