tagged by molly...(does anyone really care?)

4 jobs I have had:
1. runner for Applewhite Mortgage Company
2. I cleaned the directories at the Meadows and Fashion Show Malls. I changed the ads and the list when stores moved in or out!
3. I tickle Megan's back, arms, hands, you name it, whenever she can sit close
4. MY FAVORITE JOB OF ALL TIME - washing and ironing my families clothes

4 movies I can watch over and over
1. The Sound of Music
2. Ms. Congeniality
3. Hitch
4. Sweet Home Alabama

4 places I have lived
1. Las Vegas - my favorite
2. Provo - BYU
3. Baden by Wein, Austria (study abroad)
4. Salt Lake City

4 TV shows I enjoy
1. ER (I even watch reruns over and over on TNT while ironing)
2. 24 (I have watched 5 seasons so far this year)
3. House
4. Studio 60 on Sunset Strip
5. 30 Rock

4 places I have been on vacation
1. Star Valley, Wyoming
2. Newport Beach, California
3. Maui, Hawaii
4. Israel

4 of my favorite dishes
1. Shrimp Scampi (mama jo's)
2. anything mexican!!
3. filet mignon
4. usually anything Rhonda would recommend (she knows where the good food is)

4 websites I visit often
1. my favorite blogs!!!
2. lds.org
3. travel ideas (though I never travel)
4. shopping (of course)

4 places I would rather be
1. if I was home in Las Vegas I would say "the ranch"
2. anywhere with my family
3. anywhere with my brothers and sisters and their families
4. anywhere alone with Jon

4 buddies I am tagging right now!
1. Jennifer
2. Rhonda (it's time to start)
3. Michelle (likewise)
4. Sadie (ditto)

NEWPORT BEACH

I am very proud to announce that after twenty five years of going to the beach as a married person (because I never went as a single person), I finally feel comfortable enough to get in the water, in the ocean, a couple times a day to cool off and possibly relieve myself, if you know what I mean. This is a BIG DEAL!! I don't know why, maybe because we had two green flag days at the beginning of the week, or maybe because Hailey was waving me in this year and holding my hand (in the beginning) while we were diving in the foam, but I feel as though I have made a break through! (Imagine me diving in the foam with Hailey, that is worth a good belly laugh right there!)



This is how we HANG at the beach!










I think Lauren and Megan are both cute posers!!
Hailey turned into a crazy boogie boarder!
Tod's hair was out-of-control long and curly! I know Kristen got a way better picture of it!
We all agreed that Jon is the life of the party, and the fire under the plans, but Kristen did her best to keep us all going strong!

so I left my computer for a time-out and this is what I came back to..........

Sadie has come to an understanding that she is the adopted child of the family. She figured this out when she realized how WACKED she really is. Irregular periods, allergic reactions that make no sense, and the worst luck. She has come to accept it rather gracefully even though her feet are on fire and she would rather them be amputated at the moment than use them for anything else. The disease she has been diagnosed with is known as the wacked syndrome and thank goodness it is not contagious so she won't be spreading it to anyone else. Just thought we'd let you all know that she truly is the adopted child. It is now not a secret. Thank you for your attention!

How could I possibly erase that announcement:)

I think we all really missed having our friends or some extended family with us this year, so it was a great surprise when Tyler, Marley and Macee showed up!! What a fun group!



We always leave Newport having had too much sun (or sand? definitely for Sadie's feet), too much food and ice cream, having seen a movie or two that make us feel like we are horrible parents for having exposed our children to such trash, having made some great memories to be relived throughout another year, and with a feeling that even though we are all very different and some times hard to get along with, we love each other and we wouldn't want to be with anyone else in the whole world.

M & M

Molly and Megan, two of my favorite girls. I know they both LOVE to shop, to eat, to laugh, to drive, to feel free, to have fun, to check out boys, and all the other usual stuff that sixteen year old girls should be doing. It is fun watching them interact. It has been fun to have Molly over, though I am sorry she has had to see me at my worst, (flying off the handle about the amount of clothes I wash for Megan, or whatever!), but I want them to know I REMEMBER being their age. I remember being the youngest in my family, and I can still remember my mom and dad leaving for Arizona for long periods of time, and I was under the watchful care of Brent and Michelle. They were the coolest. I remember the freedom of being able to be home alone and then the security of having a great meal and a safe place to sleep. I REMEMBER!!!! So if you think I am a little too careful about where you are or what you are doing, know that I have decided to be as good as Brent and Michelle at my watchful care assignment. Everything I do is because I love you and I REMEMBER!!!!!

bangs!

miss hailey has bangs! it is always hard for me as a mother to allow my children to make decisions about "their own style"! I usually give them the speech of why i don't think they should do such and such or wear such and such, but then i know i am wrong and i try to tell them it is their decision and i won't be mad if they choose different than i would. hailey is twelve, do you think it is past time? she had no problem making her own decision after my speech of "they will always be in your eyes, and how can you slick it back for dance!" i think she looks pretty cute! since she has been doing her own hair pretty much since she was in kindergarten, i guess i should have trusted her a long time ago.

U of U

Sadie went to freshman orientation Wednesday at the University of Utah. She had a very hard time putting this t-shirt on for this picture!
1. she didn't want another post on the blog
2. her heart belongs to the rebels of UNLV

When we got there Tuesday I decided I wanted to take her to the institute and help her get a warm feeling about the building...right!!!! On our way we passed the football stadium and the practice facilities on the right. Rhonda had given us a guided tour once, so I told her of Rhonda's obsession with BYU's football team and how it had rubbed of on me (a little). She didn't say much to all of my reminiscing. Then I got a text from her Wednesday morning after I dropped her off. She had asked me how many people she should meet that day. I gave her the number 10 and told her to make sure she was FUN Sadie and all would be well. Her text said "i met a football player. he's fun im in love!" The ten people she met that day were all freshman football players, friends of her one true new friend Jamal. She decided on her way from the school that she could probably support the U's football team but never their basketball!

jtb

I think Tod needs a shout out tonight, just because he has been so overlooked with of all the dancing we've been involved with. He came home this summer to work and I'm sure he was hoping for a few home cooked meals. That is all he has gotten - A FEW! Mostly on Sunday. So, thank you Tod for being patient with your mother's lack of being home. I know you are a man and can take care of yourself but everyone likes their mom to spoil them now and again. I LOVE YOU!


tod with his favorite gun of ALL TIME!


tod and his buddy mason! aren't they cute?

hailey - a first-year camper!

hailey spent this past week enjoying the beauty of camp stimpson! it was her first year, and though there were tears (is she a stewart or what) at the thought of being away from home for a week, she had a lot of fun.

1. she met a lot of new friends
2. she thought the food was pretty good (especially the french toast)
3. she made it across the zip line - a couple of times
4. she made it to the top of the climbing wall
5. she could handle the toilets that didn't flush
6. she froze to death at night
7. her favorite night time activity was "singing to the trees"
8. she did cool crafts
9. she loved her leader, jessica worthen
10. she was good at the squirrelly dance:)
11. she is very happy to be home (how long will that last?)

I LOVE YOU MONKEY!

spectator burnout!

I'm sorry that you have to read yet another post about dancing, but since this is a journal, I have to tell what's been going on, right? Here goes! Last Sunday we arrived home about 5:30 pm, and Sadie and Megan were dancing again Monday, at the Mirage, at 2:00 pm. for the West Coast Dance Explosion Pre-Qualifying Finals. We were there until 11:30 that evening. They did great, and I might add, the competition was heads and shoulders above what we saw in New York. At least it was fun to watch! After a nice day off Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were filled with classes in the morning, and National competition each night.

I hate to complain, but how much dancing can one person watch? I could watch my own daughters every day, but the 30 numbers in between became torture. Two weeks is too much dance and severe burnout has come upon me!

The girls did well though, even against these top studios! Out of 90 studios participating, they got one of the six slots to compete once again on Friday night at the gala and dance off!!! We were very excited for the dancers, but the reality of another three hour dance show, with only one number from my girls brought me down a little. I am happy for them to realize (hopefully) how good they are. They would sit and watch the other dancers and be amazed at what they could do, but when it came time for awards, they were right in the same category with "the great ones".

So, dance has concluded for the summer! YIPPEE!! Today we had a little swim party to put an end to the year, and say goodbye once again to the four seniors. For Sadie, it may be the last time she ever dances on a stage. (kind of sad for her mom!) She was a warrior, and now, maybe her toe and foot can heal completely and peacefully!

Thank you Sadie and Megan for sharing your beautiful talent, and for sacrificing soooo much to get where you are today. You have brought much joy to me over the years as I have watched you dance. I get emotional just thinking about the feelings I have each time I see you express yourself so beautifully and confidently. I could have never done it myself, so I really admire you both! I LOVE YOU!

radio city music hall - SICK!

o.k. i need to explain. when the idea of going to new york to participate in a national competition was given to us, we were not very excited. we felt like, if we are spending the money to go to new york, who wants to be stuck all day in dance classes and all night competing? we would feel robbed to be in new york and not be able to BE in new york. kathy bunker, the girls director would say, "but you will be dancing at radio city music hall, you can tell your grandchildren about it". and we would say, "big deal. my grandkids won't care". (to ourselves of course). so, when it became apparent that we were really going to do this, we had to adjust our attitudes a little (maybe a lot) and started praying that we would be able to do a little (maybe a lot of) dancing and a little tourist-ing. it turned out that we had plenty of time for both. actually, no one was ready to leave when it was time to come home, but then it's always good to be left wanting more, right?

soooo, saturday the 7th of july was the night of the "jump broadway finale"! sadie had a call time of 7:30 am because she was preforming one of her numbers for the big show that night. they met in the lobby at 6:45 (i was still sleeping), got a little breakfast, something for lunch and some snacks, and off they went. because of tight security, once a dancer checked in she would not be able to leave until after the show was over at 11 pm that evening. (megan brought her some dinner when she came!) do the math, sadie was there for 12 1/2 hours before the show began. megan's call time was 12 noon (eight hours early), and hailey's was 1:00 (seven hours early). during that time, sadie's group got one, yes one shot at rehearsing their number on the stage, megan's group (all the senior dancers) did a hip hop number they had learned, probably 300 girls, hailey's group (the junior dancers) did a "thriller" number, probably 300 girls as well, and they both were in the closing number with all the girls who participated (@900). the rest of the time, they watched the preparations that were going on.

i'm still wondering to myself if it is worth spending an entire day watching and waiting for this big chance to dance at "radio city music hall". i was getting texts from hailey about how bored she was (no, she doesn't have text messaging, she just thought that would pass the time a little!) anyway, it's time for the big show, i arrive, get a little play book (you know, like you get at a play with the acts listed and the actors and actresses), and there are my girls names hailey bunker, megan bunker and sadie bunker in it. the hall is huge, the atmosphere energized, and i finally begin to get what a "big deal" this really is! the show starts, (all the parents had to buy tickets to get in so we had assigned seats) and i can hear all the dancers, seated on the second level, start screaming in their excitement! i start to get it a little more. then the curtains go up, the set, the live band, the hugeness of the stage, and it finally dawns on me, my daughters are getting a chance to dance on "broadway"!

well, it was a great night. hailey, as a zombie in thriller, came down my aisle (i had the end seat) and then up on stage right in front of me, so i could see her dance the whole time. megan had a front spot during the hip-hop dance (for a while) and i could see her. (really a miracle since there were so many girls dancing!) sadie's group was great, and i am so grateful they were able to participate. about half way through i sent megan a text that said, this is soooo cool. are you having fun? she wrote back, i don't want it to end. boy were we wrong in the beginning. dancing at radio city music hall...priceless!

WE ROCKED JUMP!

Well, I have decided to create a post and tell you all about the wonderful time we all had in New York. Eventhough I have 16 hours of ironing ahead of me (a subject for a post all of its own another time) and shall we say loads and loads of laundry, I have decided to look the other way and remember the fun of the last week.



We left Sunday the 1st after only a few hours of sleep, so the plane ride was pretty much Megan laying all over me, trying to get tickled and comfortable (impossible), and Hailey; nervous, excited, scared, and wanting the same tickling and comfort as Megan. Sadie was stuck across the isle with her head on the snack table! By the time we got checked in it was 8:30 pm, we were starving and tired. So, the adjustment to the time difference after Mondays 6:30 wake up call was a piece of cake!



Instead of the usual sights and sounds of New York we enjoyed a visit to the NBA store, lulu lemmon (a fun store with yoga/dance apparel that their favorite teacher gets all of her cool clothes from :)), a peek at the temple (with an angel Moroni on top), chinatown (not once but twice), time square (at least once a day), soho for Megan, NYU for Sadie and three plays; drowsy chaperone, mary poppins, and wicked (hands down our favorite play ever!).



Jon surprised us (kind of) and joined us on the 4th about 1 am. It was so nice to have him there. My pressure was instantly reduced. Props to Jon! Anyway, he led us on an adventurous walk to the east river for the fireworks show that evening. After a couple hour wait and a downpour (good times, priceless memories) we saw an incredible fireworks show! I didn't think anyone could out-do Las Vegas, but it was long, loud and beautiful. The cloud cover kept the smoke down so it blocked the view at times, but we were impressed and inspired:)






We tried to get the dancers to take a taxi back to the hotel and save their feet, but instead they insisted on walking (hoping for ice cream probably). You should have seen the blisters, poor Brynn Hewitt! Thursday was the competition and Sadie's first real test since her toe injury. To be quite honest, I've never seen them dance better as a group! Even Kathy (their fearless leader) was full of praise, hence the title, they rocked jump! After each dance Sadie's foot got more and more swollen, but she was like a woman possessed, determined to prove she would dance through the pain and not be a spectator anymore. I was quite impressed to see her toughness. She gets the "Allen Iverson Award" - play hard and play hurt!

NYC, here we come!

We are off to New York City today. The girls will be participating in a dance convention and competition. Sadie will be able to dance (cross our fingers), she has been dancing all week. I think it still hurts quite a bit, but she has been very tough as she has been trying to work back into things. Anyway, anyone who is interested in watching the competition live may do so at www.breakthefloor.com. This is the schedule:

Wednesday, July 4 - 2:06 #334 Fall Girl (this is questionable, it is their duet, they may wait till Las Vegas for this)
Thursday, July 5 - 1:43 #518 Call the Law (Megan)
2:35 #531 Take Me (Megan/Sadie)
3:11 #540 The Last Samurai (Megan)
4:39 #553 Sundrenched World (Sadie)
4:57 #559 White Trash Wedding (Sadie)
5:35 #571 Gravity (Megan/Sadie)
6:53 #595 Lookin'Back (Megan/Sadie)

Here we come! Wish us luck!! Three girls and Susan in NYC - oh my!