Saturday, November 29, 2008

HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY KORTNEY!!!

Today is Kortney's 23rd Birthday! We had a little get together with my family at one of our favorite fast food joints, JCW's. Everybody has been in town for Thanksgiving so we thought it would be fun to get together for lunch and to celebrate Kort's birthday too.
I was afraid we were going to set-off the smoke alarms with so many candles being blown out!
After the party Kortney and Chase came back to our house to open her presents and to just relax for a little bit. Diesel, being their baby, goes wherever they go and he loves to come to visit too! Tank still isn't too sure about him, but Gunner thinks he's great! Tank let's Diesel know who is "Top Dog" but we're hoping that he soon loosens up to the idea that Diesel isn't going anywhere and he's here to stay! BTW, Diesel is only 1/3'rd of the way done growing!!!! He's already a horse!!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Twilight

Today me and the kids and my nephew Bryson went to see the long awaited, highly anticipated movie Twilight. It was received with mixed reviews from our little fam. I myself LOVED it! Kylie loved it too but wished there could have been more of this, less of that, gotten into a bit of that, etc. (She knows the books inside and out and remembers EVERYTHING word for word, so the movie really had to be incredibly good to meet her expectations) Taylir thought it was good, Colton thought it was good, and Carson didn't care for it (but then he never read the books anyway and this wasn't his style of movie to begin with) Even Bryson who is 23 liked it!! You go Brycee!!!!

Part of the excitement in seeing the movie, was seeing the scenes where me and the girls actually got to watch the filming of the movie when we went to Oregon for Spring Break. We found out where the filming was to take place and hoped that we would be able to get slightly close to the action, but didn't plan for much. When we got there I marched the girls up to the barricades and happened to spark up a conversation with the security guards who were the local police of the town. In talking to one policeman, he found out we were LDS and told us he was a member too. In fact, he was a member of the ward that Mark's brother was the bishop for. When he learned this, he told us he was going to try to get us on the set. OH MY GOSH!!! NO WAY!!! Kylie and Taylir were literally freaking out at this point. He told us to follow him past the barricades and he walked us right up onto the set. We were literally feet away from the filming and saw the actors up close and got to hear the director yell, "Ready, set, ACTION! Kylie literally brushed shoulders with Kristin Stewart (Bella) as she walked by! We got to see the filming of the Port Angeles scene where Bella gets ganged up on by the Frat Boys and Edward comes to her rescue in his Volvo. We stayed on the set from about 10 pm that evening until 6 am the next morning. Unfortunately there was to be no picture taking on the set, but Kylie managed to sneak a few in with her camera phone from the non-acting scenes where just the Volvo was involved.
It was absolutely FREEZING cold and drizzling a bit that evening but it was so exciting to see first-hand the actual filming of the movie! We never got to meet any of the actors personally, but Robert (Edward) and Kristin (Bella) smiled at us when they drove by us time after time after time during the scene where the Volvo screeches away down the street after Edward rescues Bella. This scene took about 15 takes to finally get it right. We were deemed "The Blanket Brigade" by the director and crew because we watched on the sidelines all wrapped up in blankets trying to keep warm. At one point, the director came over to talk to us because he heard about the crazy dedicated mom (that would be me) that came all the way from Utah so her Twilight crazy daughters (that would be Kylie and Taylir) could get to see where the movie was being filmed. He told us he would see what he could do to get Robert and Kristin to come over and talk to us after filming, but that never happened, DANG! Oh well, the girls still thought the whole evening was amazing anyway.

Kylie and Taylir standing in front of Charlie and Bellas house

Edward (Robert) and Bella (Kristin) are actually inside the Volvo as it is being filmed driving away after Edward rescues Bella from the Frat Boys in Port Angeles. The actors aren't allowed to drive for real, so the Volvo is pulled on a trailer very slowly while they film it. Good thing for good editing!


This is the scene where the Volvo actually peels out and screetches away. The Volvo is being driven by Edward's (Robert's) stunt double.

This is Forks High School (for the movie) but really isn't even in Forks Washington. This high school is actually in Oregon but I can't remember the name of it.

This is the parking lot of the high school where the famous scene was shot of Edward saving Bella from the out of control van


This is the alley Bella walks down when the Frat Boys gang up on her

I highly recommend this movie to EVERYBODY! I would see it again and again and again. I think the teenager in me is still alive and trapped somewhere in this aged 41-year old body. I'm so glad I'm not alone though. From what I heard on the movie set, the worst groupies didn't happen to be the teenage girls, but were the middle age moms, called "Twilight Moms". I know I'm crazy, but hopefully I don't fall into that category. After all, I WAS NOT at the midnight showing last night. I was patient enough to wait until this afternoon, unlike some crazy mom's out there......I won't name any names but you know who you are!! :)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Football Banquet 2008

Last night we attended the football banquet for Carson's 6th grade football team. I know I have already bragged on my blog about their undefeated 10 - 0 season but I will publically brag one more time about it. This was a fantastic team coached by a fantastic coaching staff and I have been impressed with the caliber of boys who played alongside Carson. What a good group of future young men!
Carson won the award for Co-MVP Offense, Most Rushing Yards (953 yards) and Most Touchdowns (13)
This is the head coach bragging about what a great team he had this season and how proud he was to coach such fine boys. There were 103 teams in this league and this team was one of 4 who went undefeated. Way to go CAVEMEN!!

This is the whole coaching staff giving out the team awards

Carson is always so enthused when it comes to having his picture taken. This was the small glare he gave me from the players table when he heard me whisper his name to smile for yet ANOTHER picture.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Oh My GOSH!! Tagged AGAIN!!


This was right after Carson's team won the football championship.....what a proud mom I am and what a goodlooking lil' stud he is!
Now it's your turn Tiffany Turner, 6th picture from your 6th file....TAG YOU'RE IT!!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Picture Tag


Teri Sue tagged me with this challenge. I was suppose to go to my fouth file and post my fourth picture from that file.....so here it is. This wasn't taken that long ago - August of this year, soon after Will was born. This is the four generations of Garrison boys/men: Mark, Brandt with Will, and Roy.
I am now suppose to tag 4 other people......Kris, Kortney, Tiffany T. and Elyse - TAG YOU'RE IT!!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Cross Country 2008 Awards Banquet

Tonight me and Taylir went to the Cross Country Awards Banquet at the High School. She ran as a freshman this year and did a great job. Her best time all season was 22 minutes/29 seconds. She loves to run and looks forward to track in the spring and the remaining years ahead of her in High School. She has one more big race this year, Footlocker West in Anaheim California, December 6. She's pretty excited to go to this because the team also gets to go to Disneyland. She's worked hard all season and finishing off at Disneyland seems like a pretty great reward!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Called To Serve


My nephew Brady received his mission call for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He will be serving in the Georgia Atlanta North mission for two years starting January 14. We are all so excited for him and extremely proud of him. Way to go Elder Cowley!!!


Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Carson and team win 6th Grade Championship Football Game!!

Proud Dad/Coach

Last nigth we braved the freezing 45 degree weather to go and watch Carson's 6th grade football team win the championship game 31 - 16. They finished their season undefeated!!! It was an especially sweet game being that they played the team they lost to last year in the championship game. Carson made 2 of the touchdowns and even got an interception that he ran 50 yards to the 1 yard line. (He ran it into the enzone on the next play) I am so proud of him and his whole team and coaching staff. What a great season they had and all that hard work and practice payed off....congratulations guys!!!



Daxton always supports the team by dressing in the same team uniform

Kylie, me and Kristi huddled together to keep warm

Kortney and Chase

Proud sister with her lil' brudder

It's hard to get Carson to smile, and this game win did it!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Band Bash 2008



Monday night our family went to the High School to watch Colton perform in the yearly Band Bash for the High School and Jr. High School bands. He plays the oboe in two of the Jr. High's bands, Wind Ensemble and Concert Band. He did a fantastic job! Our school ranks nationally every year and the band program is extremely popular here, unlike when I went to High School where you were categorized a "geek" if you were in band. I hoped that at least one of our kids would be in the band and I am so happy that Colton is. He loves it and hopes to continue on through college with it. Way to go Colty Boy!!
p.s. How about that tux!?!? :)