The Echols Family

I wanted a post of just of our lovable Echols family ( make your own captions for some of the pictures)

Our Holiday Vacation!

Ok i know i havent posted in a while but i thought i should post about our holiday vacation! Well to start it off, Cassie got her braces off and happy as ever! Seeing her smiling bright and white it reminds me of having the cement on your teeth with big metal bracets (LOL!)

Christmas day was amazing to spend with the famiy! Our tradition starts off with the kids waking as early as they can without getting caught (this year they got up at 3am!). Around 6 ill get up and start making Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls and slowly get ready for the day. The kids wake up grandma and grandpa Conder and get them to come over. Finally, usually around 8am (after i get them to make their beds, do hair, dressed, etc.) we open the presents. And head over to my parents house and open presents when Connie gets there.

The day after Christmas our family will go find a spot in the desert and just go shooting at dummies and targets that Grandpa makes.

A couple days after New Years we had the chance to go up to Henderson, Nevada and see my nephews baptism! It was such a fun time. The Echols/Abbot family took up about 5 rows (but I think we are used to that). He had the biggest smile on his face with most of his family there to share this with him.

Sorry we didnt send out a Christmas card this past year but the Echols Family hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

My updates!! (The Kids Last School Year)

I feel so bad that i haven't had anytime writing on my blog just always driving the kids around and help George and go to my meetings. Well this school year has been crazy and stressful but lots of memories for the kids!!!

      For Cassie she has realized what it means to be involved at school and around the community and at church. At the beginning she told me she wants to be like those seniors that are dancers that are in ASB, decorate for dances and such, and in dance, and still have time to have fun and hats exactly what she did! Even though she didn't win the title of secretary (she wanted to be like me) she till was an assistant in ASB where she decorated for dances one thursday every month and attended Disneyland for an ASB conference. Then she was on the HAWK cheerleading squad. Where she thought it would be fun since she knows how to dance and shout (but there they dont scream at their brothers). Preformed at parent nights, competed at cheer competitions out of town, and cheered at many school sport games (while preforming at half times). She did get tired after a while but still kept with it. Also, she was in the Barstow Junior High Marching Band where she was a flute. They preformed at parent nights (can you picture her running around back and fourth from cheer to band), and competed at competitions out of town, marched in parades. The very first parade and competition they got passed the warm up area heading up to the line where the competition was going to start when Cassie tripped on a speed bump and skid her knee while the flute went flying a couple people in front of her and the person behind her had to walk over her. Of course i wasnt there i was at Disneyland (bad mom but she got treated to Disneyland after she got done). Anyways, she was also in her 8th year of dance.... Advanced (17 and 18 year old class) Tap, and Jazz. she still doesnt do the ballet which she is doing this summer. So Cassie had a busy week every week and sometimes came home from dance at 9:00 and cry cause she was stressed! But of course she kept her head held high...

B.J. my SIXTEEN YEAR OLD had a long year with band and schoolwork.... B.J. was in the AZTEC marching band again for his junior year. This year he played the Mellowphone. Then he was Wind Ensemble (the top band) he played French Horn and he loved it! Next year he will be a Senior and the marching section leader. This year he also grew to 6 ft. Taller than anyone in our family.... He was also on the yearbook committee for this years amazing yearbook! He got one for free which i was so happy about that. Got to carry around a nice camera and work on his people skills and interview people. Also, B.J. worked on his girl skills where he got closer to them and got more numbers. Had to meet one of the girls parents when they weren't even dating which he was terrified. George tried to give bad (good to him) advice. And BJ got his permit to drive which is scary how grown up he is getting! 

That was our school year plus a lot of stress.... i will post pictures next

My sixteen year old changing!

Have you ever had baby pictures of your oldest and then when you look at them they are taller than you! Well my oldest B.J. turned 16 this year got his braces off, drivers license around the corner, grew 5 inches, and his voice got so low that when he called to wish Selena a Happy Birthday that Tracy didnt even know who he was lol (Cass got to me). Maybe his age says sixteen but the way he acts proably says three! The one thing he loves to do is pick at Cass to she what she will do next (most of the time it is scream and chase him.) B.J. still loves to play with his toy trucks or airplanes depends on how he feels. He knows that he will always be our little BJ even when his girlfriend comes home with him but hopefully that wont happen for awhile!!!

When Did I become a Taxi Driver

You know when you have no kids and its just you driving to work and home and thats it. Well, that was me 15 years ago when I had no kids but now I am a taxi driver. It started with B.J. (since he is the oldest) and his band practice, church activites, and friends' house. Then, with Cass its like I have my own driving buisness. Now with the crazy gas prices ( I looked today and it was $4.30) its hard driving in the big Sequoia everywhere. We have had the Sequoia barely a month, and already we have put 2,500 miles on it, just from driving around town. It has been a pretty good car so far. So i know how you guys feel out there that have become the Taxi drivers!!!!!!!

Music To My Ears

As some of you know, Cass loves music. She plays piano and even the flute! Well Cassidy loves it and her band teacher Mrs. Milanez chose her to be in the San Berdino Honor Band in Febuary. Cassidy was so excited cause only a few kids from her band got choosen out of over 100 kids in the county!!


Bandtasia 2007

On the first practice she had to get up early in the morning on a Saturday and get to the school by 9:00 am. That part she didn't like, but once she got there she was okay. They practiced for 3 hours with 3 breaks in between. Then they got to go home, practice, and go back to put it together. This happened for 3 weekends, but then on the third weekend they practiced in Apple Valley for 3

hours and took a break, then came back to perform! Where everybody got to come and listen. IT WAS SO GOOD!!! they sounded so good and you could tell on Cassidy's face that she was having a blast and loving every second of it. Except she was being silly looking around the room as she had memorized the music. After the performance all the kids rose and took a bow and just smiled. Cass loves flute and has learned so much from it, like rythum (which she uses for conducting at church) and notes with diffrent keys. The best way to do it she says is to do it with your friends!! If your child has a music program at his of her school, get signed up! It can be a rewarding experience. Here is Cass at a performance in 5th grade!