Sunbeam Halloween Pary

This was our 4th annual Sunbeam Halloween party. We mixed it up a bit and had our party in the backyard with our pinata, and dance freeze games. Once again we had blood and guts (pasta and tomato sauce) for lunch and we decorated sugar cookies. As always it was a fun time!

Marana Arizona

For a few nights we had been hearing an owl around our house, and on the night we left for Marana we heard him while we were outside. We found him sitting on the roof of the casita hooting away. This is picture we took of him.

Kenyon helped plan a dental conference in Marana, AZ this year. The awesome part of it all was that we go to stay at the Ritz Carlton for free. This hotel is gorgeous! We loved staying there! We went downstairs for dinner and when we came back to our room, the beds were turned down, there was some music playing and there were chocolates on our pillows.

The Ostrich Egg

Just before we left for our trip to Hawaii Kenyon received an ostrich egg from one of his patients. The thing was hug and filled a medium sized mixing bowl with egg innards :) Kenyon wanted to eat it, but I told him there was no way I was going to participate in eating an ostrich egg. By the time we got back from Hawaii we were both a little nervous about Kenyon eating the egg. So, he just punctured a hole in the top and bottom and blew out all the egg stuff. The ostrich egg shell is pretty hard and it was a little difficult to get the nail in the top and bottom. Kenyon said that some people will paint and decorate the exterior of ostrich eggs. This egg still isn't painted but we do still have it.

Hawaii 2010

Kenyon and I went to Kaua'i and O'ahu for vacation in August, we found a great plane fare and I booked the tickets. Look at how tan we were at the end of our trip.

On O'ahu we spend time with my dad, Nick, Reggie and Titi. Reggie didn't remember that I was his favorite aunty until the next day.

A panoramic photo of Waimea Bay. I love Waimea it brings back so many great memories of going to school at BYUH. Staying in Laie with Nick and Titi brought back the good times at BYUH. I had so much fun going to school there. One of the things I had not ever done was go snorkeling at Sharks Cove. That was AMAZING! Kenyon and I loved seeig so many fish everywhere! Thanks Titi for being such a good sport! Poor Titi was about a week and a half away from having Leah, and she drove around with us and watched Reggie a lot.

We hiked down from the Makapu'u lighthouse, but unfortunately the water was so rough we didn't get to see the cool tidepools when they were calm, but it was an awesome hike!

Matsumoto's Shave Ice. My favorite is Li Hing Mui, Lilikoi and Guava. Kenyon is more adventurous and always tries different flavors. But we always both get ice cream in the bottom of it. YUM!

On Kaua'i we found an awesome beach and enjoyed swimming there on our last morning. By the end of our trip we felt like we did as much as we could have and we spent a lot of time seeing the Na Pali Coast from the lookout point, on our boat tour, and from our helicopter ride.

The Gand Canyon of the Pacific

The Banfield Building

In June, we closed on our building located at 222 S. Cortez. It is 1/4 of a block south of the courthouse. It's a wonderful location and we love that we will almost always have parking for the 4th of July parade and Acker music festival now.

This is the entry when you walk in the front door. We found out that the original house was built in the late 1800's and was one of the first homes in this area. Unfortunately, because the house has gone through so much remodeling we can list this as a historical home.

The front room has been rented out and is a children's boutique. One Sweet Pickle sells gently used and new children's clothing. I love the little Tooth Fairy pillows and the clips and clothes that Pam has for sale. They are adorable!

Kenyon is 33!

This year for Kenyon's birthday we spent the evening at home with Sophie and Ellen. Kenyon loves crab so I made Baked Chinese Style Crab Legs. I'm pretty sure Kenyon loved it :)

Memorial Day Weekend

For Memorial Day weekend, we had a full house! It was so much fun to have Brian and Melissa and their family, Colleen and Brent and their family, and Carolyn all stay over at our house. Among the many activities we enjoyed some of the highlights included going to the free lunch by Buz Mills and going to Goldwater Lake

Blake and Mikele by the lake

Just after our hike around the lake we were watching the other kids play on the swings

Hayden and Blake on the swings

John and Aubree get married

I know I have been terrible about this, but I'm finally updating.

John and Aubree were married on May 21, 2010. May is full of Anniversaries in the Banfield family, but personally, I think May is a great month to be married. Kenyon and I were married on May 27th and had our reception in the Banfield backyard too. John and Aubree did a wonderful job planning the reception; it was beautiful.

The backyard at night

Gazebo all decorated

Me and Kenyon

Getting the delicious cake situated

My dirty little secret...

I have a dirty little secret....i love to go and watch monster trucks. Kenyon, has never been to a monster truck show, and so when I received an email letting me know that the monster trucks were coming to Phoenix, I was so excited! And of course I emailed all of Kenyon's family inviting them to come along with us to the show.

the only problem is that I did not read the email all the way, which said the monster trucks were going to be in Albequerque, and the Gravity Slashers exhibition would be in Phoenix. UGH! It was my first motorcross exhibition, and it was cool, but I really wanted to see the monster trucks. Next time, they come in to town, we are totally going.

These guys are NUTS! They flip and jump without holding on to their bikes. SO CRAZY! One of them had a snow mobile, that he tricked out specifically for making jumps and flipping upside down.

On the way home, after riding the rail for thie first time, we were driving separetly in our cars home, and AV had his head stuck out of the window. So of course the responsible, mature uncles, and aunt that we are started yelling GRAVITY SLASHERS out our window. Kenyon decided to do some tricks. Including driving with one leg sticking out the window....and my personal favorite.....driving with no hands, and one arm out the window. (Please don't try these tricks while driving).

Even though we didn't get to see stuff being run over or actual monster trucks, we still had a fun time together.

Congratulations Shiu and Michelle

On February 12 we drove to San Diego to be with Shiu and Michelle for their sealing. Shiu is being deployed soon to Afghanistan, and will be gone for a 7 month tour. I'm so proud of Shiu and Michelle for making the decision to be sealed in the temple with their family.

When we got in to San Diego we stayed in La Mesa, I love La Mesa. That's where I was living when Kenyon and I first met. We stayed in the Holiday Inn Express about a block away from my old apartment.

Later that evening we caught up with Nick, Titi, and Reggie, they were at the zoo and met us so we could eat at El Azteca. It's still one of the best little hole in the wall taco shops! I think it's awesome that Nick and his little famly flew in from Hawaii for the occassion too.

The next day we of course were late for the session, but didn't know they were waiting for us. Instead we met up with Dinesh and Ben and their family while the session was in progress.

Dinesh and Ben waited outside with all the kids and Kenyon and I were able to join up with the group for the sealing. A sealing is always wonderful and easily reminds me of our marriage. And of course someone has to bring up how Kenyon was very emotional that day until the sealer reminded us we should multiply and replenish the earth. At that moment, Kenyon broke in to a huge grin, which made the sealer and most other people in the room start to chuckle.

Once Shiu and Michelle were sealed, Raoh, Novalynn, and baby Shiu were also brought in to the room. It was beautiful.

It's so nice to get together with everyone, but it's too bad it's so rushed and over so quickly. On Sunday Kenyon and I drove home...I was able to drive the entire trip and get us home in 6 hours. Kenyon had to work in Bagdad the next day and I was worried about him getting enough rest.

Sedona

We have been getting more and more listings in Cornville, Cottonwood and Sedona. We figured that as long as we are paying the fees to be a part of the Board of Realtors there we may as well make it worth our time. Yesterday, Kenyon and I went for a day trip to look at most of the listings in this area and to check out a new listing in Sedona.

The new listing is on Wing Drive and sold for over $900,000 in 2005, according to an old listing sheet, so naturally I was really excited about this listing. This is what it looked like then:

When Kenyon and I pulled up in to the driveway this is what we saw

WHAT IN THE WORLD?!!! No stucco, no interior walls, no appliances, no pool, no fencing....nothing! At first when I saw the house, I was sure we pulled up to the wrong house, and I backed up and went down the street to make sure that we hadn't made a wrong turn or something. Unfortunately, the previous owners were in the process of remodeling....I think?

Once I got over my initial shock and disbelief and we finished photgraphing the property we went to inspect the rest of the properties in the area. We were gone for most of the day, but we had a nice time on our day trip.

Kenyon, Kenyon, Kenyon

Kenyon hates cooking in our house. He tries, but I don't know where he comes up with his ideas. Lately, he has not been working as much because the dental office he is with right now has not been scheduling him with patients. So this week, he had to cook because he was home all day. Let's just say it didn't go over to well the first night. However, the second night he did a great job! and he even went grocery shopping. It's so nice to have a little extra help during the week. Not that he doesn't help me out a lot, but the extra help has been nice.

However, I'm so happy he starts his new job next Monday, well...I'm not happy about the Monday start date, but I am happy he is excited about his new job.

Snow with the Evans

Yesterday afternoon Allison came in to town with Madeleine, Ansel, Johnathan, Harrison and Cash. We had a ball playing with them in the snow. We even went sledding...at one of my foreclosure listings. In order to keep the kids happy while we looked at houses, we brought our sled. The driveway to one of the houses I have listed in the Ranch at Prescott has a really steep driveway and has tons of snow. Perfectly for sledding! Good thing no one crashed into the garage.

O Tannenbaum

It's really sad when you go to the Waste Transfer Station and the attendant there says "Christmas was a month ago". So it wasn't quite a month when we got there, but it was January 16. It's just that we loved our tree, we didn't want to say goodbye, but we finally did. There was no way I was putting the tree on my car though. I didn't want to get any scratches. Good thing we don't live very far and it's a short ride.

Now our Living Room is bare.

SNOOOOOOW

We had a huge snow storm hit. I loved it! I worked from home on Friday and Kenyon was off. It's a good thing, because he needed some time to take care of our drive way and build a snow man.

Saturday morning we were awoken to snowballs being thrown at out house. Dad, Ellen, Brisco and Sophie walked down and started pelting the house. Once we got out there and had a snowball fight my dad's white beard had grown because he had snow covering his face. I promise I didn't pelt him in the face with a snowball, but I did toss a lot of snow at him. It was hilarious!