The Alba's

Picture Overload

2009-04-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a few happenings in the Alba Family;

Look! Even old people like the chickens. Guelita and Guelito came to visit yesterday.
Zach likes to chase the chickens when they escape the coop.
Nick has been playing baseball and went to St. George for a tournament.
Zach has picked up cooking.
Nick found a new use for his head gear.....a place to keep his booklight!
These two darling little girls came to visit yesterday.
Nick enjoys over-sized items from the bakery.
Nick played Abraham Lincoln for a school play.
More building of the chicken coop....
This was when the chickens were cuter.

Are you interested in how Easter went at the Alba Home? Click here. (We promise we love our children but this is too funny to not document)

Chicken Coop

2009-04-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

We know, we know, it's been forever since we posted. We'll slowly update you of the happenings of the Alba Family in the last few months.

Hiram and Zachie have spent all their Saturdays the last few months building a chicken coop. It's been so fun watching it go up. We have two grown chickens and we got another 5 chicks a day or two after they hatched. It's been fun to the little boys to have something to do outside.

We'll post more pictures of the finished coop and the chickens soon.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T20:55:00.000-08:00

We had a nice mellow Christmas day here at the Alba home. We missed Adam and Andrea who weren't able to stay through Christmas and we missed and felt bad for Trisha who had to work a 14 hour day at the hospital! The rest of us relaxed, read, watched movies and played the new games on the Wii. We also went and played out in the snow for a while which was fun.

Patrick and Andrew, trying out the babies' new sled down the downhill street.

Michelle being pretty.

Andrew, Michelle and Zachie.

Hiram shoveling snow on the four-wheeler.

Maddie, trying to catch the snowflakes as they fell.

Little Nick coming in from some late night sledding.

We hope you all had a Christmas, we sure did.

Our Famous Family

2008-12-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

Our little family has had a lot of opportunities to "model" for church materials. You can see an old one here. Nick had the opportunity to be in another one with his Guelita (grandmother) a few weeks ago. He did his best to ham it up and I'm sure the photographer got some pretty cute photos. They will be included in next year's art packet.

Yam It!

2008-12-07T13:22:00.001-08:00

Our Thanksgiving started with the obligatory early morning football game. This was first year that ol' man Hiram didn't get hurt.

We were disappointed that the whole extended Alba family wasn't able to get together but it was nice just having our little family, although we were missing Adam and Andrea (literally and figuratively)

Hiram did his best making his first turkey. He brined it and everything by himself but we all got a good laugh when we tried to carve it and realized we had cooked it upside down.

This was Patrick most of the dinner. He would loudly exclaim "Yam it!" and then laugh himself silly. This "joke" lasted throughout the day as even Nick joined in in the Thanksgiving cursing.

We were glad Andrew and Trisha were able to make it. You can see Patrick perfecting his "creepy brother". We have numerous photos of him doing this.

Baby Nick had nothing to eat but jello (which he made mostly by himself) and got most of it all over his face. His giggle makes the angels smile.

We had a great Thanksgiving and have so many things to be grateful for.

Zach's Birthday

2008-11-03T11:53:00.001-08:00

Uvula

2008-10-22T10:40:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, it's Michelle.

Did you hear that this pretty lady got her tonsils out last week? Well she did and she's been a real champ. She's heard horror stories about how it's worse than child birth. Although it hasn't been pleasant, she's pulled through just fine and we're proud of how strong she is. In fact, her recovery went so well that as soon as she woke from the anethesia she was drinking Diet Coke (this isn't a joke).

Not only did she get her tonsils out but she also got her adenoids out, some work done on her sinuses and she had her uvula removed.(Remember that kid from high school with 2 uvulas? Ew)

After the sugery we were talking about how they removed her uvula and sweet, sweet Patrick replied "Why did they do that? You've had 6 kids just fine". Ah, the innocence of youth.

No Time Wasted

2008-10-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

This is the first thing he did when he woke up Sunday, he was so excited it had snowed.

Way To Go Zach!

2008-10-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

Not-so-little-Zach got his black belt in Taw Kwon Do on Saturday. Congratulations Zach! We're proud of all his hard work. We're also proud that he knows not to use it on his brothers.

Here he is beating up a girl.

Patrick's edit: Here is zach kicking an unsuspecting toddler who mistakingly got in the way of Zach's Black Belt

Hiram's 50th

2008-09-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hiram was surprised with cash for new golf clubs.

These handsome boys were all sportin' the same haircut, although Hiram's was unintentional (bad barber).

We had a small get-together with Hiram's parents for his 50th birthday, which is tomorrow. I can't believe he's so old! We are so grateful for all he does for our family. Happy Birthday Hiram, we love you!

Our babies

2008-08-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

We had all of our babies together last night. We had a nice evening together. Here are some of the things we did:

We played games

Took the dog on a walk and played catch at the park...

Played music together.

Pots and pans to play for those who aren't "musically inclined" (Michelle and Jane)
And we ate a lot.

We're going to miss Adam when he goes home tomorrow. We were sad that Andrea wasn't able to be there but we are excited to have eveyone home for Christmas!

Busy Busy

2008-07-31T10:13:00.000-07:00

Our family had a pretty busy weekend last weekend. Patrick had heart surgery for the second time around. We're hoping this will be the last. He has a syndrome call Wolff-Parkinson-White. You can learn more about it here. The surgery went well and we're happy he's going to live. (Most of us anyways)

That same weekend Hiram competed in the Spudman Triathalon in Burley, ID. He did so well and even beat some other old guys in his division. Way to go Hiram!

Sly Aye

2008-07-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Andrew just recently returned from touring the West Coast. We missed him but are proud of his talent and motivation when it comes to playing the guitar. He's a sample from his new EP album, as played at his concert at Kilby Court on Saturday.

Baseball

2008-06-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Nick finished his baseball season last week. Although they lost the majority of their games, the team did well and had fun. Way to go Nick!

Our Family

2008-06-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

This is us.

We make cute babies, see? (and our babies chose cute spouses)

This is all of us.

We jumped on the chance for a family picture when Adamdrea were in town for Andrew's wedding. Allison did such a great job, we can't thank her enough! Didn't she do a great job?

Trisha's Shower

2008-05-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Alba family threw a shower for Trisha last Saturday. We had a good time, thanks to Chach and Allison for all their help! Here are a few of our favorite pictures.She's working it!
Nerf guns? Obviously something Andrew registered for.....
The Joel Alba's
How cute is this face?

Isn't she darling?

Dear Patrick

2008-05-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Patrick;
I am sorry I waited so long to get you out of this pot. I couldn't find my camera but I knew that one day we would look back and laugh at how funny it was that you fell into this pot and couldn't get out. That day is today.

Love,
Your Mom

Family and Friends

2008-04-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

We'd love to see you there.

Easter at the Alba's

2008-03-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

We had a good Easter this year. It was quiet, we missed Adam and Andrea. Here are some of the highlights.

Nick found the egg with the 10 dollar bill in it.
The Easter Bunny visited!

Michelle and the boys decorated eggs Saturday. Poor Michelle, she always wants to make the eggs cute and puts a lot of effort into it. Her brothers never quite do the same. Zach's egg won the "most creative" award. Her name is "Stacy Sue".

Oh, the mind of a 14 year old boy.

We hope you all had a good Easter.

Happy 26th Birthday Adam!

2008-03-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Reasons Why We Love Adam:

Hiram: Because of his strength and example.
Jane: He is smart and a good example.
Michelle: He gets nicer as he gets older and he's fun to talk to.
Andrea: See here.
Andrew: He made me do the dishes when I had a broken wrist once, it taught me the true meaning of pain.
Patrick: (please insert here)
Zach: His "adorable forehead bump"
Nick: He gives the best wedgies.

Happy Birthday Adam, we love you!

Patricio

2008-02-29T19:05:00.000-08:00

We love and miss this kid.

Patrick is staying in Honduras until the end of March. He's having a lot of fun working with the missionaries and the Cause for Hope offices. You can learn more about Cause for Hope here.

We hope his Spanish improves while he is there. Here are some examples of when his language skills could have been helpful;

While Patrick and Hiram were driving one day, Patrick noticed a billboard with the words "Jesus Saves". Patrick quickly asked Hiram what "Hey-Soos Saw-vase" meant (writing the pronunciation is harder than it looks). We all got a good laugh. Sometimes he tries too hard to speak spanish.
While in Honduras, Patrick is staying with a man and his young family. One of the young daughters asked Patrick if he would like to play a game called "Uno". Patrick immediately translated the word and was imagining a game of "one" having no idea that it was the game he's played in America growing up.
And lastly, while the whole family was in Honduras, Patrick was really sick. After being in bed a few days, he finally felt better and ventured out with the rest of the family. After trying to speak to a few people, Patrick finally responded "I was feeling really confident in my Spanish until someone started talking to me."

We love and miss you Patrick, good luck with your Spanish.

2008-02-17T15:11:00.000-08:00

Patrick's Court of Honor (Circa 1973)

2008-02-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

Following the tradition of his two older brothers, Patrick earned his Eagle Scout the night of his 18th birthday. His scout leader flew back into town at midnight and Patrick was waiting, with his last paper to be signed. Despite his procrastination, we are still proud of Patrick. For his Eagle Project, Patrick collected shirts and ties for missionaries in Honduras. He collected, packaged and ironed almost 200 shirts to be distributed to future missionaries. We're proud of you Patrick, congratulations. Andrew in the "Eagle's Nest".

The Bros.

Like Father like Son.

Brothers.

Patrick didn't realize he no longer fits into a size 28 pant.

Has Beens

2008-02-03T14:59:00.000-08:00

We've had a busy weekend. Here are some highlights....

Hiram and the kids had fun at the "Blue Man Group" concert.

Maddie had an accident and ripped off a large part of her toe.

Andrew had another show and did a great job.
If you haven't heard, Andrew is nominated for a City Weekly "Slammy". If you haven't voted, tomorrow is the last day. His category is Mellow Rock and he goes by the name "Aye Aye". You can vote here.

Nick had fun skiing with his dad.

Wife Wars

2008-01-13T18:29:00.001-08:00

Nick and Zach always find ways to entertain themselves during church. The "wife wars" are our favorite.

We haven't been posting often, we've been busy. Our family continues to do well. We enjoyed having Adam and Andrea home for Christmas and we are excited to be getting a new daughter-in-law (Trish) in the coming months.

Adam and Andrea are still in DC, Adam starting his second semester of law school. Andrea recently started the paralegal program at G.W. University. We are proud of both of them.

Michelle is busy working. She works at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, as well as Hiram's company, IGES.

Andrew is busy getting ready to release his CD this coming Saturday. We are proud of him and his musical endeavors. He and Trish plan to marry in May sometime.

Patrick just had his wisdom teeth out and he was a trooper. He is getting ready for his internship in Honduras next month. He has also started volunteering at the Guadalupe center, teaching English. He will turn 19 in July when he will begin the mission paper process.

Nick and Zach are both spoiled and well. They have a lot of homework and hang out with their friends a lot. They spend a lot of time on the family "Wii".

We are all happy and healthy (despite last night's late night trip to the ER with Nick. It turns out it was just heartburn and not the WPW Patrick had.) We are keeping busy and we always love visitors! We will try to post something more frequently.

Congratulations!

2007-12-25T17:26:00.001-08:00

We are THRILLED!

Who Likes Cookies?

2007-12-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

Hi, this is Nick (Michelle is typing for me). I am on a competitive baseball team and we are selling Cutler's Cookie Dough to raise money for our uniforms and stuff. I am supposed to ask everyone I know how many tubs of cookie dough they would like. Please call my mom and tell her how many you want. They are $15.00. This picture is how I will feel if you don't buy any.

Thanks, Nick.

This is Michelle now. Doesn't he look sad? The coach of the team told them not to ask people if they wanted any cookie dough, but how many tubs. Nick has been doing a lot of "sales" (this is what he calls it) and would love your help!

How can you say no to this face?

If only I had been born with Down-syndrome

2007-12-06T21:55:00.000-08:00

My sister would love me more.
I just thought that everybody should know, today my sister got mad at me and really wished that I had been born with down-syndrome, because they are just so cute....

Patrick's Recipe

2007-11-20T19:48:00.001-08:00

I was trying to find a recipe today when I came across this. Patrick had just turned 4 and saw me writing down recipes. He wanted to write his own. I asked him what his recipe was called and he said "Zucchini Cheese Sandwich". He is so sweet. You can see all his 4 year old concentration was put into this.

Better Late Than Never

2007-11-12T16:17:00.000-08:00

Here are the boys and their Halloween costumes. Nick was the $1.99 last year costume (for lack of better title) and Zach or "Christie" was a cheerleader. Zach didn't trick or treat much but instead opted to watch a movie with girls! He is growing up so fast.

Happy Birthday Zach!

2007-11-04T20:25:00.001-08:00

After. This pictures deserves a story, right? It all begins with Zach.

If you're family, or knew us when we were living in St. George, we are sure you can't forget when three year old Zach loved Barbies. He would never put them down. His brothers tried relentlessly to persuade him that Barbies were for girls. They even purchased him a "Ken" Barbie in hopes that his fascination with the "pretty hair" of the Barbies would soon fade. The Ken Barbie didn't last long and we soon found him stuck down a sewer pipe after our basement flooded with sewage. He really liked his girl Barbies.

As Zach got older, the fascination dwindled, at the delight of his brothers. Every year since, as a celebratory act, Andrew has purchased Zach a Barbie for his birthday. This isn't an ordinary Barbie, this Barbie was bought with the sole intention of being burned.

This is the before shot.

The Tools

Well, you've seen how the story ends.

Zach had his 14th birthday yesterday. We've had fun celebrating it all weekend. We asked everyone around the house why they love Zach (it was too late to call you, Adam and Andrea, but we invite you to leave your love in the comment section)

Hiram: "I love that Zach loves animals"
Jane: "I love that Zach is very loving and tender"
Michelle: "I love that his hair sometimes looks like a helmet."
Andrew: "The way he laughs and the way his face lights up when he sees Trish (Andrew's girlfriend)"
Patrick: "Is this a trick question?"
Nick: "Zach's always mean to me"

There you have it, Zach. We love you!

As a good night story, we leave you the following:
Last week the Special Needs Mutual performed for our ward in sacrament meeting. It was so sweet. Michelle was especially excited to see some old kids she has worked with. Zach was asked to be the Bishop's Messenger that day and was sitting on the stand with the Bishop. Afterwards, in the foyer, a sweet older woman came up to Zach and said "I am Robbie's grandma and I just wanted to tell you what a great job you did performing up there!"

We always knew there was something special about Zach.
We love you Zach, happy birthday!

Finally

2007-11-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Michelle finally started her own blog. You can find it here. Now she can stop taking up our blog space with her pin cushions and things. I have more to post, I'll probably do it today or tomorrow.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

The Family

Cutler Cousins. Aren't they darling?

Hiram's costume was un-popular at the party. He was a Davis Dart.

Don't you just want to eat him?

Spooky!!

Cute Boys

The boys aren't home from trick-or-treating yet. I'll post pictures of them later. On Monday night we went to Mila's Halloween Party. It was so fun to see all the kids dressed up! She had fun games for the kids. We all had a great time. Thanks Mila!

Odds and Ends

2007-10-28T18:20:00.001-07:00

Nick was really tired after his last football game.

"Jamming"

Doesn't Patrick look like Stevie Wonder?

Almost....

2007-10-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

This was almost as embarrassing as the time I walked around campus with the back of my skirt tucked into my backpack. Almost...

While the Parents Are Away....

2007-10-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

Nick walked into a pole while my mom and dad were gone. He resembles Adam even more now with that giant lump adorning his forehead.

Sweet 3D glasses

My mom and dad have been out of town since Wednesday and I've had to play mom. It was hard! These boys are crazy. The house has been a disaster and I am ready for some serious alone time. Luckily they come home tonight.
We took advantage of them being gone and spent all their money. It was their fault for leaving us their debit card. We went out to dinner and to a 3D movie. They should go out of town more often but next time, find a different babysitter.

Ransom

2007-10-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Vanessa:

We are holding your tortillas hostage. If you would like them safely delivered this weekend, we are asking for $100 dollars per dozen. Think it over and let us know.

A Pin Cushion

2007-10-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

I (Michelle) made a pin cushion tonight with help from my cute cousin Allie. The pattern was ridiculously hard to read and I ran over to her house for help. I was able to hold her sweet new baby while she figured it out.

I've really been enjoying all the extra time I have lately. On Wednesday while I was supposed to be writing a paper on the gender transformation of Avalokitesvara, (I linked it so you wouldn't think I made it up) I went to a quilting class on appliqué with my darling Tia Chacha. It was a lot of fun and I am excited to have some new projects to keep me busy. Thanks Chacha and Allison for your help!

Tagged?

2007-10-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

My cute daughter-in-law "tagged" me. Here goes!

1. My real first name is Vaiola. If you are interested in knowing the story, let me know. I think if I tell it again, my kids will kill me.

2. If I didn't dye my hair, I would be completely gray. Yes, completely, 100 percent, gray.

3. If I had no Diet Coke I think I would die. Seriously.

4. I can't stand to be tickled. If you try, I can guarantee you will be seriously injured (or dead) after the attempt.

5. I have a half brother and sister I have only met twice.

6. I often do weird things in my sleep that I don't remember. I once fell off the bed, onto the floor and broke the night stand. I woke up with a sore hip but no recollection of what happened. Hiram loves this story.

7. I once got a job thinking I would be a waitress at a cute Mexican restaurant, my boss (Hiram's dad) only hired me hoping I would date his son. (Hiram) I was barely 18 and it worked. We were married in less than a year.

8. I grew up with no grandparents or dad, they all died before I turned three.

I tag my cute nieces Sylvia, Vanessa and Cheyenne.

Faces, Food and Fun

2007-10-16T19:38:00.001-07:00

Adorable Andrew

Yum....cheeseburger!

Bearded Braden (Michelle took this picture right before she dropped the lens to Hiram's brand new digital SLR camera on the concrete. Oops! Good thing she is Hiram's favorite daughter)

Never-Not-Cute Nick

Brown Steve, also known as Giovanni

Terrible, Tiny Trisha (although tiny, we wouldn't never think Trish was terrible)

Wacky Zachie

We had some unexpected company for dinner this week. These two boys (Braden and Brown Steve) are never expected but we always love their company.

Feliz Cumpleaños Guelita!

2007-10-13T13:46:00.001-07:00

Isn't she beautiful?

We wanted to wish Guelita a Happy Birthday!

Reasons Why We Love Guelita

What's not to love about Guelita?
She spoils us all rotten
She makes the best Mexican food ever!
She was able to give birth to fat baby Hiram (although it almost killed her, he was HUGE!)
She has raised great dads, husbands, grandpas, friends and aunts for us.
She is very hardworking
She is very loving
She takes good care of all of us
She stayed married to Guelito all these years (We love you Guelito!)
She makes beautiful quilts, dresses, dolls for all her babies.
She is the best Guelita EVER!

We love you Guelita!

Rick Rack and New Sewing Machines

2007-10-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

I got a new sewing machine yesterday. Hooray! Isn't it pretty? I ran to my favorite place ever, Piper's, to get a pattern for an apron I've been dying to try. (When I was at the register and the cashier saw my last name, she said "Do you know Edna? She comes in here all the time and we love her!")

The apron is slowly coming along.

I got this sweet material for 39 cents a yard. Isn't the rick rack darling? I seriously think rick rack is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'd put it on sliced bread if I could.

This is a quilt I've been working on for years. I am hoping that by admitting it has taken me years, I'll try harder to finish it. It is all done by hand and it takes FOREVER.

Patty Really Does Rock

2007-10-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

The picture is bad but we loved it. This is Patrick after a long day of school. He is having so much fun at the U and is really getting into the college atmosphere. He goes to all the events and even recently went to Oktoberfest just for the free sausage. Michelle loves to see him looking lost on campus. He is nice enough to even invite her to lunch with him sometimes, as long as she pays.

Patrick and Isaiah playing on his keyboard today.

Reasons Why We Love Patrick

He has recently stopped using his "loud voice"
He plays the piano really, really loud.
He is really tall and really skinny.
He once called himself "Patty Rocks"
He is a good lifeguard.
He is nice to his family
He is a hard worker
He mows the lawn whenever we ask.
He is very smart
He is very handsome

We invite you to list your own.....

Nick's Pinewood Derby

2007-10-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Isn't he so cute?

Nicky's Pinewood Derby was last week. Can you guess whose car the U of U one is? After many failed attempts and ruined cars, Hiram and Nick purchased one instead of trying again. As in years past, the Alba boys car came in dead last.

An Evening with Another Andy

2007-10-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

Andrew is playing again at Slowtrain downtown on Saturday if anyone is interested. He always puts on a good show.

An Evening With Andy

2007-10-04T21:14:00.001-07:00

We had a fun opening exhibit of Warhol prints at the museum (Utah Museum of Fine Arts) tonight. We had an Andy Warhol impersonator come and mingle with the members. He seemed to be a big hit but he was kind of a perv and wouldn't stop touching people.I think he got drunk on all the free wine the museum provided because he reeked of alcohol.

I am really enjoying this internship and have been offered a job for the spring but we'll see what happens. For now, you should go to the UMFA and check out the prints, they are pretty cool!

Because We Can

2007-10-02T21:14:00.001-07:00

This post is dedicated to all you fellow Alba's, especially the ones who don't live close to us. Doesn't this look delicious? Guelita spoiled us with her chili verde, beans and tortillas. We loved it! Don't you wish you lived closer? We would invite you to come over for some but it was gone within a day. We love you Guelita!

Not So Ugly Anymore

2007-10-02T20:58:00.001-07:00

We are pleased to announce that the hamsters are no longer really ugly. Zachie has done a great job taking care of all of them (except for the one that Michelle found in her bathroom last night-gross!)

UPDATE: The stinkin' hamster got out again and we found it, again, in Michelle's shower.

The Innocence of Youth

2007-10-02T20:49:00.001-07:00

We love the "Proceeds Donated to Me" part.

This post is dedicated to Nick simply because we love him and he is cute. Nick got a little lemonade stand in the mail and this is how he chose to sell his lemonade. We have to applaud his honesty. I think he made about $1 and it was all from dad.

And now for a few "Nick-Isms" of late.

Michelle to Jane: "I'm just really tired and frustrated"
Nick: "Michelle, don't be tired and far-sighted!"

On the way home from Las Vegas the car behind us had "dealer" license plates.
Nick: "Mom, that car has dealer plates!"
Jane: "Oh, like a car dealer."
Nick: "No, like a drug dealer!"

We love that little guy and hate to see him growing up so fast.

Never an Awkward Stage?

2007-09-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is in response to Adam's comment about never having an awkward stage. What do you call this? Your first three years of life were an awkward stage. You can view more awkward Adam here. We love you Adam!

Blast From the Past

2007-09-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

We all got a kick out of looking at these old family pictures. Can you spot the picture where Hiram has a mullet? Michelle and Jane have had some pretty timeless hairstyles as well.

Dad's Almost Dead

2007-09-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

I took this picture today only to find out that once you are 49, you are actually half way dead.

P.s he is only flossing his teeth, not flipping me off because I am so young.

-Love Patrick

Viva Las Vegas!

2007-09-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Bellagio Gardens

Bellagio Fountains

Michelle's New Boyfriend (Sadly, Tobias was nowhere to be found) Hiram looks good with a purse, no?

We had a great time in Las Vegas this weekend. Hiram and Nick were sad that the U lost. Jane and Michelle had a good time shopping and getting lost (Andrea's directions were NO GOOD!) Nick and Zach met Whoopi and annoyed Michelle the whole weekend.

Happy 49th Birthday Hiram!

2007-09-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hiram turned 49 yesterday. We celebrated by going to Las Vegas and watching the U lose. Here, Hiram is sporting all his new presents! He insisted that wearing the racquetball glove made him play Wii Golf better.

A Scientific Breakthrough?

2007-09-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

Zach's two "boy" gerbils had 7 ugly, little babies! A scientific breakthrough? You decide.

Here He Is.....

2007-09-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Andrew's Concert

2007-09-16T11:40:00.002-07:00

Andrew and Braden looking their best.

We tried all night to figure out exactly what this painting was. Michelle tried to put her art history experience to use and we decided it is a heart in a pot, or something. Trish thought she saw fallopian tubes somewhere.

Andrew is wearing a shirt Hiram used to wear while doing his Mexican Folk Dancing.

White Steve came up from Provo to help Andrew out on the drums.

Andrew played at a darling little coffee shop downtown last night. The whole family went to see him. Andrew did really well and had a huge crowd there to see him. He has really improved since our "Family Music Time". There will be some video of him playing later.

Family Music Time

2007-09-16T11:24:00.001-07:00

Jane has recently started piano lessons. She is sounding really good! Andrew came over and was "practicing" for his concert. This is what we call our "Family Music Time". Nick has got some pretty sweet dance moves too.

We Bleed Red!

2007-09-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

Patrick and Hiram had a blast at the Utah vs. UCLA game yesterday. Hiram was screaming so loud he lost his voice. Patrick loves being part of the MUSS (Mighty Utah Student Section)

Too Cute!

2007-09-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

Michelle and Jane were so excited to watch Allison's two babies last weekend. The little baby didn't do much more than sleep.

This one wouldn't crack a smile for us until his mom and sisters came home. He loved playing with the toy glasses.

We Miss You!

2007-09-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

We miss you two and we can't wait for Christmas!

Silly Faces

2007-09-05T17:40:00.000-07:00

We love these moments.

This Is How We Roll....

2007-09-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

Patrick owed Hiram some money for tuition and decided to get it all in 20 dollar bills! Patrick and Zach had fun before Hiram took the money.

Nick's First Football Game

2007-09-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Nick had his first football game on Saturday. He did really well and helped his team win. He loves playing in his Viewmont Viking uniform and only takes it off when he has to. He also loves having his dad as an assistant coach. Way to go Nick and Hiram!

The Babies Real First Day of School

2007-09-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Zach's First Day of 8th Grade! If you look closely in the upper left hand corner you can see our annual visitors. We have a bird who comes and builds her nest in the same spot every year. Her two babies just left the nest recently.

Nick with his friend and neighbor, Matthew. They both started 4th grade.

Nick and Zach started school last week. Zach is really enjoying his classes, especially his Spanish class. Nick likes his class and his teacher, Mrs. Ray-Rad.

Did I blend this right?

2007-09-04T20:54:00.001-07:00

We got a fun surprise visit from Tom and Kathleen's babies today when they came over with Grandma and Grandpa Cutler. Little Grace found Michelle's makeup quickly, I think she needs a lighter shade. We loved seeing them and are excited to have them move closer!

Whoops!

2007-08-31T18:44:00.001-07:00

Michelle was sad today when her favorite glasses broke.

The Band

2007-08-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to have White Steve and Braden J back from their missions. (Brown Steve was unavailable for pictures) The house was comfortably quiet with you gone. Welcome back, and keep it down!

The Babies Getting Ready For Their First Day of School

2007-08-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

More Century Pictures

2007-08-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

We were so proud that Trish (Andrew's girlfriend) decided to do the ride this year. She was the only girl and did a great job. Way to go Trish! (My personal favorite is Patrick in the upper right corner- we had reached the 50 mile mark and he was too tired for lunch!)

2007 Century Bike Ride

2007-08-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

Hiram's Company, IGES, sponsors a charity bike ride every year. It is a fun event for the family. Andrew, Patrick, Trish, Hiram and Zach all rode this year. It was Zach and Trish's first year and they did great.
Andrew made the shirts this year. He designed and made them himself, they turned out really nice!
Jane and Michelle volunteered to drive again this year to make sure the bikers were safe. Jane got tired of waiting for the riders to arrive at our first pit stop and took a little nap. (Last picture on the second row) Luckily, we didn't have any accidents this year.

Workin' At The Car Wash

2007-08-26T18:15:00.001-07:00

Here are the youngest Albas, Nick and Zach, doing their best impressions of the cheerleader-sponsored carwashes. Shake it boys!

Welcome To Our Blog!

2007-08-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Alba Family blog! We thought this would be an easy way to keep in touch with family. We'll give a quick update of all our kids and their whereabouts. Adam and Andrea recently moved to DC where Adam is attending law school and Andrea is a nanny. Michelle is in her last semester of school at the University of Utah. She'll graduate in December with a BA in Art History. Andrew is at the Salt Lake Community College studying art and enjoys writing and playing music. Patrick just graduated from high school and is also at the U. Zach is 13 and will be going into 8th grade. Nick, the baby, is nine and enjoys playing runningback on his football team.