First day of school

Today was the first day of school and it was a great day all around.  The kids all wanted to ride the bus so I waited for the bus and then hurried off to try and beat it to the school.  I won thank goodness.  Abby was so excited to get to ride the bus with the boys.  I took Abby to her class and she was so happy to be in Kindergarden.  She has Mrs. Dallof and Dan and I are so happy about that.  She is such a great teacher.  Abby doesn't know anyone in her class but was just happy to be at school.  Parker got a little lost at school.  He couldn't find his class.  Luckily after I dropped off Abby I went looking her him and I found him wondering around.  He is in 2nd grade and has Mrs. Dixon.  He was glad to have her as his teacher.  He has a few friends in his class.  He had a great day and was able to find some other friends at recess.  Bryson is going into the 3rd grade and has Mrs. Palmer.  Bryson is so excited because his best friend Bridger is in his class.  He had a wonderful first day of school and loved his teacher.  Britton is going into the 6th grade and has Mrs. Cooke.  Britton was happy to be in her class.  He has lots of friends in his class.  He was happy to be the big kid at the school.  We are all looking forward to a wonderful year.
Britton also had his first game of the season.  He played really good.  And his team finally WON!!!  Good job Strikers.  Britton was so happy to have a win.  They played great as a team and never gave up.

Labor Day Fun

Today we decided to have one last water day before school started.  We went to the South Ogden water pad and brought our lunch.  It is such a nice place to play.  The kids had a lot of fun.  They have a nice splash pad but they also have a small playground and a large playground and a large grass area to play on.  The kids were so happy to be their.  The boys raced a few times.  Brynlee and Abby went from one playground to the other.  It was a great final day for labor day. 
The kids were excited to get ready for school.  They said they were not ready for homework but they were ready to see all of there friends again.  Dan gave each of the kids a fathers blessing before bed and we had a traditional role play for family home evening.  We make up situations that the kids might get into a see how they respond it is always an fun night.  The kids are excited for school to start but I am not.

Sleeping on the trap

Today we had a treasure hunt.  I found a treasure hunt online.  The kids ran all around the house finding clues for the treasure.  At the end the tresure was a jar of salt.  They were a little disappointed until they realized the salt meant that they each got to make ice cream in a bag.  They each got there own baggie with ingredients and got to make homemade vanilla ice cream.  The ice cream turned out really good and we will be doing that again.  Then after there ice cream the kids put on a puppet show with the sock puppets they made a few weeks ago.  That was so funny.  They all did a very creative job.  Even Dan and I did a show.  I think that the favorite was Dad.  And last of all we had a sleep out.  All summer the kids have wanted to sleep on the trampoline.  There is was always some reason why they couldn't.  So tonight we finally made it happen.  We all slept out on the trap.  We all had our sleeping bags and blankets and a lot of bug spray on us.  It was a fun night.  I love sleeping under the stars.  It was a clear night and really cool evening so that made it quite enjoyable. 

Jake and Gavin's Birthday Party

Jake and Gavin's birthday party was celebrated together this year.  Michael and Lisa decided to have the party at Michael's office and they hired a magician.  The party was a lot of fun.  The kids all got magic wonds.  The magician made a bunny appear, a ketchup bottle disappear, changed rings into diferent colors, had an extra large straw for his drink(Parker's favorite part), a trick with flowers, had a large stuffed dog(Brynlee favorite part), and a few other tricks.  He also made all of the kids balloon animals or swords.  The boys opened presents.  The kids had all kinds of treats and food.  It was a really fun birthday.  The boys loved the magic wonds because now they can play Harry Potter even better.

A play date for Abby

Abby got a call from one of her pre-school friends named Cami.  Her mom called and wanted to get together.  So she told us about a splash pas in South Ogden.  We were suppose to meet at 10:00 and bring our lunches and let the kids play.  I got a little lost and didn't get there until 10:30.  The weather wasn't the greatest it was a little rainy.  But we went anyway.  Abby friend never showed up but we stayed anyway.  The kids had so much fun.  I think that next year this might be a weekly spot.  It is free, and clean, and close and a lot of fun.  I wish that I would have known about it earlier in the summer because it closes on Labor Day.  After the splash pad Cassie's family came over and everyone played, played, played. 

Swimming and the Brigham City Temple

Today we went to Cassie's and swam.  The kids always have such a great time swimming with cousins.  Abby was happy because I forgot her life jacket so she got to swim without it.  She did great and she loved diving to the bottom of the pool looking for rings and torpedos.  We couldn't stay all day because we had tickets to go to the Brigham City Temple Openhouse.  My young womens group was going and they had some extras so we took all our family with the girls.  It was so beautiful.  The kids were so revent and well mannered.  Britton's favorite part was the mirrors in the sealing room.  Bryson's favorite part was the mirror's also and the baptismal font.  Parker's favorite part was the baptismal font.  He thought that that was so cool.  Abby and Brynlee loved the light and the paintings.  It was a great opportunity to teach that the only place that we want to be married is in the sealing rooms of the temple.  After we went to the temple we went to Peach City and got an ice cream cone.  This was a fun day.

Brynlee is turning 3!!!

Our sweet little girl is turning three today.  She is so fun.  She brings such a light into a room.  Her nickname is Angel and she is exactly that and Angel sent from heaven.  She is really funny.  She quotes movies all day and says some of the funniest things.  She loves all of her brothers and sister so much.  She loves to play animals with the boys.  They are all such good sports to play whatever she asks of them.  She loves books, My little pony, Dora the explorer, strawberry shortcake, princesses(especially her babies), to color, and play doh.  She loves to watch movies.  She also likes to sing and tell jokes.  For her birthday she wanted a My Little Pony birthday.  I made a Twilight Sparkle cake.  I drew Pinkie Pie on a posterboard and they played pin the cutie mark on Pinkie Pie.  We galloped with a stick and had a relay race.  They played hot potato with a pony, they played horseshoes, and we had a giant coloring book with My Little Pony pictures.  We had the cousins over for the party and everyone had a lot of fun.  She had a great birthday.  Some of her presents were all 6 of the main my little ponies, a baby pinkie pie doll, and dora the explorer back pack that sings, a puzzle cake, some little furry animals and a new baby doll.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRYNLEE!!!

WICKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got the greatest opportunity ever.  I got invited to go and see WICKED.  Brian called and said that he had an extra ticket to Wicked and wanted to know if I wanted it.  I was so excited.  We went to dinner to the Macaroni Grill in Salt Lake and then walked to the Capital Theater.  It was Hillary, Mom, her Mom and Me.  We had awesome tickets.  We were on the floor on row U and on the side towards the aisle.  The show was absolutely amazing.  The cast sounded just like the CD.  I was so floored by the performance.  It was a best thing I have ever been to.  I had no idea that the wicked witch didn't really die.  I loved this play and if I could I would see it again and again.  Thank you so much Brian and Hillary!!!!

Camping at Mirror Lake

We finally got our camping trip in for the summer.  We have done a lot of fun things but the one thing that I wanted to do was go camping.  We got a late start but found a nice camp spot in the mirror lake camp grounds.  We were right next to the bathrooms which is what we needed for Abby.  We were also not to far from the lake.  It was a beautiful night.  It was a lot cooler but we had a fire, so we were all nice and toastie.  We roasted hot dogs for dinner and marshmallows for dessert.  Out tent is pretty small so we all spent close.  We kids all slept good.  In the morning we had eggs, sausage, and banana bread.  We made hot chocolate to warm us up.  Dan made a nice fire.  The kids had fun exploring and playing games in the woods.  At 1:00 it was time to check out so we drive to the lake and walked around the boardwalk again.  The kids saw tons of baby fish and some larger fish also.  It was lots of fun.  After that we drove all around and checked out lots of different camp sites.  We wanted to find the best ones for next year.  Then we went to the Provo Falls.  The kids had there swim clothes on and were able to play in the falls.  At one the falls Britton and Bryson found a huge hole.  It was so deep that Dan could hold on to Brittons hands and lower him into the hole and Britton couldn't touch the bottom.  So Dan filled the hole with huge rocks to try and make it a little safer for a little kid that might fall in.  This was such a fun camping trip.  It is amazing how much easier camping gets when the kids are a little older.

A Day of FUN!!!

We had such a fun time.  We had a list of things that the kids wanted to do.  So we did them.  First we did a little finger painting with pudding.  The kids had a vanilla and chocolate cup and a poster board.  They would swirl the pudding with their fingers and sometimes noses.  The kids were covered in pudding and the table was a mess.  What a great time.  Then we mixed potions.  We had test tubes, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and baking powder.  They exploded and bubbled all over the place.  After potions they did bubble making.  We poured liquid soap all over the table and had straws and they made the biggest bubbles.  Then we went to Cassies house for cousin play date.  It was so wonderful.  I love summer.

Spencer's game and the Davis County Fair

Today we went to Spencer's final play off game.  He was in the same tournament as Britton but a different division.  He plays for SWAT.  Spencer is the goalie for his team.  He did such a great job.  His team got 2nd place in his division of the tournament.  It was fun to get to see Spencer play.  Then we went to look at some houses with Matt and Amy.  They were pretty cool.  Awesome layouts.  Then we went to lunch at Subway.  This was a great Saturday.  We came home and just played around the house.  Then we decided to go to the Davis County Fair.  We watched the dog competition.  The dogs would try to jump as far as they could into a pool of water.  Then it was measured to see how far they jumped.  The kids loved watching the dogs.  Then the kids got to pick one ride to go on in the kid zone.  The boys all rode a twisty ride with Ethan.  The girls rode the purple train roller coaster.  They all had fun on the rides.  Then we went to the bunny house and the hen house.  The kids decided that they need a bunny.  Then they went into the petting zoo.  They got to pet goats, sheep, ponies, bunnies, a camel, a kangaroo, a donkey, a turtle and a mule.  They all loved to touch the different animals.  After the petting zoo we got in line at the sting ray area.  The kids got to touch a sting ray and also horseshoe crabs.  It was so slimey.  They thought that that was so cool.  Then we walked around some of the booths.  It was a really good night.

Britton's last game, friends over, and outdoor movie night

Today was Britton's last game in the tournament.  He played another great game.  I think that this was his best game in the tournament.  They played good as a team but were not able to win this one.  After the game Britton invited Weston and Hunter over to play and Bryson invited Bridger.  Parker was good to play with everyone.  We went and got some pizza for lunch.  We put the sprinkler under the trampoline and the slip-n-slide under the pvc sprinkler.  We also put the pvc sprinkler over the playground and they had races it get through the playground.  The boys had fun playing in the water.  Britton then had a birthday party at Surf and Swim.  He had fun with some kids in the ward.  After dinner we went to the Parkin's house for our outdoor movie.  The kids all decorated a car to take to the drive in.  Dan had some boxes left over from work and the kids were able to decorate those.  Abby's was spray painted gold with pink trim.  It had pink polka dots and pink flowers.  We put pink wheels and a pink license plate that said Abby G.  Brynlee's was spray painted pink.  We made hers look like a airplane.  We put a propeller on the front and rounded the sides to look like wings.  She also had a license plate that said Brynlee.  Parker made his car into a limo.  He painted the outside black with gray trim.  The inside of Parker's car was a spy car.  He made wheels and a license plate also.  Bryson's car was the batman mobile.  Bridger helped Bryson finish his car.  Bryson painted the outside black and put a yellow ovals with a black bat into the middle.  He also decorated the inside with lots of guns and different gadgets.  Britton's car was decorated to look like a taxi.  His car was painted yellow with a black stripe on the side with a white checkered boarder through it.  He also made a license plate and decorated the inside like a real car.  We all brought a treat to share.  We brought our popcorn maker.  Amy had treats and drinks it was set up so cute.  The kids watched the Lorax and The Princess and the Pauper, barbie movie.  The kids had fun in their cars and also playing around the backyard.  It was such a fun night.  The kids love this tradition.  We can't wait until next year.  Thanks Parkin Family.

Swimming at Cassie's house

Grandpa and Grandma Mack were able to come to Brittons game today.  He played great again today.  He got a lot of game time.  He enjoys playing forward and he is getting more and more confident the more he plays with this team.  He didn't win this game but he did tie the game.  After the game we went to cool down and go swimming at Cassie's house.  Amy, Cassie and I swam today with the kids.  We had fun playing games with the kids.  We made a whirlpool.  Abby got to take off her life jacket and she was so excited to swim without it.  She did good swimming and practicing he skills in the water.  We had a fun day in the water.

Summer Olympics

Today we invited all the cousins over for our own summer olympics.  We had sprinting, long distance run, balance beam, trampoline routinue, discs throw, shot-put, javelin, long jump and volleyball.  The kids were all timed and were able to participate in each event.  They all had fun.  It was a nice to see them all cheer each other on.  They were happy when each other did good.  The cousins are good to encourage each other and not worry to much about 1st place and so forth.  After all the events were finished we rewarded each of them with a gold medal.  Then we put the sprinkler under the trampoline.  We played in the water until Brittons game.  Then Cassie and Amy brought there kids to watch Britton play.  He was excited to have his cousins at his game.  He played good but didn't win this game. 

Striker's Cup

Today Britton has the start of another tournament.  This one is close it is in Layton.  Britton played really well today and he had a lot of fun.  He didn't win but it was a close game.  His team is good but they just turned off there fuel after the second half.  Hopefully tomorrow will go a little better.  After Britton's game we came home I was able to clean house and the kids just played.  It was a good day to get caught up on all the odds and ends.  Our power went out today and I decided that we need to be a lot more prepared.  I had no way of making dinner and I need to be able to cook even if i don't have a oven, microwave or a grill.  I need to get organized in emergency preparedness and have a plan.

School shopping and Sadie's birthday

Today I decided to take all of the kids for a little school shopping.  I needed to return some shirts that I got at Ross.  So we returned the shirts and started to look for the right sizes.  I bought the boys some shirts and the sizes on the shirts were all so crazy.  It could be the same shirt brand and same size as the shirt we tired on before but fit totally different.  After trying on a bunch of shirts and shorts we left with some good finds, but I will not go clothes shopping again with all five kids without Dan again.  It was to crazy.  After shopping we went to Cassie's house for some swimming.  It was Sadie's birthday.  The kids swam all day.  We stayed and had Sadie's party that night when the men got off of work.  We had fun watching the kids swim and visiting with each other.  Sadie turned 2 today, happy birthday.

Olympics closing ceremonies

Today was a nice peaceful Sunday.  The kids played so good together.  I love Sundays when we can just relax and take it easy.  We watched the last of the events for the Olympics.  The kids loved to watch the events.  Britton would check all day to see if the coverage had started.  Then while the events were going the kids would be re-enacting the events at home.  The girls practiced there gymnastics and the boys mostly practiced there wrestling and running.  The Parkin's air conditioning wasn't working so we invited them over for dinner and we all watched the closing ceremonies together.  That was a little different.  We enjoyed the music but I wasn't quite sure on the storyline.  It is amazing to watch people fulfill dreams and goals they have set.  We also liked to listen to the stories behind the athlete.  Britton has decided that he wants to be in the Olympics he just needs to decide what event.

Britton's final game and Caren's wedding

Britton had his last game of the tournament.  Unfortunately they lost.  It was a good experience for Briton.  Next week he has another tournament, this one is in Layton.  He is hoping for more time on the field and also more wins. 
Caren Anderson got married today.  I was the only one who went because Brynlee has a fever again.  So Dan stayed home with the kids.  I left at 3:30 and went with my Mom and Cassie to the wedding.  We got to the wedding a little early so we stopped at the Chocolate Cottage.  Mom bought us all a treat.  It was really yummy.  We tasted a chocolate covered grape.  It sounds yucky but it was really good.  Then we went to the wedding.  Uncle Doug married Caren and TJ.  He did a great job.  Caren looked beautiful and so did Cora.  It was a really pretty reception hall.  The hall was like a greenhouse, plants and flowers all around the outside of the room.  They also served coldstone and cupcakes.  It was a fun reception.  Great music and awesome company.  It was fun to sit and visit with cousins.  After the wedding we went to dinner.  Michael and his family came with us and Amy came home with Mom, Cassie and Me.  We had a fun time together hanging out with family. 

More SOCCER

Tonight was a crazy game.  It was a little cloudy.  But after a few minutes into the game it was raining and then lightning and thundering.  The game was called after the score was 2 to 1.  We waited for about 15 minutes then they decided to play again.  We scored and tied up the score.  Then they called the game again because of the weather.  Bridger invited all the boys to go home with them.  They even asked Parker.  They ended up going to the Shaw's grandparents house for popcorn, ice cream and a movie.  They watched Little Giants.  The boys said that they had a great time.  Dan and I and the girls went with Grandpa and Grandma Gardner to get ice cream.  We had a nice time.  They came to Britton's game to support him.  We are so blessed to live so close to so much family.

R.A.D. Kids and Britton's first soccer tournament

The boys have been going to R.A.D. kids all week.  Dan, Jason and Kyle were teaching Layton Elementary School this week.  So we decided to let the boys sign up because Parker and Ethan are finally old enough to take the class.  The class was taught at Central Davis Junior High School.  The boys had fun in the class and were able to learn different skills to defend themselves from a stranger or someone that was trying to talk with them that they didn't know.  They were told to pick a security code, learn their address, practice dialing 911 from the home phone and all cell phones they might use.  They were asked to review the fire plan at home.  They also got to practice the skills they were taught on Thursday.  Dan put on the red man suit.  It is a padded suit(it looks like a transformer with pads).  Dan tries to capture each kid and they have to use the skills they have been taught to try and escape.  The kids all enjoy the class.  I missed the final day because Britton had his first soccer tournament.  Amy filmed the scenarios for me, and Britton went to the afternoon class so he could do his.  Brittons tournament was fun to watch.  He played good.  The final score was a tie. 
Tonight we decided to race the boats at the creek.  The water level is pretty low but there was enough water to race.  The kids had fun playing in the water and ended up wet from head to toe.  Brynlee liked racing the boats the most.  She loved watching her boat go fast and then trying to catch it before it went into the tunnel.  Abby's favorite part was catching bugs in the creek.  She was so excited each time she would catch a water skeeter.  The boys were laying in the water and throwing the boats out of the tunnel.  Bryson was the best bug catcher with Parker right next to him.  Britton liked trying to catch the bugs but if he really did catch one he would quickly get rid of it.  I love that we live so close to the creek. 

My Little Pony Party

Today is Sarah Parkin's birthday party.  She is turning 4 years old.  She decided to have a My Little Pony birthday party.  The pool was filled, they have a trampoline, a swing set, and also a dirt pile the kids love to play in.  All the cousins were able to come.  Amy planned some fun games that the kids loved.  The kids all had to pick a cutie mark and a pony name.  So we did a little face painting.  They also did a balloon relay race. And they played ballon volleyball.  The kids played so good together.  They had cake and ice cream and opened presents.  The kids didn't want to go home after the party so we went inside and played with Ethan and Sarah's toys and stayed until dinner time.  We had a great day with cousins. 

Brynlee!!

Brynlee is not feeling good today.  She has a fever and just wants to be cuddled.  I am sad that she is not feeling good but I am loving the extra cuddle time.  She is such a sweet little girl even being sick.  She just wants to watch her movies.  She has quite a few favorites like Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Ponies, Mickey Mouse, and any princess shows.  Her fever reached 103 so I called Dan and asked him to come home and give her a blessing.  Dan came right home and brought Jason and they blessed her.  After the blessing she was able to go to sleep.  After her nap she was playing and acting more like her self.  I am so grateful for Dan and all he does for our family.

Coloring Contest

Today we got out the glitter glue, crayons, markers, foamies, stickers, colored pencils, markers and coloring books.  The kids all took there time and created a master piece.  We decided to have a coloring contest.  The boys colored Captain American pictures and Looney Toones pictures.  The girls colored Strawberry Shortcake pictures and LaLa Loopsey pictures.  After they finished the pictures then they built boats with popcicle sticks.  They all made boats with sails and decorated the boats really cute.  

Mirror Lake

Today we decided to go for a drive.  We packed up our dinner and decided to go to the Uintah's.  We ate our dinner at the Provo Falls.  We sat on a huge rock and enjoyed the beautiful view.  The kids explored all around the falls.  Then we packed up and drove to Mirror Lake.  I love Mirror Lake.  It is so beautiful.  We walked the trail and board walk around the lake.  We saw a few deer and some fish jump out of the lake.  We had such a nice time.  On the way home we saw so many deer that we lost count.  It was 9:15pm when we left so it was really dark.  There were so many deer on the side of the road.  They would just jump out in front of the van.  Dan was a really cautious and drove slow.  This was such an awesome night.

Date Night - so fun!!!

Today Britton had a game early in the morning which was nice to beat the heat.  He played so awesome.  He got his first goal.  Hooray!!!  He had so much energy and was able to use it very wisely.  He is loving Stikers.  He has his first tournament next week and is excited to play a whole week of soccer.
After Britton's game we decided to go for a little hike.  We tried to drive up Farmington Canyon but the road was closed so we went to the trail around Lagoon.  It was very short but it was shaded by some large trees, so the kids loved it. 
Then it was date night for Dan and I.  We needed a night out.  We got Maya to come over so the kids were very happy.  Dan and I wanted to do something different.  So Dan suggested to go to Trampoline Park.  The cashier gave us a buy one get one entry.  We jumped for an hour and were exhausted.  It was so fun.  Dan did a one and a half flip and landed face first in the foam pit.  I finally got the courage to do a flip and loved it.  We felt like little kids and laughed so hard.  We also played dodge ball, basketball and ran all around.  It was a great workout.  Then we went to Olive Garden for dinner.  This was such a great night.  We also played peanuts once we got the kids in bed.  I love my husband. 

Britton's first scout camp out

Britton got to go on his first camp out.  He has a great eleven year old scout leader.  Bishop Riley and Brother Carrington are his leaders.  They asked Dan to go with them.  The scouts are Britton, Reese, Logan, Dammon, and Caden.  They were headed for South Fork.  So the kids and me are going to have a movie night and a sleep over in my room.  The kids love to sleep in our room.  Please be safe Britton.

Our way of boating

Today we went to Pineview.  Amy, Cassie and I took the kids to Pineview for the day.  We had so nuch fun.  We got to the lake at 10:30 and stayed until 5:00.  It was great weather with even better company.  The kids had fun swimming and playing in the sand.  The boys dug the biggest hole.  We bought two little boats and the kids could row and row all over.  We borrowed ores from Grandpa Mack.  The boats were a little hard to control because of the wind but they still had fun, especially when the waves would come.  We love Pineview days!!!

Fun at the Parkin's House

Today it was Amy's turn to host the water fun.  She filled up her pool.  But the highlight of the day was that they got a trampoline.  Matt stayed up until 2:00am putting the trampoline together so the kids could play.  The kids loved the tramp and they put the sprinkler under it to cool the kids down.  As always the kids played in the dirt pile.  They were all covered in dirt, well mostly the girls.  They also did something new today they scaled the fence.  They thought that that was so cool.  Thanks, Parkins for the awesome day.

Face painting and skits

Today the boys decided that they wanted to paint their faces.  So we got out the craft paint and the dress up clothes.  Britton dressed as Santa Claus and we painted a white beard and a mustache and we painted his eye brows white.  Bryson dressed as Mario and we painted a big black mustache.  Parker dressed as a pirate and we painted a black beard.  Then each of them got to perform a skit and we took video of each of them acting out their character.  Bryson was so funny pretending to be in a video game.  The boys painted their faces a few different times.  When the girls woke up from their naps we painted butterflys on their faces.  A few of the other characters were two face(half orange and half yellow), a white face with black eyes and lips and black clothes, a cowboy with a big mustache and an Indian with lots of arrows.  The kids had fun and this kept them busy for hours and hours.  I can't wait to see all of the videos.

Christmas in July Tea Party

For our Christmas in July we decided to have a tea party.  We made hot chocolate, lemonade and fruit punch for the beverage to choose from.  We had chocolate dipped marshmallows with sprinkles.  Crackers and cheese, zucchini bread, and chocolate covered strawberries.  We had marshmallows on a stick to use for a spoon and whip creme for the hot chocolate.  We used our christmas dishes and had candles to decorate.  It was so fun.  The kids sat very proper and used extra manners when asking for treats to be passed.  We had a very enjoyable night.  This might be a new tradition.

Gardner Family Reunion at East Canyon

We took the kids up to East Canyon today.  Dans family has been camping their all week.  But we were not able to go because of youth conference and work.  So we went today and had a lot of fun.  The kids love the playground, it has a bunch of tires to climb on and swings to swing on.  Then Landon brought his horses and Grandpa Gardner's horse and gave the kids a ride.  The girls were so excited to ride.  They love horses and especially Buttercup.  After riding we had dinner and the kids had fun playing with cousins.  The girls collected rocks and the boys played a bunch of games with cousins.  We saw some deer on the ride home and also a porcupine was crossing the rode.  I love East Canyon.  It is such a beautiful drive.

Service Project with the kids

Today we went to Bishop Monson's house for our service project.  We got to put in their sod.  Dan was not able to take off the entire day so I had to bring the kids with me.  I was worried that the kids would be busy and not listen, but I was so wrong.  The boys helped with the sod.  They carried the heavy pieces and unrolled it and laid it in rows.  Parker got the cut some of sod with President Webb.  The girls played with the bunny and played on the new grass.  They were such good kids.  Then Dan got home and I went with the youth to Pineview for a day of boating.  I even got to ride the tube with Jenae.  Then we had hamburgers and a testimony meeting.  It was a great youth conference.  Dan took the kids to Dinosaur Park today.  He was so surprised how easy it was to take the kids somewhere alone.  The kids had fun.  Brynlee loved the dinosaurs.  They got field journals and made leaf prints.  It was an all around fun day for everyone.

Youth Conference

We had a water day.  We filled the pool and set up the slip and slide and had the pvc sprinkler out.  We put the sprinkler under the trampoline.  We invited Reese and Ryal to come over and the Parkin's came also.  I enjoyed the hammock and was able to relax while the kids played.  Great summe day. 
We started our youth conference today.  We went to the church and had pizza and watched the movie Other side of Heaven.  Then we went to listen to Elder Groberg.  He came and did a fireside at the Stake Center.  He talked to the youth about serving missions and keeping the commandments.  It was an amazing evening.  We had some good conversations with our girls.  I love my calling.  I get to work with the beehives. 

Day Farm and the Library

Today we went to the Day Farm.  We look to go to the local farmers.  We don't have a garden this year so we get to support our local farmers.  We love day Farm.  They have such good produce.  We got corn, watermelon, zucchini and yellow squash.  We can't wait until u-pick starts in two weeks.  After the farm we went to the library and got the kids all their own library cards, even Brynlee.  The kids were so excited to have their own cards.  They each picked out the books they wanted.  Then we came home and read. 

Pioneer Day

Today we just goofed off at home and hung out.  It was a nice day.  I got to sleep in and still get a walk in the morning.  And Dan and the boys were all able to go running together.  Dan and Bryson jogged and Britton and Parker rode their scooters.  Uncle Doug reserved the Farmington Pool for his ward and invited us to come.  We had so much fun.  We swam from 7:00-10:00pm.  The lights were on because it was so dark.  The kids all thought that that was awesome.  Britton and Bryson jumped off the high dive.  And Abby and Parker jumped off the diving board.  All the kids went down the slides.  Their wasn't a whole lot of people, so the kids could do anything they wanted.  And at about 9:00 most people went home, so it was just mainly family for an hour.  The Parkins and the Sandberg came and most of the Bull family.  We had so much fun, we hope to reserve it again next year. 

Lego Contest

Our summer activity board is perfect for a day like today.  We weren't quite sure what to do then we looked at the list and saw lego contest.  We built vehicles.  They could go on the land, water or air.  Some of them could do all three.  The boys are so creative.  But what started as a little competition turned into hours of play.  Great jobs BOYS!!!

Rock painting

A great Sunday activity.  Today we painted rocks.  We collected big rocks from Hobbs Pond.  So got out all the paints and old clothes.  Then the painting began.  At first the boys were going to paint the rocks a certain typeof something.  For example I painted a butterfly and bumble bee and a lady bug on mine.  But Brynlee painted all different colors and swirled it all together and the boys were so impressed by what hers looked like they all decided to do the same.  They had fun painting and they all turned out great.  We will put them in the garden for decorations. 

Caren's Bridal Shower

Today we got to get together with all the cousins to celebrate Caren's so to be wedding.  The party was at Trisha's house.  Her house was so nice and decorated so cute.  We had a nice lunch and we were able to sit and visit together.  We always have such a great time with cousins.  We have such an amazing family.  We are all so blessed to live so close to one another and all like each other so much.  I love my family.

Boondocks and the Parkin's

Today we decided to use our free passes to Boondocks.  We were given six three hours cards at Dan's work party last year.  We only had a pay for one of us to get in.  We have been lucky to go to Boondocks quite a few times for free.  Today we started by riding the cars.  Britton, Bryson, and Parker are all tall enough to drive their own car.  Abby is tall enough to ride with an adult so Dan took her and she loved it.  Brynlee and I just watched and cheered everyone on.  Then we played laser tag.  We had so much fun.  Bryson was so excited because he had a really high score.  Brynlee just ran around without a gun or vest.  And Abby was able to shoot quite a few people.  After laser tag Brynlee wanted to go bowling so we bowled in the kiddie bowling area.  The kids bowled two games each and all did pretty good but Parker got the high score for the kids.  After bowling we rode in the water bumper boats.  We all got really wet.  Abby rode with Dan and Brynlee rode with me.  The boys all rode separately.  Parker and Bryson were the least wet.  Some boy came up to Britton and said man you are a great shot and gave him a high five.  That made Britton's day.  Then we rode the cars again this time I took Abby and Dan stayed with Brynlee.  I had so much fun.  It was my first time to drove one of those cars.  Abby and I laughed and laughed.  Then we decided to play mini golf and Bryson got two hole in ones.  Abby did a good job golfing and Brynlee only lost one ball.  Everyones favorite hole was the last hole.  When you shot your ball in the hole it either shot fire out the top or water at you.  The fire scared Brynlee at little bit.  After golfing the kids were hot and wanted to get wet again so we decided to ride the bumper boats again.  Abby rode with me this time and Brynlee rode with Dan.  I got so wet.  I was soaked from the very top of my head to my feet.  Everyone was wet and cooled down from the heat.  The last thing we did was play in the Kiddie Cove and play a few tokens for the arcade.  The kids put all their tickets together and were able to get a few little prizes.  We all had a blast.
Then it was our turn to babysit for Matt and Amy so Ethan and Sarah came over.  We had dinner in the backyard and the kids played on the tramp and did little bit of soccer.  Dan and I cuddled on the hammock and watched the kids play.  We got the kids some glow braclets and they lit up while they jumped.  Then we came in and the boys played Indiana Jones on the Wii and the girls made cookies.  Then we melted crayons on the oven and made some new circle and finger crayons.  We had a lot of fun.  The melted crayons are really easy and the kids loved making them.  Today was a really fun day full of fun and excitement and hardly cost a thing.

Castle Park and spending money

All summer the kids have been asking to go to Castle Park.  They love to play tag and hide and seek at Castle Park more than any other park.  We got to the park early so it wasn't to hot.  The the joy of Castle Park was gone.  The boys didn't last very long playing.  They got bored and were ready to leave after only about an hour of playing.  The girls were only interested in swinging on the swings.  They loved the swings and were good to take turns.  We will have to try the park out again with cousins and see if that will help the fun.  Then we went to Dairy Queen for lunch.  The kids all got slushies and dilly bars with their meals, best happy meals ever.  Then we to spend the kids birthday and allowance earnings.  The kids don't usually have their own money so they were excited to get to buy whatever they wanted.  Britton bought a spy kit with lasers, Parker bought a bow and arrow set, Brynlee bought a My Little Pony and Abby bought a Ariel barbie doll.  Bryson spent his money a few weeks ago so he was a good sport to help everyone else decide on what they should buy.  Later that night we had a movie night and sleepover in the family room.  We watched Hugo.  The boys loved the show but the girls weren't to engagaed.  Abby was confused and thought it was a little scary.  Bryson cried a couple of times because it was sad.  We had a great day.  We love summer. 

Kays Creek Walk Way

Today we decided to hike up Kays Creek walk way.  We brought our lunch and the kids brought their rain boots.  We started at the start for the first time.  We usually park about 1/2 mile into the walk way.  I never knew where the start was and I finally discovered the start of the trail so we got to pass all the trail markers.  The kids were happy every time we passed another 1/4 mile sign.  They love reading the animals signs along the way.  The cougar sign is always the highlight.  After they read that sign they get a little freaked out and think that they hear strange noises for at least another 1/4 mile.  The other sign they like is the porcupine sign because it is the last sign before the bridge and picnic area.  The kids hiked really well and only Brynlee complained about being tired.  So she got to have a shoulder ride.  Once we made it to the picnic area the kids changed their shoes into their water boots and played in the water to cool off.  They had fun exploring and collecting rocks.  We had our lunch and Bryson even saw a snake.  They we hiked back which was much faster.  We love being outside and playing in the water.  The kids are blessed to live in an area with so many different areas to explore.

Lock in day

Dan finally had to go back to work.  We had such a nice time with him home.  I think that the kids forgot he had a job.  Brynlee kept asking me where Dad was and why he had to work? 
Bryson a few years ago decided to invent a day called lock in day, it is a day where we stay in pj's and don't go outside.  So today was a perfect day for that.  We stayed in watched cartoons, painted, did homework, and just played, played, played. 

Time to go home

It was time to go home and we were not ready to leave.  We could have lasted another week.  We had such a wonderful time.  Thanks so much to Cassie and Ben for planning such an amazing trip. 
The way home we decided to take a little detour.  We took highway 89 all the way to Nephi.  It was such beautiful drive home. 

Parker's is 7 and Bryce Canyon

Parker turned 7 today.  I can't believe how fast time goes.  I am so blessed to have Parker in my home.  He is such a sweet boy.  He is our peacemaker.  He tries so hard to be good.  He is so much fun to be with.  He loves soccer, the wii, legos, batman, star wars, avengers, coloring and being outside.  He is so good to his sisters and is a huge help to me and dan.  We love Parker so much and are so grateful he is in our family.  He opened his presents before we went to Bryce Canyon.  He got a bunch of Batman toys and some new lego sets.  We had his party with cousins before we left to make it a little more fun for Parker.
We set off for Bryce Canyon and the weather wasn't the best.  It was raining really hard.  Once we got into Bryce Canyon the fog was so thick that we couldn't see anything.  We were a little discouraged.  We decided to drive to the end of Bryce and work our way back up to the visitors center.  The first two points we couldn't see to much but by the third we were so excited.  The view was so wonderful.  I loved all the beautiful colors.  It is such an amazing site to behold.  The kids were excited to see the different points.  The rain started to slow down.  The day just improved little by little.  We set off to find Thor's hammer.  We explored at the top of the point and found the hammer and then we decided to get a closer look.  The way down wasn't to bad it was fun going down the switch backs.  Then once we reached the bottom it was really neat to see how narrow it got and the little caves and hide outs in the canyon.  But the way back up was really hard.  The kids did pretty good.  The boys didn't complain much but the girls were all so tired.  And they had good reason to be tired it was a hard hike.  Once we finished site seeing we went to a little rock store and each of the kids got to buy some little rocks.  The rocks were all different colors and sizes.  On our way back to the cabin we stopped off to get some ice cream for Parker's birthday.  The kids finished the night all cuddled up together and watched a movie and the adults played peanuts. 

Staying close

Today we decided to stay close to the cabin.  We set up a tour at the Best Friends Animal Rescue Facility.  We rode a bus through the facility and were able to visit the cat and dog houses.  The kids loved the animals.  They enjoyed the bus ride and were able to see some fun things.  Then we went back to the cabin and rode the side by side.  The kids tried to catch a few lizards and had a air soft war.  The girls rode the razor scooters all aorund the balcony.  Grandpa Mack and Abby fed the goat carrots.  We played a few games and had Mexican night for dinner.  We also tried out the sauna, wow what a way to relax.  Dan is trying to find a way to have one put in at home.  A perfect ending to a great day.

Zion National Park

The cabin is absolutely beautiful.  It has a wonderful view.  It is set back and quiet.  It is decorated so nice.  We have our own room, the boys have a room and the girls have their own room.  We have the entire basement to ourselves.  The cabin has a sauna, a huge jetted tub, a play room, a wrap around balcony(gated so the girls can't escape), a 6 seater side by side to ride on, a huge area for the kids to explore and a very friendly goat.  We packed our lunches and left at 7:30am for Zion National Park.  It is only 30 minutes away from the cabin.  The drive was beautiful.  We have never been to Zions before so were all so excited.  We parked the van and rode on the bus into the park.  We stopped at Weeping Rock, Grotto's trail, Riverside walk and the Temple of something I can't remember and a few others.  We took so many pictures.  We had such a fun time the kids were all so good.  We brought spray bottles to cool them down while we were hiking.  We had lots and lots of water and loads of snacks.  We stopped a few times to get out and explore off the trails.  One of the kids favorite things at Zion's was the tunnel.  When we went through the first tunnel we didn't realize that that wasn't the good one.  So when we went through the 2 mile tunnel the kids were screaming.  The windows inside made it a little light but it was so dark inside.  They could not believe that they were inside of a mountain.  They also loved the squirrels.  Brynlee even touched one.  The squirrels were too friendly and they were everywhere, we even had one get in the backpack.  The kids were able to play in the water at the last stop.  We thought that they would just put their feet in but no they all jumped in and were wet from head to toe.  What an amazing day!!

Cabin Trip

We have set off for a vacation with the Sandberg Family and my mom and dad.  Ben's dad has offered to let us stay at his cabin in Orderville.  We are so excited.  We have packed the car to maximum capacity, with everything we could think of.  We have a long drive ahead.  I have already made up all the meals so that once we get their we can just relax and have a peaceful time. 

A day at Temple Square

We took the kids to temple square.  We started at the Church History Museum.  We toured through the exhibits on the main floor and learned lots of new things.  The boys asked lots of questions.  They realized how hard things were before we had so many modern tools.  They also learned a lot about the Salt Lake Valley and the pioneers.  We didn't get to look at very many paintings because Brynlee was starting to lose it.  But once we got to the Book of Mormon exhibit for kids she was so happy.  It was so fun.  The had so many different activities for the kids to do.  Brynlee liked to fish the best.  Abby liked to dance with the spanish dancers and playing in the garden and make dinner for the missionaries.  The boys liked to build with the big blocks and play on the computers.  We stayed at the museum for quite a few hours.  Then we went to the Nauvoo Cafe for lunch.  We all liked our food.  After lunch we took pictures at temple square and walked around the grounds.  Then we went to the visitors center and looked at the Christus Statue.  After that we went to the Joseph Smith movie.  They have changed the movie in the past year so we were excited to see the changes.  It is such a wonderful movie.  This was such a wonderful day.  We are so blessed to have so many resources for our children to learn from and help them build their testimonies. 

Saying good bye

I always hate it when it is time to say good bye to Julie and Megan.  We have had such a fun time for the past two weeks.  The kids look forward to each day and the activities we have planned.  We love spending time together as a family.  We hope to get to go visit the Beck's soon at their house.  We love you and drive careful.

Girls day at City Creek

Today we all met at Amy's and went down to City Creek for a day of shopping.  We went to lots of stores that I have never been to.  We found lots of cute clothes.  The atmosphere is so wonderful at City Creek.  I love the creek and the water fountains.  We went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner.  It was so delicious.  After City Creek we went to Farmington Crossing for more shopping.  Then we met at Mom and Dad's house for dessert and a night of games.  Brian and Hillary brought cake and all the fixings for ice cream sundaes.  We played a fun guessing game.  I love it when we all get together and play games.  We laugh so hard that we cry.  We all love being together.  We are so blessed to live so close to all of our family.  It has been such a great week with Megan and Julie. 

Happy Birthday Dan, BIG 37!

Dan turned 37 today.  He decided that he wanted to go out to breakfast.  So we dropped the kids off to Mom and Julie.  Then we went to Kneaders.  We both got the all you can eat french toast.  It is so delicious.  They serve it with strawberries and whip creme.  We had a nice time just the two of us with no kids.  After breakfast we went to Ross and did some school shopping.  Then Dan took Britton, Bryson and Parker to the putting course at Swan Lakes.  They all did great but Parker got a hole in one.  After the golfing we went to Cassie's to swim and everyone came and we had Italian night for dinner and played outside.  Dan had a great birthday.  We are so blessed to have such a great dad and I am truly blessed to have him for my husband.  We love you, Dan.

Trampoline Park

Trampoline park is such a fun place.  We went to trampoline park in Kaysville.  It is a little expensive but the kids sure had a blast.  Brynlee even liked it this time.  She would run from one activity to another.  The kids loved the dodgeball and the basketball courts.  They played tag and did tricks on the tramps and watched themselves in the tv's.  The girls would get in trouble because they would climb the pads.  The hour went quickly but they were worn out by the time it was over.

The 4 of JULY!!!

Hooray, today is the 4th and Dan is home.  We have only spent two 4 of July's together in the last ten years.  We aren't happy that Dan had surgery but we are sure glad that he got to be with us today.  We didn't go to the parade we just slept in and then we went and got slurpees.  Then we came home and the kids set up the pvc sprinkler and rode their bikes and scooters threw the water.  Then we went to Grandpa and Grandma Mack's for a 4th celebration.  We grilled and Julie set up all the pools.  Mom had bought lots of little toys for the kids to play with.  Julie bought star bubble necklaces for the kids.  The kids had fun the in water and even Brian joined in the fun and got all wet.  Then we went to firework show at Layton High.  The boys played football.  We had more treats and built glow necklaces.  The fireworks were wonderful as usual.  This was a perfect day.

Pineview

We went to Pineview for the first time this season.  It was a perfect day for the sand and the water.  It wasn't to hot and the kids had a blast.  We brought tons of tubes and rafts and noodles to float with.  We had lots of sand toys and different kinds of treats.  We got the beach at about 11:30am and stayed until 5:30pm.  We had so much fun.  We swam out to the boat sign, six or seven times.  The kids built sand castles and dug big holes.  We love Pineview and being in the water and the sand. Hooray for summer.

Abby turns 5!!!

Abby's 5th birthday is today.  She is such a joy.  She loves her sister Brynlee.  They are such good friends.  Abby loves to play with her loving family dollhouse, my little ponies, princess barbie dolls, squinkies, polly pocket princesses, books, and dress up.  She loves animals and isn't scared of any animals.  She loves to sing and will sing all day and make up the song for whatever she is playing. 
Today we decided to have Abby's party with cousins and also a party for Parker.  We will be out of town for Parker's birthday and he was such a good sport to have his party early.  We invited all the cousins to come over for a swim party.  We set up two swimming pools, a slip 'n' slide, a sprinkler under the trampoline, we filled up water balloons, we made a pvc sprinkler, we had totes full of water for water gun fights, we had chalk, bubbles, we played water limbo, freeze dance in the sprinkler, splat with the water balloons, fill the bucket, we filled 30 balloons and put them on the trampoline to jump with.  We had popcorn, treats and ice cream cake.  It was such a fun party.  We started at 10:00am and didn't end until about 6:00pm.  Happy Birthday Abby and Parker.

Grandpa's Men of song night!!!

Tonight Grandpa and his singing group Men of Song sang at the Layton Park for the Patriot Night.  Grandpa has been singing at this concert for years.  It is a nice evening they all sing patriotic songs and give awards to Home Town Heros.  This year they honored Korean Vets.  It was a wonderful concert and we were so proud of Grandpa and his group.  Grandpa is now the oldest member of the group.  Uncle Paul is also a member of the group.  Grandpa loves to sing and it is something to keep him busy.  My favorite song that they sing is the Salute To Armed Forces.  Thanks Grandpa, Dad and Brian your service.  We love you and are proud to be Americans.

Alexa's Baby Shower & McCormack Fun Night!!!

Today was Alexa's baby shower.  It was a nice party.  She got a lot of fun things.  We were able to spend time together and visit.  The shower was at McKell's house.  We had a brunch.  I made a party favors for the shower that said, She's ready to POP!!!  And gave caramel popcorn with it.  It turned out cute.
Tonight we all got together at Mom and Dad's house.  We made pizza and the kids had fun in the backyard.  We laugh so much when we are all together.  Brian and Hillary brought all the fixings for the best ice cream sundaes.  They had waffle cones, 4 different kinds of vanilla ice cream, mint and chip ice cream, hot fudge, caramel, chocolate sprinkles, colored sprinkles, marshmellow creme and whip cream.  The best sundaes.  I love my family. 

Hair cuts and swimming

Today was really wonderful.  I made Abby and me appointments to get our hair cut.  Abby's hair is so fine and so thin.  We decided to cut it short again to see if we could get it to look a little thicker.  She looks so cute and sat so still.  She loved being pampered and taken care of.  I was also able to get my hair cut and colored.  It was fun getting our hair done together.  After our hair appointments we went to Cassie's for a day of swimming and taco night.  We made all the same games in the pool.  Julie, Amy, Cassie and I all swam with the kids.  The kids love it when we get into the pool with them.  They want us to play all the games and make whirlpools and throw them in the air.  Kevin also came down for the weekend.  He was throwing all the kids in the air and they were doing back and front flips and having so much fun.  Kevin was so tired by the time he was done.  Amy brought glow sticks for the pool.  They didn't work to good this time because the pool was a little to cloudy but hopefully next time they will work perfectly in the water.  Once it got to dark we had the kids come in and they all snuggled up together and watched a movie.  The adults played a game.  It was a new game that Cassie and Ben have played and we had so much fun playing it.  We were laughing so hard we were all laughing.  Dad even played.  We laughed so hard when Dad described Betty Boop. 

Britton's first game and a clean house

Today I needed some help cleaning.  We have been so busy and I have been a little behind on my chores.  So I asked the kids if they would help me out.  I knew that if I didn't get the house clean before the Beck's come I am going to be in big trouble.  Anyway Britton vaccumed, Bryson mopped, Parker dusted.  They all helped clean up any toys.  The house got cleaned so fast and they did such a good job.  Thanks boys for all your hard work it really me helps a lot. 
Abby had her last fairy camp day.  We were invited to watch at the end so they could perform what they learned.  They told us all the fairy colors and what they mean, they did a fairy dance, they sang a song, and did a cheer.  Abby was given a fairy name and it was Pearl because she is so pure on the inside.  She had a lot of fun at camp.  I was so glad that she was able to do this. 
Britton had his first soccer game with the Strikers.  He played great.  He was able to play on offense most of the game.  He stayed in his position well.  Great job Britton we are so proud of you.  We went out for ice cream after the game to celebrate.  We went to Dairy Queen.  Then we went to Mom and Dad Mack's to see Julie and Megan.  They have come to visit for the next week.  Let the fun begin.

Soccer camp, fairy camp and pine wood derby

Somedays I think that I must have decided that I needed to play a game against myself and try and see how many things we can try and accomplish in a certain amount of time.  Britton has had soccer camp all week and has been loving it.  He loves soccer and meeting the players on his team.  He is hoping that he is going to get to play offense and not defense but we will have to see how that goes.  Abby is attending a fairy camp for the week.  She is going to a house down the road with a bunch of girls from our ward.  There are not a lot of girls her age so she is excited to play with anyone in our area.  She gets to go Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and the class is from 1:00-4:00.  She hasn't told me very much about what she does but she is having fun.  Tonight we had our pine wood derby.  The boys hadn't even finished there cars until about 5:00 and the meeting started at 6:30.  Brittons car was silver and orange.  Brysons car was red, yellow and orange, and Parker and Dan did a car and it was black with yellow lightning bolts.  They didn't win for sped but they had fun.  Britton got the most votes for kid approval.  Brysons car was voted most cheerful.  Parker and Dan's got 12th overall and Parker was happy with that.  Bryson also earned his Wolf badge tonight and was so excited about that.  He also earned a gold arrow and 4 silver arrows.  He has worked so hard on his scouting.  Britton moved on to Boys Scouts tonight and walked over the bridge.  I am kind of sad that Britton won't be in scouts anymore.  It was nice for Bryson to have Britton with him.  Life moves so quickly. 

Car wash and slurpees

Today we decided to wash the car.  After going to the drive in last night we thought the van could use some TLC.  Parker helped me clean the inside of the van.  He cleaned so good.  I vaccumed and he did all of the washing of the panels.  Then we got lots of rags and bubbles and started on the outside.  We washed and squirted but the best part was each time we would rinse the van the kids would just be in the way so we had to soak them.  They loved it and I loved soaking them.  I love the laughter that always is present with water.  It seems that anytime we use water the kids giggle and giggle.  After we washed the van we were tried and hot.  So we picked Britton up from soccer camp and got our first slurpee for the summer.  I remember years past we would get a slurpee at least two or three times a week.  I love slurpees!!!

Homework in the summer and Dinner with Dr. Hall

Each day we have the kids work a few sheets out of a workbook.  They get to rotate from four different subjects and also do reading minutes each day.  We think that it is important to help them work on these things throughout the summer so when school comes along they will retain some of what they have learned.  I feel like I am helping my kids and offering them something good.  But my kids think that I am mad at them and that is why I do this.  I told Britton today that I lay in bed at night and think how I can destroy his day.  Homework is definitely the best way.  If they do there work without complaint it usually doesn't take to long.  But today it was 2 1/2 hours of worksheets.  I totally wanted to give in and say okay just go play.  But we finally got it done and I reminded them that if they would relax and just read the instructions they wouldn't have to redo it some many times.  Hopefully tomorrow is better.
Tonight we were invited to go to Dr. Hall house for dinner.  He invited the Sandberg's, Parkin's, Hartvigsen's and Us.  It was so fun.  He provided the hamburgers and hot dogs and we brought salads, chips and dessert.  He has such a nice house.  We had such a fun time.  He has a play room with a dodge ball set up.  The kids played in their for so long.  He has some really cool murals on the wall like cat and the hat, and Baer Rabbit.  He also has a hidden door that opens to a secret twisty staircase.  And his house was totally kid friendly.  He has a home school group that comes in and also a preschool group that goes their.  He also has a huge backyard.  We had a big game of baseball.  The kids loved that.  We all had so much fun just visiting and playing.  We love Dr. Hall.  We were able to take a picture with him and all our kids.  He has delivered are our kids, my five, Cassie's four, Amy's two and Julia's four. 

Drive In

I took the kids to Cassie's for some swimming.  It was a nice day and the water felted to good.  We played lots of water games like marco polo, rainbow, sea monster, shark attack, surfing, trick contest(which everone wins) and whirlpool.  The kids love to swim and could last for hours.  Brynlee is even enjoying to swim this year.  We put her in her life jacket and a little tube and she just floats around.  She has realized if she kicks her legs that it will move her.  Abby is wanting swimming lessons and I need to get those scheduled.  The boys love to swim and are always learning new things to do in the pool and getting more confidence. 
After swimming we hurried home and had dinner and went and got some treats and went to the Drive In Movies.  We went to see Brave.  The Sandberg's went also.  The kids played a little football before it got dark and had fun running around.  We laid down the seats in the back and put down the futon mattress in the van and had lots of pillows and blankets.  We brought treats and card games.  Brynlee didn't like the movie from the start and wanted to go home.  And Abby about two thirds the way through the movie said that her throat was hurting and threw up.  It was lovely.  Dan wasn't with us because he still isn't feeling very good.  So I had both girls unhappy.  I was able to talk Abby into staying until the movie was over so the boys could enjoy it.  She lucky threw up in the street on the side of the van so it wasn't right where we were.  She never did through up again.  Our kids seem to have sensitive stomaches, if they eat to many treats they seem to have a problem with it.  Well, I am glad this night is over.  It was fun even with the unhappy girls.

Monopoly Fun Night!!!

Never start a game of monopoly unless you are willing to play it to the finish.  Abby decided to play for the first time tonight.  I didn't think that she would last long but she played until the last five minutes.  The kids were so excited when after dinner tonight Dan said go get a game.  Tonight was the first time this week Dan has joined us at the dinner table.  He is feeling a lot better, thanks to the new medication.  Anyway the boys picked Transformers Monopoly.  Dan, Britton, Bryson, Parker and Abby all played.  I was the banker and the property holder.  I helped Abby and would help with Brynlee.  The first out of the game was Dan, then Parker, and then Britton and last was Bryson.  Abby won the game.  She killed everyone.  She was so excited each time someone landed on one of her properties.  She would say I am rich.  The game lasted about 2 1/2 hours.  We had a great time and we were all so happy to have Dan with us for the night. 

Water fun!!!

I love that my kids are so easy to please.  This afternoon I went out to set up the pools.  We have three pools that are inflatable.  One of them has a little hole and I had a patch that I could use to fix it but it had to sit for a half hour before I could blow it up.  So I patched the hole and the boys started to blow up the other.  Bryson said well this isn't going to work.  I said why?  He said because their is a huge hole in this pool.  So I go over and the pool had been melted some how.  I was so upset and disappointed.  We have only used these pools twice and now neither one is working.  We tried to figure out how this happened but we are totally confused.  So we go inside and try to think of a new plan.  It gets late so the girls take a nap and the boys want to watch cartoons.  Which I was stoked about because Dan is feeling really sick today.  He has been throwing up and really sick to his stomach.  We called the doctor and they gave him some new medience, it is starting to help.  Poor Dan he is such a easy person.  He doesn't complain about anything.  Anyway after the girls woke up from there nap I decided to fill up two totes with water and bring out the baby pool and bring out the squirt guns.  They were totally happy and played for a couple hours.  The boys joined in the fun and everyone was happy.  The house was quite so Dan got some undistured sleep, the kids had water and that always equals fun, and I had some time to play with the kids and relax.  I love that my kids are so easy to please.  Sometimes I make things so hard.  Their only little once, enjoy each day before the days are gone.

Amazing Family

We are so blessed to have such an amazing family.  We get phone call after phone call and dinner after dinner.  Our neighbors even brought us a recliner for Dan to use while he is getting better.  Today Lisa and Brent came and brought us two freezer meals and took the boys.  They went to Layton Park and brought a picnic lunch.  They watched the ducks and played on two different playgrounds.  They said that they had such a great time.  They also took them to get a shake.  Abby, Brynlee and Me played princess.  We painted our finger and toe nails and put on pretty make up.  We also did the girls hair up like a princess and put on head bands that were of course pink.  The girls had fun and they call me Madame Lisa.  It is so funny to hear Brynlee say Madame Lisa Gardner could you please paint my next finger pink.  The girls never pick one color of polish we always have to do some crazy pattern.  Brynlee had one foot painted orange and the other painted purple.  And both of their fingernails were five different colors.  We had a nice day. 
Dan still isn't feeling the best.  Today he slept most of the day and felt sick to his stomach.  He gets up and walks around a little bit.  Hopefully tomorrow he will have a little more energy.

Britton's first soccer practice

Britton had his first soccer practice today.  He was so excited to go.  He got to meet a few more guys on his team.  He is going to have to work really hard on this new team.  They have a lot more practices and trainings that Britton isn't use to.  I think that he will love this new opportunity.  Hillary brought dinner in tonight.  She brought such a wonderful meal.  We all loved it.  It was so nice to sit and visit with her. 

A day at home

Today Dan woke up not feeling very good.  He didn't sleep to well.  His pain was a lot more intense.  He hasn't decided if the surgery was worth it yet.  The doctor told me that day 3 is usually the worst.  So tomorrow he is expecting to feel even worse.  We have such fun and thoughtful neighbors, they found out about Dan's surgery and brought their recliner over so he could recover with it.  We put it up in our room.  Dan said it is very relaxing.  I think that he is going to sleep in it. 
We have had such a busy summer.  Everyday we have done something fun and exciting.  When I told the kids that we were just going to stay home today they thought I was crazy.  We had a fun day anyway.  We built forts, played life, played video games, the girls set up a pet shop town, we visited Grandpa and Grandma Mack, Britton had scouts and built bottle rockets, Britton also had his first strikers meeting and was able to met some of thr players.  Lisa Mack brought dinner in and the kids decided that someone needed to get hurt after Dad so they could have more dinners brought in by aunts.  Everyone has been so thoughtful.

Dan comes home and Amy's birthday lunch

Today I got to bring Dan home from the hospital.  He looks and feels so much better than last night.  They took an x-ray so we could see the progress of his healing.  We got his prescriptions and some treats and headed to Grandpa and Grandma Mack's house to see the kids.  We were only going to stay a few minutes but when Dan sat in the recliner he was so comfortable he didn't want to leave.  We stayed most of the day.  The kids had fun playing outside with cousins and I had fun with my mom and sisters.  Cassie went to so much work.  She made a wonderful lunch and made dinner for my family.  And yesterday she watched our kids all day long and fed them dinner.  I don't know what I would do without our families.

Dan's neck surgery

We were told that Dan needed to report to the hospital at 11:15am on Monday.  At about 9:30am the hospital called and said that they were running behind so call them back at 12:00pm for a new time to come.  At 12:00pm Dan called and they said to call back at 3:00pm for a new time to come.  Dan was already scheduled to have the surgery last Monday but the hospital called and cancelled that surgery.  This isn't looking very hopeful.  At about 1:15pm the hospital called and said to come at 2:00pm.  So we dropped off our kids at Cassie's house and we headed to the hospital.  We get there and sit for a while finally they call Dan back and tell us that the doctor is still behind and that they are hoping to get us back before 5:00pm.  They were right, Dan got wheeled back at 5:00pm.  His surgery went well, he had two bone spurs and the disc problem.  Dr. Winter's was able to fix it and came and got me and explained everything.  He said Dan should be ready to go to his room in an hour and I could see him then.  So I waited and waited and waited.  Apparently the hospital was running behind again and couldn't get anyone to clean his room so he stayed in recovery until they could find someone.  He is having a little problem with his heart rate being to high.  They said that it is probably because he is in so much pain.  I hate seeing Dan like this.  It is making me so nervous.  I stayed with him until he was able to eat and was feeling a little better.  I hope that this surgery will take away the pain and give Dan the comfort he has been looking for.  Oh, and Happy 14th Anniversary Dan.  Dan wanted to go away for our anniversary, so I guess he got his wish.   

Happy Father's day, Britton's Birthday, and Dallin's Homecoming

Today is such a special day.  Today we have the oppportunity to let our dad know, just how wonderful we think he is.  Hopefully each day we let him know that but today is special.  Today is also Britton's 11th birthday.  Britton opened his presents and they were a bow and arrow, madden 2012, a multi purpose knife, gum, water bottle, card game, and baseballs.  He is such a fun kid to buy for, he loves everything.  We decorated the kitchen for Britton's birthday and Father's Day.  We made Dan breakfast.  We cut up red and orange bell pepper, onion, ham, tomatoes and sauteed them in butter.  Then we cut another yellow pepper and sliced it like a flower and poured an egg mixture inside.  Then we topped the bell pepper omelet with our sauteed mixture and added a little cheese on top.  Then we toasted the cinnamon swirl bread from Aspen Mills and Dan used his Bear Lake Raspberry jam on it.  It was a delicious breakfast and great start to the day.  Dan had no meetings today and was glad that he could sleep in.  Then we went to Dallin's homecoming.  Dallin did such an amazing job.  He was a great missionary and you could feel such an amazing spirit from him.  I am so grateful to have such awesome cousins for my boys to look up to.  Then we had a luncheon with the Gardner family.  The kids had fun playing together and we were able to visit with some of Dan's family.  After the lunch we went back to Grandpa and Grandma Gardner's and the kids were able to see the horses and play outside for a little bit.  Dad, Keith, and Brent gave Dan a blessing for his neck surgery tomorrow.  It calmed Dan and gave him peace.  We are so blessed to have the priesthood power on the earth today.  Then we came home and had a simple dinner and relaxed a bit.  Then we had cookie browines and ice cream for Britton's birthday.  Dan was able to get a Father's Day back rub and it was a good finish to a great day.

Father's Day a day early

We had our Father's day celebration a day early.  We got together at the Sandberg's house for a night of swimming.  We had meatball subs, olive garden salad, orange dream jello salad, chips, vegetables, fruit and fruit dip, broccoli salad and potato salad.  We had cheesecake and mint brownies for dessert.  The kids started to swim at 4:30pm and swam until 8:30pm.  Ben made a nice fire for the kids to warm up and also to roast marshmallows.  The kids had so much fun playing marco polo, rainbow, jaws, and life guard.  The Sandberg's pool is 14 feet wide and 48 inches tall.  The kids love to swim there and enjoy diving and playing any water games they can think of.  The kids also played in the playhouse, the water table, the slide, and in a kids tent. 
We are so grateful for our dad.  Dan works so hard for our family.  He has two jobs and works lots of different shifts.  He is the Elders Quorum President in our ward, he is a great father and a wondeful husband.  Happy Father's Day!!!

Britton's Camp Kiesel & Anniversary celebration

Britton had a great time at camp today.  He has a fun group of boys and great scout leaders.  He said he almost fell out of the canoe and that was scary.  He bought a cool arrowhead necklace that glows in the dark.  He earned his scientist badge and his readyman for the second time.  Britton has earned his webelos badge and also his arrow of light.  He has been going to both 11 year old scouts and webelos the past two months.  He is looking forward to more scouting this summer.  We didn't get a lot of detail about Britton's day at camp but he had fun so I guess that's good enough.
Tonight Dan and I dropped our kids off at Matt and Amy's house for our date night exchange.  It was our turn to go out and that worked out good because Monday is our 14 year anniversary.  We celebrated by going to the Bountiful Temple first.  Then we went to the City Creek Center and had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.  We have never been there before and I think that it is one of my new favorite places to eat.  The food was so good.  The wait wasn't to long and the dessert was to die for.  Then we walked around the shops for a little bit and then went on a carriage ride.  It was really nice weather so a carriage ride was the icing on the cake.  As we were touring the city in the carriage someone let off some Japanese lanterns.  That was a nice touch.  They were so cool floating in the sky.  The sky was dark and they glowed so bright drifting higher and higher.  We had such a nice night.  I am so glad that I am married to my best friend.  He is truly a wonderful husband and father.  I couldn't have picked a better man.  I know that I am so blessed to have the marriage and life I do.  Thanks Dan, I love you.

A Pretend birthday

Britton's birthday this year is on Father's Day, the same as when he was born.  And of course it is also a Sunday, so we decided to have a pretend birthday party.  So we invited the cousins on my side over for a swim day.  We set up three pools, had water guns, water toys, bubbles, chalk, popcicles, the tramp, and the playground.  We started swimming at 10:00am and didn't stop playing until 4:00pm it was such a fun day.  Everyone brought their lunches and we had a few treats and lots of cold water bottles.  It was one of the best swim days we have ever had.  All the kids got along so good.  They put on a small play for us moms and grandma mack.  They played war and dodgeball.  They played trampoline soccer and had a few diving competitions(which we had to stop because we almost had a few broken necks).  I love that we are so blessed to have family around and could celebrate Britton's birthday together.  Thanks everyone!!!

Bryson's day at Camp Kiesel

Bryson was so excited to go to camp it was almost like Christmas.  He was so excited to finally buy himself a pocket knife.  It would be his very own.  He had a blast.  He got to shoot a bb-gun, shoot bow and arrows, go in a canoe, run threw an obstacle course, do a craft(which was leather making and they stamped a dragon on it), go on a nature walk, go to the general store, and a few other things.  He loved the canoe part, he came home soaking wet and loved every minute of it.  The theme of camp this year was Robin Hood.  They all witnessed the princess get captured at the start of camp and by the end the battle started and she was freed.  Bryson was also able to pass off his last requirement for his wolf, by attending an outdoor flag ceremony.  Great job Bryson. 
Today at home we had a quiet day.  Lots of yard work and then tonight I took the kids to see the Lorax at The Kaysville Theater.  We got popcorn and treats.  The movie was great and everyone was so well behaved. 

Cousin Tuesday

Tuesday is such a fun day of the week.  It is the day all the cousins get together and play at Grandpa and Grandma Mack's house.  We have been doing this for about a year now and we always have such an enjoyable time.  Now that it is the summertime we have decided to go to a park occasionally and extend the invite to extended family.  Today we went to Barnes Park.  The kids played soccer, kickball, relay races around the side walk track, on the playground and in the sand in the volleyball court.  We brought chairs and blankets and had our lunch.  The kids really wore themselves out.  The weather was great not to hot.  The kids that played were Britton, Bryson, Parker, Abby, Brynlee, Ethan, Sarah, Carter, Hallie, Ellie, Sadie, Kellie, Josie, Thomas, Nathan, Emilie, Jeff, Amanda, Raechel, Sammy, and Brooklyn plus some of Michelle's neighbors and there kids. 
Then we came home for some arts and crafts.  The boys made melty beads.  Bryson made a really cool tank and Britton made a growing circle.  Parker made a few different creations but none that got melted.  Then we had the Young Women's Girls Camp Fund Raiser.  We had hamburgers and hot dogs, potato salad, chips, watermelon, popcicles, creamies, and lemonade.  We had all kinds of activities set up for the kids to play.  It was a great success.  The ward really came out and supported us.  Everyone seemed to have a good time.  We have a great ward and are blessed to live in a great community.

Bike wash and sleepover!!

Today was our first day of summer vacation at home.  We had a fun night, Sarah and Ethan spent the night and the kids played until 11:00pm.  This morning they woke up about 7:00am.  They made the best fort for star wars, avengers, batman, and transformers.  It was good verses evil and each group had there own hide out.  I love it when the boys play like this it reminds me of barbie land when I was little.  The girls played dressed up, princesses, cooks, and ponies.  They weren't ready to go when Amy came to pick them up.
We had are first day of summer learning time.  The boys think that I am so mean because I make them learn even in the summer.  We did work books, journal pages, math problems and reading minutes.
Today we also had a bike wash day.  We filled up a big bucket with soap and water and got some towels and washed all the bikes.  Of course it turned into a water fight.  The only problem was that the towels turned into whips which didn't feel to nice getting slapped with.  We played out in the yard and did yard work.  Abby got to play with a neighbor girl, Georgie and had a blast.  I love summer. 

Parties continue

We sang in church today.  I am glad that that is over and I don't think that we will be asked to do that again.  We sang Love is Spoken Here.  Probably not the best idea to sing a song with rounds.  Anyway its over and I am glad.  We are having another party tonight.  Kevin is still here so we are going to get together again and have spaghetti at our house.  We are so blessed to have family around us.  We can hang out each day.  The best part is that we never get sick of each other. 

A day of parties

The girls were invited to a princess party with Avi and Eden.  Abby dressed as a pink princess and Brynlee was dressed as Snow White.  They had a farewell party with the Gardner girl cousins.  Emily did a great job, the girls had a blast.  The boys went to Spencer's and played outside.  Then they all went to Grandma and Grandpa Gardner's and looked at the horse's and had fun playing.  I was at a baby shower for Shaundee and Aunt Cathy's house.  It was fun visiting with cousins and celebrating the upcoming birth of baby girl Bull.  After the party we had to go to the church to practice the song Love One Another.  We were asked to sing in sacramenting with another family.  After the song practive we had another party for Amy, Ethan, and Britton's birthdays. 
We did a Avenger's theme party.  We had a bar-b-que.  We served hot dogs, potato salad, chips, spinach salad, pasta salad, browines decorated as the Captain America shield(great job Uncle Matt), and homemade ice cream(thanks Dan). Amy had treat bowls and a beautiful backyard for the set up.  We played four games.  Hulk smash - the kids popped balloons, Captain America - used a shield to knock over bowling pins, Thor - throwing a hammer at a table with water bottles with super hero cards taped to them, and a bow and arrow event, trying to hit the bad guy.  We had a fire in the fire pit.  The kids smashed pop-its.  They tried to find there favorite avenger under there cup.  Then we opened presents and the kids played, played, played.  It was a fun birthday night.  Then when we got home Britton went to a night games party until 11pm.  He had a lot of fun.  What a day!!!

Headed home

Today I was not ready to leave.  We were having so much fun.  Sometimes vacations are so much work.  I feel like I need a vacation from the vacation.  But not this time.  The kids were so well behaved and we had so many things planned and we were just carefree and kick back.  We decided to stop at the American West Heritage Museum.  We walked around the museum and the kids enjoyed the little rooms set up from the past.  We then went outside and were able to learn rope making, horse shoe making, toy making, how to wash clothes and dry them(without a washer or dryer), taste some gingersnap cookies fresh from the oven, ride a train, ride a pony, pan for gold, visit lots of farm animals, talk with mountain men, go inside a tepee, look at lots of old buildings, and old fashioned homes, and lots more fun.  We spent almost 4 hours exploring and learning about the American West.

Once we got home we unpacked the car and loaded immediately back in for a taco night at the Sandberg's home.  Kevin came into town and we were all able to eat and visit with one another.  The guys took all the boys to the park and the girls stayed back at the house and let the girls play.  We had a fun night playing with cousins.

Bear Lake

Today we decided to go to Bear Lake and enjoy the water and sand.  It was a little cold but still loads of fun.  The main entrance was still closed because the water level is still too high.  So we found an area of the road for the kids to play in.  There was an area of sand for the girls to look of shells and all the kids to dig and build castles.  We had tubes for the kids to float on and we tied rope to the tubes and let them float, if they got out to far we would just pull them in.  We buried each other and skipped rocks.  I think that Dan got the most skips.  7 was the winning skip.  Bryson was the braviest and got in the water first.  Britton soon followed.  Parker was glad that he didn't after seeing how cold, both the other boys were.  After a few hours of play we went to Le Beus and got lunch and of course shakes.  The kids got to pick a stuffed animal at one the of gift shops.  Brynlee picked a kitty, Abby a penguin, Parker, Bryson, and Britton all picked a dog.  Then we headed back to the car for some more site seeing.  We went to Rock Springs and took some pictures.  It was beautiful.  Then we went to try to see Old Ephraium's Grave.  He was the largest grizzly bear.  But the road was still closed.  We went back to the cabin and Dan and Brynlee rested at the cabin and the boys, Abby and I went to play in the river.  They had fun playing in the water and trying to fight the current.  We saw a water snake and Parker and Abby thought they found quick sand. 
The cabin is so wonderful.  The atmosphere is perfect.  Lots of quiet, grass to play in, trees to hide in and fresh air to breath.  I would love to have a cabin in logan canyon. 

One thing after the other

We actually slept in this morning.  Something the kids never do.  Anyway we had a nice breakfast today, sausage, eggs, gogurt and donuts.  The kids played outside this morning while we packed up to go to town for fun.  We first stopped at the Logan Temple and took some pictures.  That is such a beautiful temple.  Then we went to the Willow Zoo.  The kids had fun looking at all the different animals.  The girls loved all the turtles.  The boys were excited about the bobcats and the boa snake that was wrapped in a tree.  The zoo was small but it was still a big hit.  Then next to the zoo were three parks so we took our snacks to the park and let the kids play.  The girls love to swing on the swings, we pushed and pushed.  We played a little bit of lava monster.  Then we went to the Stokes Nature Center.  It had lots of bones that the kids could look at.  Abby loved the different stuffed animals and tried to put on a puppet show.  The boys liked the boxes that had a hole in it and you put your hand in it and have to guess what your feeling.  They had a turtle shell in one, pine needles in one, a pine cone on another, and one other one.  They had different rocks to look at.  Some bugs to look at with a magnify glass.  Some snakes, fish, spiders, and other smaller animals.  It was a fun place to check out.  After that we went fishing.  No one caught anything but they had fun.  Then we came back to the cabin for dinner and roasted hot dogs on the fire and made smores.  Once it was too cold we came in for a game of rook.  This was such a fun day full of lots of different activities.  And the kids were all so well behaved.  I love vacations like this.  Totally relaxed and we just do what makes everyone happy.  

Water - to drink or not to drink

Well, I don’t think that we can go on a vacation without one of our children getting sick.  About 2:30am Brynlee starting coughing.  And then vomiting.  Abby and Brynlee are sharing a bed and Brynlee threw up while still in bed.  Dan was able to get her to the kitchen sink to finish throwing up and then she slept with us the rest of the night.  I think that she threw up about 7 times.  We aren’t sure if she was sick or if she got sick from drinking the water in the river by the cabin.  No matter what the source of water is Brynlee will drink it.  Anyway she felt better around 9:00am so we decided to go for a hike until Brynlee was tried or fussy.  She loved being outside and rode on Dan’s shoulders almost the whole way.  We hiked for an hour and then turned around and came back.  Abby collected so many wild flowers she had the most beautiful flower arrangement.  She never complained about the hike because she was too busy finding flowers.  The boys ran most the way back and loved the adventure.  It was a beautiful hike we saw lots of fun things.  The weather got colder tonight so we spent most of the night inside playing games and watching movies.  We also had our traditional Mexican Dinner Night.  The kids love that every time we go camping or to a cabin.  This is so fun.  We love spending time together and being outdoors.

Start of summer

Today was the first day of our summer vacation.  We had a family vacation planned to go and stay in a cabin in Logan Canyon.  Mr. B let us use it for the week.  We were so excited to get up here.  We had to do several things before we left this morning; I thought the kids were going to go crazy waiting for us.  We arrived to the about 1:30.  The cabin is in a beautiful area.  They have green grass around the cabin lots and lots of trees and the river is just feet away from the cabin.  There is a hammock, a swing set, lots of trees and tall shrubs for the kids to play hide and seek in.  We brought our air soft gun and had a best shot tournament.  The boys brought pocket knives and have been wheedling sticks.  We went on a little walk and found a great spot for the kids to play in the water.  They skipped rocks and made mud mountains, we caught butterflies, played in the water, through rocks and just had fun.  Later that night we realized that Britton and Brynlee had a terrible rash.  So we took them into Logan and found an IHC Instant Care and had them both looked at.  They said it was just a virus but to keep an eye on it.  We came back to the cabin and had fried chicken and ate out at the picnic table.  It was so wonderful being here.  I can’t wait for tomorrow’s activities.

Sunday rest

Sunday is so crazy in the mornings.  Dan leaves each Sunday at 7:45am for meetings.  I don't mind getting the kids ready myself I have a routiue and we can get out the door and be on time, most of the time.  But today we didn't even wake up until 8:00am.  It was a wild morning and it just starts the day out bad.  When I am in a rush I need to remember that it isn't the kids fault I didn't wake up in time.  Relax and we'll get there when we get there.  I hate being late.
I read a great quote last night and I would like to remember.

Fear departs when faith endures.

What we are speaks so loudly that are children might not hear what we are saying.

I love these quotes and I hope to apply them to my life.

I love Sunday afternoons.  The girls are napping and the boys are playing with toys.  Dan is working a swing shift today so I am just relaxing and enjoy the quiet.

STRIKERS!!!

Britton tried out for two strikers teams this week.  One Wednesday he tried out for the State division and unfortunately didn't make it.  There were a lot of kids trying out and a lot of them have been on a strikers or competition team before so Britton wasn't picked.  On Thursday he tried out for a district division team and made it.  We are so proud of him and excited for this new opportunity for Britton.  I am also glad that my nerves and go back to normal. 

SATURDAY - no morning plans

Every Saturday we have a schedule.  Some where to be and usually early.  But today was different.  We got to sleep in and didn't have to wake up to an alarm clock.  It was wonderful.  Dan had a bike event for work.  Bryson wanted to go so Dan took him to work with him.  Bryson was having fun so the rest of the kids decided that they wanted to go also.  We got ready and packed up the bikes and went down to the bike trail.  Chick-fil-a was there handing out free chicken sandwiches and munchies ice cream was there giving away free ice cream.  The kids rode on the trail for a few minutes and enjoyed there free food and then we went to the Parkin's to play.  It is Ethan's birthday so Amy filled up her pools and the kids swam and had a blast playing with Ethan and Sarah.  After that we went to Sam's Club and then came home for a calm night.  It was a great Saturday.