Side by Side

the boys playing duets together

Yard Work

Our neighbors are awesome enough to let us use their garden spot again this year even though they are home from their mission. They made room for both of our families to plant. Our whole yard(1 acre) is landscaped and so it is nice to not have to tear up grass to plant a garden. Steven got to run the rota tiller (spelling?). I have pictures on my cell phone of the planting...I'll post later. Our awesome friends, David and Lynda ,gave us a ton of advice and helped us plant everything. They were our neighbors 11 yrs ago when we lived in Ogden and we have reunited with them. It has been awesome. They only live 5 miles from us now.

Fun With John

" Mommy, tie me up and see if I can get loose."

Look Mom! I can climb a tree!

Roodles learned to climb a tree last week. He was so proud of himself and felt like he was one of the big kids.
Chris took this picture of Ogden from the back deck. It was hazy that day, but a nice view.

Bug Bites

Poor Jiggy was bitten by a bug somewhere in the yard.

Stake Conference

Our Stake Conference was Sunday at the Ogden Tabernacle, which is next to the Ogden Temple. Ryan and Steven sang in the children's choir. It was so sweet, spiritual, and beautiful. Of course, I was crying like they predicted I would. They sang 4 songs.... If the Savior Stood Beside Me, Live Like His Son, Families Can Be Forever, and I believe in Christ. It was amazing. There were over 2200 people there in the tabernacle. We actually got good seats because we were an hour early with the choir kids.

Alex trying to keep J& A entertained before the mtg started.

Train Ride to Salt Lake City

On Saturday we took the train to SLC and had a blast with the kids. Alex was not with us, but was with his youth group at Youth Conference. They went on a church history tour with David O. McKay's grandson, who lives in our neighborhood.

Waterfall

Here is a beautiful waterfall we saw on our Sunday drive in the canyon. And here are the kids on the roof of our house helping Daddy.

swimming pools

It hasn't been warm enough here to swim at all at our neighbors pool. John decided to take the matter into his own hands. He gave me his money he had earned and asked me to buy a pool at Wal Mart. This morning he and Adam had the brilliant idea to fill it up with hot water that was transported through the master bedroom in mixing bowls and 32 oz yogurt containers.(luckily they were empty) He also used the hose and at one point they unscrewed the faucet in the bathroom trying to hook the hose up in the house and drag it to the pool. He also filled up the BBQ grill with water and yelled for me to come and look at the cool streams of water coming out the bottom.

Father's Day

Ryan showing off the cake the boys made and the shirt Ryan made Chris for Father's Day .

Mad Scientist

Here is Chris making his first batch of bio diesel. He used all of my cooking oil last weekend experimenting. He is now on the city council for environmental studies. He is trying to figure out a way to start a co-op here in Pleasant View for alternative fuel. Since 98.9 % of people drive a monster truck here, the city council thinks our little town could be the leader in "green".Chris has had fun meeting with all of the local business owners trying to collect samples of their discarded oil to see if it could be recycled and used to make bio diesel. He is so excited. I am really proud of him.
He has told himself if he makes and stores 4 tanks of gas he can run out and buy a diesel truck. They are for sale on every corner here...CHEAP!! We WILL pay cash ,though. (:

Ho Ho Ho

Nap Time!

Alex was bombed after a week at EFY (Especially for Youth) at our local college. He had too many nights of staying up late and getting up early. He loved it though and wants to go back again this summer. He has been such a great help to me this summer. He is a hard worker and always on top of his responsibilities. I love that boy!
He just had a bonfire party with his friends over here last night, but I didn't get any pictures. He welcomed all of his little brothers out there with him and I was enjoying another moment of peace while reading a book alone in the house. John and Adam were showing off for the girls at the party and loved staying up past dark and getting to roast marshmallows.

Ryan's party

I just love boys!!!!! They are so easy to entertain! Ryan had 8 friends over for a water party and I never saw them. Katie went outside and took these pictures while I relaxed in the house. (: Give 'em a hose, buckets, and water guns and you're all set!

Boys

Johnny is putting on deodorant that Steven got at his "maturation" class at school. He wants to be like the "big boys". Adam is trying on a moustache so he can shave like Alex. He is also squeezing Super Dogs neck to death. (notice the cape around the animals neck?)

Meet Dexter!

John and Adam got this little guy the other day, and on their own decided to call him Dexter, after their cousin they have never met. It's a sign !!! We need to visit. They also haven't met their little 7 mo. old cousin ,Kaziah. (Libby and Jean's little girl) If gas wasn't $4 a gallon I would be on my way to both Kansas and CA this summer. My suburban , at 10 miles to the gallon, isn't very inspiring for thousands of miles of driving!

Picnic

Today two of my friends and their 8 kids came over for a picnic lunch. It was beautiful weather and great to see them again. We don't get together often enough with our busy schedules. My camera was dropped again and now will not focus....so I didn't take any pictures today.

Baseball has kept us busy every night of the week. Our 4 oldest boys,Alex, Steven, Ryan and Adam, are in baseball.

Steven and Ryan are in the children's choir and they are singing at the Ogden Tabernacle for our stake conference in June. They had practice today.

Scouts is tomorrow morning. I am taking the boys on a hike up behind our house. Hopefully the weather will be as nice as today.

Summertime Shrinky Dinks

The kids are home for the summer. I am lovin' it. Today we were making shrinky dink items to go in John and Adam's doll house. I love kids creativity! We had mail, silverware, soda, a thanksgiving turkey, pizza , fruit , and a NINJA!
Katie made the doll house with her friends at school and the boys love it.




Steven cookin' up the shrinky dinks!

Ball Python destroys printer

This is what a $300 printer/fax/copier/scanner looks like after a ball python SNAKE is extracted from the innards. Chris moved Alex's snake cage into the office and HE (the snake,not Chris) kept escaping out the top.(even with a lid on)

Needless to say..........he is up for sale on Craig's List. Anyone ? Anyone?