What Time is it?

It must be summertime. We always start the summer off with the Drive-In. What could be better than tons of food, lots of blankets, stacks of chairs, and good company? We went on the opening day of Night at the Museum and had to get there extra early to get a spot. With so much time on our hands we ate dinner, made multiple trips to the restroom, and watched the kids play football. I don't think any of us even care what movie we see, we just all enjoy the outdoor experience. I hope it is a tradition we can continue for a long time---even if we do get home at 1:30 am.



Summer also means water and the sandbox getting well used. After school on Friday, the kids decided it was "so hot" they needed to turn on the sprinklers and run through them. Well of course that just resulted in the sandbox becoming a mud pit. Tyler and Jordan rolled around in the wet sand until they were covered. Emily and Megan stayed far away from the mud and spent more time parading in their swimsuits. I guess boys will definitely be boys. Emily likes to sing that summer is the "time of their lives." To kids I couldn't agree more. Bring on the fun.

From Wolves to Bears!

Tyler was able to earn his Wolf badge at Pack meeting along with his religious knot and 5 arrows. This was the most he has ever gotten in one meeting. I think I pushed him along a little knowing that he turns 9 in June and only had a couple more weeks as a wolf.





The pack master had Tyler and his other 2 wolves do a skit in which they pretended to fight a bear. They even had war wounds to prove that they are ready for the bear den.












Tyler was pretty excited to pin the wolf pin on me. He didn't even poke me.

Tyler with his pack master and awards from the night. Way to Go Tyler!

Pre-School Graduation!

Emily was so excited for pre-school to start in September that it doesn't seem possible it is already over. Emily told me she was so sad that she is graduating she felt like crying. Her graduation was held in the library on the 16th and was lively enough to keep us all awake.

The classes had learned songs and dances to perform for all of us. Emily took her dancing very serious. They danced to everything from High School Musical to Hickory Dickory Dock. They danced with about anything that can be shaken or hit. Our favorite move was when all the kids were trying to do the "sprinkler" dance move. It took all of us a few minutes to figure out what they were even doing.

She definitely knows how to swing her hips. During this song her sunglasses fell off and she slid them under her chair just like her teacher told her. She has absolutely loved her teacher and does anything she says.

The ceremony was quite official with Pomp and Circumstance playing in the background and caps placed on each student's head.

This is Emily's teacher. Tyler and Megan also went to this preschool and absolutely loved Teacher Vicki.

Each graduate told Teacher Vickie some of their favorite things and then each was read during the graduation. This was Emily's official graduation accomplishments. Most of the kids said they wanted to be Wal-Mart workers. So many in fact, that many asked if the graduation was sponsored by Wal-Mart. Such is the life of a pre-schooler.

Now a new chapter begins in Emily's life. Three days after graduation, Emily headed to Kindgergarten round-up. I hope her excitement for learning and school continues. Way to go Emily!

Megan's Hair

Megan had worn her hair in a very tight bun last Saturday and was so happy when she took it out to see her hair so "poofy." She insisted we take a picture of it and then more insistent that I actually post it.

It reminds me of perms in high school and how hard I worked to make my hair "poofy." Let's hope this style doesn't catch on again.

School Carnival

Summer must be close if the schools are having carnivals. Last Friday, the playground at Quest was filled with inflatables, games, rock-climbing wall, and dunk tank. The weather was perfect (I was on the committee and we didn't have an alternative if it rained).

Megan, Tyler, and Emily were thrilled to play games, eat cotton candy, slide, and see Star Wars characters. We had the usual hot dogs, pizza, and snow cones for dinner--any kids' dream.


It was a fun way to spend an evening together---even if I was there another 2 hours after it ended to clean up.

I'm Too Busy!

Tyler informed me the other day that he is just too busy to fit one more thing in and he needs a break from stuff. He is perfectly content staying home playing with Legos and doesn't like to go go go.

He is currently in a fishing club that only meets once a week at a pond near our house. Wendell goes with him and they just fish for about an hour and come home. I didn't think that would be too intense, but it was on the same day as soccer practice which was just "too much."

Tyler does like fishing when he gets to the pond, but it is sometimes a struggle to get him to go. Luckily it only lasts until next week.





Tyler was very glad that his last soccer game was this past Saturday. He isn't the most aggressive player on the field, but he does go and runs around with his team. He even has moved up to mid-fielder. He's not sure about playing next year. He's considering golf--which really is probably a better sport for him. Of course he won't start anything else until he has had a break.

He thinks he'll just stick to piano and scouts for now. I guess I should be happy Tyler doesn't need to always be doing something like his sisters.

Mother's Day!

It's always fun to see what gifts Megan, Tyler, & Emily have made in school for Mother's Day. Megan was very proud of her tissue flower that had a gardening tool as the "stem." She also made a card with a great poem in it that basically said I like to cook and always have a book. Maybe she really does know me.

Tyler made a beaded pin (that was unfortunately too small to show in a picture). He took tiny beads and put them on safety pins and then when all the beads were in a row it said, "I {heart} U." I was pretty impressed considering he has a man teacher at school and no parents were involved with the project. He also wrote that he is happy I make dinner and do the laundry. Nothing a mother loves to hear more than how wonderful she is at being a maid :).



Emily was proud that she made a tile with her handprint on it. Tyler and Megan had each made one in pre-school also and we were just waiting for her tile to complete the display. She was so excited for me to open it and brought it to me first thing that Sunday morning.

I loved all my gifts and am grateful that I can be a Mom. It's also nice to hear once in awhile that our kids do actually notice some of the things that go on in our house. I have always had a great example in my own mom to follow and am also grateful for all the other women in our lives. We are all blessed with great grandmas, aunts, and cousins.

Oh to be 5 again!

Somedays I just can't believe how grown up Emily has become. I just love that she still loves to play outside and can find fun almost everywhere.
I also love that she wears whatever she wants and doesn't care what anyone thinks. Her favorite outfit is this "cowgirl skirt", horse shirt, and of course the boots (without socks). Only 5-year-olds can sport the bike helmet with this outfit to complete it.

Only 5-year-olds can blow dandelions all over the neighborhood and then get them in their mouths.

Only 5-year-olds can sit in a princess chair during breaks in soccer games. They can also dance around the field singing, "Oh, yeah!" without being called as unsportsmanlike after scoring a goal. They can also leave in the middle of a soccer game if they see any yorkie on the sidelines to pet it.

Wouldn't life be a lot easier if we all were like 5-year-olds?

Piano Recital

Tyler and Megan don't always love to practice or go to piano lessons, but Wendell and I sure do love to hear them play. They always push themselves a little more when they know they will be performing at a recital.

Their Spring recital was held on April 25th at the library. This was Tyler's first recital and he actually played very first. He was nervous and worried that he "messed up", but we assured him that know one ever noticed except him.

Megan loves playing duets and played with Camille. She also played 10 variations of Chopsticks. I can honestly say I don't think we'll ever want to hear Chopsticks again in our lifetime. Her other song was much easier on the ears.

Way to go Megan and Tyler!

Spring Shows!

Megan's 5th grade class performed a little concert for the end of the year. They did a great job singing about the 50 states, interjections, and the Constitution. Now as Tyler says, "I'm getting really annoyed by Megan singing these songs all the time." I think the entire family now knows the 50 states in alphabetical order.







Our Primary hosted the annual talent show this past week. Emily helped bake and decorate these great sugar cookies. They certainly were a hit with the young men that came to help take down chairs. She found the recipe in one of her story books and just had to make them. Purple frosting and tons of sugar sprinkles made them all her own.









Megan decided that she and her friend would show their balancing talents by riding their ripsticks through the gym. They had a whole routine worked up, but didn't have enough room to actually do the figure eight. They ended up just riding back and forth in front of the stage---which it more than I could ever do.

Tyler played one of his recital songs on the piano. I think he likes that he can do something, but never have to talk in the microphone.

Utah State--Hey! Aggies All the Way!

On an extremely rainy day in Logan, Jeff joined the ranks of 2009 graduates at Utah State. He graduated in Electrical Engineering, which I personally would have never made it through. I was so impressed by Jeff's ability to put schoolwork ahead of fun these past 4 years. Engineering is one time-consuming and hard major.

It was a fun day to think back at my time in Logan. The campus has changed a ton, but it still feels the same. I couldn't help but feel nostalgic as we took a tour of all the buildings and showed Megan, Tyler, and Emily where I spent a lot of time.

Tyler, Emily, and Megan thought graduation wasn't that bad since we let them bring their Nintendos and didn't put any restrictions on how long they could play---other than of course they had to be on mute. The department of engineering doesn't spend a lot of time with pomp. Everything was short and to the point.
Way to go Jeff!

I think Jeff's graduation hopefully inspired many more college graduates. They certainly liked the look of the graduation garb.

After the graduation, we had to have Aggie ice cream--even if it was still pouring rain and cold. That was the reward for all of us.