Happy Father's Day!

On Saturday afternoon before Father's Day we let Wendell choose how he would like to spend the day. He picked to have a picnic in a park and relax. We grilled hot dogs and ate until we were almost too full to move.

Wendell then got his wish to lay on the blanket and relax in the shade.

While Wendell was relaxing we went and fed ducks.

And then tried to get a picture of Tyler, Megan, and Emily.

It is almost impossible to get all 3 of them to look normal in any given shot.

I'm just grateful we don't have to buy film anymore.

This was as good as it gets.

And then each one individually.

They may be annoying and obnoxious at times, but (in my opinion) these are the 3 best kids around. I'm grateful Wendell is their dad and for his example to them and me. I am also grateful for all the other men (Grandpas, uncles, cousins, friends) that influence my kids daily and make them better people. I think we have holidays like Father's Day to be reminded just how lucky and blessed we are.

Good Bye Toy Room

I don't want to admit that Tyler, Megan, and Emily are growing up faster than I would like. I know that when they were all really little, I couldn't wait for the day when there wouldn't be toddlers and messes in the house. And now we have reached another phase in our house, I'm a little sad. We have officially closed the toy room and it is in the process of becoming Megan's bedroom. I don't know how many times I have picked this room up in the past. We have meticulously counted Little People, organized dolls, and stacked books over and over. Now most of that is either boxed up, shipped to D.I. or passed on to other families.
These are the last official pictures of this room that I have loved when we had playgroup or other kids at the house and then hated when it came time to clean it. It has served its purpose well and was always hidden in the basement when I just didn't have time to get to the toys. Good-bye toys! When we finally finish the room remodel I will post those pictures of the transformation.

Pack Meeting

For pack meeting this month, every person was given a table of produce and told to make a car. Tyler and Jordan worked hard on their creation.
The girls spent a lot of time trying different methods to make their vehicle move.

Tyler's final car made it down the racetrack in pretty good time. His was a double-decker creation. As soon as the racing was over he and his partner tore it apart to eat---the best part of this kind of building.

Megan and the girls' final creation. It was a fun way to use produce and liven up pack meeting.

End of an Era

Ever since I was little we have visited the "Club" swimming pool. It was as much a part of summer as popsicles and lemonade stands. As I grew up we still went to the club for parties and movie nights in Young Women's. Then when we had kids, and we celebrated Megan's 1st Birthday at the club. We celebrated Tyler's Birthday for many years in a row and even celebrated mine for many years. It was the perfect place to spend an afternoon swimming without having to fight crowds. And sadly, after more than 50 years, the club is closing and being sold to the highest bidder. We visited the club one last time to look around. Emily is especially sad about the closing of the cafe (snackbar).

It just isn't the same to look at an empty pool and imagine the water.

Now we have to find another place to swim and spend the afternoon. I think we'll be back to sprinklers. It's surprising how sad it is to see something so much a part of childhood disappear. And so with heavy hearts we say goodbye to the club. At least we have the memories and these final pictures.

Mad Scientists

For Tyler's Birthday party this year with friends he wanted a mad scientist theme. Thanks to Aunt Margaret we were able to get real lab coats and goggles for the experiments.

We attempted tornadoes in bottles, we completed electrical circuits, made foil boats, made slime, and mixed food coloring with shaving cream and milk.

One of the highlights was the exploding Diet Coke and Mentos. It was especially cool in the rain.

We even concocted fake snow.

The snow looks real but was just really sticky white, sparkly gel. We were sure to send it home as party favors---along with the slime.

We then had spaghetti and cake to finish off the party. We had a lot of fun planning the party and I think I learned more about compounds and electricity than ever before. Even if the boys didn't learn anything, I hope they had fun mixing and making messes.

Happy Birthday Tyler!

Tyler started his Birthday morning off with a visit from Grandma and Grandpa. They stopped by and gave him the ever popular Lego set. What is a Birthday for Tyler without Legos?

We then headed out to breakfast with Mammy and Jeff. Tyler decided he actually eats breakfast foods better than lunch which was fine with all of us. We had a great breakfast and Tyler really did clean his plate for once. We then spent the rest of the afternoon letting Tyler pick out his presents. He is quite picky for a 10-year-old boy. He definitely did not want any clothes and decided on more Legos.

Due to the downpour of rain we moved his bar-b-que party into the house. With cousins and grandmas we celebrated and Tyler finally got to open more than just his one present from the morning.

This is the loot Tyler got. I would say he is definitely spoiled.

This year Tyler decided he wanted a store-bought cake instead of something I could make. He settled on the chocolate cake from Costco. I was a little sad that he has outgrown anything I could create. To top it all off when we got ready to serve the cake he told me he didn't really want any. (I did force some down him the next day). Tyler is getting so big. I can see he is growing up and becoming a strong and very smart young man. We so love Tyler and his analytical way in which he views the world and also his great organizational skills which keep all of us and our house on track. Happy 10th Birthday Tyler!

Memorial Day Weekend

The kids wanted to go camping again on Memorial Day weekend, but we didn't get anything reserved. We decided on Friday that we would drive within 30 minutes of our house and see if we could find a camping spot. Mammy was pretty skeptical and so was I that we would actually find something.

Well, who would have guessed that 10 minutes from our house in the middle of Ogden is camping at Fort Buenaventura. The campsites are really nice and there are so many trees it seemed like we really were camping in the canyon. The best part was we found a spot and only about 5 others camped nearby (I'm guessing the thoughts of West Ogden scare most people off).

We had fires and dutch oven and played games and hiked along the river and fished at the pond and explored the fort and still drove home for church and anything else we needed.

It was really convenient to be so close yet seem so far away. The camping area was really nice with concrete all around the firepit and table, and yet there was plenty of dirt for Tyler and a nice big area to play in.

The rain did stop during the weekend, but it was still pretty chilly. Jackets were still required.

Megan just loves the nice bed.

On Monday we rented canoes at the pond nearby. Cade and Jacob had slept over in the motorhome on Sunday night and they were all biting at the bit to hit the water.

Preparing the canoes for launch. Jacob was our captain and kept the cannons full.

The mighty paddlers.

We had such a great time that I think we may just try camping in the middle of the city again. It was a fun way to spend a weekend.

School is Out!

So instead of showing up at school with the van decked out, I surprised the kids by having it ready to go in the morning on the last day. There were balloons and writing all over the windows. Emily was excited, our carpool was excited, and Tyler was indifferent.

And Megan was just plain embarrassed and mad. What are mothers for anyway?

The last day of school was spent outside. Each class picked a name and then a mini-Olympics was held. Tyler's class did "synchronized swimming" to the music of the BeachBoys and marched in the opening ceremonies with the beach balls.

It was fun to watch Emily's little kindergarten class compete in the events. They were more about the social aspect making sure they were with their friends.

After the events, the entire school had lunch on the field.

The big 4th graders eating lunch.

And then one of the few pictures Megan would let me take that day of her. The 6th graders were ready to be done with elementary school.

After lunch all the kids got medals. This is Emily with her kindergarten teacher. She is so excited to go to 1st grade and be at school as long as Megan and Tyler. Megan keeps informing her it isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Then to finish the day the fire department arrived. It was freezing cold, but the kids didn't care.

They all ran for the hose when the fireman turned on the water. Tyler, Megan, and Emily are in that mob of kids somewhere, but surprisingly came out not soaked. I think it was colder than they thought. It was a fun day to share with the kids. It was also sad thinking this was the only year all 3 will ever be in the same school again at the same time. On to new adventures and bring on the warm weather!