A Trip to California and the 4th of July

We headed to California for the Fourth of July weekend again this year.  We spent most of our time there at the beach.  Skyler is the only one young enough to still want to spend his time there digging with the sand toys.  The older three kids have really taken to the body boarding.  They would stay for hours and never want to leave.  It was perfect beach weather while we were there but crowded with the holiday weekend.

We were planning on running the Surf City 5K on the morning of the 4th.  Kaitlyn and Jared decided to run the 5K this year instead of the children's race.  Jason pushed Skyler in the stroller so we could all participate. The stroller race started 15 minutes after the rest of us started the 5K.  Jason was worried about getting the stroller through all the walkers but got a police escort to clear the way since he was leading the race.  The course was an out and back so we all got to pass each other.  Kaitlyn and Jared loved seeing Skyler and Jason pass in the stroller (twice since he caught up to them before the end.)  Jason won the stroller race in 18:35.  I won the women's race in 17:56, only my second time breaking 18 minutes for the 5K.  It's not very often Jason and I get excited about trophies but the awards (for first place only) were these awesome '49 Woody model cars with surf boards on top.  Skyler loved the cars and was a little disappointed when Jason didn't let him play with it.

Andrew ran a great race and got a new PR.  He finished in 19:26, his first time breaking 20 minutes!  He was sixth in his age group, behind mostly older runners.  Kaitlyn and Jared walked most of the 5K so it took awhile.  Jared was pretty miserable from a rash he had gotten at the beach the day before but he made it to the end anyway.  Kaitlyn took her time until the end but was excited to sprint to the finish around the last corner.

Here are all the happy and not so happy finishers.  I'm not sure Jared loves running as much as the rest of us!

We stayed to watch part of the parade.  Skyler loved the horses, cars and fire trucks.  When we got to a big break in the parade he was getting tired and we went back to my parents' house to watch the Brazil World Cup game and let Skyler try to nap through all the cheering. 

My brother Spencer and his girlfriend came over for a barbecue.  Then we headed down to the beach for more body boarding and stayed until dark for fireworks.

Saturday evening we went to the Angels game.  It was hat night and the kids were all excited about the free flat brim baseball caps they were giving out.  Jason kept trying to get his to bend and the boys were laughing at him.  Jared was interested in the rally monkey the boy in front of us was holding so I bought him one.  Apparantly he didn't like the one I got him though because he handed it back to the lady working at the store after I bought it for him.  It was an exciting game with the Angels rallying late and batting around in the 7th inning.  We also got to enjoy a firework show after the game.

All too the weekend was over and it was time to go home but we had a lot of fun!

Summer Fun!

Summer is whizzing by so fast this year.  It is hard to believe that in a few weeks the kids will be back in school already.  Here are some of the fun things that have been keeping us busy.

I love my yard but it also seems like a huge never ending job that is impossible to keep up with.  It is great to have a teenage boy to mow the lawn though!  Skyler has become quite the "helper" in the garden.  He ate the strawberries as fast as I could pick them.  He also learned quickly how to break open the pea pods to get to the peas inside.  He did his share of picking my tomatoes before they turned ripe and the same with the peaches on the peach tree.

My new calling in the primary presidency (children's organization in our church) has kept me busy. Andrew loved helping me paint a giant twister board on the grass for our summer party.  I absolutely love working with the children in our ward.

Jared finally got to go on his first overnight scout camp with the 11 year old scouts.  He was much more excited than he looks in this picture.  He just likes to pull this grimace now every time I tell him to smile for a picture.  His first camp wasn't an easy one.  They went backpacking and had to carry all of their supplies in.  Jason went with him and they hiked up to Malan's basin just east of us in the mountains.  It was a tough steep hike but Jason said he didn't complain a bit and he had a great time.  Here he is at the top of Malan's peak overlooking the valley.

Jason's dad came to Lagoon with us.  It was a hot day and we cooled off at Lagoona Beach and on Rattle Snake Rapids.  Skyler loved riding the choo choo train. Kaitlyn and Andrew wanted to go on all the roller coasters.  They went on so many that Jason even finally sat out on a couple.

Jason's niece, Danielle came to visit from Louisiana.  We went to the zoo with her one day.  The kids were quite excited when a gorilla charged the glass at them.  Skyler wasn't as excited about the animals as I thought he would be although he really enjoyed the small animal and reptile building where he could see things up close.  I think what he liked the most, besides the train of course, were the animal statues.

We caught on to World Cup Fever this summer with the World Cup taking place in Brazil.  Andrew spent the first couple weeks of summer watching soccer games every day.  To be honest soccer isn't my favorite sport to watch but it was fun to see matches taking place in the cities we visited a couple years ago and of course we were all cheering for Brazil.  Jason was excited one day to find authentic Brazilian soccer jerseys in the US and had to bring them home for the boys one day.  We were all sad when Brazil lost (ok they got slaughtered by Germany) in the semifinals.

We have been watching the finishing touches being done to the Ogden Temple and are anxiously awaiting the open house next month and the dedication in September.  This was taken one afternoon when we took a trip to the Treehouse Museum only to find it closed due to a broken air conditioner.  We went miniature golfing at FatCats instead and came back to the Treehouse another day.

And last but not least my life has been taken over by cherries.  I've canned them, made syrup, jelly, cobbler, cheesecake topping and pie.  We've taken them to neighbors, and the kids sold them on the street corner and they still aren't gone.  I think we are going to get someone to cut the tree way back before next year.  I hate canning but I do love pie!

Skyler's 2nd Birthday

Two years has gone by too quickly and our baby has turned into a little boy.  He is in such a busy stage.  He can make a mess ten times faster than I can clean it, he's always getting into something and the only time I get anything done is while he is napping.  The other day he flushed a brush down the toilet.  $80 later the plumber had gotten it out.  Yet there isn't a day that goes by that I'm not grateful he's part of our family.  It is strange to think that our family ever felt complete without him.  It was a cold June day that we celebrated his birthday.  We started out with a barbecue on the back deck but had to move inside when it got too cold.  That will probably never happen again on June 14th!  He can't seem to hold still long enough to get his picture taken lately so these are the best shots I got.

 His siblings wanted him to open all his presents at once but he was so excited when he got a present open that he wasn't interested in opening another one.  It ended up taking all evening to get the presents opened.

Skyler's not a big fan of cake or ice cream but he loves strawberries so we made strawberry shortcake.  He was fascinated with the candles.  Andrew had to hold his hands back to keep him from grabbing them but he actually blew the candles out all by himself.  He was so proud of himself and started clapping and cheering (yay!) when he blew them out.

Here's a look at Skyler at two:

He's 24 1/2 pounds and 33 1/2 inches.  He is 11th percentile for weight on the growth charts.  The biggest he's been since he was a newborn!  His vocabulary is exploding with new words every day.  He's mastered "no" and says "yay" for yes.  Every time we walk in the garage he points to the van and says "mama" and to the truck and says "daddy".  He loves to go for rides in "Daddy's truck."  He loves trains, cars and trucks.  He likes to sleep with and carry around all of his blankets.  He likes books, legos, and puzzles.  He loves chocolate milk, strawberries and peas.  He is adored by his older siblings and literally lights up the room when he comes in.

Families are Forever

May marked the one year anniversary that Jason's brother, Vance passed away.  We have thought of him and missed him so often the last year.  Our faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and our belief that death is not the end has brought us so much comfort and peace.  One of the most joyful teachings in our church is that in the temple families are sealed together forever.  We also believe that those who didn't accept and receive saving ordinances, such as baptism, can still have the opportunity to do so after they have died through temple work.  In May we were able to meet as a family at the Jordan River Temple and do the rest of Vance's temple work that hadn't been completed.  It was a bitter-sweet day for all of us.  We also did the work for Jason's great-grandfather, Lefty, and his brothers. At the age of 12, youth are able to enter the temple to perform baptisms for the dead.  Andrew was baptized for Grandpa Lefty and his brothers.  It was a wonderful occasion where we remembered the lives of these family members who we love and miss.  I have grown to love and appreciate all of Jason's family and feel so fortunate to be a part of them.

Kaitlyn's Baptism

Kaitlyn's baptism was a wonderful day we were able to celebrate with lots of friends and family.  She has been so excited for months for this day. When she came up out of the water after her baptism she was just beaming she was so happy.  It was neat for me to be able to help her get dressed since Jason helped the boys at their baptism.  She loved the dress they had for her to get baptized in and she was so excited after the baptism to change back into the pretty white lacy dress we had bought for her.  She had the biggest smile I have ever seen when we walked back into the room for her confirmation after she changed and she didn't stop smiling the rest of the meeting.

It was such a special day and it was wonderful to see how happy Kaitlyn was.  I am so proud of her for this important step in her life and for the sweet girl she is becoming.

Kaitlyn's 8th Birthday

Kaitlyn's birthday was a busy Saturday with lots of activities.  She had a soccer game in the morning and a piano recital in the afternoon.  We found a couple hours in between to go to the mall to get her ears pierced.  She was so excited!  She was really brave about it too.  She picked out earrings with her birthstone, emeralds.  Now she has to wait the long six weeks before she can wear all the other cute earrings she picked out.

After the recital we went to Olive Garden for dinner and then home for presents and cake and ice cream.

Kaitlyn was so excited about the Frozen dolls her grandma gave her.

Blowing out her candles: she almost got them all.

  

Here's a look at Kaitlyn at 8:

What Kaitlyn loves: singing (all the time around the house, especially Frozen songs: it drives her brothers crazy but I love it), talking (she will talk any one's ear off that will listen), playing the piano (most of the time), dancing, reading (she has become quite the bookworm, going through chapter books in a few days), dolls, princess movies (especially Frozen), school, friends, strawberries, and raspberries (when she goes out to pick hardly any make it into the house).

What she doesn't like: getting her hair combed, doing her chores, cleaning her room, practicing the piano (sometimes), and being told it's time to stop playing.

What I love about Kaitlyn: her happy fun personality, she's smart, her smile, how outgoing and friendly she is, listening to her talk, her hugs (and that she still loves to give them to me),  how cute she is with her little brother, and how she likes to help me make dinner and come places with me.

Eight is Great!

Eight years old is a big milestone in our church.  It's the age children can be baptized.  Kaitlyn has been so excited the last few months for her baptism.  She loved going shopping for a dress.  She didn't want to look at any others after she found the one she wanted.  A few weeks before her baptism we got some pictures taken in her dress.  She loved getting all dressed up for pictures and actually getting to wear the dress that had just been hanging in her closet.  My photographer found this orchard in Fruit Heights for pictures and I love how they turned out!  Kaitlyn looked beautiful, although way too grown up!