Alex turns 6

I can't believe this little man is 6!! Where has the time gone? He is full of spice and vinegar. He is full on boy and loves to do things in his own way and at his own pace. He is definitely his own person and we love him all the more for it. He keeps us on our toes. He loves to do anything that his brothers are doing and pretty much thinks he runs the house. Notice I said "thinks". He is home before his brothers from school so he thinks he has free reign of the house while mom works. He can't wait for the boys to get home so he can have someone to play with, although he is starting to play more and more with the other boys in the neighborhood.
He was so excited for this birthday and wanted to have like 10 parties!! The more presents the better. We sure do love you Alex and are so grateful for all the joy, love and laughter that you bring into our lives.

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

Can you see the mischievousness in his eyes? I love this smile of his!

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

Our summer

I have been slacking when it comes to blogging. I have had great intentions and then another days goes by and nothing happens. So here is a snapshot of our summer. We were busy! We spent the 4th of July with my family down in St George. We had so much fun, spending time with family and hiking and driving. We did lots of driving. We drove through Zion's National Park, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon all in the space of 4 days. We were in the car a ton but it was beautiful and many memories were made. It is always fun to spend time with family. We all stayed in the same house together, that means 25 of us in one house! Don't worry each adult couple had their own room and there was huge basement full of bunkbeds. It was amazing.

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

No vacation is complete without a water balloon fight!!

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

We also got to spend time on Grammie and Poppa's boat. The boys loved fishing and catching crawdads. They caught some big ones this year! The big story on the boat this year was getting stuck out in the middle of the lake and waiting through a lightening storm. We were on our way in and it started raining and then we had some lightening and my dad looked at my mom and they knew we needed to get off the water. So we pulled over and climbed off. We sat on the shore and waited out the storm. Meanwhile we were getting soaked and were so cold. The boys were troopers though. We said a little prayer and asked Heavenly Father to keep us safe and for the storm to let up so that we could make it back to the dock. After about 10 more minutes it stopped and we were able to get back on the boat and head in to the dock.

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

Moab

We all decided to go down to Moab with Eric while he ran in the Red Rock Relay. We were going to go hiking while he ran. The boys loved it! They could not get enough of all the hikes and they would have kept on hiking but I made them wait for Dad. So we went through Arches National Park on Saturday and then on Sunday we went to Little Wildhorse Canyon and Goblin Valley on Sunday. It was a great time and we are planning on going back later next month.

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

Eric's Running

So Eric has started running and he is doing awesome. He has lost a lot of weight and is looking so good! He ran in the Thanksgiving Point 1/2 marathon and did a great job. He then ran in the Red Rock Relay with two of my brothers and a few of their friends. He had so much fun. He is really into this running. He has just signed up for a triathlon and is now thinking about a full marathon. I say more power to him and I know he can do it!!

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

Andrew Turns 11

I can't believe that we have 11 year old. He has grown up so fast. Somedays I just wish I could slow down time so that they would stop growing. He loves Phineas and Ferb, playing on the computer, Legos, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter. For his birthday this year when we asked him what he wanted he gave us a list of all the Legos he wanted. Of course the most expensive one was over $400. So needless to say he did not get that one. So that is what he got for his birthday, legos, legos and more legos.
We love Andrew and his sweet spirit. He is so sensitive and kind. He still loves to hold my hand and cuddle with me. I hope he never grows out of that. He also knows what he wants and is very determined once he makes it up. I love that he can babysit for us and that he is playing with his brothers and teaching them how to play Little Big Planet.
Andrew, we are so proud of you and of the young man you are becoming. We hope that you continue to make the right choices and stay sweet and kind and loving. We love you so much.

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

Easter

We had a great Easter this year.The boys had fun dying eggs and finding them the next day. We tried really hard to talk to them about the true meaning of Easter and how it is not about all about the candy. It is always so fun to see their joy on their faces when they get up in the morning and see their basket.

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

Arrow of Light

Andrew earned his Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts. It is the highest honor you can earn in Cub Scouting. We were so proud of him! We owe so much of this to his Webelos leader, Bro. Hostetter. He has worked so hard with Andrew for the last two years and Andrew has really enjoyed working with him. He loved it and was very proud to get this award at the Blue and Gold.

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

From 2011-05-16 May2011

Spring Break

This year for spring break we stayed home. This is the first time in a very long time that we have stayed home and not gone to either California or Arizona. We had a great time. Each day I let one of the boys choose what they wanted to do for the day and we went and did that. We ended up going to the Discovery Gateway Museum, Hogle Zoo, Farm Country, A Bounce House, and Classic Skate. I only have pictures from the Zoo but they are some really good ones. It was kinda a cold day and the animals were out in force and really acting out. It was great.
These were the craziest animals at the zoo!!

From 2011-04-12 zoo0411

From 2011-04-12 zoo0411

From 2011-04-12 zoo0411

From 2011-04-12 zoo0411

This guy scared Andrew when he jumped up by the window, but it was so cool.

From 2011-04-12 zoo0411

Andrew's School Projects

For the science fair Andrew decided to see what would happen to cookies if you left out an ingredient. He left out baking soda in one batch, butter in another and I can't remember the 3rd. He then had each of us in the family taste test the cookies. We had to taste them, smell them and look at them to see if they were different. The ones without butter were very crumbly but the ones without baking soda turned out very flat. He had fun

From 2011-03-30 jan 2011

Andrew's fifth grade class had to choose a famous historical figure and write a report about them and then dress up as them and be able to tell parents and others all about them when asked. Andrew chose Walt Disney. He did an awesome job.

From 2011-04-12 zoo0411

Josh turns 7

I can't believe how fast time flies. Where did all the years go? This sweet, lovable, brown eyed boy of mine is 7! He was so excited for his birthday party with his friend and for his real birthday which we celebrated in California. What can I say about Josh? He is always happy. He has a smile on his face all the time and always tries to do what is right. He loves to help and is my biggest helper. I love it! He is always willing to do whatever is asked of him. He is learning so much this year and his memory is amazing when it comes to places we have been. He can remember anything that has to do with food! He loves to eat and is a great eater.
Josh, I hope you keep your happy personality always and that you always try to do what is right even when others may not. Mom and Dad love you so much and thank Heavenly Father every day for the gift of having you come into our lives. You are a ray of sunshine, that lights up our life each and every day with your infectious smile and laugh. We love you!
Happy Birthday

From March 2011

From March 2011

From March 2011

Birthday cake with friends at Nickelcade

From March 2011

From March 2011

Best picture I could get of 7 boys all together at once

From March 2011

California

We decided to head down to California for President's weekend. We were going to visit Grammie and Poppa and take the boys whale watching. We were excited, the boys love to go to California. We prayed for good weather and on Saturday the skies were clear. The waves were a little big on the way out of the harbor but the boys had their binoculars and were ready to see some whales and dolphins. All we got were sea lions!! Andrew said it was a rip off! They kept looking and looking but the whales were hiding, I guess. Oh well we got free passes to come back and try again. Hopefully when we go next time, we will see SOMETHING!!

This is how Alex spent most of his time.

From March 2011

Only animal life we saw the entire trip!!

From March 2011

From March 2011

From March 2011

From March 2011

From March 2011

From March 2011

From March 2011

Josh's Basketball Season

Josh played on a basketball team again this year and Eric got the lucky task of being the coach. Josh had a great time and learned some new skills. It is funny to watch Kindergarteners and 1st graders play, they like to pass to their friends only and of course they always want to shoot! It was good times.

From March 2011

From March 2011

From March 2011