Who gets a break?

Since school has let out and summer is here, I feel like I have been taking a summer break too. I just don't want to do anything. I haven't wanted to cook, clean, or do anything that is work related. I just want to sit around, play with the children and read books. Well that has to change..... today. I am going to make chore lists for everyone, even the Mom and Dad. Next week we are starting to do a few chores each day... I have to get out of thinking I get a summer break too, a Mother's job never gets a break. Well maybe except when you go to see the Grandparents. :) We just need to get a summer routine going and that will help! So I am going to have to get the calendar out, make some calls and get this summer planned, organized, and into a routine! That is all there is to it. Wish me motivation and luck!!!!!!!

The children have been enjoying:

riding bikes, movie parties, some time with friends, staying up later, sleeping in some mornings, working in the yard and all the things that summer brings.

Morgan is cracking me up. She roars to say please, I need/ want something, look over here, I am to cute... for just about everything we hear her "rrroooaaarrr". One day the words will come but for now the roar works. She seems to get everything she needs or wants... to cute!

Bob and Julee's visit

Trevor's youngest brother and family came to visit us for Memorial Day weekend. They came Saturday afternoon and stayed until Monday after noon. It was a wonderful visit and I enjoyed it all. Once they were here we really didn't see the older three children except for the occasional feeding times and so and so is doing this. They seemed to just disappear and have fun together as cousins... I love that.

Saturday Bob and Trevor did some electrical work while Julee and I ran to the store. The children just played and played, ate and Zach and Branden had a sleep over in Zach's room.

Sunday was church, food and just hanging out. We tried to drive to Oakley and the basin but we had a wonderful Burley wind storm and Mylie wasn't liken the car so we stopped that trip and showed Bob and his crew around Burley a little bit.(Poor Mylie even cried so hard she throw up.) This night the three big cousins had a sleep over in Zach's room. They played, giggled and laughed until about 10 p.m. (I love to see the cousins having so much fun together and building these fun memories!)

Trevor BBQing our chicken for dinner-Yum!

Morgan loved Mylie. She would give her loves, pats and make sure she was okay. When Mylie was crawling once Morgan straddled her back like Mylie was giving her a horse ride. It was too cute. I didn't take a picture until their last day here, Monday. What was I thinking!!!
Monday, Memorial Day, we had breakfast, they got all packed to leave, made a picnic lunch and headed out for Shoshone Falls. The falls level was at low but it was still beautiful. We looked at the falls, took a few pictures, walked on a little path, took more pictures, Trevor, Bob and Katie went for a little hike while us others got the picnic out. After eating the children ran around and went for a little walk with the Dad's.

After seeing Shoshone Falls we drove by the Twin Falls Temple, which is a must every time we go to Twin. Then it was Target for a potty break and a quick look around. Bob and crew took off from there and we came home. We loved their visit and are always glad for time with family. Thanks for coming Bob, Julee, Braden and Mylie we love you and miss you already!!! We are glad you are part of our family.

More Shoshone Falls photos.

Zach with his I have looked at the falls throw the rails look and Morgan with the shades.
The first stopping point

Family Photo Moment

Pictures of the falls-

A picture Bob took of Trevor and I during our picnic lunch

School Year is over!

Katie has completed the first grade.
She had a remarkable year. She loved her teacher Mrs. Gunnell and the children in her class. She always like to be Grace's helper, a girl in her class with disabilities.
Her favorites things
"playing with my friends, Listening to stories, recess, my teacher, I had fun with everybody in first grade in my class ,that is all!"
She was sad to be done and not to be able to see her friends everyday. (even gave herself a stomach ache over it on Thursday, the last full day of school)
So on the last day of school her favorite friend, Makayla Tolman, came over to play for the complete day. They got out of school at 11:30, she rode the bus home with Katie and we didn't take Makayla home until 9:00 p.m. that night. They had a blast and it is the perfect ending to the last day of school... The beginning of summer break.
I am amazed at how Katie is reading and her math skills. I am glad she started to participate in class by the end of the year. She has sure grown up and I love the girl that she is. We are blessed to have such a great student and girl who makes each day a joy.
Katie will miss about school:
"My teacher, my friends, mostly everybody. Oh, and I am going to miss P.E."

First day of school and end of the year

Pregnancy Update, May

Well I had a doctors appt. today and I am glad to say that I didn't have sugar in my urine this time. The doctor and myself were happy about that, I am going to still eat a low sugar diet, I don't want to fail the glucose test at my next appt. It really isn't that big of a deal... just cut down on everything but... meats, vegetables, nuts and a few other things. Oh, plus with the low sugar I am suppose to watch my fat intake too. So if anyone as any good low sugar, low fat recipes I am up for them.
Other than that everything is going great. I feel the baby move all of the time. His heart rate is good and we are down to 17 weeks left. Once we get through summer with a trip to Boise and to Utah, summer movies, swimming lessons, boxes upon boxes of Popsicles, late night movie parties, sprinkler fun, park outings, summer reading program and back to school shopping then I will have a few weeks to simmer down and get ready for this bundle of joy.

Life is never certain!

You always think that when you are young nothing can stop you. Even as a mother of young children you think life is great and illnesses are for those who are a bit older. Well one of my dear friends found out she has white masses on her brain. I am not sure what needs to be done or is going to be done but, oh my, she is younger than I am. They say you normally don't get such a thing until you are older... so why her. At least this explains her current condition but still all the unknown. I guess life is never certain and when we came to earth we excepted all that our bodies would or wouldn't do. I am just amazed at how our lives seem so "normal" and then out of the blue something happens... is life really ever normal? I guess in the calm of life we need to be preparing ourselves for the raging of seas life will bring. At least this gives me a reason to take her a treat and some food... maybe even get a play date for Zach a time or two.

Life is never certain...

Shoshone Falls

Last Friday Katie didn't have school and we turned a normal day into an adventure. I was reading a blog that talked about Shoshone Falls and thought that we needed to pack up and head out for an outing. It worked out great and I didn't hear the children once tell me that our house was boring or that Burley was boring. We pack up, made a picnic lunch and were off.

Katie loved to get near every railing and look over and watch the falls. Zach liked to look from the middle of the platform and Morgan just wanted to be held. (this is what Zach does when it is too sunny for his eyes)

The children loved that we could see rainbows from several different locations.

We are up safe on the ground, not on a platform and the view was just a pretty.

Another rainbow...

After we looked at the falls we went over to a picnic table, ate lunch and the children played. It is a beautiful area. While we were eating we could here the falls, birds singing and a little water feature by us. It was so peaceful and relaxing.

After we ate the children ran over the see the little water fall, collected sticks and ran up and down hills. Katie found a big hill and loved it. When Zach and Morgan tried it they face planted it at the bottom so we found a smaller hill for them.

It is a have to go back to!

I love doing fun things with the children! It is what makes it all worth it!

My Mother's Day Weekend!

The children and I went to Boise.

Trevor was of course in Burley, working on the house and doing school work. He was putting some tar up on the basement walls and we couldn't be in the house so, to Boise we went.

We got there Friday evening. We visited, ate dinner and then went to feed the ducks. (Swans, geese, and goslings too.) The children LOVED it.

After the ducks we went and looked at the Caribou (reindeer) they have there too. A&W was the next stop for root beer floats and then home, stories and bed.

SATURDAY

The children went over to spent time with Grandma Sara. The got to make brownies(Zach's favorites), and then they made me Mother's day cards, they stamped and water colored in them. They had so much fun, they just love their Grandma Sara.

We grabbed lunch after the children's Grandma time at Red Robin. Super Yummy!

(Papa, Bushka, Grandma, Katie, Zach, Morgan and me)

With our tummies full we took Grandma home and then went back to Bushka and Papa's house. Morgan went down for her nap and so did Papa and myself. My mom told me she was going to take the older children out front to do chalk and I was to take a nap as part of my gift. I agreed and was a sleep within minutes. :)

After our nap times we packed a picnic dinner and headed to the park.

After the park the children, Katie Dougal included, hit the hot tub. They played until time for snack, story and bed. I then did some prep work for our Sunday Mother's Day Brunch since Bushka took care of bed time.

SUNDAY

The children and Bushka made pigs in a blanket and some addictive blueberry pastry. The menu of the brunch: strawberries, watermelon, pigs in a blanket, blueberry pastry, egg puff and fun drinks. It was a wonderful morning. I love to see the children do things to celebrate Mother's. We were even luck enough to have three generations of Mother's- Me, Sara, Bushka and G.G. Lois.

Zelle even got some yummy food... Sausage.

Tummies were full, presents were exchanged and the brunch ended. Then it was off to church.

After church we just had a lazy afternoon. When Papa got home, he is the Bishop, he gave me a lesson on trimming around the ears, hair cut and then was captured downstairs for a few hours of Wii fun with the children.

Monday

We got all packed up, ran to a new second hand children's store, and then to McDonald's so the children could run before we hit the road.

It was a perfect weekend. Since we have been home I have been told everyday at least two or more times that our house and or Burley is boring. But, really, how can you compete with a weekend of such fun, family, and children focused activities.

I am so grateful for my mom and all that she does for me. I am the person I am because of her and her great example. I love you MOM, my greatest example, friend and confidant.

Thank you Sara for the great things you taught your son that helped him be the person I love. I really lucked out with him!

(I think we should have Mother's Day at least twice a year...)

Katie the Golfer

At school Katie had a fun week of things to wear. On one of the days it was dress your favorite sport. She was going to be a tumbler but some one at school said it wasn't a sport. (silly child) So we started over. I must have listed 15 different things to be. She then choose to be swimmer but the swimming suit just didn't feel right. So then she picked a GOLFER... a natural choice for someone in this family.

Before school she called her Papa and told him she was a golfer. Funny, because he was on his way to work, a marshall at a golf course. After the phone call she told me that Papa was going to have to teach her how to golf now that she is a golfer. I love my Katie girl.

our week of spring

Back in April we had a whole week of nice weather. Since then we have had snow, rain, hail, wind and winter coats back on. This is what we did in our week of Spring

Plus bikes, hula hoops, taking walks, eating Popsicles and playing with friends outside!