HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR SO FAR.....

AND WE KNOW HOW TO COOL OFF.

OR TAKE ADVANTAGE...... (I POST THIS PIC WITH CONFIDENCE THAT THERE IS A 0% CHANCE THAT TODD WILL SEE IT ON HERE, AS HE NEVER READS THIS BLOG - YAY ME)

Our first slip n' slide......

and.........they are at it again. They changed their strategy. Maybe opening the can and pooring it into cups might make a sale?? Nope! Maybe it was the fact that they were trying to sell the same cups that they were drinking from while sitting there?? hee hee

(WOULD YOU TRUST LEMONADE FROM THIS STAND???

FIRST 24 HRS ON OUR MONTH LONG VACATION.....

Indoor swimming.......

Jaisa's 'book sale'

She came up with the idea all by herself. She threw some scribbles on a sheet of paper, collected all the kids books laying around the house and set up her shop in the front yard.

Soon enough, Tyson joined her with 2 cans of sierra mist and came up with the idea of 1 book and 1 drink =$19.99.

Unfortunately, sales are down here in this town for book/drink combos. So, after about 15 minutes of hard sales.... cans were opened, enjoyed and the kids called it a day.

HAIL STORM IN JUNE......

A LITTLE STAND UP COMEDY.....

tONIGHT FOR FAMILY NIGHT, tODD WAS TALKING TO tYSON AND tYS ASKED HIM WHAT HE WANTED TO BE WHEN HE WAS LITTLE.

tODD SAID THAT HE WANTED TO BE A FAMOUS BASEBALL PLAYER.

tYSON SAID "WELL, DID THAT HAPPEN?"

tODDD SAID NO.

tYSON ASKED "wHAT ELSE DID YOU WANT TO BE?"...

tODD SAID, "i ALSO WANTED TO BE A BASKETBALL PLAYER."

tYSON SAID "WELL, DID THAT HAPPEN?"

tODD SAID "KIND OF. i PLAYED BASKETBALLY AT byu IN COLLEGE".

tYSON ASKED "WELL, WHAT ELSE DID YOU WANT TO BE THAT IS BETTER THAN THAT?",

tODD SAID " i WANTED TO BE A REALLY GOOD DAD".

tYSON LEANED FORWARD, PATTED TODD ON THE SHOULDER AND SAID "yOU NEED TO WORK A LITTLE HARDER"....sERIOUSLY....TODD GOT BURNED....... AND IT WAS AWESOME :)

** ON A SIDE NOTE - tODD IS A FANTASTIC DAD AND tYSON KNOWS IT. **

SOMETIMES........THERE ARE NO WORDS

hee hee

LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE......

sCHOOLS OUT! kIDS ARE HYPER! tYSON WANTS TO BOX?? hE CHALLENGED THE GIRLS AND......tHE GIRLS THINK THEY CAN HANDLE IT...... (jAISA INSISTED ON "BOXING GLUBBS")

(nOT SURE HOW SHE THOUGHT SHE WOULD ENCORPORATE HER HIGH HEELS INTO THE BOXING RING) (bARE HANDS......OOOOHH, SO TOUGH)

tHE 'COMPETITION' LITERALLY LASTED 30 SECONDS. bOTH GIRLS WERE CRYING. tYSON WAS UPSET THAT HIS GAME WAS OVER.....AND THIS LITTLE DUDE REFUSES TO SIT STILL AND JUST CHILL. cAN YOU SAY....LOOOONNNGGG SUMMER???

DRAMA QUEEN

She looks so innocent, doesn't she??

(I just now noticed that there were only 3 candles on her birthday cookie - she turned 4!!!)

But don't let her cute smile fool you.

Don't get me wrong.....she can and has given me some of the most amusing moments in my life. Her smile could not be more sincere, her dreams no bigger than they already are. Her imagination could be no wilder and her intentions couldn't be any better.....BUT....

Her stubborness amazes me and sometimes brings me to tears.

The whining makes me want to lock myself away.....for a long long time.

The insistance that everything must be pink or sparkly is a fight I will no longer fight....so she dresses herself. And, her school teachers say they can't wait each day to see what she will be wearing. I have witnessed her on more than one occasion wearing my mom's old jewelery from the 80's, a tiara, a big flower clip just to the back of the tiara, pleather pants, a tutu and cowboy boots. And guess what?? It actually looks good. And the confidence she has rocking it, is something that makes me jealous.

Love love love this girl....now if she would just ease out and drop the drama :)

HAD A BABY......IT'S A BOY!!

Okay, so it might have been over 6 months ago - but I am finally getting around to organizing pictures, thoughts, ideas etc...that goes along with this little babe.

After a very rough pregnancy and an even rougher 30 days in the NICU, our "gift" was brought home from the hospital on Christmas Eve.

I'm working on writing the details down, both for friends who never understood what was keeping our little guy in the hospital and also for me to look back on. But for now, time is short, energy low and the constant fighting among 4 children is high - so that will be brewing on the back burner until I get around to it.

Our most precious 'miracle' baby boy was born at the end of November (more than 3 weeks before his due date- but induced by my worried Dr.).

He was 5.6 LBS and didn't look anything like our other children, and just like the pregnancy and delivery he was about as different from my other children as you could get.

DEREK

My little boyfriend with the biggest blue eyes (why do 3 out of my 4 kids have blue eyes? I have green and Todd has brown-yet no kids with brown or green eyes...hmmm...and no, I have never met our mailman :) ) the most kissable, yummy lips....... the most stylin dark brown head of hair..... with the sweetest temperment.

I am a very lucky girl.

I HAVE A SECOND GRADER!?!?!?

One of my 2 heartthrobs (or 3 if you count my husband....and I suppose I should), is "graduating" from 1st grade! EEK! That means that I am old. Along with the 3 gray hairs I found this week, the sun spots I have collected over the last year or so, and the terror I have as I think about the BIG 40 that is just around the *7 year* corner. Yes, I truly think about these things.

Anyways, Tyson has been so fun this year and has really enjoyed school and playing with his friends at recess. Along the way, he has also learned to be embarassed by everything Todd or I do????

I am not allowed to blast the radio while he is exiting or entering the car, especially if it is Justin Beiber. I am not allowed to say "I love you" louder than a whisper in public. I am not allowed to kiss him or hug him goodbye-only high 5's. I am not allowed to have the windows in the car rolled down so that his sisters are in sight - cuz they are "so embarassing"!

Even with all of these "guidelines", we are sure proud of this kid. He has played almost every sport this year and continues to enjoy them all. Now, if he could just pick one and stick to it so that he can work towards a sports scholarship and on to the professional arena to buy us a nice home on the beach and pay off our dental school loans, my job as a mother would be complete....right????

{A fun visit this Spring from Flat Stanley}

{Watch Out!}