Aren't these boys so funny? I don't know how Cpc knew - maybe from playing the Wii - but he knew these were headbands and put them on him and Cdc himself.

This here is my Grandma Ruthie, and her five children. They all gathered at Bear Lake this weekend and her four sons gave her a blessing. I am so grateful I was privileged enough to live with her my first year of college. These six people have done a wonderful job of passing on the legacy of Ruth's husband Dean to my generation. Not one of us got to meet him because he died on my Dad's 7th birthday. I look forward to meeting my Grandpa someday. During the blessing we could feel his presence. My grandma has done a wonderful job of patiently living a good life while she waits for her time to return to our Father in Heaven and be with her husband again.

From the Lens of a 3-year-old - Unedited

Phone Calls

So I've been thinking about this for a while now - and it's really bugging me. Phone calls. I. Hate. Them.

It's really true. I hate talking on the phone. I mean I don't mind the phone calls where there is specific business that needs to be taken care of - like setting up a time or place to meet up. It's the phone calls where we are just chatting. I hate not being able to see people's facial expressions and body language.

Lately I've been feeling guilty, a lot. See, I have some really great friends. I have some friends who diligently call me, even though I probably only return phone calls 1/16 of the time they call me. They never seem offended or hurt that I didn't call back. But me, when I see the name on the caller ID and realize I never called back - I feel like a royal jerk. Really I do. I apologize profusely and they don't seem to mind one bit. In fact they always tell me they understand that it's busy with two kids. In the back of my mind though I know it has to be more than that. I have friends with 2 or more kids who keep in touch. After my apologies I never change and I still have the same problem.

Maybe my friends are the best friends ever and they've just known all along that I hate the phone and that's why I forget to call back. But does my memory just not store the thought that I need to return a phone call because it hates it so bad? I don't know. What I do know however is that I'm super grateful for great friends who love me anyway. I'm also grateful that for the most part my good friends live within an area that makes it not too hard to see them regularly. But I really want to keep in better touch with those friends who live outside that area - I just wish there were more ways to do it without talking on the phone.

And, I also have some friends who I think are more like me with the phone - at least, they never call me until they'll be in town and can get together.

I'm grateful for people's differences - and I'm really going to try to not feel guilty about hating the phone so much, and hope that my dear friends who do don't give up on me!

Stages

I'm not sure what has gotten into me - maybe it's the fact that I've been able to slow down and enjoy the moment more lately - but I like blogging again!

Anyway, recently quite a few people have suggested to me that although certain things get easier as our kids grow older - other things get harder and so the struggle of parenting only changes instead of gets easier. They tell me you may not be changing diapers and having your whole day wrapped up in the mundane, but there are still daily struggles. The funny thing is that this advice has come completely unsolicited and it makes me wonder if I'm doing something that makes people think I'm excited to be through this stage. I haven't figured out an answer to that question.

Funny thing is - I am not excited to be through this stage. Nothing terrifies me more than the day my children hit the stage where they're not "pre-schoolers." Really, I am not looking forward to it. I know darn well that the one thing I am and have always been good at is little kids. Like really little kids. Like 3 is my favorite age, and I am perfectly content with the surrounding 2 years on each side. But anything else makes me a little queasy. I mean, I've always been able to handle the 6-10 year ages okay, as long as I don't really have to be in charge of them for more than a few hours. And I can be great friends with the 11+ ages. But be the mom? Nope, nada, not today. I'm hoping that I will grow into it, and that it will just be this nice transition that I don't realize is happening until it's over and I'm really doing just fine at it. But right now, I'm scared. I have no problem with changing diapers, maybe that's why I wasn't scared of cloth diapers. I have no problem with the whole getting up in the night and getting no sleep for newborns (as long as it doesn't turn into the things we struggled with with Cpc). I am perfectly content to deal with tantrums and fits. I mean often in the moment, and even a while after, I get pretty heated and frustrated. I might even say my kids are driving me crazy. But I am not thinking that things are going to get easier. Nope, I love the innocence, I can laugh at the tantrums and realize they are just trying to figure out the best ways to communicate and get what they want. I'm yearning for a newborn - I think I get I.W.A.N. syndrome just like my cousin Shawni. I wish I had coined the phrase. But really, I just want a 3-year-old. I am relishing Cpc right now, and I know very well that when Cdc reaches this stage I will relish it. I love the independence, and the needing mommy all wrapped up into a chaotic life. I am not exactly sure why.

But I'm glad that people have reminded me of this in their own way - because it made me write out these feelings and keep them a little closer to my heart. I in no way wish this time with my kids would move on - but I won't hesitate to admit that I would enjoy it a lot more with a little less of the down economy.

Cdc the picky eater

So in our family we have a very funny dynamic when it comes to food.

Pmc is picky. He doesn't like to try new things, and when he does try them he very rarely likes them (hmm, maybe that's why he doesn't usually bother!). He has very sensitive taste buds - he can taste when something is just barely starting to go bad. It will taste bad to him even when it tastes fine to everyone else (including people outside of our family). I cannot sneak anything into his food because he can taste it.

My favorite food is anything I haven't tried. I love trying new things, even if I decide I don't like it. There are very few things I decide I don't like. I can handle eating things that people cook that aren't very good (the part of serving a mission and eating meals at different people's houses wasn't a big deal to me). But I don't think I have dull taste buds or something - I just like experiencing the variety.

Cpc picked up mostly my genes. He is perfectly willing to try anything I put in front of him, mostly he likes it. I don't think he just has dull taste buds either, he can really tell the difference between the good stuff and the not-quite-so-good stuff.

Cdc on the other hand - well, he is just like his dad. Sometimes worse. He drives me crazy sometimes. Pmc is much more patient with him than I am, obviously he understands a bit better. Cdc simply won't give in to eating something just because he's starving himself to death. Really, if I didn't give in and let him have something he likes when we're having something he doesn't like, he could probably go 2 days without food before he gives up and eats what we're eating. I just can't bring myself to do that to him. So he typically refuses one meal a day because we're having something he doesn't like, and he'll go hungry til the next meal. I know, I'm kind of a mean mom. I just worry that if I don't really work on helping him recognize that there's just some things we can't do (like make him a special separate meal every time we eat), he'll have too strong of a will to keep himself out of trouble. Anyway, the whole point of writing this post today is that we discovered a green food he likes. We haven't been able to get him to touch lettuce, peas, beans, spinach, broccoli, etc. But we got some Kale in our Bountiful Basket this week, and lo and behold - Cdc LIKES it. I made some Kale chips, which he eats like candy, and added Kale to his eggs and he asked for more and more. Go figure huh? I'm grateful for the Bountiful Baskets, 'cause I never ever would have bought Kale. I'm just not like that. I hope that Cdc's strong will will be beneficial to him throughout his life, and I don't want to destroy it - but I do want him to know that sometimes he just has to give in!

Technology - A Love and HATE relationship

So, I pulled out our netbook to do my planning for the week and lo and behold up pops that stupid little note that says you have to restart the computer to install the updates. So I do some planning and then decide to go ahead and restart the computer. Twenty minutes later I come back to the netbook to write a blog post. I open it up, sign in, and a little bubble pops up in the bottom corner that tells me that I can take a tour of Windows XP. It is then that I realize that the background picture on the desktop is not there. Everything is like the computer is brand new. So Pmc helps me find the "system restore" which I can never seem to find on my own. Only to realize that literally - our computer thinks it hasn't existed before today. It can't do a system restore because it doesn't think there's anything before today to restore to. WHAT the WHAT??????

Now because I just don't want to think about computer problems I have to use Internet Explorer, which I don't like, because Firefox won't open. And here I am ready to blog (while I have to reload all my pictures because picasa didn't keep my settings to read the external hard drive) and I can't remember half of the wonderful things I was going to blog about today. This is all making me really want to buy a Mac. However, we don't have money for that right now and sometimes we wonder if we ever will have money for a computer again. And yet, I really am happy with where we are in life right now. I can hardly express how little money means to me right now because I'm simply so happy with the wonderful life that our little family gets to enjoy right now.

So, let's just see if we can recall all those wonderful things that got scattered from my mind while I dealt with the shock of my computer totally resetting itself.

Well, let's see I still need to blog about July 4th, and our trip to Yellowstone. But first I really want to get to the thoughts on my mind this week. As you can probably tell from Pmc's post - things have been a little rough for us financially. We're pretty tired of business being so up and down for him, and trying to do the "odd jobs" thing all the time to make ends meet. I've been teaching sewing, which I enjoy, but my heart isn't totally in it - I would simply prefer for Pmc to have a more solid job. But we know we're in the right place doing the right things right now - even if they're not what we prefer. The thing that I am getting out of all this right now though is that I am definitely learning some things out of necessity. These are things I've always wanted to do, but simply never made the time for.

So, in order to save on money there are some new skills I've started working on. This week I tried making yogurt, fruit leather, dried strawberries and my own instant oatmeal with flax. The yogurt actually turned out to be the easiest to make - and I had to try twice on the fruit leather and strawberries. Apparently it's not very bright to put those things on wax paper while they're drying. I started a garden this year - and I'm loving the fresh basil we get out of it - and the occasional strawberry. We're having many more meals without meat - and we never ate that much of it to start with. I'm learning how to make the work around the house our main activity instead of trying to fit it in around other fun activities. I started putting little housework jobs (things that are bugging me around the house - like wiping down the kitchen cupboards) on pieces of paper in a jar and letting Cpc pick one out and doing it together. He is totally into this and throughout the day asks me if we can pick another one. I'm feeling good because our house is pretty clean most of the time and I don't feel like a maid, and my kids are learning to take care of their living space REALLY well. I've always been a big advocate of teaching the kids how to do the work. But, I never really thought that it would just be our daily activities, or that my kids would REALY enjoy it. I'm not feeling like I wish I had money to take my kids to the zoo or the children's museum, I just don't feel like I need it anymore. We are going to the waterpark to relax on many evenings after a hard day's work - but I no longer feel like I need lots of things to entertain the kids. I love Cpc's stage - he is really good at pretending and we do have lots of fun pretending - things like Red Riding Hood and Knights in Shining Armor. Books from the library are giving us wonderful ideas. We are developing wonderful habits - like remembering to brush our teeth morning and night (we've always been good at one or the other - but never both!), praying in the morning (we've got this down at night - but mornings have always gotten away from us rather quickly), and helping Cpc read a verse of scripture on his own each morning. These are the things that are important to us - and I just want to remember that this rough time of life has helped us to focus on these little things that are the reason we're here!

Ok - I think that's all my thoughts from this week. Moving on.

For the 4th of July we attended our neighborhood breakfast and parade. Cpc got to have his bike decorated and ride in the parade. He was thrilled! He biked over to the church from our house, the entire parade route (I think it was 1/3 mile), and back home. I think he did a whole mile and was pleased as punch the whole time. Cdc was perfectly happy, as always, to ride in the Beco on my back. That night we watched the fireworks from our front lawn and felt so privileged to be living so close to them! Cdc oooo'd and aahh'd the whole time. Cpc on the other hand enjoyed the first few and then just jumped all over everyone the rest of the time. We are so grateful to live in America. I am so grateful for the freedom's we enjoy and hope that we can maintain them - particularly the freedoms of religion/finances/time. I am grateful I can choose how to worship, how to spend money, and how to spend time. These are so important to me.

Last weekend we went to Yellowstone with the Cundick family. We had such a blast. It was so good to spend time with everyone, to get in some good camping, see some beautiful places & wildlife and float a river. I wish I had the energy for more detail right now - but I don't. So here's the pics.



















Ok, here's a few details. Cpc wanted binoculars the WHOLE time, and we finally bought him a little monocular that he loves. He was great pals with his cousins, but especially Jdo. Both Cpc and Cdc rode the river - but cdc was the most thrilled by it. Cpc fell on our hike around Jenny lake and he had a bump on his head nearly 3/4 of an inch. What you see in the pictures is the day after. We did get to see one bear, but others with us managed to see 4. Too bad for us huh? The kids did great in the car. And that is an osprey in the nest on top of the bridge. All of that was in no particular order!

Two bad words

I'm feeling such a flood of thoughts and emotions that I decided to come here and let them out. It all centers around two bad words (F & C): Frustrated and Confused.
Atec and I have been married for 4 1/2 wonderful years.  I love her and am frequently in awe of her abilities and devotion to our family.  I absolutely adore my two little boys as well - they make me smile every single day (usually many times each day!)  I frequently think about how much Heavenly Father must love me to bless me with these three amazing people to be around me all of the time!
But then life gets in the way - I go to work (well, what's left of it anyway), come home and work some more, sleep a little, and generally feel like we're getting nowhere; barely paying bills, turning a blind-eye to student loans, trying to piece together 4 jobs, struggling to stay positive and happy.  All of this causes me to frequently think Heavenly Father must not care about me enough to help me find a situation where I can aptly provide for my family and feel successful.
 The contradiction of these two thoughts - occurring on a near-daily basis - is pretty fatiguing.  I am sure that many many other people can relate to this, and probably have more striking examples of these two poles of experience.  But for me in this moment, simply recognizing the feelings and taking time to reflect and ponder on things is enough.  I know that I still have the faith to keep believing that things will work out. That's why F & C are such bad words; they are faith destroyers, not builders.  They are tools of Satan, who is the enemy of God's great plan as well as my own personal happiness.  
Well, recording that helped me a little.  Hopefully it will help somebody else too.    
p.s. in case you didn't figure it out - this was posted by Pmc

Kid Quotes

I just got a reminder from a friend to capture the cute things my kids say. I've been terrible at that lately (other than that AWESOME video at the end of the last post). So here's the ones that came to mind!

These first few need a little background. I can't remember if I've stated this, but my sister Cse is living with us (actually we moved into her place and we're kicking her out to serve a mission for our church - as soon as she receives her call). So the kids have had a lot of quality time with Aunt Cse. Well, recently Cpc started saying to me "Mom, if I didn't have you..." He kind of trailed off so I said "C-- you will always have me, I'm your mom." He said "No! If I lost you, I would want Aunt R-- (cse) to be my mommy." Yeah, that one melted all of our hearts.

This week Aunt Cse left to spend 6 weeks in Germany trying to fill some big shoes in the music world. And recently Aunt Ace, who is back from college for the summer, moved in with us too. So she's been working hard at swaying Cpc towards choosing her as the favorite aunt. She is very astutely asking him every five minutes "Who's your favorite?" Most of the time Cpc is happy to acquiesce her requests - but occasionally he'll throw out "R--" just to see her frustration! Aunt A-- has always had the nickname C--aroni, Cheesy Macaroni for Cpc. She's been trying to get him to say it - it usually comes out like this C--arockaroni Cheesy Macaroni. I have no clue where he got the "rock" part from.

Cdc is doing very well in the language department. Throughout the day he spits out "I duh wah tah" quite clearly - I am 95% sure that he is saying I don't want to - but it is hard for me to comprehend that I could actually be using full sentences when the rest of the time he just whines and looks at the things he wants expecting me to figure it out. But when I see something he's looking at and tell him the word for it he is quick to repeat it back to me. One of his favorite activities these days is kneeling down by his bed at bedtime and saying the words I tell him to for a prayer. My favorite thing with Cdc lately though is his sense of humor. Even though he can't talk on his own much - he can communicate humor very well. I always sit next to him at the table and he loves to get his fingers all dirty and reach over and touch my shirt - he knows that I don't like it and he'll just laugh that little head off. He also LOVES to tease daddy or Aunt Ace when they get home from work by running away when they reach out for hugs or kisses.

Darn, that's all I can think of right now - and I guess that's good because it's way too late for this mommy to be awake!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!

We have started a family tradition in which we have a lesson about one of the founding fathers during our Family Home Evening the week before July 4th. Well, we're doing that today - and we actually are learning about one of our "Founding Mothers" this week.

My inspiration comes from this photograph:

This comes from the "Finding Freedom" project that my cousin Eva Timothy has been working on. You can look at the whole thing on her website. But I just never knew much about Mercy Otis Warren. She's amazing. 

I love what she wrote:

"America stands armed with resolution and virtue; but she still recoils at the idea of drawing the sword against the nation from whence she derived her origin. Yet Britain, like an unnatural parent, is ready to plunge her dagger into the bosom of her affectionate offspring."

She wrote that shortly before the American Revolution. I'm so grateful that the founding fathers took courage and broke away to make an independent nation. I love America. I pray that we as a nation can bind ourselves to our founding principles and continue to fight for our freedom. I pray that we can unite ourselves for the  protection of our families. I am grateful that women in that day stood tall and proud as WOMEN and fulfilled their own unique roles. I hope that women today can do that as well. I am grateful that there are people like Eva who truly appreciate what America has to offer (after growing up in communist Bulgaria). I hope that I can appreciate America just like she does. And DO check out the entire project - absolutely inspiring!

Quotes

As long as we're simplifying - I've been trying for a long time to figure out where to put our favorite quotes. I have finally decided that this is the place. So here's a bunch for now and we'll stick them on here in the future instead of losing them!

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make a life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a person humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, --- we help them become what they are capable of becoming.
~Goethe

“My message to you today, my brothers and sisters, is simply this: the Lord is in control. He knows the end from the beginning. He has given us adequate instruction that, if followed, will see us safely through any crisis. His purposes will be fulfilled, and someday we will understand the eternal reasons for all of these events. Therefore, today we must be careful to not overreact, nor should we be caught up in extreme preparations; but what we must do is keep the commandments of God and never lose hope!”

M. Russell Ballard, “The Joy of Hope Fulfilled,” Ensign, Nov. 1992, 31

“The constant and most recurring question in
our minds, touching every thought and deed of our
lives, should be, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’
(Acts 9:6.) The answer to that question comes only
through the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost.
Fortunate are those who so live that their being is
filled with both” -Ezra T. Benson

The startling wetness of water excites and intoxicates me.

~G.K. Chesterton

Faith is an Oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.

~Khalil Gibran

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be hugged."

~President Monson

Sunday Morn. Conf. Oct. 08

To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes might be the biggest mistake of all.

~Peter McWilliams

"Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that the power to work is a blessing, and that the love of work is success." David O. McKay

True learning is INNATE and passionate. It requires neither coercion nor cajoling. It springs naturally from our desires to grow, to create, to master, and to make meaning of life.

"I've no interest in schools. They have no relevance in the 21st century. They were a Victorian idea to get kids off the street. Who decided that putting 30 kids with only their age in common in a classroom with one teacher was the best way of educating? At my school there were 52 kids in the class and all I learned was how to pass the 11-plus. Testing is the death of education. Kids should leave school at 11 and go to work. Not down the mines or up chimneys, mind, but working with computers or something relevant. Everything I learned after 11 was a waste of time. Trigonometry, Boyle's law: it's never been of any use to me. They should have been teaching me the life skills I was going to need, such as building relationships, parenting and managing money. I didn't have a clue about any of these things at 18. Schools need to change."
-Terry Deary-

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. -Thomas Jefferson

"It is our choices that make us who we truly are, far more than our abilities."

-Albus Dumbledore

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”
Roald Dahl

Technology

Okay, I'm just a little frustrated - it's not a big deal, really tiny and miniscule actually. I don't feel like I can keep up with technology on the one hand, but on the other I am really OCD sometimes about certain things. There are too many ways to do the same thing. I would love to have nice little links to the blogs I follow for those who might be interested in them. But I can't keep it updated or keep track of who has a private blog. Part of me wants to switch over to "following" everyone, but really I have the blogs on my google reader that I want to read - so maybe I should just be happy with google reader and not worry about everyone else? Maybe I should just put links to posts I like when I blog? I don't know. Actually - ok, I do. I'm going to do that. When I like a blog post of someone else's I am just going to link to it. I don't want to offend anyone by not putting them on my blog list - so how about just not having one? YES!

The other thing is the tracking my blog readers. I got the sitemeter all set up so that I know where people are linking to my blog from - only to find out that there blogger started doing stats. Ugh. SIMPLIFYING is hard to do when things are so complicated and always evolving.

Happy Summer!

ATEC just handed me the computer with one simple directive: "Just type... type for 8 minutes."  Well, that seems simple enough, so here I go:

Summer is in full swing for us.  We're beginning to be gone for more and more weekends - which is a bit of a problem where church is concerned.  ATEC just got called into the nursery and I was informed after ATEC came home from church that the bishopric has a call ready for me.  But during the summer, it's very common for us to be gone at least half the time either up to Bear Lake or up to Narnia (the Cundick family cabin.)  Or in the case of this upcoming weekend, Yellowstone.  So whatever the bishop has in mind for me, I hope it isn't a be-there-every-week kind of thing, because that's just not how summer works for us.  We did make a new rule this week though - we can never miss our own ward for more than 2 consecutive weeks.  (Of course I know that like every other rule, this was made to be broken).

We had a great time up at Bear Lake last week (except for the part where my good frisbee was mysteriously cracked by some unknown culprit).  Momsey's new (used) boat is a lot of fun, and I'd have to say a little more kid-friendly too, which is nice.  I managed to catch enough boat time to slalom, surf, and tube with Atec and the boys. It was amazing to see how high the lake is. We look forward to more normal years and the safe return of our beloved beach.

Well, my 8 minutes are up, so let's see what Atec has to say now:

Isn't he great? Too bad he's working so much that getting him to type on our family blog for 8 minutes can only happen once a month. Pmc sure loves us though, and so the time he is at home he just wants to hang out with us (and check Red Sox scores) instead of typing or something. We have had some great times so far this summer.

So we didn't update last week because we were at the lake and decided not to bother ourselves with technology up there, which I'm glad of. And I didn't quite get to blogging until today/last night because I worked 15 hours last week teaching sewing. That was a fun experience. I had a little summer camp I was in charge of and it went really well, except for day 4 - the kids got a little tired by the fourth day. But day five went fine and everyone seemed happy. Now I get to teach a friday class for the rest of the summer - I think that will be even more fun since it's just once a week.

Anyway, so we have two weeks to catch up on. Cpc had his official birthday. He was so excited to be three. However, the day after he kept telling people he didn't want to be three anymore. Funny kid. Since he'd already gotten his big birthday present (the train ride) we just let him open a few little things. He got some kid scissors that he's been eyeing forever and a Lightning McQueen Pez dispenser, also something he's coveted at the store. I love going to the store with Cpc, he doesn't really do any begging, just gentle reminders that these are the things he really likes. Daddy also got him some AWESOME "Go Utes" shorts that match his. He was so excited he wanted to wear them instead of his swimsuit for his birthday party. Fortunately we convinced him to just wear them as a swimsuit cover. He also got his swimming party with his cousins, and a ride on the golf cart (which was actually the ONLY thing he told us he wanted for his birthday).


Cpc also got to enjoy his last day of occupational therapy that week, which he thoroughly enjoyed and was sad to not get to see his therapist, D anymore. These are some pictures from his last day. That determination in his face just cracks us up. Some of the things he does are REALLY HARD WORK for a little kid his age, but he also has a blast doing it and is so proud when he accomplishes what he's supposed to. But his therapist and I agreed that we feel like he's well enough regulated that I can do things at home for now. This week we get to start Speech Therapy. Cpc is happy that he doesn't have to quit therapy altogether, because he LOVES it. Now if I could just get him to enjoy it at home that much.




On the way up to Bear Lake my sister and I were SHOCKED at how green the hillsides were (the ones that are usually brown). I especially love the contrasting green foliage and red rocks.

I got to go up to the lake a little earlier than Pmc and spend some time with my friend Bwc, but she hasn't sent me pictures yet - so all I have is a little picture of some of her kids with Cpc. We were happy our kids got along so well - because we really like hanging out together. Now if only she didn't live so far away.

Then when we got to my mom's cabin we played hard. Especially my mom, can you tell? We LOVE making fun of her for the faces she makes.

The sun wiped out Cdc, but he LOVED riding on the boat.

Cpc loves holding the flag and learning how everything works on the boat.

Pmc did an awesome job learning how to surf and can hardly wait to go back.

I had a hard time accepting my mom's new boat, but it's true that it's more kid friendly and I'm glad we get to try new things like surfing. I wasn't so pleased with the different wake (my mom's previous boat was an absolutely amazing ski-only boat and had an amazingly tiny wake), but I didn't realize until I looked at pictures how much I've improved. YEAH!

Both kids LOVED the tube and we can make that a regular occasion each time we go to the lake now.

We also celebrated my little brother's birthday - the big 17! We love Uncle Hdhe around here.

Last but not least, Pmc forgot to comment on this picture he wanted me to upload. This is from the NBA draft party down at the Energy Solutions Arena. This is the big BYU fan that was sitting next to him. This was taken right after Jimmer got drafted. I guess he wasn't too happy about the Jazz not getting the opportunity to pick him. Pmc liked this response, and that's all I know.

Oh, and here's a few videos I almost forgot. This first one just CRACKED us up. Kids say the darndest things huh? How'd he come up with this?

The second one - Cpc LOVED the Cosmic Orbiter. I'm so glad my family got one of these when I was little!

 And this last one is of Cdc's giggles, which seem to be entrancing EVERYONE lately!