Shaver!

It is such hard work waiting for Shaver Time to roll around. The kids (and parents) had to dig out all sorts of patience to wait for the day to finally come! The days just seemed to drag on until the cousins arrived and we were ON OUR WAY!!!

 

This year Papa came up with the brilliant idea of adopting a cove and dedicating it to Kaley and Tayler. Duh! Why didn't we think of this before? 80 hours of picking up trash, with the Taylors? Piece o cake! The kids didn't even complain. They had fun trying to figure out what some of the stuff was they were finding. Yes, mostly bottle caps and cigarette butts. There were a couple treasures found, too. A turtle-shaped sand toy and a squirt stick!











 We also discovered another hidden treasure in town: Hawaiian Shaved Ice! Perfect after the hot days at the lake, just before dinnertime. Next year: Amazing breakfast crepes!!!










The kids were over excited to be with cousins. They played in the sand, played in the water, rowed the kayaks to "rock island," played frisbee and snacked to their hearts' content! Dillan even braved the tube this year behind the boat and loved it! Drew couldn't wait each morning to get on Papa's boat and go "simmy-simmy!" He's been going through all the pictures and points out Papa's boat almost as much as he points out Baby Gwennie!

It's the best time of the year, we love being with the family and making memories!

summer unwound

Summer started out a little like this:

A little trip to the ER for Drewby, when he started limping one day. He didn't seem to be in any pain at all, just hobbled around. He started doing it after a trip to the park where he had been playing on the toys. We checked for splinters, tried flexing his foot, anything to get a reaction. We were ready to just wait it out, much to the dismay of our doctor. The next morning he didn't put ANY weight on it at all, which was scary. Clear X-Ray, clear blood tests, doctors didn't know what to think! We were told to put him on Motrin and wait till it goes away. Which it did. Without Motrin. I'm convinced he bruised his heel.

Soon after Leah and Avery were finally able to have their very first sleepover! It was a long wait, but they made it. Soon after we said a teary good-bye to the Camps as they moved to Utah. They promise to visit and go to Disneyland before our passes expire, but it's been sad for all of us!



 Then Daddy announced that he had some time-off from work for Independence Day. So we decided to take a trip to St. George to see Grandma Donna & Papa Bob. We made our own patriotic T-shirts for the occasion! We had fun swimming, baking, crafting, slipNslide, watching fireworks, and even got to set off our OWN! That never happens!

Leah got a haircut and had fun being Grandma's shadow in her salon, shopping, and going through her jewelry.


Dillan got a Happy Napper Monkey from one of his friends for his birthday, and Drewby has not been without it since. I finally convinced Dillan to let me buy it from him for Drew. Which he was fine with. Drew loves this monkey and is usually snuggling with it or kissing it. He also has begun talking to it, calling it on the phone and disciplining it.


Drew has also come to love Papa's boat and truck! He's not as fearful on the boat as he used to be and lets the wind blow at him, no problem. When it's time to jump in and swim, he usually says no. He waits until no one is looking or asking him to get in, when he finally decides to do it himself. He'll put his feet on the deck, then sit on the deck.
On this last trip, he saw his brother and sister get on the EZ Ski and decided he wanted to try it too! Dillan got on with him and they floated for a few minutes without fear! He seemed a little unsure, but smiled the whole time, looking and feeling BRAVE!

Yay for summer!

Cub Camp

Back in April Dillan was invited to register for Cub Camp, since he would become a scout soon. Since his birthday, he's only had one den meeting, but absolutely loves scouts! It's been hard waiting for camp to finally get here. Here's how it went:

Day 1: Chris got to go as a parent helper. They packed up their sack dinners and were all set. They got home at 8:30. Dillan ran inside the house and yelled, "MOM! I got to do archery! I did tug-o-war. Look, I drew a map of the camp! My den is den #7, you want to hear our den cheer?" He couldn't stop talking about all the fun he had!

Day 2: Almost 9 pm, Dillan runs inside "Mom! Look what I made!" He had a birdhouse under one arm he had painted, a long with a small yellow and green rock-looking thing. "It's made out of clay, mom." I turned it over and it was a compass! "I killed it in kickball today!" He went on and on about how he got so many people out and how his friend Luc kicked a home run. His shirt was covered in paint, and could I please wash it?

Day 3: They had a discussion about nutrition today and talked about the American flag. He told me he was making something at the camp, but it wasn't finished yet. He was looking forward to shooting a BB gun. His den won the loudest cheer. He thinks kickball is the greatest thing ever. He promises to check the lost and found for his hat the next day. He set it on a cone that divided the field, but when he went back to get it, the cones were picked up.

Day 4: The last day. The camp provided a BBQ for dinner for the campers, so he was excited he didn't have to pack a dinner. Hot dogs, chips, watermelon and gatorade. He LOVED the BB guns. He proudly showed me his target with the score written in the top corner: 29. He also showed me his patriotic craft. A red, white and blue sand art in the shape of a firework with sparkly garland all around. He is getting to know some of the other boys in the den, since he is only one of 3 from our ward, out of 12.

Such a fun week! Wish I could have seen it all!
Although, Dillan did describe it all pretty well. And I don't think he left out much.

Busy kid

Catching up, Dillan had a crazy month of May!
First, he turned 8. He wanted to have a soccer party. Because it was during baseball playoffs, we changed the party 3 times! Two different invites and a last minute change. It was nuts! But fun!

After a stellar soccer season, Dillan was selected for the all-star team! The U8 team was to play a U10 team, with a 16-year-old goalkeeper to help them out! It gave the U8s a chance to play on a large field and have a goalie for the first time. Positioning was the hardest thing for them to figure out, and they all ran themselves till they were exhausted! Dillan played center-midfield and did awesome. He scored the only goal for his team. They lost 1-3, but they kept it close most of the game. He got a medal and had fun playing with his buddy Ethan. Next season Dillan will be playing in a different league, which will be good for him. We'll miss his coach, but he's excited for the challenge.

These kids also FINALLY mustered up some bravery at Disneyland/California Adventures. Dillan braved California Screamin' and loved it! Leah went on Splash Mountain, let out a lot of tears after the big drop, but once she got off screamed, "Next time I'm riding in the FRONT!" They were rewarded with large lollipops to finish out their day!

And finally, Dillan was able to get baptized on June 1st. Grandma Donna, Papa Bob, Aunt Leeann and Uncle Chad all came from Utah to share in his special day. We also had a lot of family come to support him. He was very excited and talks all the time about his responsibilities because he is baptized. He understands the importance of being a good example to his brother and sister. He got to be baptized with Isabella, who's family are recent converts to the church. It was a great experience for all of us!
I hope he doesn't forget his special day. Hopefully he can read this post one day and know how proud we are of him and his decisions. He tries to make good choices everyday and follow the example of Jesus. This is his first step in his eternal progression and there is still so much for him to learn. I learn a lot from him everyday. He is very observant and always thinking. New experiences and responsibilities are his now. I can only hope that I have done all I can for him up to this point and can continue to help him along his path. He just grows up too fast.

Last Day of School!

...and we finished another school year! Amazing! It's like it just started, and now it's over!

Leah had an awesome year, with the sweetest teacher, Mrs. Taylor! She made lots of new friends, reads like a superstar, AND her writing took off like a rocket. She even earned a Young Author's Award! She is so excited for 1st grade, which means going to a full day of school with her big brother!

Dillan bragged all year how he had the only male teacher at the school. He loved Mr. Fisher, and had a great year of learning. He mastered multiplication and division, is reading well above grade level, and discovered a new talent/passion: art. He earned all 4s and 5s on his report card and is looking forward to a fun summer and then 3rd grade!













The kids came home to their doors blocked off with notes from Mom and Dad. They also had Dippin Dots ice cream to kick off the start of SUMMER!

10 years!

So I've been trying to figure this out. Is life like a roller coaster? Not sure. I get the ups and downs and turns, but I just don't think it fits. A maze maybe? But that may say that you're constantly searching for the "right way" to go in order to find an escape.
I want to say that the past 10 years have been...crazy?...dizzying?...educational?...amazing? A hike! I guess it's a hike. A hike through mountains. Canyons. Across oceans. Noisy, stinky cities. There are many paths. Some paths go through mud. Some water, floating on a cushion. Some flip you upside-down, not sure how you'll ever recover. But you have to keep moving forward. Backwards is no good. You have to help each other. No matter the cost. One may be the better swimmer, one the stronger climber. You learn from each other. You learn to be patient. You give and you take. And you grow.
Then you have kids to take on this hike. And they take the adventure to a whole other level. They complain, they argue, they take more and more when you feel you have absolutely nothing left to give. Fortunately, they also bring joy and pride. They teach you. They make you a better person. One you never imagined you could be.
Isn't it great!

















I am so blessed to have you. Everyday I feel like I don't deserve you. I wonder why you chose me. Yes, I have self-esteem issues. You are my constant reminder that I am worthy and loved. Even when I think you over-do your affection or I feel awkward and undeserving, my heart smiles. It still skips a beat whenever I see you walk into a room.


















Thanks for being my rock. My sure place. My everything. My love.
Here's to the first 10 and a zillion more!
Imagine if I get a little better every year, how amazing I could be in that amount of time!

8...when did that happen?

It's another milestone. One that kind of snuck up on me. Not sure I'm ready to have an 8-year-old around here. It's like he's crossed over in upper-childhood. Cub Scouts. Baptism. It's a big deal for this kid!
Good thing he makes it look good!

Dillan has been crazy busy this spring playing baseball AND soccer. He's been going a thousand miles/hour, and trying to finish up 2nd grade. His soccer team finished with an 8-0 record and he made the All-Star team. He's definitely become quite the soccer player. I believe he has found his spark. I'm glad that he tried a lot of different sports, but it became obvious last fall that soccer was IT for him.

 This month is crazy busy with school projects, baseball playoffs, soccer finished up - now AllStars, cub scouts, preparing for baptism, a birthday party, and trying to fit in Disneyland before summer blackouts!

This year for his birthday, he didn't ask for any toys. He really just wanted a party. Chris came up with a great gift, though. A telescope. Genius! Dillan couldn't believe it. At the beginning of the school year, his school put on a star gazing night with a group from the local planetarium that brought in 10 huge telescopes to the blacktop. Dillan loved hearing about constellations, planets, and shooting stars. Once he saw the telescope, all he wants to do is go out and look at the sky. I also found a puzzle game for his DS and a little propeller car he has to build himself. Kind of a science/learning theme. Grandma and Papa gave him Super Smash Bros. for the Wii. He beat all of us easily.

On his birthday he got to attend his first cub meeting. It was at the park just down the street from our house! Before he left he asked, "Mom, so today at cub scouts, it's just practice right?" "And Cody's mom is our coach?" Not sure how to explain scouts to him, he expected it to be like a team. Once he got home, I asked him how it was. His response: AWESOME! He loved everything about it. They got to run around and do races, read from their book, and had a snack.

Dillan, Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you and the young man you have become. You are learning to make good choices and how to be a hard worker. We love watching you play soccer and hearing about all your successes at school. You have become a great writer and artist this year. You are also the greatest big brother to Leah and Drew and are a great example to them. We are so proud of your decision to be baptized and follow Jesus. We love you more than we can say!
Love,
Mom and Dad