Summer is flying by

If you've read my blog lately you've noticed I've put a count down to when school starts. This is in NO WAY to depress the reading audience that summer is slipping by. I did this for 2 reasons- 1. To help me remember summer is marching on and I need to try to enjoy every day and try to do something fun with the kids before school starts
2. When school starts I will have ALL 4 KIDS in school!!!! Now granted Dani is just in preschool and it's just 3 mornings a week but it's a step in the right direction.

I need to clarify that I am in no way wishing my children will grow up and go away (only 14 more years) but I'm so happy for Dani! She is soooo ready for school and friends, and learning. She has always been our most shy baby, she wouldn't even talk to our extended family until last year, but she LOVES to learn and is sooo smart. She can read and knows colors and numbers and she's so excited. So this count down is also when my baby will get to go to a whole new world outside of home with mom and dad. This upcoming school year we will have all 4 kids in 4 different classes with 4 different teachers. In a school where there are 2 grades in the same class this is a rare occurrence. WOO HOO.... four different parent teacher conferences!!!
So while summer is slipping away and we are soooo busy, I know that this upcoming school year will be full of fun and adventures for all of my kids.

A Father's day of sorts

Happy Father's Day yesterday to all the fathers out there. Here at our house we had a different kind of Father's Day. It started Saturday when Ben got home from a basketball tournament, and had to go to work. While out on a call about baby cougars he got called about a missing 10 year old boy by one of our mountain lakes. He left strait from the cougars to go organize and head up the search. This was around 5pm. By night fall they hadn't found the boy but called in other agencies to come help search. Night fall turned into dead of night and they were still searching. This went on all night and into morning (Ben tells me the sun is up around 4:30 in the mountains) As morning broke they were still searching and finally by the grace of God this little boy was found. Ben was on hand the entire time and did the interview with this little boy to figure out what happened and how he made it through the night in the cold and wind and rain. It was VERY emotional for all those involved Ben included. I got to talk to him once during this 18 hour search and he was exhausted but wouldn't stop, it really got to him especially when we have a 10 year old at home. He made it home around 2:30 Sunday afternoon and I sent him straight to bed. He hadn't slept in 33 hours. He woke up a few hours later, showered ate and headed to Salt Lake for a week of training. Through all of this the kids and I made sure to wish him a happy father's day. I'm so proud of him and thankful for all the hard work he does. It was a VERY hard weekend filled with a range of emotions but through it all I know my kids are so lucky to have Ben for their dad. So Happy Father's Day dads and enjoy it!!!

I give up....

You win...

The drama of a 4 year old

Last night Dani didn't get to bed until after 10pm. She was then up BEFORE 7am. So what is the result if this HORRIBLE lack of sleep?? Non stop crying and wining since 7AM!! The latest was throwing herself in the middle of the hall crying "everybody hates me!!" I calmly reminded her that I loved her. This prompted a list of who hates her instead of an all encompassing EVERYBODY!!! Oh the joys of dramatic 4 year old GIRLS!!!

trying to get this post done

I've been trying to get this post done for over a week NO LIE!!! But then life happened and I was busy and then sick in bed for 2 days not even able to get up. Never fear all is fine and here's what we've been up to the past 2 weeks.

We all went up hiking Little Cotton Wood Canyon around the Temple Granite Quarry - Very cool

Here's Mom and Dad!!!

Alice at the top af a VERY tall rock - 4 feet!!! This is how my sister Morgan hikes - attached to a baby

My strange but cute kids
This is how my sister Erin hikes - HA HA HA

Here's what happened when I gave Zach the camera for the car ride home from hiking -

Jordynn and her rock - of courseZach taking a self portrait - I'm so proud Yep still taking pictures of himself -

The best one I think - -

Here we are at Jump On It - it was a big room of trampolines and it was great...as you can see all had fun!!!

This is my brother Josh doing a back flip COOL!!!

Dani and her bouncing hair - Zach is in the red shorts behind her

What Alice did most of the weekend - hold Oliver (New nephew)

My lovely sister Morgan 'jumping' actually just trying to stand

Nephew Spencer chasing a ball - he had a GREAT time

This is Zach DEAD asleep when we go to Jump On It - I COULD NOT wake him up it took over 10 min. but finally he was out and jumping!!!

Brother Caleb's court of honor - he's the tall one

Brother Josh at the court of honor- doing the flag

Caleb is a dork

We also decided to go get henna tattoos - much to the chagrin of my father -

Here's Alice with her sun on her calf


Caleb with his on both arms

Morgan with her 3 'sons' pun intended
And my VERY predictable Treble Clef - I also go one on my wrist


So that's SMALL taste of what's been going on. The whole family went BACK to SLC last weekend so my parents could watch the kids while Ben and I went out for our anniversary - we got to go hang out and go to dinner with one of our favorite people Steve and see his new house it was tons of fun!! HI STEVE!!!

Now we need to get through 2 kids birthdays in the next 10 days, getting the last of the 2 horses we bought up here and start riding her, get Ben thorough yet another week of training and well everything else life throws at us - we'll keep you posted