Birdies and undies....

Hmmm... strange title I know - but we had so much fun yesterday!  First I had to meet with my new assistant cubmaster and they have 2 pet parakeets.  SOOO cute!  The kids had a great time letting the birds stand on their hands, shoulders, and heads. 

Then we went to the church for the YW camp fundraiser and spaghetti dinner.  Then Trent and I were 'schooled' on how to ride the boys' new rip-sticks.  They make it look a lot easier than it actually is.  After that we were going to come inside and watch movies - but we couldn't rip Trent away from watering the plants.  So the boys and I decided to bombard him with a water fight.  The boys got thoroughly soaked - Trent and I were pretty wet and the little people got sprinkled.  After that we came in and the kids decided to goof off by pulling their pj's up to their necks and putting underwear on their heads!  They are too funny!!

 Then we ended the day by watching the new movie The Lightning Thief  the kids just LOVED it.  Both the big kids have read the books and kept commenting on how this or that was different or how they didn't add this or that part.  It's great to see them have so much fun - now I have to figure out a way to keep up the fun for the rest of the summer!!

Summer Fun So Far

We had the chance to go to a Bees baseball game yesterday - it was so much fun!!  Even Donavan was able to watch them throw the ball around for a while, then he was fascinated with the bugs flying around the lights.  The boys kept waiting for a foul ball to come our way - to no avail  and Maddie was in heaven being able to spend time with her daddy.  It's so fun to be able to spend some good quality time with the kids just as a family- we all need that!

We also bought the boys some new rip-sticks and we got Maddie a new scooter.  Donsters rides one of Maddie's old bikes.  They needed something to help keep them busy this summer - they've been having a blast with them and it sure has been helping me out!!!  ;)

My big boy!

It's my little Donster-monster's 18-month day today.  I can't believe how the time has just flown!  He just doesn't seem old enough to be in nursery already - but he went in for his first time yesterday.  I really missed him during the rest of the meetings, my arms felt empty - lonely somehow.  Strange, I so looked forward to nursery with all of the rest of the kids, but not the baby.  I want him to stay small for longer, I want to enjoy him being little for as long as I can before he is also big enough to see that daddy is for fun, and mommy is the one who tells him to clean up his room.  He is my little buddy- I love his habit of holding my fingers and playing with my fingernails.  He will stop whatever he is playing with to come over and hold my hand for a few minutes, and then will go back to whatever he was doing.  :)  He will also just hug or kiss me whenever - I LOVE that!  He is the most cuddly of all of my kids - definitly a momma's boy.  Just yesterday he finally started saying Uh-oh all by himself!  This stage is so much fun!  I love watching him as he is learning how to communicate with us - he is very expressive with his face.  (He must be his momma's son!)  He loves to pull faces to see your reaction.  Right now he does a little frown thing and then breaks out into laughter.  He just LOVES his brothers and sister.  He LOVES his daddy, and LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his daddy's car.  He is so funny - every time he sees it he makes car sounds and points at it.  Then he'll walk over to it and want to get into it for a ride - he is SO obsessed with cars.  Thank goodness Heavenly Father saw fit to send me this last little one.  He sure does brighten my day and ALWAYS puts a smile on my face.

Father's Day :)

We had a great Father's Day weekend.  We went up to Trent's parents home on Saturday for a BBQ and a swim party.  The kids love going up there and have a blast in the hot tub and swimming pool.  Maddie gets to play with her girl cousins and they run around laughing and holding hands (she needs more girlie time like that).  Donsters hung out with me the whole time - he's so darn cute!

Then on Sunday we were able to spend our time with Trent and gave him some presents.  He finally got a new Nano - he's been wanting one forever - and he needed some new levi pants so he also got a bunch of those.  The kids just LOVE giving him presents - he always says he doesn't need anything, but what fun would that be?  Plus I really think he liked his new Nano - he didn't put it down the rest of the day!!

Love of my Life!

From the moment I heard this song it reminded me of my Trent.  If I were a more poetic person, this song is what I would write about him.  He truly is an amazing man.  I do pinch myself from time to time just because I am so very happy.  He always knows just what to say, he is a part of every single happy moment I've ever had - and he has been there to help me back up when I've hit rock bottom.  I have been foolish and have forgotten before that he is more than I could ever deserve - please forgive me for my short-sightedness!!  I have done him wrong in the past, and yet he has forgiven me and loved me in such a way that I could only call it unconditional.  I have been blessed so very much to have this wonderful man as a part of my forever - I could not go on without him, he is my everything, my world, my happiness, my best friend in the universe, my confidant, my soul-mate, my children's daddy, my husband.  I am so glad to be able to call him mine - thank you for an amazing 17 years together so far! 

Whew!!

What a weekend!  I had the opportunity to go to scout day camp with Jaxton.  It's so good for me to get to go one on one (kind of) with Jax and spend some time with him.  We are so much alike that we often don't get along very well.  He is just the cutest kiddo - he is SOOO funny!  I had a great time up there with the scouts - I'd rather do that then the pack meetings anytime!!  ;)  Saturday was too rainy so they ended up cancelling the day, but not before we were able to go boating.  It's such a great activity to get the boys to learn how to work together to get something accomplished.

Poor Piercen also had camp this weekend, but his was a over-nighter.  Trent was a sport and went up with him.  They passed off the swimming merit badge....in their tent!!  They were just SOAKED!  But they had a great time anyway (I'm SO glad that Trent goes with Pierce on his scout stuff - then I know my baby will be okay up there with the BB-guns, archery range, and wild 11 year-olds with their pocket knives!)

We then had a fantastic Sunday - I made it to church in plenty of time (I had to be there early to practice with the ward choir for the song we were singing in Sacrament meeting).  We had great speakers and the lessons were all wonderful.

Then we made our way up to the VA hospital to visit Trent's dad.  He isn't doing very well right now, so we thought a visit from the kiddos would help him out.  We also cut a bunch of our roses from our yard to help brighten up his room.   I CAN'T believe the condition of that hospital.  It's embarrassing that we treat our vets in such a run down facility!  Yea - please let the government take over our health care so we can all have run-down hospitals to be treated in.  NOT!  We should be treating our vets in the top facilities that we have available.  They have a nursing home up there where they house the vets - it was - no kidding -  just like the portables that they use at the schools - just a bunch of them connected together.  Sad!  These men only have these conditions that they need treated because they sacrificed themselves for the rest of us - and how do we pay them our respect???

Then today I had a great run - barring 2 things.  It was my fastest 3 miles yet this year, I'm sure glad because it was really hard.  I just did a loop around the neighborhood where I live and as I was making my way around one of the corners I noticed that one of the flags that the boy scouts had set up was leaning WAY over and the flag - our flag - the symbol of our great nation - was IN THE GUTTER!!  I stopped running and fixed the flag so that it was no longer touching the ground in such a demeaning way and couldn't help but think of how many people had passed by this flag - in their cars - or even the home owners, without so much as thinking twice about fixing it.

The second thing....  as you know I'm a runner.  It's getting hot outside - it's really hot when you run.  No I don't wear my G's when I run - it's disrespectful to them.  I do wear my running shorts and a sleeveless shirt (no, not a tank top - a tee-shirt without the sleeves on there).  I do not think that I am being immodest wearing what I do when I run.  The clothing I use are loose fitting and they serve the purpose that I need them for.  I only wear them when I run, and I change when I'm done.
You should have SEEN the look I got from one of the people I live by (I already knew she was this way, but man - I'm sure that it'll be around in no time that she doesn't approve of my example I'm setting - I've heard her many-a-time complaining about just about everyone else in the universe.)  Sad,  that people have no life like this!  I don't pay any never-mind to anyone else, they do what they do, and I do what I do.  I don't judge others - nor do I give people obnoxious looks (well, sometimes I do, but only when I'm goofing off.)  Urg...okay I feel better now!  I'll let that one slide off my back now.  ;)

Now I'm going to head outside to fill up the swimming pool for the kids to let them soak themselves into a happy oblivion! 

Flag Football Champion!

Jaxton played in the Championship game for the 9-10 yr. old division this past Saturday.  It was so much fun to be able to be there and watch him play his heart out.  It was such a fun and exciting game - and they WON!!

He had a great coach and a good team this Spring season.  He always played his best win or loose.  It's been fun to watch these boys come together as a team as the season went on - and become better with their sportsmanship.

  Trent's not too hot on loosing all of our Saturdays to football games - we are at the field almost all day between both the boys' games, but I think that it's worth the lessons that they are learning.  We have never had them in any sport before, and they are both doing so well with this one now I think that we may just have to give up many more Saturdays to support the kids.  It's just part of being a parent I think.  We will just have to get used to getting up really early to get in our long runs before the games start from now on  :)

Afterwards we were able to head back up to Grandma and Grandpa's house to do some swimming and have a BBQ.  I think the kids want to move in with them - they can stay in the pool FOREVER!  It works out great for us - they totally zonk out afterwards :)

Such a fun weekend!

6th grade graduate!

I can't believe my little baby is done with elementary school!!  We went to his graduation ceremony this last Friday.  His grandma and grandpa Maez were able to come and celebrate with us. 

 He was in charge of the flag ceremony and was able to go up front and speak into the mic.  He was too cute - a bit nervous, but he did a great job. 

Afterwards we went out to eat lunch and give him some small gifts.  We gave him a new watch and his grandparents gave him some books to help keep him busy during the summer.

He is growing up way too fast for me!  He received the Superintendent award and the Presidential award for academics.  He is so smart!!  I think he is more prepared to go to Jr. High than I am for him to go.  He already has girls that like him - I don't like that one!  But I guess that it's inevitable!!  Congrats Pierce and well done!

I'm finally getting around to posting some pics of our camping trip last weekend.  We had a blast!!  On Saturday the highlight of the day was our hike we went on.  Trent told Maddie that he was going to catch her a lizzard (I grimaced thinking that you can't tell a 4 yr. old something and not be able to follow up on it ).  To my great amazement he caught one!!  The kids just fell in love with it - they all took turns petting it and Maddie named it "Blinkie Eyes" because she thought it blinked a lot.  We kept it with us until the day we left, and then we had a big freedom ceremony for the little guy. (I told Madds that the lizzard's mommy was sad and wanted him back home - worked like a charm!)  On Sunday we went on a really BIG hike up to the top of one of the mountains and had a devotional there on patience.  It was just beautiful up there and the view was fantastic!  The kids only 1/2 way listened because they were cold - you'll notice in the pics that Jax didn't even bring his jacket (although he was told many times to do so.)  I'm so glad to be able to get new pics - we are only borrowing this camera until I can get a new one - but it sure does great.  I'll post some new pics soon on Piercen's graduation from 6th grade (sniff, sniff!!)  I can't belief he is getting so big so fast!!  Anyway that's for another post!!  :)