Lundberg Family

My Dad

2010-10-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Dad! I sure wish I was home to give you a big hug, but since I am not I am sending this blog hug.

Thanks for being such a good Dad and loving me. There was never anything you did not think I could do and that gave me confidence in my abilities. Thanks for teaching me how to fish, that learning is important, about classical music, how to change the starter in a truck, how to crab off the pier, how importatnt family is...

how to say "I love you", how to be forgiving and see the good in others, how to be generous, how to work hard, to keep trying, that things are not what is most important, that speaking another language is really cool, to enjoy the beauty of nature and science...

to serve others, to laugh, to sieze the moment (and sometimes the waterhose)...

and that families are forever! I love you and hope you have a great birthday!

Smile!

2010-10-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

Cody got his braces off today! He smiled all day after that, it might have had something to do with the big bag of candy the orthodontist gave him that had been off limits for 2 years!

Homecoming

2010-10-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well, Cody's first date was homecoming. No, the boy does not do things the easy way! This day involved paintball games during the day, then dinner and the dance. He went with a girl he has known since he was a little kid, so that took some of the pressure off. He had fun, I have mixed emotions about this dating business.

Surprise!

2010-09-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

We decided to give Emily a surprise birthday party! It was so fun to think about surprising her and I was nervous that her friends would not be able to keep the secret but they did great. They had so much fun finding places to hide and getting ready to jump out and say "surprise"! Check out the face!

I really was busy this week so Jenny and her friend Megan bailed me out and planned which games the girls would play! They did a great job...I think I may get them to do Emily's next birthday too!

One of the games they played was spin the nailpolish bottle...whoever the top pointed to got one fingernail painted that color. Here is the result...

Happy Birthday to Emily...well it's not the Cake Boss, but such a cute cake.

After cake and ice cream the girls got silly and played a game where they made up commercials. I laughed so hard I cried. Here Emily is trying to sell one shoe! This is one creative and dramatic bunch of girls!

They had fun watching each other...the toilet paper commercial was ridiculously funny, and the tomato paste toothpaste (which would rot your teeth completely out so you never had to worry about brushing them again) were award winners!

Emily is a beautiful daughter and such a happy part of our family. We enjoyed being able to spoil her a little for her birthday!

Welding

2010-09-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

Cody is working on a project for his physics class, building a catapult. He needed to weld pieces together so he got a quick lesson from Dad and ...

now the boy can weld! John said Cody was a quick study!

New School Year

2010-08-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

O.K., Emily has the drill down now. First day of school is no problem for this girl!

Jenny is off to Middle School!!! Notice her locker divider in her arms...she spray painted a dragon head on

the side!

Could this be all the stuff from last year??? Yes, since June Cody's backpack has not been cleaned out!

Now he is ready! Junior year-Wow!

Family Picture Time...Finally!

2010-08-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

I love these pictures. It has been so long since we have had a family picture made. I wish I had been good about having this done every year. I know I will treasure these for years to come.

Hidden Treasure

2010-06-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Bright and early (well for a summer day I guess it was early) we headed out to hike Boise's hidden treasure...Table Rock. Since we moved here I have heard about it at various times but never knew what or where it was. I decided today was the day to find out, so with sketchy directions and determination, we headed out. We went right to it...why so difficult to get info about this? ...maybe the hike would not be "all that great"... well, that wasn't it either! The view was fabulous and well worth the hike. Here are Jenny and Emily a little over half-way up the trail.

And here's the view from the top!

So, this is Boise's hidden treasure! We are glad we took the time to find and enjoy it! Not sure why it is not more well known. Maybe finding this place is a right of passage in becoming an Idahoan?

Just off the trail Jenny found a sweet little grotto created out of overgrown trees and bushes that sheltered a spot where horses used to get watered...complete with an old trough!

This little treasure hunt was worth the effort!

Can't wait to camp!

2010-06-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

Emily is the ultimate camper! She waits all winter for warm weather so she can get to camping. We are having trouble finding time to go this year and Emily just can't wait anymore! So the tent is up, the campfire is blazing, the marsmallows are roasting and we are camping! (In the backyard)! The rest of us wimped out right after Old Maid; Emily really slept outside.

Recital Time

2010-06-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

It is always so fun to watch Jenny on stage. One of the best things is that she always gets flowers from Daddy after the show. We are proud of all her hard work this year.

Presidential Academic Excellence Award

2010-06-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Jenny was awarded the Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence. We are so proud of her!

Ooops!

2010-05-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

I guess I better document that Jenny fell off the trampoline and broke her arm last week. Actually, she SLID off the trampoline. She was leaning over the side to pick up Cupcake and went over the edge. Of course it is her right hand! It is a good thing she is such a good student-this really made school harder!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

There is so much that makes Mother's Day wonderful. My children are GREAT and make me so happy. Being a Mom is THE BEST!!! My mom is AMAZING. I come from a long line of great mothers and hope I can live up to the EXAMPLES they have set. My sweet husband is FANTASTIC...he sent me flowers for mother's day even though he was out of town. And I have a SUPER-TALENTED mother-in-law who has many qualities that I would like to develop in myself. One day is probably not enough to celebrate the difference a GOOD woman can make. THANKS to all the Moms that have influenced my life.

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. - Marion C. Garrety

Santa Monica Beach...

2010-04-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

Emily is always ready for adventure. The day was overcast and cool but Emily was not going to miss her day at the beach...

she headed straight for the water!

Jenny was a little more careful...

at first....

then she could not resist either!

Cody lying in the warm sand and soaking up the rays!

The real Jenny comes through here!

Emily wanted to dig until she got to the water. When she makes up her mind she really goes for it! Thank goodness Daddy was there to help.

Legoland

2010-04-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

Legoland was a blast! Cody was the ultimate tour guide and made sure the girls enjoyed their trip. The miniature buildings were amazing and of course we had to get some apple fries.

HOLLYWOOD

2010-03-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know what to say about Hollywood...let's see...weird, interesting, bizarre, dirty. This is why you do well in school people! You do not want to end up on Hollywood Blvd. except to say "Been there, done that".

Valentine Wishes...

2010-02-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

...a break from the gloom of winter...sweet notes, loving thoughts, favorite movies, delicious strawberries and class parties...how could I live without my Valentines!!! I Love You!

Snowing...

2010-01-31T14:21:00.000-08:00

We have not had much snow this winter so as soon as it began to fall Emily was out the door and ready for some fun.

Here is the world's smallest snowman. Emily made this cute little guy while she waited for the rest of us to "hurry up and get outside!"

She made a bunch of snowballs and hid out in a tree so she could bomb the rest of us when we came out! She looks so sweet and innocent but WATCH OUT!

Midnight and Cupcake were trying to help build the snowman...not really much help. They mostly wanted to eat the snow and lick Emily.

Jenny finally made it outside and when she did she was ready to create. First snow angels then snow horses, and after Cody arrived they moved on to a horse pulling a chariot.

Just looking at these little guys made me cold and grateful for a lovely home to keep me warm.

Emily is having a "ball" HA! HA!

Yummy! A Jennysicle!

Our snowman. I especially like the top hat and the snowball in his hand.

Cody keeps his neck warm thanks to Cocoa. Hummm...speaking of cocoa. See ya later!

Ballerina

2010-01-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

This year Jenny does an hour and 1/2 of ballet followed by an hour of jazz. I loved watching her transition between these very different styles of dance. She can be so exact in ballet and so free flowing in jazz...very Jenny this combination of precise whackiness!

The Abominable

2009-12-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

It's the abominable snow dog!! Cupcake got so covered in snow she had to hop to move!

What No PJ's???

2009-12-24T22:12:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas Eve the kids get new pajamas, until now. I still love the p.j.s from last year and everybody's still fit so what to do???

I made everyone Christmas pillowcases! It was a fun surprise for the kids and they soon snuggled down on their pillows and had a restless nights sleep waiting for Santa to come.

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-23T22:31:00.000-08:00

I wonder if any cookie dough will make it into the oven?

Emily is using her Great-Grandma Lundberg's cookie press to make our family favorite, Swedish Spritz cookies.

The elves busy at work!

After the cookie making the wild rumpus begins!

O' Christmas Tree

2009-12-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

Each year the kids get a new ornament to add to their collection then we decorate the tree.

Now it really feels (and smells) like Christmas!

Live Nativity

2009-12-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

Cody was a shepard in the live nativity that our wards' youth put on this year. As you enter the "city gates" you are lead through Bethlehem and hear the story of Christ's birth. The trip ends in the stable where the youth collect food for the local food bank from any of the visitors that wish to donate. There is always such a sweet spirit here, it is a great way to celebrate Christmas.

Nutcracker

2009-12-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

Jenny was in the Nutcracker ballet this year. It sure was a lot of work but it really paid off, this was one of the best productions I have seen. Jenny was the star of the show, I am sure there must have been other people on stage when she was, but I never saw them. These pictures are from the dressed rehearsal. In the party scene she is wearing the green dress and in the Russian dance she is the one not wearing her black tights...oops!

Gingerbread House

2009-12-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

This was not the project that I was planning to do, but before I knew what had happened the girls had created this masterpiece.

It is a fabulous piece of real estate that includes a hot chocolate lake with gum drop islands!

Piano Recital

2009-12-07T22:39:00.000-08:00

Well the girls were Decking the Halls and Dancing with SugarPlum Fairies. They both did a good job on their songs and I loved hearing the Christmas music while they practiced!

Cherokee Princess

2009-11-27T14:51:00.000-08:00

Emily is working on her Cherokee Indian family history here... she even made her own bow and arrows! Watch out!

Photoshoot

2009-11-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

What a treat to be able to take some pictures of this cute family. I enjoyed the opportunity and while my kids may have thought this got them out of having their pictures taken, I can assure them, it has only made me 1)want to learn more and 2)want to take more pictures...sorry kids!

Eagle Scout

2009-11-20T12:22:00.000-08:00

O.K., I am definiately having a proud parent moment...Cody was presented with his Eagle Award last night and what a reward night it was as a parent. It has been amazing to watch him grow to be the young man that he is.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T23:45:00.000-07:00

Emily the Gypsy.

Jenny the Easter Bunny.

Cody, Army Special Forces (I guess he'll never out grow this!)

The Loot...organized and ready to trade!

To keep or to trade?

Cody has quite a pile of candy!

Lots of family love to give out after some yummy candy and successful trading for favorites! Successful night!

Carving Pumpkins

2009-10-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

Trying to find time to carve our Halloween pumpkins was difficult this year! We finally decided to have our own late night! We had a blast while pulling out slimy pumpkin guts, designing scary faces, and sipping warm apple cider.

Jenny and Cupcake

2009-10-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here is Jenny and her sweet little Cupcake. It is amazing to see how much they love each other. Cupcake runs like a bullet when Jenny calls, follows her around all over the house, and lays down by the door that Jenny has gone out and just waits for her to get back. Jenny likes to sneak Cupcake into her bed at night...and sometimes Cupcake lets Jenny get in her bed!

Fresh Fall Leaves

2009-10-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

Each day on the way home from school Emily brings me a new beautiful fall leaf. We have loved looking at all the colors. We are so lucky to be able to enjoy the seasons here. Today the girls got the most out of a crisp fall day.

Spa Night

2009-10-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

Emily's Birthday Party was a Spa Night... the girls worked out to Turbo Jam on the Big Screen, gave each other a back massage,

had an avacado or banana facial,

and relaxed to the sounds of the ocean.

Emily enjoyed being surrounded by her friends and being pampered. We had fun spoiling her! We love you Emily!

Good Night!

Cody is 16!!!

2009-10-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Amazing to think my little boy is 16! Not such a baby anymore! Could not be happier with the young man he has become!
Here are a few pictures from his party...

Fairy Town by Emily

2009-09-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

I got a lot of help with this fairy house. My sister Jenny helped me with this house and my freind Hallie.We had to do this house over and over until we got it right.We also made a few more fairy homes. Hallie made a raft made of sticks and twigs. We made raspberry pie and rasberry juice.We also made a swing.

Emily made this swing for the fairies to play on.

The fairies can sail on the pond in this flower fairy boat.

Jenny is putting the finishing touches on her fairy house.

Grandma Reaves Tomato Relish

2009-09-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

Here come the tomatoes...

My parents found Grandma Reaves tomato relish recipe and sent it to me, I decided to give it a try. I remember seeing my grandpa put this over peas and cornbread.

Tomato Relish

1 peck (we figured out this is 2 gallons) of ripe tomatoes

5 large onions

4 or 5 hot green peppers

1 Tbsp salt

2 1/2 cups sugar

3 cups vinegar

black pepper to taste

Scald and peel tomatoes, mash them up, and drain off most of the water. Grind up pepper and onions; mix all ingredients and cook slowly for about an hour, or until done.

Put in pint jars (this makes 7 pints) and is delicious on vegetables.

First Day of School

2009-08-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

Cody is in 10th grade this year! This first day stuff is easy for him now. This year he is going to two different high schools. The first 1/2 of the day is at a Math and Science school, then the second 1/2 is at his regular high school.

Jenny is in 5th grade! Last year of Elementary School... she rules the school this year! Her teacher was Cody's teacher too, so we know this will be a good year for Jenny.

Emily is in 3rd grade...she goes to the big playground this year and is so excited. Her teacher is new to the school so we don't know much about her but she seems like she will be really good!

The girls are ready to go.

Blue Lake Hike

2009-08-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

This is the last weekend before schools starts so we headed up to Blue Lake in Cascade for a picnic. We talked, played, found wildflowers, saw lots of animals, laughed together and encouraged each other as we hiked out of the canyon. It was a fun way to end the summer vacation.Emily was at least a little excited about this hike! She smiled, and posed the whole time, it was a mother's dream come true!

Emily posed on almost every rock on the way to the lake...I only put a few of the pictures in here.

We thought this little guy must be on his way to the Ugly Bug Ball!

We weren't real sure the girls were going to stay dry, but they did good. Only wet feet. They named a log they were playing with Alli Gator, too cute!

Cody found a little rock to play with!

Love the little frogs!

Back up the hill was not so much fun but we all did it, Emily carried her pack the whole way, what a hiker!

Our family on top of the world again!

Peaches

2009-08-26T22:43:00.000-07:00

Well the peaches are ready whether I am or not...we made a peach cobbler in the dutch oven, ate lots of these sweet, juicy peaches just for fun, and I still had enough to can 4 quarts.

A Morning in the Garden

2009-08-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

Here is how the garden is looking now...Finally, I have been trying to grow a watermelon since we moved here!

Lots of green roma's, I can almost taste the salsa these will make! Yummy, Yummy!

Our little peach tree is loaded down!

Jenny likes the pole bean teepee...she is having a breakfast of fresh green beans.

First year for pears!

Good morning Emily.

Emily the Flower Fairy

2009-07-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

I love the imagination of little girls and as mine get older I get a little sad thinking that we are moving past the dress up and make believe stages. I was thrilled when Emily got an invitation to dress as a fairy for a friends birthday party. It was great to see her creativity soar once again as she found fairy clothes, put fairy flowers in her hair, and had Daddy help her make fairy wings.

Emily was even lucky enough to have her fairy sister take her down the street in her fairy carraige to the party. Thanks Tiffany and Abbey for one more fairy party!

Pictures with my Kids

2009-07-26T21:10:00.001-07:00

Most of the time I am the one with the camera so I am not usually in the pictures. I don't always mind that-but today John grabbed the camera and I grabbed my kids. I sure do love my little sweeties.

American Girls

2009-07-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

Jenny and Jesse strike a pose.

What a beautiful group of girls - these are the real "American Dolls" !

For the past week the girls have been having so much fun with each other and their American Girl dolls.

Today it was a campout in the Lundberg Wilderness. The girls set up a tent and made beds for their dolls.

Of course we had to have a fire in the fire pit and roast marshmallows!

This all looks good except...where is the fire? Jenny kept working on it and before long we had lots of burned marshmallows!

Jenny finally roasted a "perfect" marshmallow. She almost lost it when it started sliding off the stick...Daddy to the rescue!

Vegetables from our Garden

2009-07-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

We have had good results from our garden this year. This is what I pulled out today! We still have green beans, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, watermelon, raspberries, peaches, pears, and cantelope on the way...and then we start over with the cool season veggies again. So yummy!

THE 4th of July Fireworks Show!!!

2009-07-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

When Cody and his friend Mason came out to set off fire works dressed like this I have to admit I was a little nervous!

I personally loved the safety goggles!

Emily is ready for some sparklers!

The show begins with smoke bombs - a nice patriotic purple.

Jenny is excited because this year she gets to light some fireworks of her own!

This was a great ending to an action packed 4th of July weekend. We got quite a show!

Camping Trip to Cascade Lake

2009-07-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

July 2nd-We decided to spend a couple of days at Cascade Lake. The weather was warm and the water looked great! We enjoyed the company of lots of friends, the excitement of lots of water toys, and the beauty of our surroundings.

Jenny and Emily are ready for some fun in the water!

Cody-just relaxing!

Jenny just finished riding the SeaDoo- she is a crazy speed demon on that thing!!!

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July 3rd- Good Morning!

Emily set the table for breakfast and Daddy made pancakes...maybe this is why I like camping so much!

Our little camper girl! Emily wants to camp all year round and is happiest when outside. She is usually one of the first ones awake because she does not want to miss anything.

Cody and Jordon playing cards-this was how they passed the time while waiting for their turn on the SeaDoo's.

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July 4th- Happy Independence Day!

The morning on the lake is so beautiful.

Emily amazed us all by sleeping alone in her one person tent everynight!

Emily and Daddy off for an early morning ride around the lake.

Cody was whipping around all over the lake! Only the thought of setting off fireworks could get him to leave this fun.

Jenny was either playing hard or reading, she finished Harry Potter this weekend.

Late in the afternoon we packed the camping gear and headed home greatly anticipating the fireworks show to be put on by Cody and his friends.

Happy Birthday Jenny

2009-06-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

This year it is all about the CUPCAKE!!! Jenny wanted a dog so bad she was willing to give up a birthday party with friends to get her dog.

Once a week the kids in the neighborhood have been getting together for games, this time it landed on Jenny's birthday...So, we made it a party!

Jenny is so happy to have her dog!

Payton and Kathleen found a present for Jenny. They even wrapped it for her...

What a surprise! Luckily, Jenny has quick reflexes and she saved her new frog before the cat got him!

They found him a home next to the pond in the backyard where he will have a happy life eating mosquitoes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNY! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Home from Girl's Camp

2009-06-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

When I pulled into the driveway after coming home from Girl's Camp this is what I saw...made me smile!

They had decorated the house with streamers!

Set the table for a party!

And Cody made a cake!

What a wonderful way to end a great week. I so enjoyed being with the young women...especially the night Jenny got to come up and join us...but, oh am I glad to be back home with my family! I love these people!!!!!

Welcome Cupcake!

2009-06-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

Jenny got a Shih Tzu puppy for her birthday! She has been wanting a puppy for such a long time and is really ready for this new responsibility; we could not wait any longer. She named her new puppy Cupcake. She will be a very loved, very happy little doggie!

Eagle Fun Days

2009-06-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

We have enjoyed the Eagle Fun Days Parade every year since we moved here. It is just a small town thing and I love it! This year Cody-who is the biggest fan of the water fight-was on his way home from EFY and it was not the same without him here. We did our best to represent the Lundberg Family. We grabbed our water guns and jumped on our bikes to meet our friends on State Street. It was cloudy and we had some rain, but that's o.k., we were there to get wet anyway.

Simple Pleasures

2009-06-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite as fun as playing in the sprinklers with friends.

Murphy Outpost Days

2009-06-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

We decided to check out the big town of Murphy and see what "Outpost Days" was all about. The kids learned how to grind corn into cornmeal. Pretty cool little gadgets- they thought this was fun.

Thar's gold in them thar hills! Gold panning got all of our attention, we all found some gold and we even found a few small garnets!

These were so fun to see up close! What a hassel these horns were, you should have seen them try to get their heads down to the water for a drink.

Emily cools off with a snow cone!

Cody texting????

This booth showed how saddles were made.

Cute little calf!

This turned out to be a fun trip. We learned lots of new things...especially that Emily is a great little bargain shopper. She was making deals with the vendors like a champ.

Awards!

2009-06-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Jenny got a Music Award for her amazing work on the recorder. She got her black belt in Recorder Karate -watch out! She can even play it with her nose... a little weird but we are proud anyway.

Emily got Citizen of the Year for her class! This award is for being an all around good student. Way to go Emily!

Just Wanna Have Fun

2009-06-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Some crazy things go on at the Elementary School at the end of the year.
Jenny's class decided to have a costume party- she is Chad Vader...that would be Darth Vader's brother in case you were wondering.
Emily's class is having crazy hair day-she lookes like a chararcter from a Dr. Seuss book.

How fun to be a kid...and how fun to be their Mom!

Field Day

2009-05-30T21:08:00.001-07:00

Field day is always so much fun! The music is playing loud, there are lots of games, and everybody has a blast! The favorites are the slip'n slide, monster volleyball, and sponge tag!

Plus all this means school is almost out for the summer! YEAH!!!

Memorial Day

2009-05-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

We went to visit the Field of Honor at Merrill Park. Each flag is flown in honor of a veteran. There are about 300 flags. It is quite a sight!

Memorial Weekend Camping Trip

2009-05-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

We went camping at Sage Hen Reservior. The scenery was beautiful and the weather was even cooperative! We went on a couple of hikes-one of our favorite things to do.

These little frogs were everywhere!

Lewis and Clark a.k.a. Cody and Derek, decided to row the canoe upstream to a pipe that went under the road, it was quite a wild ride! I laughed so hard at them trying to canoe through the bushes, shooting back out of the tube and trying to stay in the canoe!

Watch out for SNAKES!!!!

A boy from the next campsite found this snake in the reservior. He was acting mighty brave, but would not touch it (smart!). After Jenny found out it was not poisonous she caught it with about ten other kids watching. She held it for a while then let it go.

When we first got to camp, Emily pulled out a fishing pole and hopped around until someone rigged her line. She fished from shore, then Dad took her out in the canoe. No luck the first day!

The next morning she got up and started fishing before breakfast...No Luck!

Then Dad took her out in the canoe...No Luck!

She took a break for a hike and some frog catching, then fished again that evening...No Luck on the second day!

The next day, I took her out in the boat. We could see fish jumping, we could see people catching fish...still No Luck!

We checked to see what bait the people catching fish were using, used the same thing, but...No Luck!

We took a break and hiked to a beautiful waterfall.

Then Dad took Emily out in the canoe for about 2 hours...No Luck!

We were leaving that evening and now we were feeling a little nervous about this fishing thing not working for Emily... she was almost in tears!

While Dad started packing up the gear, Emily fished from the shore. The little girl standing next to Emily caught a fish...now there were tears...not a fit, just tears. I knew that the time of day was right (5:30 p.m.) the fish were starting to jump, so...I took her out in the canoe. The fish were jumping all around us. We adjusted the line a little, Emily cast it right between where we saw 2 fish jump, and we waited. Then something hit the line...it wiggled...it pulled...it was a fish!

Emily reeled him in, got excited, reached for the line, and he pulled the line back out so she reeled him in again. She got excited, reached for the line, and he pulled the line back out. Now I am getting worried that the thing is going to get away. She reels him in, holds the reel tight and swings him around into the boat! A beautiful little rainbow trout! Oh was Emily excited! And Oh were we ever relieved! Now we could pack up and go home!

Ballet Recital

2009-05-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken backstage before the recital. I can tell they are a little nervous, but mostly excited!

They both did SOOO Great!!! No mess-ups and lots of beautiful ballet. They got flowers after the performance from Dad. They were tired and a little hungry so we grabbed a yummy snack on the way home. Good job girls! We are pround of all your hard work this year!

Midnight's Dog House

2009-05-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

The girls decided to convert the playhouse to Midnight's dog house. It has original art work on the walls, paw print fabric curtains, a clothes line, and a mailbox. He settled right in and seems to really like his new place.

Soccer Team Party

2009-05-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of the soccer season. We had a good team...great kids, great coaching. Emily had a lot of fun and improved as a soccer player this season. It has been fun to watch. The team had a party and got trophy's because they came in first place...no wait, we don't keep score in this league...because they...played soccer! Yeah, way to go! They only lost one game...oh yeah, we don't keep score in this league...but they beat the team they lost to when they played them again...but we don't keep score in this league.

What a Play!

2009-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Emily is open... Lilly passes...Emily shoots and scores!!! Great team work!

I made a Quilt!

2009-05-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

This was a fun quilt to make, I learned how to machine quilt! It is for my new little niece Abigail Kate.

Our Soccer Player

2009-04-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

As if playing soccer weren't enough excitement there are the friends, the treats, the cheering crowds and Daddy as the assistant coach. What a perfect activity for Emily!

Easter Morning

2009-04-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

Egg Hunt with the Butlers

2009-04-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed hunting Easter Eggs at the Butlers, we have done this every year since we moved to Idaho and really enjoy our time with them. Cody and his friends Daniel and Dylan helped hide the eggs...in the trees is a favorite spot. Jenny and Emily both found lots of eggs that were filled with yummy Easter Candy!

We went home and decorated our hard boiled eggs, then did our Easter flannel board story.

Now we are all set for Easter.

Princess Jenny makes an Official Decree

2009-04-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

"A Decree"

I decree that I should get a German Shorthaired Pointer.

It would be good for all mankind because, if I don't get it before 5th grade I shall annoy My parents for all eternity (I know, thats a long time).

S0 for my parents own good I make this decree.

If they follow through with this they shall have a grand wonderful life.

If my parents pull this as a prank and just get a stuffed animal German Shorthaired Pointer, they will be sooo sorry!"

Here comes Peter Cottontail

2009-04-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

Emily is excited about Easter. She made this giant bunny to welcome Peter Cottontail.

April Fools!

2009-04-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

Jenny woke up early to come pile stuffed animals on top of me while I slept. I was surprised to see lots of furry faces when I woke up. Then she piled them all on the cat...Dusty did not stick around for long. When I went to start breakfast, Jenny's stuffed animal "Baby" was there waiting to be fed.

Spring Break

2009-03-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

We took a day trip to Bruneau Sand Dunes for Spring Break. After 2 days of cleaning out the attic we were ready for some fun! We packed a picnic lunch and headed out! We hiked up and down sand hills for 2 hours, with a little rolling down hills added in for good measure. After lunch, the kids flew kites and played in the sand.

Reader's Theatre

2009-03-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Emily's reading group held a reader's theatre. All week we heard the entire story of John Henry Steel Driving Man over and over...Emily had memorized everyone's part not just her own! The class did a great job!

We Love Our Old Dog!

2009-03-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

Midnight is 13 years old now! He is so happy it is warming up and the kids are staying outside to play longer! Every spring he acts just like a puppy again...well, minus chewing on the air conditioner hoses.

Last Snow Day?

2009-03-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

This snow came after a few days of warm weather. Cody and Emily wanted to play in what we think will be the winter's last snow. They crammed in all the fun they could before the snow started to melt! They made a snowman, and had a snowball fight (with Dad as the target) while Jenny watched from the saftey of the kitchen.

Jenny's Ballet Day

2009-02-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Today it was Jenny's turn for parent observation day. She amazes us with her talent. She wants to dance en pointe so bad...one more year to go!

Emily's Ballet Class

2009-02-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

This was parent observation day for Emily's ballet class. She really works hard and we enjoyed being able to watch her. We were impressed with how much she has learned in one short year.

Breakfast of Champions

2009-01-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

Emily and her friend (and neighbor) Will were chosen for Breakfast of Champions for showing respect and appreciation to others. We are proud of Emily and love her sweet personality!

And, how about those curls! Gotta love it!

Billy Joe Bob

2009-01-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

Emily is our champion snowman builder! This is her new friend Billy Joe Bob.

Imagine That!

2008-12-30T19:23:00.000-08:00

Emily and her friend Leah were dressed all in black...this led to being puppies, then to being spies!

Shoveling Snow in Idaho Falls-BRRRR!

2008-12-27T21:57:00.000-08:00

Emily and Aunt Erika started out the day with a little snow shoveling. In Idaho Falls that can be a big job, but Emily just thought it was lots of fun.

Wearing Uncle Nick's Hat

2008-12-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

Finally got a picture of Cody looking up!

Riding Horses in Utah

2008-08-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

While Cody was at EFY I took the girls to visit family. It was so great to be able to see everyone. The girls loved riding the horses at Uncle Larry's and would ride as often and as long as they could. They spent the trip home coming up with names for the horses they want. We are in trouble now!

Just getting started

2008-07-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

There are so many of you that I want to keep in touch with and I never seem to have enough time to really do that very well. I am hoping that this will make it a little easier for me to share the exciting things that go on in our family.

Slumber Party

2008-07-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

Two friends and I thought it would be so fun to surprise our girls with a girl's day out and end with a slumber party. The boys went on a scout campout so the time was right! We knew this was going to be so exciting for our girls because none of us allow sleepover for our children. But since we (the moms) would be with them (like camping with friends) we were ok with it! We knew our girls would flip out! We also made it a surprise late birthday party for Payton (since she had not had a friends party yet). All we told our girls was that we were all going to go do something fun with some friends. We piled all six girls and the three of us adults into the car and we headed to the theatre to see Kit Kitredge: American Girl Movie. We all loved it! The 3 moms were crying at one point because of the sad state of the economy (it hit a little too close to home)! Next we headed to Fuddruckers for dinner!

Then, back home for Payton's little surprise! We all went in before Payton did and had just enough time to get into position and shout "surprise"! The girls pitched in and got her a cute doll and her dad made her cake...pretty amazing cake. We let the cake give the girls the clue that they would get to have a sleepover! When they realized that -I've never heard louder screams! Check out the picture of Abby-Tammy caught her reaction as soon as they found out-priceless!

We wanted to play charades and keep the girls guessing what our next adventure would be so Tiffany and I started dancing the YMCA motions- yup- we took them swinning at the "Y". It has 3 huge indoor pools and a great waterslide. So much fun!

We left the pool, because it was closing, and headed back to the house. Payton blew out her candles and we had her yummy cake. The girls put on a song and dance show for us. Tammy taught them "Have you ever gone fishin' on a hot summer day". This was so much fun for us moms to watch, we laughed until our sides ached. The girls were hilarious and so into their performance!

We finally got the girls to settle down after hours of playing. I don't think we moms got to sleep until about 3:00!

The next morning Tammy's sweet mom, Donna, came over and made us a good ole biscuit and gravy breakfast. It was so yummy and such a great reminder of the south. After attempting to put the house back together we said our goodbye's. The girls were so sad, you would have thought that they were never going to see each other again. But they all live right down the street! It was sooo much fun, we all hated to see it end (expecially the moms). We needed our good dose of girl time, now we are better prepared to handle life again. I am so lucky to have such great friends and so happy that my girls have good friends too!