Updates

First off, our friend Bruce summitted Mt. Everest! Check out his blog on my sidebar: "The Seventh Summit," if you haven't already. He's one of only abt 240 people who have summitted the highest peaks on all 7 continents. Pretty incredible. When he comes to church for the first time in a few weeks, I think he'll be received as a celebrity! I was impressed with the email he sent today (which is on the blog) where he talks a little about his feelings about completing this goal.

And secondly, I'm afraid that some people who don't go into the comment section of my blog may mistakenly think that we are dog owners by now. On APRIL FIRST, I did a blog post about finally giving in and allowing the kids to own a dog. Anyone who knows me well (and it turns out that not many do) would have been able to recognize that as the April Fools joke that it was, but if you didn't read the first comment - from me- you might still be thinking I'd caved. Not so. We're still dogless, and will remain so until my dying day! For the record, my own mother, sisters, nieces, mother-in-law and sister-in-law all believed the post. Only Stacie and Bundy didn't fall for it! So, the next time I see you two, if you've read this post, and tell me so, I'll give you a plate of cookies for being so smart!

Memorial Weekend Fun

These first two pictures took place the week before Memorial weekend, when the Bundy's came to dinner and to pick up Emma from a sleepover she'd had with us the night before. Brody and Bundy thought it would be fun to EAT one of these beetles that was flying around in our backyard. So they each caught one (not easy), said 1,2,3--- then popped it into their mouth and chewed them up and swallowed them (Brody did gag a little bit). Is that crazy? No one dared them to, no one offered to pay them any sum of money- they just did it for the fun of it. I don't know which one of them is more insane, but they sure do bring out the craziness in each other. It was a good show.

The Sunday before Memorial Day, after it quit raining, we went to the Clarkston cemetery along with Mom, Carol, Gary, Smiths, and Romneys. I enjoyed visiting and learning some history of my ancestors. I love visiting baby Michaels grave, my Dad's, and other family members. We all went to Mom's for soup, then came home and played a fun card game. Von and Rick came to sleep over and we enjoyed several hours of visiting with them.

Monday morning Jessica went running with me, then helped me make a big, delicious breakfast joined by Kylee and Brody. It was a beautiful morning, and we enjoyed eating outside, then going for a fun bike ride in the canyon along the Logan River. The river is swift, full, and noisy. I loved it. I adore that we live less than 5 minutes from the canyon.

While waiting to eat, Kylee practiced some of her daring trampoline moves.

Ky, Brody, Mike and I joined the same crew from Sunday plus Ann and Trace at the Searles for a family work party. Their yard was looking much better when we all left than when we'd arrived. We didn't stay for the delicious lunch that Carol had prepared (with a little help from the sisters) but instead went to the Weyerts and had lunch with Freda, her sister Tiny visiting from Oregon, and Freda's Aunt and cousin visiting from SLC. Mike and I then took the boys to the movie "Night at the Museum 2" (we loved it) then on a bike ride to the Logan cemetery.

This is Matt's sweet treehouse that he built last summer. Carol didn't realize how far up it was until the fall when all the leaves fell from the tree!

It was a great weekend, and we look forward to many more in the coming months of summer.

Favorite Day of the Year

I love Mother's Day! My family does such a great job of pampering me and showing me how much they love me. It is always a very rewarding and happy day. I helped it become this way early on by telling Mike and the kids what a perfect Mothers Day for me would consist of, and they've done a great job of making it happen every year. Usually the day starts off by Mike cooking a big breakfast consisting of hashbrowns, bacon, eggs, and orange rolls. The three years he was bishop, he cancelled his morning meetings so he could still do that for me. This year however, just being a counselor, he wasn't in the position to do that (shouldn't every Bishop cancel morning meetings on Mother's day anyway?) so before he left for his 8:30 meeting, he set up a nice place setting for me with my favorite cereal, bread for toast and OJ- using our nicest china and goblets (he had been willing to make the big breakfast and have me reheat it, but I wouldn't let him). We visited the Weyerts after he got home church, then we had the Ericksons, Skeens, Searles, Hatchs, Petersens and Bundys over for dinner and kickball at the park. I didn't lift a finger to prepare or cleanup any part of the party or food. Everyone was assigned something to bring, and Mike and the girls did the rest. We had great food, good visiting, and a competitive and fun kickball game. After everyone left, we opened presents (which all included a very nice note from each of the kids- including Brody, and Mike. . . this is my very favorite part of the day, and it's all I really want in the form of gifts, but if they must give me actual presents, I'm not going to be rude about not accepting them. Haha) The day ended with a great episode of LOST from last Wednesday night that I watched with Kylee and Brody since they had been unable to watch it until now. I'm so glad I could spend time with my Mom, my mom-in-law, all my kids, and many extended family on this most fun day.

Should someone tell Mike it's easier to kick the ball with your foot instead of your knee? Haha

"Looking" through the years

Cam's double header baseball games have been rained out the last two Saturdays, so we've found ourselves with some unexpected time on our hands. Since Mike, Jessica and Jake have recently gotten new eye glasses, I thought it would be fun to dig out everyone's old eye glasses and see the improvements. No ones were more drastic than Mike's. But then no-one's been wearing glasses for the last 20 years. I cannot believe that these hideous spectacles were the style back in the day, but I promise they were! Mike was a good sport to put them on and sit there while me and Jessica were rolling on the ground laughing and trying to hold still long enough to take the picture.

It's hard to imagine that we'll ever be rolling on the ground laughing at these awesome looking glasses, but I'm sure it will happen. Next is me. Since I got this first pair of happening glasses when I was in the 4th grade, and got contacts in the 8th grade, I only have my first pair and my current pair to show since I went about 20 years with no eye glasses. I don't wear these current ones much, since I can see much better with my contacts, but it's still nice to have them.

Sadly, we didn't save Jessica's first pair of glasses she wore before getting contacts. Just this pair she had for a back up, and the new current cute pair. She likes to wear the new ones some days just for fun, and if they match her outfit. Haha

Jake got glasses in the third grade, tried contacts in the 6th grade, and has decided he now needs glasses only badly enough when he drives or watches a movie. Contacts didn't agree with him, so he's saving his month for lasix eye surgery someday.

Cam got this cute pair of glasses in the 3rd or 4th grade, and contacts in the 5th grade which he wears everyday. He only wears these glasses very occassionally.

I hope you've enjoyed this tour through the years of our evolving styling eyeglasses. I'm sure most of you have your own you could do a fashion show with as well.