March 2021

Our laptop has stopped working that I used to use for blogging.  I’m going to try doing posts from my phone.  There will obviously be a learning curve.  The pictures downloaded in a strange order and I can’t figure out how to fix them.  

We visited Payson and helped Gma and Gpa do some yard work.  Now that they are vaccinated, we can visit again!  Caleb and Blake were busy playing with Cinni and helping to cut the pruned branches up into smaller pieces.

We celebrated Katie’s 15th birthday with friends.

She chose The Cheesecake Factory for her dinner with Mom and Dad.  

Blake is back to playing soccer.  Yesterday, he got hit in the face by the ball and twice in the shoulder.  He never even looked to Mom for comfort.  Just gave a 👍 to his coach and kept on playing.  

This is our new hamster “Cub”.  We bought him from a local breeder and we hope he stays healthy for 2-3 years.

This is our hamster “Sabbage” who died a few weeks ago.  She brought us so much joy and it was tough to lose her.

Blake at his soccer game getting some love from Katie. Getting hit a few times and losing miserably makes for a rough afternoon.

 

Halloween 2019

We made an enormous amount of sugar cookies, this year.  It was nice to share them.

The little boys got some stuffed pumpkin toys at an Easter egg hunt last year.  They have loved them dearly and I’m surprised they haven’t fallen apart.  Blake wanted to carve his pumpkin to look like “Pumpkinie”.  Caleb did the same.

Trick or treating was COLD!  Here’s the one picture I remembered to take.  Caleb is Black Panther, Blake is The Hulk, and Kyler is Han Solo.

We walked around our neighborhood first, warmed up at the house for a minute, and then went to Kyler’s neighborhood.  All was going well until Blake saw the lawn decoration that scared him 2 years ago.  He and I broke from the group and walked to houses on the other side of the street.  Caleb soon got too cold and he joined us.  We tried to push Caleb to last a little longer, but after many pleadings and tears, we called it a night.

Choosing our pumpkins from a house down the street.

Kyle’s 16th Birthday

Kyle turned 16.  He enjoyed opening presents, hanging out with friends, and eating cake and ice cream.  We asked what he would want to do, with his friends, for his party.  He kept saying he didn’t want a party.  He said “no” to going to a movie with friends, watching a movie here, or going somewhere with one friend.  Jeff asked him if he wanted to go golfing and Kyle immediately said, “Yes!”.  Jeff was happy to oblige.

October

Time for our annual camping trip with the Duces.  We had fun holding baby Andrew, fishing, throwing rocks, watching a bald eagle fly through camp, eating delicious food and lots of wonderful conversation.

 Blake got really sick in the beginning of October.  He had a fever, cough, runny nose and a nasty sore throat.  He ended up sleeping in bed with me (Jeff gave up his spot for the couch) so I could stay close and help immediately when he would wake up.

He was so sick, he would suck his thumb. He hasn't done that in months.

We ended up at the insta-care with his intense stomach pain, on top of the coughing and sore throat.  They did x-rays for his belly and his lungs.  They didn't find pneumonia or any obvious reason for the stomach pain.  We think it must still be bowel pain from a month ago.  We are keeping him the regimen of keeping his stool really soft and making him sit on the potty after every meal. 

Camping and Canning

The boys are adorable and walk at a meandering pace towards my car.  

I laugh when Blake sees me and takes off while dragging Caleb the whole way. 

We went camping with our college friends the Doyles and the Ahlmers.  Granite Flat Campground was gorgeous!

 Reverse Charades!

The last night, it rained and rained.  We woke up to a downpour.  We tried to wait it out in the tent but we got too hungry.  We sent Kyle to the van to get some food to hold us over.  He came back with Oreos, sour cream and onion chips, and Mother's pink and white circus cookies.  It was a junk food feast.  It rained off and on the whole morning.  We had to pack up with the gear wet, then set it up in the backyard to dry.   

 We got our pears canned for the year and tried some peach/raspberry jam.  The jam is delicious!

Blake's First Soccer - Highland Glen Park - Blake's 6th Birthday Party

 Blake finally got his turn to play sports.  His first game was almost a disaster.  He was beet red from the heat and I was worried about him.  It was 3 pm and 95 degrees.  I poured a little water over his head to cool him off.  Oh Boy!  The wrath and tears that followed was epic.  I felt so bad.  His siblings kept pointing out that I made such a terrible choice.  We were worried he'd never step on a field again.  I bought him an ice cream cone and begged his forgiveness.  Luckily, we had many more successful games.  

I love this set of pictures.  He saw his dad with his water bottle and ran to him.   

We took advantage of the last hot day of the year.  We went to a different place called Highland Glen Park.  

I forgot Blake's life jacket so we used a bigger one of the Bonneys.  I set up my lawn chair and turned to see Blake swimming to the middle of the pond where the big kids were on Kayaks.  I yelled at him to come back.  Luckily, Ken Bonney was in his suit and jumped in quickly to escort him back to the shore.

Tami let him take a turn on a kayak and he figured it out instantly.

Caleb had fun playing "erosion".

Blake had his first official birthday party.  His 6th birthday was on a Friday and the party was that same afternoon.  

 Kyle helped the kids make light sabers out of plastic bats.  (Picture further down.)  Katie sprayed silly string at them so they could use their light sabers to fight.

 We threw stuffed animals at them while they were on the trampoline.  They tried to hit them with their light sabers.

 Here's the light saber workshop.

 A pinata followed by cake and ice cream.  Thanks, Katie, Kyle, and Jeff for all you help. 

Back to School 2019

Back to school night for Caleb and Blake.  

Jeff's real estate brokerage had their summer BBQ.  Jeff and Kyle enjoyed the axe throwing portion.

 Kyle and Katie tried the ball soccer devices.  Kyle fell, after clobbering Katie a few times, and could't get back up.  We have given him the nickname, Melman.  It is a cartoon giraffe from the movie, Madagascar.  His long legs poking out of the ball is just a scene from the movie.

This is the scene where Melman is stuck in a shipping crate with his legs poking out.  See the comparison?

 

No fear over catching a praying mantis.  Josh would be so proud.

 I forgot to take pictures on the first day of school.  I told them we would take them a week later when Blake had his first day.

Caleb picking up Blake was so adorable.  They kept holding hands and Caleb asked him how his day was.  It was ADORABLE!