Last Family Outing Before School Started - Aug 2009

This was our last hoorah before school started. We went on a two day camping trip up by Minnetonka Cave by Bear Lake (the part in Idaho). We hadn't been to Minnetonka cave since I was pregnant with Colby. We also spent the afternoon after going to the cave at the beach at Bear Lake - playing in the sand, water and canoeing. It had been awhile since we had our canoe out. We had lots of fun and by the time we got home we had a few loads of laundry to do (it's amazing how many clothes 5 boys can get dirty in only two days!).

Trip to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House - July 2009

We went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. The boys really enjoyed being in the temple. They were so well behaved - it must have been the wonderful spirit there! Once again - Jacob wasn't able to come because he was at work. But he got to go to the Draper Temple Open House earlier in the year.

July 24th Fun

Jacob marched in the 24th of July parade in Ogden. Boy was it hot that day and we had a few whining boys (Don was in France - so I had to try and control this wily bunch)! The Fremont H.S. band was almost at the end of the parade!

11 Year Old Scout Camp Trip - July 2009

Don took his 11 year old scouts (which Mitchell is one of them - Ben tagged along) on a camping trip up to some land owned by his cousin's friend. His cousin came on the trip and took them on a hike of the "chinatown" of Utah.

Hike to Waterfall - Summer 2009

We went hiking up North Fork Canyon by Eden, UT. We got to see a beautiful waterfall! Jacob wasn't able to come - he was working (lifeguarding at North Shore Aquatic Center in North Ogden).

Jacob goes on Pioneer Trek - July 2009

Jacob got to go on the pioneer trek up and around Martin's Cove. He had lots of fun! His pioneer trek mom spoke in church and they nicknamed him "The Professor" and said that he never complained. And was most always the first one out there pulling. The day they crossed the river his sandal broke and he didn't tell anybody until they were across the river. What a good boy! (Makes Mom and Dad real proud of how grown up and mature he is!)

July 4th Festivities

Jacob played and marched in three parades on July 4th - Plain City, Farr West and Hooper.
We also spent the afternoon at the neighborhood block party - they had big blow up slides to play on - one with water. The boys had a lot of fun. We lit off a few little fireworks with our neighbors. And then we watched all of other neighbors around us lighting off fireworks. The boys still miss the 4th of July in Marysville, WA. Nothing compares!

World Traveler

Don has had to go to France/Germany several times this summer. He was at the Eiffel Tower on our anniversary. I just need to get my passport so I can go with him one of these times. His last trip, he went hiking in the Andorra mountains.

Hill Air Force Base Air Show - June 2009

We went to the Hill Air Force Base Air Show - June 2009. We got to see lots of cool airplanes and watch some of them fly. We went back the next day to see the thunderbirds show and got rained on, but it was cool to watch them fly!

Memorial Day 2009

Just before Memorial Day, we took flowers to decorate graves in Malad. Logan is by his Uncle Paul's grave (Logan's middle name is Paul - in honor of his Uncle Paul).

Waterfall Canyon Hike

Don and I took a hike last Friday to waterfall canyon while the other boys were at school. (Don had the day off) It was great exercise since I've been trying to go walking more often so I can lose a few pounds (after seeing how bad I looked in a swimming suit on our trip to Hawaii). It was beautiful and we didn't have the usual complaining from the boys since they were not there (are we there yet, how much further). And when we got home, we got the garden weeded. Don's off to Germany this week for work (I guess I'm used to him traveling since he did it so much the last couple of years he was at Boeing) and the boys will be out of school on Friday. Jacob's already started his new lifeguard job at the aquatic center in North Ogden and loves it. We got to go swimming on his first day life guarding on Saturday (it was a little chilly so we didn't stay long).

Spring 2009 soccer

Mitchell and Colby finished up their spring soccer season! They had fun!

Colby's 1st Grade Car Party Extravaganza

Colby had a fun time at his 1st Grade Party. They had earned pretend money that they could spend at their stops - car wash, lemonade stand, McDonald's drive up window, gift store, drive-in movie w/popcorn, etc. They also got to stop at the farm and see the animals, listen to the policeman tell them about his job, etc. and listen to the cute robotic bus tell them about the school bus rules. Logan and I got to follow them around. It was lots of fun!

Happy Birthday to Ben and Logan

We celebrated Ben and Logan's birthday together on Ben's birthday. We missed Logan's while we were in Hawaii. Happy 14th to Ben and 3rd to Logan!!!

We just enjoyed a wonderful trip to Hawaii - Islands of Oahu and Kauai! On Oahu, we hiked up Diamond Head Crater, went to the Polynesian Cultural Center (the luau and show were lots of fun! And seeing the Hawaii temple - which is under renovation right now), snorkeled at Hanauma Bay (a little scary at first, but fun to see all the colorful fish and sea turtles - Don saw an octopus while snorkeling on Kauai), and visited Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Missouri. On Kauai, we went on a kayak trip on the Wailua River and got to hike to some secret falls, lounged by the beach and went snorkeling, took a boat ride around the Napali Coast (where we got to snorkel off the boat - a little scary for me! and we got to see dolphins, sea turtules and the gorgeous views!, hiked up to where we could see the views of the Waimea Canyon, the grand canyon of Hawaii, and hiked up a trail on the North Shore of the island. We had a wonderful trip!!! It was our first real vacation alone since Jacob was two. And the boys survived and now we are back to the daily grind - laundry, cleaning the house, yardwork and gardening, and helping boys with homework and projects. Looking forward to school being out. Better quit blogging - got to run to watch Jacob in his last track meet.

We went to Heber to join in on the Easter Egg Hunt festivities with the family. My sister Joyce hid all of the eggs for the kids and they had a blast finding eggs. They came home with a ton of candy. It was also my 40th birthday - so we got to have cake (with and over the hill candle on it! At least they didn't get the black balloons my sister suggested) and ice cream with my family in Heber, too!

We spent one of the days the boys were off during Spring Break at the Ogden train station climbing on all of the engines. And then off to get an ice cream and then to play at the park.