When you ask a 7 year old to kill a bee....

This is what happens...


Okay, so funny story, now that is. I came home from my early morning Sunday meetings, and everyone was downstairs visiting with Grandma Jane, Grandpa Roger, and Morgan, who had just arrived the night before. Grant went upstairs, and then came back down again, announcing that we had a real live bee in our house. Chuck, with all his fatherly wisdom, told our seven year old, to just hit it with a magazine. Feeling quite confident in his abilities, Grant ran up stairs to kill his first bee. We heard a few thuds, followed the very loud, unmistakable sound of shattering glass. Chuck and I looked at each other, and ran up stairs to discover the above scene. Grant was standing back away from the window with a look of total fear, like he had just given himself a for sure death sentence.

Rather than grab a magazine, Grant grabbed this board book of Ava's. Not wanting to get too close to the bee, he stood at the other end of the living room, and launched the book at the bee. Can you guess where the bee was? And the bee won, just in case you weren't clear on that. Oh yeah, and Grant is still alive, and learned a very valuable lesson on how NOT to kill a bee.

I Can't Believe I Did This!

Okay, so I got a wild hair last week, and decided to try my hand at sewing a piece of clothing for myself! I do enjoy sewing, but I have only ever done things for my home, or crafty things, never clothes! I saw this skirt tutorial on a blog for an A line skirt, and it looked incredibly simple, so I thought I'd give it a try (and most likely fail miserably, especially because it had a zipper!!!). But to my complete surprise, it was easy, and fun, and it actually fit me! I wore it to church on Sunday, and got lots of compliments! I will definitely make another skirt, and I totally rocked at the zipper! Yea me!!!

Not the greatest picture, but you get the idea!

Preschool Party

Callie had a very fun preschool year! I participated in a co-op with several other moms from our ward, and the ward next to ours, just like I've done for the boys. I have been doing a co-op, for 5 out of the last 6 years! For an end of the year party, we went to a park with the 2 preschool groups for some games, crafts and cup cakes! It was a great excuse to get all the kids together, let us moms visit, and say good bye to some that are moving, and some that are graduating to kindergarten.

Working on the craft project.

The whole crew together!

Our little group had 5 kids, 2 girls, Callie and Eryn, and 3 boys, Clark, Spencer, and Joshua. This year, all of the little boys at some point or another had a little thing for Callie, the "M" word (marry) was even tossed around a bit!! One morning I went to pick up Spencer, and Callie was in the back of the van waiting for him. I had done her hair in pig tails (or puppy tails as she calls them), and Spencer looked at her and said, "Oooo, Callie I like your hair today!" Not something you hear a 4 year old boy say everyday! I told his mom what he had said, and she later asked Spencer about it, and he said that he hoped she would wear her hair like that when they got married! The kids are great, and we can't wait to get started next year!

Eryn, Spencer, Clark, Joshua, and Callie

Ava playing peek a boo with her stroller.

Callie enjoying her cupcake!

They are boys.....

And they are constantly on the go! We do love the fact that they are anything but sedentary, and have loved, from a very early age, bikes, scooters, roller blades, and skateboards. A few years back, the boys pooled some of their birthday money, and bought these bike jumps. They have provided countless hours of entertainment, not only for our kids, but all of their friends too! There have been a few injuries, but nothing too serious! I don't know what all of their moves and tricks are called, all I know is that they asked me to take a few "action" shots of this and that something or another the other day. They think their pictures turned out so cool, that they asked me to put them on the blog, which is what I was planning to do any way!

Dallin and his friend Alex

Grant

Dallin again! (He thinks he looks like he's crying!)

Chuck is talking about building the boys a quarter pipe this summer. Apparently he must think we don't frequent urgent care often enough! And yes, I know they don't have their helmets on, they are both broken, and we need to pick up new ones this week.

Memorial Day

We had a very relaxing Memorial Day this year. We decided to pack up the kids and head to Como Zoo, which has been around, well since the beginning of time I think! Thankfully they have made vast improvements to it over the years, and it isn't quite the PETA nightmare it once was! It is now a great destination for families, and still has the most amazing gardens and arboretums around! The kids enjoy it all, and because it isn't all that big, it helps keep the crabbiness and whining in check!

Ava was thrilled to be stroller free for a few min and explore the arboretum with her siblings!


She really wanted nothing to do with posing for a picture, she just wanted down!

I love this building, it smells like heaven! (Sorry about the naked statue!)

I just laughed at he sight of all the kids hanging over the edge of this pond trying to touch the coy fish. (and yes, they did get yelled at by a volunteer, but it was fun while it lasted!)

I surprised the kids with a bag of cotton candy to share, as if they didn't have enough junk and sugar coursing through their veins!

We had a great time, and Chuck and I have vowed to go back soon, just the two of us on a date, so we can really enjoy all of the gardens and exhibits, oooh, and maybe have a picinic too!

Brownies are yummmmm!

Our families absolute favorite dessert is brownies with ice cream. I use the same Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie mix every time, with a cup of Guittard milk chocolate chips. Just so dang good! Ava was having a little bite of brownie, and she apparently thinks brownies are yummmmmm, because she kept humming while she was eating them, as if that was the only way she could express just how delicious they were! I couldn't resist posting her yummmm pictures! There's no doubt she's our child with the way she was lovin' on that brownie!

She's a keeper!

Grant turns 7!

Grant turned the big seven on May 14th, and he couldn't have been more thrilled! We had a small family party on his actual birthday, followed by the much anticipated friend birthday party!

I got an idea earlier this year from my friend Andrea, to do a marshmallow shooter party! Both of the boys loved the idea, and I loved it, because that meant that I didn't have to do party favors, and elaborate decorations (like in years past). Each boy took home a shooter and a bag of mini marshmallows, and everyone had a blast! My yard and driveway were covered with little white marshmallows for almost a week!!! Each shooter cost just under $2, and all in all were not that difficult to make. Grant had an awesome time, and thanked me several times for the cool party!

Chuck giving the kids step by step instructions for assembling their sugar blasting weapons!

I had just asked Dallin if he like the shooter, and he told me it rocked!

Grant mid breath getting ready for his next attack!

This is the calmest picture I could get of the party goers!