July 6-12- More Summer fun in AZ

 Monday night we got Chik-fil-a and Wendy's and went over to Riverview Park. We were all pretty crabby in the car on the way there. A baked potato fell out of somebody's hands and I lost my patience. But we ended up having fun at the park even with that and the heat. I was so grateful to turn on the a/c in the car!

Lots of swim and dive team this week. I am so proud of Ethan and Eli for getting up so early each day to swim at Stapley. Eli had a hard time going Tuesday, I really had to do some convincing, and by that I mean bribing… and school clothes happened to come up!  After he came home Tuesday he said: "Thanks mom, for making me go." I had to scrape up my jaw off the ground! Ethan qualified to swim in the relay swim meet this week. He swam hard and Jonah and I had a fun time at the swim meet watching him. Jonah is becoming a great swimmer and diver.

Janie at her Dive Meet

 Jonah and I at Ethan's Swim meet. That face.

Friday night we did a 1 night away at Lake Roosevelt. We camped Friday night and then planned to be boating all day Saturday. It was a fun little get away.

 Eli and Janie getting ready for bed.

Janie, Sadie, Curtis and I slept in the boat, and the 3 boys slept on cots that we brought. It was actually pretty nice, there was a breeze and probably 80's that night. I woke up one time to a big bug zooming down at me, and a few times my hips digging into the floor of the boat, but for camping it was great.

We also brought little Cougar along! 

 Spur of the moment we turned at a sign that said 'cave dwellings.' Last time we came to Roosevelt we wanted to stop but didn't have time. It was 1/2 mile hike from our car up the hill to these 700 year old settlements.

Beautiful and so interesting.

 The Salado people would use the pigments from the rocks to colour pottery and barter with other groups for other resources.

This was a little bowl hollowed out that they would mix the pigments in. 

I love how light plays off of stone. One of my favourite things to photograph. 

On the way down with Eli still up there.

Time for fun on the water! Ethan tried wake boarding and got up the first time! He did really week. Jonah gave it a few great tires. The water was pretty choppy so Janie and I didn't try this time.

 Sadie and her buddy,

Sadie and her pretzels.

 Check out that sunburned face! We all got alot of sun and were hurting a little bit today. We had a great day on the lake and got home around 7:30 pm. I had to back the trailer down the most giant ramp you have ever seen, but with many mighty prayers I got that down there. That is so stressful.

The Chipmans invited us over to celebrate Laura's birthday, Mikane and Caleb were giving ethan some much needed love! 

June 29- July 5, Independence Day!

A quick highlight from Sacrament meeting today…

Sadie yelled "I can't draw a dinosaur" 3 or 4 times and tried to throw down her clipboard during the Sacrament. I sent her over to Curtis who drew an acceptable brontosaurus.
Soon after that Jonah tried to throw a punch at Eli, who was drawing an ugly picture of Jonah. I sat between them. Then Ethan and Eli start laughing really hard at Eli's picture of Jonah. At the same time I was trying to play tic tac toe with Janie who blocked my pencil every time I tried to make a good move.  I finally had to sit between Ethan and Eli. Then Janie got mad because I had moved seats while she was out getting a drink, and she wanted to finish beating me at tic tac toe. Ended up playing the dot game with Janie who beat me 40 to 12. Leaned over to Ethan to ask what he was drawing and he told me only as a 13 year old can that it was none of my business.

Real. Life. At. Church.

These cute pictures are from June 28 but I didn't blog last week but I wanted to put them anyway!

 Sadie and one of her best buddies ever.

A cute note Janie wrote to Michael Faraoni at church.

 Got to go to Feed My Starving Children with these cute deacons and Sarah Johnson. We got a whole new appreciation of what Curtis and David Arnett did at Scout Camp!  

Eli, Brinton Johnson, Quenton Barger, Kenyon Chipman, Braxton Luke, Gunnar Luke, Ethan.

 The Kennett family was in town from Kazakstan. It was awesome for Jonah and Dakota to catch up!

Drove up the the Faraoni's cabin in Prescott Wednesday. It was pretty a fun weekend!!

Janie won 500 tickets on the Price is Right game at Peter Piper pizza!

 Tacey, Janie, Sadie

 Curtis and his cutie girls!

 Parade in old town Prescott- Whiskey Row

 Rode in the back of Mel's truck- haven't done that for a long time!

 Down at Tacey's hut

 The tweens playing video games.

 Met lots of the Faraoni's cousins and family- lots of kids running around up there! 

 What a great time of year. I am so grateful that we could celebrate our country and blessings with good friends this year. I love America, I am so grateful for the safety and peace and opportunities we have because of the sacrifices of many. We are truly blessed!

June 8-14 - Fun in June!

This week started bright and early with Stake kickball at 6 am down at the playing fields. Eli and Jonah love going and were up and ready at like 5:45. 

Janie and Sadie and I went up Tuesday and watched for a little. It has been such a cool spring this year! 

Miramar ward was pretty intense. We played Avalon the last game and it got kind of crazy. 

 Janie had a play date with Hayley, her friend from kindergarten.

 Sadie started swim lessons and is LOVING the water. She is jumping, doggie paddling, and having alot of fun. And her hair is a nice shade of green because of it!

We had the basement painted this week- these are all before obviously! Curtis came home early Friday and put the tv on the wall and set up the pop and shot and foosball table, and vacuumed a whole bunch. I love it down there, it is so cozy! We just have to get Joel down here to do our flooring, and then finish the trim, and then get some pictures on the walls…. the work on this house never ends!

Our apple tree in the back yard has lots of pretty pink apples on it! We need to pick them before they get sunburned and turn all mushy like last year. 

Finally picked flooring for the living room, dining room, and office!! 

Jonah participated in two swim meets this week- Diving on Wednesday and swimming on Thursday. He was disappointed in his diving, and so that made Thursday night even sweeter when he pulled in front and took first in his heat in freestyle. He was so surprised, and then so excited. Those brown eyes show everything! 

 

This girl crack me up! 

Ethan, Eli and Jonah worked really hard this week cleaning up some branches and leaves that Curtis had trimmed. As a little motivation to get it done well we went to see Jurassic World on opening night! We had to wait in line for about 45 minutes, which I was not super excited to do… but it was a good movie and I'm glad we saw it together. 

Saturday we had a work BBQ for CJL's direct reports. I wish I had thought to snap a quick picture! It was fun, the kids swam and it was nice to meet and chat with a few of the people that Curtis works with every day. John Meyers and his wife Tammy, Karen Kwan and her husband Stewart and sun Adam, LeeAnn and her boyfriend Will, Evan and Mirana and their 3 kids.