Summer is here!

Summer is here, but it never quite feels like it until Aubrie's dance recital. We have all the new activities added to the old ones. At least there is not school and homework, just more creative activity planning! We started our summer with a trip to my brothers. We left Friday, after school let out. The kids enjoyed the beautiful weather and time with their cousins. They spent a lot of their time playing soccer in my brothers back yard. I guess there is something to playing soccer in a nice climate! We also had a BBQ with the cousins, went to the beach and saw the 4th Pirates movie. We had a good time.

The week we got back started up dive team for the boys. Aubrie didn't want to do it again, which actually worked for me because she would now be in a different age group, which would mean a different time. The boys are enjoying dive. Boston has really been looking forward to it. He may not like doing gymnastics at the gym, but he still has it in his blood. I think that's why he likes dive so much. Sophia will start swim the following week, at the same pool. She is looking forward to that. Ethan also started gymnastics and is LOVING it! It's perfect for all that extra energy he has. His coach said he is fearless. That sounds about right. Sophia and Aubrie have also moved up at the gym. Sophia is on the "big girl bars" now and learning more things. Aubrie is now on the intro competive team.

This week has been pretty unorganized, and basically trying to re coop from everything. Next week will start the organized summer. This year, instead of earning video game/ tv tickets, I am going to have a list of things they need to do. They will include their chores, reading their scriptures, piano practice, doing their summer bridge workbooks, doing a math fact sheet, reading for 30 minutes and typing (once I buy the program). Once they get all that done, they are free to do something fun. One fun thing will be Wet and Wild trips. Also, when they complete their reading and workbook every day for a week, they get to turn in a certificate for a coupon. We will see how it goes!

So something cute happened this week. Boston and Ethan wanted me to take them to Walmart to get some airsoft guns. After leaving the sporting good department, we walked by the toy department. Boston said, "I want to buy Sophia a toy". He and Ethan found a doll, and when when they got home they wrapped it up. They couldn't wait for her to wake up from her nap so she could open it. They both have been doting on her lately; wanting to read and play with her, and helping her with her chores, etc. Its really cute! I hope this is a sign of a good summer ahead of us!:)

Missed in the shuffle!

Every time I back track in blogging, things get left out. Here are those things!

Its official, I HATE my new camera. Well it's almost a year old, but it takes the worst pictures. The weird thing is my old camera is the same camera just the older model. Go figure. Anyway, here is a blurry picture of Ethan getting his Character Counts award! He is such a hard worker at school, always going beyond the given assignment. Ms. Nebel was especially impressed when they had to draw a desert picture, and he found a book to label everything he drew. He also did about 50 percent of the class Science Project, "because no one else wanted to do it."

This makes Suns game #3 for Aubrie. Each year the boys get a little more excited. Aubrie also likes watching the game! They were bummed we had to leave early, but after a long day of baseball and this, and AIMS testing the next morning, we had to get home!

Just some fun soccer shots that a Mom gave us. Can you tell its a picture of a picture? ha

Spring Photos. I love how Ethan put on the same clothes he wore for Fall pictures. Like those were his "official" picture clothes or something!


And though I should have had my camera ready for action, Aubrie finally got a phone. She opened it the morning of her birthday, before school. I wrapped up a Coach purse I got for 20 bucks at the outlet store a few years ago, and put the phone in the purse. I told Aubrie not to count on a phone until school started. When she opened her purse she had a considerate smile on her face. I told her to check for the cool pockets inside. There was the phone. She just said, "NO WAY! YOU DIDN'T!" Then she pulled it out, and Boston screamed and tackled and hugged her. They were yelling and screaming. Never seen Boston that excited over something his sister got. I must admit I think I like her having one more than she likes having one. It's so convenient for me! She forgets she has it most of the time, and I have to remind her to take it with her. My worries of her being on it all day long were for nothing. I won't let on how much I like her having one though!:)

Kids Activities through May

So what has kept me so busy in the last month? (Besides the normal activities)

11 baseball games (Boston's team got 3rd place)

5 baseball practices

4 Football games

5 Football practices

1 Belt Testing (Ethan got his purple belt! Yeah)

2 Dance Competitions (Recital next week)

2 Activity Days

2 Birthdays

1 Anniversary

4 dentist appts

1 music recital

1 Easter Dinner and Egg Hunt with the neighbors

1 Wedding

2 Well Child Check Dr. Appts (Shots included)

1 Poetry Reading

1 Mothers Day Tea (that I made a DVD for)

1 preschool Graduation

1 Pack Meeting

1 Science Fair

2 Testings for Aubrie's new school (many tears involved for one of them)

1 Mothers Day trip to Montezuma well

2 end of the Year parties

1 CLASS DVD put together, and copied for class

1 trip organized to visit bother

and a partridge in a pear tree! Whew! That's just the stuff on my calendar. Who knows what didn't make it! So here are some pictures....the fun part!

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt

Held at the Park by our house, and sponsored by a local church. Was on a Saturday, and Aubrie had a dance competition, so it was just Ben and the other 3.

Turning in the Golden Egg

Cha Ching!

Easter Morning

Can I get one good picture without silly faces?

I guess a far shot is my only shot!

Man, I look tired! Sunday mornings are exhausting!

Easter Dinner with the Hawkins!

Uncle "Kag"

Silly Girl!

Coming out the shoot for the Egg Hunt! A tad bit windy, but it made for nice cool weather. No melting chocolates this time!

Ethan's Purple Belt Testing

Ethan's picture, out of the portraits I took of his classmates. Just love his smile here! ....................... and His First Grade Crush- Hannah!

Ethan's Poetry Reading

Boston's Wolf Badge

Well we weren't sure if it was ever going to happen, but he finally got his Wolf badge. He earned it, along with about 12 arrows last November, but there was a new pack leader called who didn't know how to go about getting new badges. Month after month we received apologies when we left pack meeting empty handed. His leaders started to joke that he would be getting his Bear and Wolf on the same day! Boston worked hard and we are proud of him!

Ethans Music Recital

Mothers Tea!

The Spread!

(I chose the lemon cakes and strawberries!)

Can you guess what one is me?

Sophia's Preschool Graduation!

Sophia LOVED school! She did well, and made lots of friends. She now knows her letter sounds, can write her name, and learned a lot of nursery rymes!

Mothers Day at Montezuma's Well!

It was another nice relaxing Mother's Day. This time all the kids were well, so we made it to Sacrament before we left for "the Well"! It was fun watching Sophia sing to me for the first time:) Tree Climbing! Lunch Time Relaxing Crochet Double tasking! Football, Baseball, etc.

No pictures for stream exploring!:)

Aubrie beat Ben at this game every time. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of them playing!

The "Branch Hat" the kids found for me!

The Science Fair

All the kids participated in the Science Fair. Boston and Ethan's did a "class" project. Both Ethan and Boston did most of the work. Boston said his teacher wasn't going to do one, so himn and a few buddies did it the day it was due. Boston typed it up and his buddies fed him the info.

Ethan's did about 50 percent of his. I asked his teacher about it and she said he was one of the only ones who wanted anything to do with it.

Aubrie coupled up with her best friend, Olivia. They did it on how soda has an effect on tooth erosion. They started way in advance, and put some good effort into it. They got 100 on their science project. Only two projects in her class recieved that grade. Aubrie and Olivia were a little upset, because a friend of theirs changed their project to the same idea, once they caught wind of theirs. Their Mom helped them with the poster board, and used all these special lights and crafty type things. It placed in the science fair. I tried to remind them that they did their own work and came up with their own idea and that was something to be proud of. And also, that it was their idea that placed!:)