Misc

So apparently I've been slacking in the blog department...again! Here is just a quick attempt to get all caught up with the pictures that are on my memory card!

Joe and Mom just a'swingin at Auntie Joy's house!



This one is for my mom. She tells me I'm not in the blog enough. This is me standing in a rut made by our friends' surburban that got stuck in the mud at scout camp! Fun times!



I made some really cute cupcakes for my Scouts - of course I also made enough for the kids to test them at home before we sent the rest off to camp!



The many faces of Gracie! (These pictures were all taken within 3 seconds of each other.)



Got to spend a couple of hours with some of my favorite people!

Cousin Skel and Kera who is my cousin's cousin...making her a 2nd cousin? Or is she a removed cousin? I hate that!!
Cousin Mardi and Sister Lindsay

The messy little face only a mother could love...



...and boy do I ever!!

Why Moms Aren't Invited To Scout Camp

Jacob (13yr) went to Scout Camp this week. He has a great Scout Master and instead of attending a local council camp, we put together our own camp - which was awesome! (For those who don't know - I am the scout committee chairman for our unit which means I get to be a part of all of the great things the boys and their leaders do! I love it!)

So here it is...THE #1 (of probably 400) reason Moms don't get invited to Scout Camp!



That's my BABY! I can imagine that one of two things would happen if I were there...I'd either be making every one of the boys get right back in the car and I would personally drive each of them back home, SAFELY, to their mothers! OR I'd just be an unconscious heap at the bottom of the cliff. I believe either response would be perfectly acceptable!



But now that it's all said and done - and right now my baby Jake is sleeping soundly in his bed - I can honestly say that I am so darn proud of him for doing this!! And I can also honestly say that I hope he never ever does this again! Ever!

Melanie Jayne turned 6

I don't know if there is a much better gift to get for your birthday than to have early release from the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! We all made a trip to Baskin-Robbins to celebrate both exciting events!



Then it was home for an entire afternoon of partying!



Grandma Janet made adorable pillow cases to go with the Tinkerbell bedspread she (and Malorie) got!



The little cheese ball held up every one of her gifts and posed for a picture! I chose one of the many to share!



Happy Birthday Miss Jaynie - we love you more and more each day and we're so glad you are part of our family!!
xoxo
Mom

This'n'That

Once again, I'm late at getting the Birthday Dinner picture uploaded! Jared and Joseph shared a night at Golden Corral! You can't go wrong with an all-you-can-eat dessert bar!



Jason finished his Eagle Project! A trophy case for the Elementary School!



Memorial Day - It rained...we all stood under a tree. Not a lot to tell. But Malorie did make a little string of her favorite beads for Grandpa Lee and was very happy that I let her leave it with him. I went back a few days later to pick up flowers and decided to leave her beads there. I was afraid if she saw them at home...well, it was a mom decision, I guess.



I don't really have a caption for this picture - it was just a moment that seemed very "Memorial Day" to me.

Parents 2, Teenagers 3

We're officially outnumbered now!



Jacob turned 13th last month!!



Accessories for his keyboard were the biggest hit! (Well, the 2K10 Wii Basketball game seems to be ranking pretty high, too!) Thanks Grandma Janet for your secret agent help getting the gifts here on time!!



Jacob also got cards from Great Grandma Margaret, Uncle Justin's Family, and his Grandma Lee.

Happy Birthday, Jacob!!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

Our hummingbirds are back in full force and I'm loving every second of them! This is a good year. It's funny how some years bring more hummers to the house than others.



We've been blessed with a very tame bunch this year!!! (Yes, I'm touching this one!)



I honestly could sit with the birds all day long! They are amazing!



Each one that comes near me is breathtaking! I remember sitting on my grandma's porch and watching her hummers zip around and how much she enjoyed them, too. She had good taste!



I wanted to share the magic with Madilyn. I was sure if she just had the chance to have the birds near her she'd love them as much as I do!



I mixed up new juice and had her take the feeder out - this is when they are the most friendly...when you're about to refresh their food!



She was becoming impressed with how friendly they were...right until the one in flight, just above her thumb...



...stuck his beak up her nose in search of sugar water! (No Joke, straight up her nose!)



That was it! The magic was lost - she put the feeder together, with a ton of impatient birds trying to get to their food, and she has vowed never to return!



There is a standing invitation to anyone who would like to come and visit with our hummingbirds! Come on over and spend an afternoon on the porch with us!!

Mother's Day 2010

Every year I swear that I'm going to write a tribute to my mother. She truly is deserving! Every good thing that I am, I owe to her. Every stupid thing I do or say, she still tries to correct. She loves me unconditionally - she loves my children unconditionally...she instilled in me the priceless value of a mother's love!

Maybe next year I'll get my act together soon enough to actually compose more than just a few pathetic sentences. I love you mom!

And now, for your viewing pleasure - MY children! The angels who make me "mom"!

Trips to Colville

We've had the opportunity to travel to Colville a couple of times in the last little while. The weather was nice enough to play at the park.




I still remember the first time I swung on these swings - I believe it was in 1976. (I distinctly recall my fanny fitting a whole lot better then than it does now!)



The always attractive self portrait with my little sister, Lindsay...why do we even attempt these things??



My cousin, Mardi, and I had the good sense to give up on the self portrait and have her husband take this one!

Today is the day...

Let it be known, officially, throughout all of blog-world...that Jason is now and will forever after be...

Taller than his dad!!!



Apparently Jason hasn't learned that height will not protect him when it comes to strength and speed. Brandon, like his own dad, is freakishly strong!! This little move will cost Jason dearly - when he least expects it!

Happy Day-Before-Your Birthday, Jared!!

Today we celebrated Jared's 10th Birthday!!! We're pretty good to recognize the actual birth date - but since our Sundays are so insanely spoken for, we opted to spend today partying with Jared!!!

Dad had a training to attend and had to leave at 8am - then he had a baptism at 1pm (Good thing we opted not to celebrate on our busy Sunday, huh?). We planned to do cake and gifts at 2pm. To keep Jared occupied between breakfast and his party, we let him open one gift...



Mom worried that the bike was simply too big and that his "big gift" was surely a bust.



Jared, however, had other plans!!



After dad finally made it home, we opened gifts! A few from mom and dad, some from siblings, Grandma Janet & Grandpa Gary sent a gift and Jared got cards from Great Grandma Margaret, Grandma Lee & Uncle Justin's Family!



Make a wish!!



Everyone got to decorate their own cupcake. This has been a family favorite!



Jared's Cupcake



Joseph enjoyed every bit of his cupcake!



Awwwww...