Camping Trip

We have been promising the kids we'd take them camping, so after hearing about a "cool" spot where Matthew went with the Scouts, we decided to give it a try a couple of weeks ago. We went South about an hour to a place called "Burraston Ponds". It was great! There were quite a few beautiful ponds. The one that we were camped closest to had a fun rope swing that we couldn't wait to try! We also loved hearing the bullfrogs croaking. They sounded more like cows than frogs...it was so funny!:) The kids went on a few bullfrog hunts, but couldn't get close enough to see one. Other than listening to bullfrogs and not so far off trains all night, we had so much fun on this trip. I love having good family time!

The perfect, shady camp spot!

Karley loves to be outdoors...her smile shows she's in heaven!

So cute!

My little monkeys up in a tree by the pond.

Karley loves to collect sticks! What a find...I don't think we'll be bringing this one home!:)

What a pretty view! The kids are up the path a ways, heading back to our campsite.

We enjoyed playing games together.

Kenzie was playing Kynlee's harmonica around the campfire...she's so cute!

Matthew making popcorn!

Matt found a huge log to add to our firewood. He and the kids worked hard to chop it into pieces.

The Girls Team

The Boys Team

Matthew was first on the rope swing. We needed someone to show us how it's done and to get in the cold water first!:)

Matthew made it look so easy!

Kynlee is ready to give it a go!

Kynlee would hold onto the rope and swing back into shore and then drop in where the water was more shallow.

Karley was so nervous she was shivering!

Karley loved it once she tried!

Dad had a blast!

Even Mama tried...it took me a while to have the courage!

Cooking Ramen for lunch!

In this video, Matthew shows how much fun the rope swing is. Unfortunately, his leg gets tangled in the loops at the bottom of the rope on his way into the water. It scared him (and us) and left an instant, nasty bruise, but it didn't stop him from having fun!

Proud To Be An American

Happy 4th of July! I am so thankful to live in this free country! As far as celebrating this holiday, we laid pretty low this year. Matt had to work...yay for holiday pay! I took the kids to see Monsters Vs. Aliens at the dollar theater. It was cute and the kids loved it! Later, we decided to go to Thanksgiving Point, in Lehi, to watch the fireworks. Our good friends, the Yorgesen family, met us there and a little later the Price family found us. We had fun chillin' a couple of hours with them before the show started. The fireworks were awesome! This was the first year that we had no plugged ears, closed eyes, tears, or hiding under the blanket by our girls!:) Way to be brave girls!

Kenzie looking cute!
The kids playing card games to help past the time.
Family Picture

These girls could hardly wait for the fireworks to start. Kynlee couldn't take her eyes off the sky even for a picture!:) Karley constantly checked the time on my phone in anticipation for 10:00!

Snuggled up with my cute, brave girls and ready for the show!

This isn't the greatest firework picture, but I had to show that the full moon was as bright in the sky as any of the fireworks.

Soccer Season

Karley ended a great 2nd year of soccer! She loves the sport! I love watching the enthusiasm and excitement she possesses when she plays. It's amazing to see how much she learned and improved throughout the season. Karley's favorite position she played was forward. She did great on placing herself up the field, ready for a pass. Each and every game she wanted to make a goal, and it wasn't until the very last game that she did. It was the last goal of the season and was so exciting for all of us! I was also very proud of Karley when she willingly volunteered to change sides and help a team who was short players. Way to go Karley!

One of the first games she played goalie. It was rainy and cold, but she survived. There were no points scored on this cute goalie!

Throwing the ball in...good form!
Running to the ball.
Karley had one thing in mind...score!

Get the ball Karley!

Cool action shot!

Run Karley!

The huge smile shows how much fun she had playing!

Go Karley!

Individual Shot

Team Picture - she is dead center on the top row.

100 Day Reading Goal

I finished the Book of Mormon in 100 days! Back in March our inspired Stake Relief Society President put each of the women in our stake up to this challenge. We were given a Daily Reading Chart to follow. I am always up for a challenge and it was just what I needed to get back into the habit of reading from my scriptures daily. I love reading my Fantasy books everyday...Pendragon, Fablehaven, Twilight Series, Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Harry Potter. If I have a spare minute then I spend it reading - I am known to even read while I am working out!:) I was hoping to be as passionate and devoted about reading the Book of Mormon as I am reading these books.

I learned real quick that the worst time to read from the Book of Mormon was right before bed...I would doze off easily. Oops!:) Late morning was the best time for me. It took a little while, but sure enough I developed the habit and the passion came right along with it. I love the Book of Mormon! I know that the Prophet Joseph Smith translated this book correctly. I know that the stories and teachings found therein are to teach, guide, and help me in my life. I am thankful for this spiritual experience and the knowledge I gained. Here's to "Scripture Power"!

Our Newest Family Additions

First of all, sadly, both Matt and I are not pet lovers. Now don't get me wrong, we would never wish any harm to an animal, we just would rather not spend the time, money, attention, and all that goes into having a pet. Well, Kynlee came home from school a few weeks ago asking if she could have 2 of her class fish. We talked it over and gave her the O.K. After talking to her teacher, I realized it was going to be more than just getting a fish bowl and some food to keep these fish alive...I needed to get an aquarium. I was ready to back down, but Kynlee's "crocodile tears" got the best of Matt, so off to Wal-Mart I went. More money than I thought I would spend later, I came home with all that was needed for 2 fish: 10-gallon tank, pump, gravel, plants, log, heater, thermometer, net, brush, gravel cleaner, water conditioner, and food. I stayed up until midnight getting the tank ready, but it was worth seeing the excited faces on the kids when they woke up. Kynlee brought the fish home on the last day of school. They are Albino Barbs and are stinking cute! Yes, I am hooked (no pun intended)!:) I find myself talking like a baby to them, asking them how they're doing and telling them how cute they are. We all like to sit and watch them...it's so relaxing. Kynlee is so excited that she FINALLY has pets, even if they are little fish!

Meet "Flo" and "Shark Bait"...aren't they so cute!?!

We promised Matthew, Karley, and Kenzie that we would get them each a fish also. A week later we brought home 3 Tiger Barbs to add to our fish family. Kenzie named hers "Dot", it's the smallest, Karley named hers "Scar", and Matthew named his "Nash". Gotta love the names!

When Given Lemons Make Lemonade

Summer = Lemonade Stand = $$$! The kids set up a lemondade stand...the first of many to come this summer. They sold yummy "homemade" lemonade, large otter pops, and no-bake cookies for .25 cents. Karley and her friend, Abbie, worked hard this week and collected plastic bottles to make "homemade" snow globes to sale. They also drew pictures of fossils on river rocks, colored pictures, and Abbie made cute jewelry. Their creations were a hit! The kids worked for 1 and 1/2 hours and when we totaled up their earnings they had made a whoppin' $32.00! They each had earned a good chunk of change once it was divided up. Here's to successful lemonade stands...can't wait for the next one!:)

Schools Out...Scream And Shout

The last day of school always seems so far away, but we can hardly believe that it has come and gone. It is weird to think that we have been in UT for two school years now. The kids had so much fun with the last week of school activities. I must say that I am just as excited for school to be out! I am looking forward to spending time with the kids and planning some fun activities to do over the summer. Hopefully I can keep them busy and not too bored!

Kenzie and Mrs. Booth. Kenzie helped me make a candy necklace for her teacher. They had a Teddy Bear Picnic, so Kenzie brought her favorite bear...it was the biggest one there!
Kenzie had fun doing activities and singing songs with her bear.
We went outside to have the picnic, play with the parachute, and jump on the tramp. Kenzie had a blast with her pre-school friends! She has learned so much this year...I'm so proud!
Matthew, Kynlee, and Karley on their last day of school.

Cute sisters!

Karley and Ms. Bennett. Karley had an amazing 2nd grade year! Her reading skills really blossomed this year...you go girl! It was no surprise at all when Karley said she was voted "Class Clown". She loves to make people laugh, especially her teacher, and everyone loves to be around her! I had fun being the Room Mom for Karley's class...it kept me busy.

Kynlee and Mrs. West. I am so proud of how hard Kynlee worked this year, and her grades show it! She had more homework than any of the other kids and was very diligent in doing it. Kynlee made lots of new friends, but some will be going to the new school next year. She had quite an emotional day...she's a little tender heart.

Matthew and Mr. Jeppson. I can't believe Matthew will be in Junior High next year. Aaahh! His teacher has prepared him well...he is one smart kid. Matthew is so excited to finally not be in Elementary school!

This is Matthew participating in the "Clap Out" tradition. All of the 6th grade classes walked through the halls lined with cheering kids from the rest of the school, slapping hands and giving 5's. It is a way to honor and congratulate them now that they have finished Elementary and are headed to Junior High. We stood with Kynlee, knowing that I would have someone crying along with me...she's going to miss her big brother. Matthew had so much fun, after all, this is what he waited for all year!

Another school tradition that is worth seeing, is when all 9 buses leave. They each continually blast their horn as they exit the school grounds and all the way to the main highway. It is loud and incredibly powerful! Meanwhile, most of the teachers are out front waving good-bye to their students. It is another touching moment for me...I'm such a baby!:) We are so grateful for the amazing memories of this school year!

I've Been Shot

We took our family to play laser tag last night! Thanks to the kids' school for sending home some free passes. The older kids had been before (a while ago), but this was a first for Kenzie. After we got on our vests and guns, we headed into the maze, went our separate ways (except for Kenzie and I), and the battle was on. It was so much fun running into everyone and seeing how much fun they were having! The black light made the big smiles of everyone GLOW. Kenzie lasted almost the whole 25 minutes before she had me take off her vest...she's a little trooper. When the time was up we each got a print out of our statistics and rankings (see results below). We all had a blast and look forward to the next time we go!

SNAKE - a.k.a. Dad - 7th place

BOURNE - a.k.a. Mom - 4th place (I was surprised!:))

ZELDA - a.k.a. Matthew - 6th place

JOKER - a.k.a. Kynlee - 8th place

KNIGHT - a.k.a. Karley - 9th place

BATMAN - a.k.a. Kenzie - 11th place (Out of 11!:))

School Performances

This week has been busy with end of the year school performances. Kynlee had her 4th grade performance on Tuesday. It was based on Utah History. She has been learning the songs for months. Her class did a fun song on the counties of Utah...there are so many! I told her that it's neat that she's learning about Utah, because I will never know what she knows about this state. The performance was great and I could tell that Kynlee was having a good time! Matthew performed in his 6th grade class play last night..."Taming Of The Shrew" by Shakespeare. I was totally impressed with all of these kids, especially my son, because he surprised us with some unknown acting skills! He played the part of Tranio and had 19 lines that he remembered perfect. The play was funny and very entertaining! It was so fun to watch Matthew and Kynlee perform what they have been working so hard on and talking about for months. I was as proud as a mother can be!

The Mormon Pioneers are a HUGE part of Utah's history. We were able to find the perfect outfit!
Kynlee looked darling as a little pioneer...she loved it!
Kynlee with a group of her friends from her class.
Matthew dressed up for his part also. He looked great and played the part so well!
This is a shield that Matthew made with his initials, MS, on it. So cool!

Dancing Queens

Kynlee and Kenzie had their Dance Recital last night. They were so excited and looked darling in the sparkly costumes their teacher made! The stage was set up in the yard of their teacher's house. We were able to enjoy the beautiful weather and an amazing performance...it was great! Kynlee has been in dance classes since she was three and this is Kenzie's first year. They both love dancing and I love watching them!

My beautiful dancers! Thanks for the kisses girls!:)
Dancing Queen #1: Kynlee
Dancing Queen #2: Kenzie

The crown made Kenzie's costume complete!

Kynlee's group danced to, "Bop to the Top", "Rock Star", and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!". She did great! The last song was choreographed with jump ropes...it was so cool! It is fun to watch how much Kynlee improves each year. Way to go girl!

Kenzie's group danced to, "The Hamster Dance" and "Dancing Queen". I was so proud of her! Even though there was a huge audience, she did not have a shy bone in her body. I was totally impressed that she remembered all the steps! Good job Kenzie!

Kenzie had so much fun performing with her friends and she looked absolutely darling doing it!

Kynlee's dance group striking a pose. These girls have so much fun together!

The girls with their amazing dance teacher, Sis. Jones. Thanks for a wonderful year Cindy!

Sunday Stations

I read a story in the Friend magazine a few months ago called "Sunday Stations". It shared an idea that was exactly what I had been praying for. We have 9:00 church, which I love, but I find that the rest of the day tends to drag on and not be very meaningful. There are definitely things we don't do on Sundays that make it different than other days, but I was yearning to add more spiritual activities in a way that was fun and entertaining for the kids. I decided to start "Sunday Stations" in our home and I feel like we have gotten a little more out of the phrase "keeping the Sabbath Day holy". Each Sunday we decide what we want the stations to be. The kids can choose from: reading a story from the Friend/New Era, reading their scriptures, listening to Primary Program songs, working on Articles of Faith, setting goals in Faith and God/Duty to God books, making phone calls to family, writing a letter (e-mail) to family or Ward Missionary, reading a story from the Gospel Art Kit, doing activities on the lds.org website, and many more. Each rotation is 15 minutes, so in all it's about an hour. The girls really look forward to it and most of the time, Matthew enjoys it too!:) I know it's not much, but it feels like such an accomplishment when we finish. My hope is that my kids will enjoy developing habits as they learn of the Savior and do as He would do. I am so thankful for Church magazines that are full of good ideas that I can use in my home!

Swing Ball FHE

The weather has warmed up quite a bit and we can't help but to be outside playing in the fresh air. For FHE this week the kids wanted to play a game they made up on the swings. It's called "Swing Ball" and it is tons of fun! The game is a mix of baseball and kickball. Each player is on a swing and they keep track of their own points and outs. They are pitched a ball and kick it while swinging. Quickly jumping off, they try and score points by the number of bases they touch. Each base is a point, but if you get a home run it is 5 points. Pretty sweet! We played 7 innings and surprisingly they all ended up with 19 points...a three way tie. We had a blast! I love these creative kids!

Matt pitching the ball to the Swing Ball players.

In this picture, Karley was being pitched the ball. The determination on her face is easy to see as she goes for the kick! Matthew and Kynlee obviously can't wait until it's their turn!:)
These creative bugs also played a game on the tramp. While jumping and counting to three, one of them would say something to be and they would each role play what was said. Here they are being Rock Stars! Some other ideas were: cars, babies, Moms...it was cute!