My Manly Men

Pictures taken August 19, 2009

Andrew decided to spend some fun "guy time" with the boys, so they went into the backyard and built a fire.  Apparently there isn't much better than a fire with marshmellows for some great guy bonding.  The boys had a blast - and so did Andy.

After they had filled their tummies with gooey marshmellows, the trampoline provided the fun.  Ammon and Peter laughed and laughed while they had Daddy work hard to "crack the eggs".

Peter's Play Date

My parents and sisters headed down to Provo for Education Week at BYU (a pretty standard thing for them) and Peter and I had the chance to hang out with Isaiah for a couple of mornings that week.  Those two boys had tons of fun together!  We played in the park, we played at home, and eventually, they fell asleep!

Then, my mother-in-law called and offered to watch my boys so that I could go spend a day at Education Week.  We settled on Friday, which almost didn't work because Thursday night Peter started throwing up.  Peggy was willing to take the boys despite that, which worked well for me, but backfired on her.  The flu bug hit everyone - both of my in-laws, my husband, both kids, my sister - EVERYONE!  But I did have fun running around campus with Katy!  Hopefully we can do it again next year but without the flu!

Slumber Party and Snails

Pictures taken August 14 and 15, 2009

On my sisters wedding anniversary, Andrew and I invited all the cousins over for a fun evening.  The oldest two cousins even spent the night.  We had a fun evening with various activities.  After a while Kambria went home and Peter went to sleep.  The other four kids went into the tent to prepare for bed and read stories.  Katy and Jeremiah finished their date and came by to get Isaiah.  Unfortunately, Andrew used that time to tell Katy about our car getting broken into.  My cute niece Kylie gets easily worried, and she suddenly decided that with this sort of crime going on around here, maybe she wasn't as safe as she had thought.  I felt terrible when both girls determined that they were going to head home instead of staying for the slumber party.  It took some doing, but eventually we all convinced them that they would be safe, and they decided to stay.

It rained all night, and when we went outside, we discovered snails like we had never seen before.  My niece Carolyn is an animal fanatic, and was facinated by the yucky little things.  She headed up a snail capturing party.  We didn't tell the kids that they would be going straight into the trash can after that!  They had fun seeing who could get the most and counting them up.  The younger boys squealed with mixed panic and delight as they watched some of our captures start to get away.  It was a fun - and really unique morning.

Pulling Peter

Picture taken August 9, 2009

For our trip to Bear Lake, we borrowed my brother and sister-in-laws bike carriage for Peter to ride in.  The next morning we found Ammon working hard to hook it up to his own bike.  And thus we began several weeks of Ammon pulling Peter EVERYWHERE we went.  Ammon took Peter to church.  He took Peter on his bike when he went to school.  He took Peter for rides around the yard.  It was fun, and everyone was impressed with Ammon's strength at being able to pull Peter.  But honestly, I was relieved when Joey and Krista took their buggy home and we didn't have to use the bikes quite to much anymore.

Bear Lake

Pictures taken August 8, 2009

About three years ago, my family started been doing an annual trip to Bear Lake.  We planned it well in advance and were all looking forward to it until it got to be that week.  We started looking at the weather reports and realized that we were going to be camping in wet, cool temperatures!  Suddenly our trip didn't sound as fun, and one by one, various family members started to back out.  Andrew would not give it up, though.  He had never been able to come with us and had never even been to Bear Lake before.  He was looking forward to it, and he was determined to make it happen.  In the end, we were worried about taking the boys for an overnighter in the cool weather because they had been a little sick.  So we comprimised on a day trip.  We met up with my parents and my sister Rebecca who had all braved the rain and camped as they had originally planned.  With the weather being so cold, we never even made it down to the Lake.  We hung out at the camping spot my parents had set up at, and enjoyed the playgrounds, grilling and just spending time together.

Another traditional activity for us is to head up to Minetonka Cave.  It is just over the state border in Idaho.  Rebecca stayed at camp with Peter, but Ammon and I were excited to introduce Andrew to the cave (we had both been there before).  My parents were with us too and we all had a good time together.  Andrew and my dad made their trip to the cave a little more interesting by biking down the mountain.  They had a blast and I think they would have ridden more if it hadn't started to rain.  (There are a couple of pictures of them on bikes in the first collage.)

We finished up the trip by bike riding 3 miles from camp into town for the famous Raspberry MilkShakes.  We started eating them outside, but the weather was cooling fast as the sun set, and we ended up inside trying to get warm.  I was so proud of Ammon who rode his bike the entire way!  He had never biked that far before.  Unfortunately (or maybe not so unfortunately) we had a flat tire on one of our bikes, so Andrew rode back to camp, got the truck and came to pick us all up.

Once we were back to camp, it was just time to load up the truck and head home.  Andrew took charge of getting all the bikes loaded - we had a bunch!  The boys and I loaded up our stuff and then waited in the car.  We occupied ourselves by making funny faces and taking pitures.  Within moments of driving away from camp, the boys were asleep!  It was a wonderful day - I can't wait to go again next year!

First Day of School

Pictures taken August 4, 2009

Ammon was ready for his first day of school - there was nothing but excitement to get there.  He rode his bike and Peter and I followed on foot.  The kindergarten playground was a fun place and Ammon ran into three people in his class that he already knew.  Two people had been in his pre-school class, and one person he knew from Sunday School.  It wasn't very traumatic for me to send him away to school - the preschool schedule was very much like the Kindergarten one.  But I was very proud of my boy for how confident and eager he was, and just amazed to watch him growing up so fast!

30 on 30!

Pictures taken August 1, 2009

For his 30th birthday, Andrew decided to celebrate by participating in his first triathalon.  It was a sprint event held in Draper.  He even coincidently was marked with the number 30, which was pretty cool.  His Dad participated with him.  His mom ran the 5K portion.  His brother and his family were there to cheer him on as were the boys and I.  It was fun to be there with him!

The tri was done in reverse order which means they ran first, then biked, then swam.  Both Andrew and his Dad have declared that they will never participate in a reverse tri again.  Having the swim at the end was just a little bit rough for both of them.  But, they did it!  They each received 2nd place ribbons for their age groups.  It was a fun night and a great way to bring in a new decade of life!

Yard Work and Bike Races

Pictures taken August 1, 2009

After the big Stake activity, we headed over to Andrew's parents house.  The boys helped Grandpa with some yard work, they did some bike repairs and bike races, and then we all went out to lunch.

Stake Parade and Fun

Pictures taken August 1, 2009

Andy's 30th birthday began with a fun church activity.  Ammon was able to ride his bike in a neighborhood parade.  We followed the parade over to the park where we had all sorts of fun.  There was breakfast, train rides, giant water slides and make shift dunking machines (instead of being dunked, the water just fell onto you).  Ammon ventured off on his own and made sure he did just about everything.  We were especially impressed with how fearless he was riding the water slide down that big hill!

Blowing Bubbles and Bike Repair

pictures taken July 31, 2009

Summer Afternoon

Pictures taken July 30, 2009

My Deceptive Day

Pictures taken July 29, 2009

My sister and I realized that we both had some errands to run at the same store. We decided to meet there and then we went to the library together. I remember taking pictures of the kids - who actually look pretty cute, and realizing that things aren't always as they appear.

In all honesty, my kids were beasts for this trip to the library. They kept fighting over everything - the books, the toys, even who got to be in front looking into the silly mirror.

We didn't stay very long, and by the time I got Ammon and Peter into the car with their seatbelts buckled, I was ready to pull out my hair!

Later that day, the boys told me they were hungry. We were between meals, so even though they asked for food, I told them no.

I went downstairs to work on some things and came back upstairs to find this scene. First, I yelled. I had told them that we weren't getting food out. Then, I took a deep breath and told them not to move. I raced down for my camera and shrugged to myself thinking that I could either be really grumpy about this, or I can just capture the moment and celebrate my two independent little guys who were working so well together.

I'm sure it's not the last time they will be partners in crime. These boys are amazing and as far as they are concerned there is nothing they can't do. (Well, Ammon is pretty convinced that he can't clean without a LOT of help from Mommy, but other than that...)

So here are my pictures - full of adorable looking children having a wonderful day. And in reality I was screaming inside and out. But maybe the pictures aren't as deceptive as I think, because in reality I look back at these moments and hold them close to my heart. I love being a mother and cherish these days I have watching Ammon and Peter grow.

Visiting Teaching Babysitting Swap

Pictures taken July 28, 2009

Last month I scheduled my visiting teaching and then called my sister to see if she would watch the boys for me while I went. Turned out, she had hers scheduled for the same day. There was a moment of disapointment until we realized that our schedules worked perfectly to take turns watching the kids.

I woke up, got the kids ready and headed out to Katy's house to drop them off. I went back to my neighborhood to have a lovely visit and then headed back to Katy's house. I got there just in time to have her head out the door for her visit. In the mean time, the kids were having a blast hanging out with each other!

The weather was nice, so we spent a lot of time outside on the deck. The backyard isn't finished yet, but the boys loved climbing the mounds of dirt. It was a grand adventure for them!

We finished out our afternoon with a nice snack of strawberries. Then Katy came home and we stayed and played some more! If I ever move away from family again, no one can ever accuse me of not appreciating what I have while I have it. I LOVE living so close to my sister, hanging out, taking turns babysitting, and letting the cousins grow up together!

Thanks Mom!

I have had requests for this recipe lately, so I thought I would post it. It is a recipe I grew up with; I remember making it for those days at school where we got to bring pillows and treats and read all day! I never understood the kids who moaned about our reading marathons - what could possibly be better than spending a school day reading your favorite books while eating your favorite treats. I guess not everyone knew the pleasures of A Wrinkle in Time and Fudgy Oatmeal Bars.

The way I remember this recipe being introduced to our family, is that it was one we clipped out of the newspaper. I have a lot of memories baking as a child, and this recipe is one of the best things we ever made.

When I was 12 years old, my family decided to have a family reunion in St. George. My aunt and uncle offered to bring me home with them after the reunion, but I needed to find a way to get back from California. It was up to me to earn $100 to buy my first plane ticket. I decided to create a cooking class to teach younger children how to cook. (I can't believe my amazing mother let me invite several extra small children into her kitchen multiple times a week for over a month to teach a cooking class!)

Somehow my goal was accomplished. Some of the things I remember teaching the kids how to make include homemade pretzels, english muffins, cinnamon rolls and homemade tootsie rolls. I remember being concerned about getting enough interest and so I thought I needed to pull out all the stops with my most amazing recipes. As an adult, I realize that I offered really cheap babysitting that came with a fun experience for the kids and brought home yummy food. No wonder why my class filled quickly and I was able to buy my ticket - I shoud have charged a lot more! ;-)

I look back on that time now and can't help but appreciate my mom. She helped me accomplish an awesome goal which led to a really fun summer including my first ever plane ride (which was by myself). But more than that, she taught me how to be creative and industrious and gave me confidence in my abilities. She taught me that I can do it - whatever "it" happens to be.

Recipe

Jenny's Fudgy Oatmeal Bars

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups oats

12 ounces chocolate chips
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbs butter
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees; grease pan

Mix brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla.
Add flour, baking soda, salt and oats.
Reserve 1/3 of the oatmeal mixture. Press remaining 2/3 oatmeal mixture in pan.

Heat chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and butter in sauce pan on a low heat.
Stir constantly until chocolate chips are melted.
Remove from heat; stir in nuts, vanilla and salt.

Spread chocolate over oatmeal mixture in pan.
Drop reserved oatmeal mixture onto chocolate mixture.
Bake 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Changing Seasons

Pictures taken July 27, 2009

We started the day with a nice, summer morning. Peter had fun playing in the yard with Sophia. I love watching my children play with their cousins. We are so blessed to have so many cousins nearby to play with. I think it's fun that it takes my children a while to learn that "cousin" and "friend" are actually two different relationships.

They ran through the yard and enjoyed summer the way only children do. A part of me gets jealous when I look at these pictures. They feel carefree and beautiful. I'm glad I was able to be a part of their day.

And then, the season changed. It was "back to school" time. Ammon had his kindergarten open house - his first moments beyond pre-school!

I was bubbling with pride as I watched my oldest baby march into that classroom. True to himself, he was confident and capable. He didn't even know to be worried, intimidated or uncomfortable in the slightest. He was excited and eager.

I was amazed to see how little my big boy looked. He has always done so much. He always seems to be two steps ahead of where he should be. Sometimes (almost always) I forget how young he still is! (Maybe that's how Heavenly Father sees us all - so mature and capable and yet still just in the kindergarten of our eternal lives.)

Ammon's open house was a self-guided tour. There was a sheet of paper with a checklist of places to visit. My smart little boy was able to read most of the instructions himself as we went from work stop to work stop.

We did all sorts of things including meeting the teacher, measuring how tall he is, working on an art project, reading a book, finding the bathroom, writing his name etc.

I especially loved watching him work on building this rocket. Perhaps that is because I always meant to get him this sort of thing to play with - it is just right up his alley. He thought it was lots of fun, got through it quickly, and was thrilled with himself when he finished.

Oh, how I love my boy! I am so proud of him and all of his accomplishments. He is growing into someone I admire. He amazes me in so many ways. He has a place in my heart that is reserved especially for him. And somehow, he gives me a glimpse into eternity as he will forever, in my eyes, be both a man of greatness, and my babe in arms.

Family Time

Pictures taken July 26, 2009

Because we had a later than planned night, the boys ended up sleeping at Grandma and Grandpa's house on Saturday. Andrew went to pick them up Sunday morning after they had woken up. We heard about the fun things they did (a hiking trip with Grandpa Derrick and buying new shoes with Grandma Peggy) and then we told them about our weekend. When Ammon saw the pictures of Andrew jumping on the bed, he wanted to try it out. I am not sure if he gets his jumping genes from me, or if we just had a slow photographer for his picture, but this photo of him face down on the bed - that's Ammon's jumping picture.

We spend the rest of the morning hanging out together - a lot of time just relaxing on Mommy and Daddy's bed. We had a little "family home Morning" with a lesson about the Family Proclamation.

We enjoyed our time as a couple, but it was also so fun to come home to our little family! We sure love those boys!

Scottish Wedding

Pictures taken July 25, 2009

We woke up in Idaho Falls and enjoyed a nice breakfast in the restaurant downstairs. We had a little extra time so we wandered around the path by the snake river again. It really was beautiful and we wish we could have spent more time there!

Pretty soon, it was time to head into Rexburg for the wedding. We never printed off directions because we planned on following a couple of other cars into town. In the end, however, everyone headed out at their own time. We figured we would just hop onto I-15 and follow the signs. Anyone who knows Idaho immediately is aware of our mistake.

We were blissfully headed down I-15 when I decided to call my sister and find out where she was. One of us were at an exit in the 300's. The other was at an exit in the 100's. Only problem was that we shouldn't have been more than about 20 miles apart.

I was a little bit slow to catch on as she gasped, "Oh no, Jenny! Did you get on I-15."

"Oh Katy!" I responded. "I did! Are YOU on the wrong road?"

It seriously took a little bit of back and forth before I realized that she was telling me I was the one on the wrong road! At this point it looked like we would miss the wedding - which was pathetic since we had driven up from Salt Lake the night before just to attend!



In the end, we made it to the temple late, but not too late. We were able to be there for the wedding but only just barely because Andrew decided that he was smarter than the GPS system that wanted to send us 7 miles out of our way.

My cousin married a man from Scottland so we had tons of men running around wearing kilts. It was pretty awesome!

The temple was beautiful and it was fun hanging out on the grounds and visiting with various family members. After the luncheon we had some free time so we decided to go check out this museum. It ended up looking less than exciting, though, and we decided we could spend the same amount of money to go to a cheap movie. So, we did that instead. Night At the Museum 2 was pretty good.

We ran into one of the brothers of the bride on the way into the reception. Andrew was excited to get a picture with him wearing a kilt. He was especially jealous of the knife these Scottish men wear in their socks!

Andrew also wanted to get a picture with our genuine Scottish man of the day: the Groom. We had fun visiting at the reception and then headed home to our cute boys. We hadn't heard a word from them the whole time we were gone and assumed that meant they were having a great time with Grandma and Grandpa. Seems that we were right.

We had one more big adventure on the way home - but that's not ours to tell. Definitely a night to remember, though!