It's that time of year again!

On Wednesday we took a little trip to the salon. The kids love going to the salon and getting pampered by our favorite hairdresser Tamara. She's awesome!Alex got a little trim and some layers around her face. Now she is ALL ready for 1st grade!

Sydney getting her hair washed even though we washed it the night before. The hairdresser always does that scalp massage thing, much more fun than a boring hair wash at home, and you get a comfy chair too!

Sydney also got a trim and some layers around her face. She insisted on keeping her hair long. We had to explain to her that without getting a LITTLE trim and cutting the dead ends off her hair would take longer to grow. That did it, in the chair she went. Now she's all set for 3rd grade!

Coming home from Benson we came through the mother of all monsoon storms! There was rain, hail, lightning, thunder, and a massive traffic slowing because we couldn't see 2 feet in front of our car.

These are a few pictures of the storm we went through from our front yard. I was going to try to take pictures of the storm while driving but decided not to. Good thing because it was way scary to drive through!

Summer Reading Program... #2

This was last weeks activity. We made our own clay, got to paint it, make a picture frame using clay, make a necklace, and do a bunch of art projects. Here is Alex making her own clay. She decided to make her Green, it was like a marble looking green. She had a lot of fun mixing it with her hands.
Sydney is painting some clay that had already been cut and baked in the oven to make it hard. We also made necklaces with these hard cut out hearts. Sydney liked painting the best (Hey, where was she when I was painting the nightmare wall???).

Some of the boys that were there made their clay look pretty much like vomit. They mixed every color imaginable, then it coagulated and looked chunky. Alex just rolled her eyes and looked at these boys like they were SO immature! She doesn't get to hang out with boys much, so she didn't know....... That's just how boys are!

This week is the last week of the program. We didn't get to attend to much this year. We're looking forward to going again next summer. Marrissa, I think your kids would absolutely love it! Look us up if you're ever bored and in Bisbee!

The Wall..... again

I got to looking at the other picture of the wall I posted a few days ago. Yeah! My kitchen was a WRECK! I can't believe I posted that messy picture. Anyways, after a little clean up and reorganizing here is a newer and better picture. We love everything about our new wall, we're still looking for a new vent to fit, but other than that we are liking what we see. I still can't believe we pulled it off, the wall looks exactly like the picture in the book. Go Us! Here is a close up. I just love the way it looks. I have a few decorating ideas and a VERY generous offer from my Aunt Bev to come down and help me make my wall perfect. We plan on painting this color in a few different places in the kitchen. I hope it turns out as well as this did. I'll keep ya posted!

Army Uncle

I'm sure all of you recognize this photo. This is Clay's younger brother, his beautiful wife, and their little baby boy. This picture was taken at the baby's blessing. Since then, many things have come about. Our awesome Uncle started working for Schwans (Yummy). While working for Schwans he received orders from the Army to report to Afghanistan for a year long tour.

The girls were so excited when they got to see him in uniform. Sydney likes telling people she has a solider for an Uncle. One thing you need to know about our soldier, he is amazing at anything offered to him. Whether it be video games, being a hubby and dad, driving a schwans truck, being in the Army, going on a mission... I could go on and on.

Brothers, they're more alike then they know I think. They're both perfectionist in their own way. They're both defending our country with honor and integrity. We pray for all those defending our country, home or abroad, that they will be watched over and protected at all times.

Family is a huge part of my life. It's been hard for me to think about someone being in Afghanistan, let alone it being a member of our family. I can't imagine how his wife feels. I personally don't think I would deal with that very well. Her husband is going to be gone for a whole year! I guess Aunt Roxy and the girls will just have to visit more often and make sure she giggles and enjoys life the best she can while waiting for her hubby to get home.

We all are going to miss our Army guy while he's gone. I know for a fact he'll be missing all of us back home, especially his little boy and wife. We're going to miss playing Monopoly on the Wii with him, listening to all the sounds he can make, all his celebrity voices, his funny sense of humor, and much much more! Family gatherings won't be the same without him, definitely not as fun! What a crazy guy.

Alex says she's going to miss playing with her Uncle the most. He has always been a good entertainer of children. He plays hide and seek, Frisbee, wrestles, and tickles them. I think all his nieces and nephews are going to miss him a lot!

Uncle Colin, we can't wait for you to get back. We'll visit your wife and crash at your house, and eat your food as often as we can. We'll try to keep your Wii controller warm for you. We'll also hold your little guy for you, give him lots of love and kisses, and keep your wife as happy as possible until you get back! We know you'll be watched over and protected, so do your job and come home! We love you!!

God bless all those defending our country.

The Wall.....

The Wall, the wall, the wall!! Where do I start with this one? This whole wall replacement idea was a nightmare! I've said this bit before, but for those of you just tuning in, here is a replay of the remodel beginnings. We had a wall in the kitchen, didn't like it, decided to tear it down. In the process of tearing it down, we also tore down the adjoining bathroom wall and gutted the bathroom. Now, the bathroom is a whole different post in it self so I'm going to stick to the wall story.
We tore off the ugly wood paneling that had been been painted white. What were we left with? An even uglier yellow, crumbling wall.

Down it all came. In enters the maid to clean up the mess.

Then enters the handsome handyman to remodel the wall and make the maid happy!

Sheetrock gets hung, taped, sanded, and all looks great.

Hubby does an awesome job on texturing the wall, even though he's never textured before. I'm in love. The wall is done now I get to have some fun painting it! I love to paint.

On goes the paint. I did an awesome job taping the surrounding walls. Putting one coat on, letting that dry, then putting on a second coat. We decided we were going to attempt to do a glaze type finish. It looked cool in the book, we may be in over our heads!

Then..... UH OH! Wife gets in too big of a hurry (and doesn't research what she's doing). I don't put primer on the brand new wall before I paint! Here is what happened to my beautiful two coat paint job! UUGGGHHHHHH!

At least it didn't stick hardly at all so it was pretty easy to just peel the paint off the wall. My parents and husband will tell you a different story. After a week of peeling I was sick to death of this darn wall. Call my mom crying and frustrated (that happens when a girls kitchen is in disrepair), mom and dad drop everything and come to my aid! Yay! With every one's help we finally get ALL the paint off the wall, head to Home Depot, get primer, prime the wall, and wait. After letting the wall dry to make sure it was really going to stick, on goes the base coat.

After the paint dries it's time to try our hand at glazing. This picture does not do our little nightmare of a wall justice. Clay and I both are so in love with the final outcome! Now what to hang on it?? Hmmm, I'm thinking a couple Tuscan style paintings and maybe a vinyl saying. I'm so relieved to be in the home stretch of this project. Next to get checked off is the bathroom! Stay tuned...

New calling

I have gotten a new calling in church. Can you guess what it might be? Thankfully, not a president of anything. I am Relief Society Secretary. I'm am so excited!! I've already organized the folder they gave me, updated all the attendance. I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs WAITING for Sunday to come so that I can do my job. I know huh? What a dork! I've never been soooo excited for a calling!

On a separate note, school starts soon (too soon I might add!). BOO!! I start on August 3rd and the kids go back on the 10th. Where oh where did the summer go?? I want more! I'm not looking forward to getting up early, staying at school late, and being on a schedule. I am however, looking forward to having every Friday off of school. I already have a long list of long weekend activities to do! Maybe getting up early won't be so bad knowing I only have to do it four days a week! Everything on my back to school checklist has been crossed off except get to bed before 11:00 and get up before 10:00. I have a little over a week and half to work on that!

Bodil Mortensen

I signed up to decorate a table for our Pioneer Day activity. I borrowed my Dad's bronze statue and a book that tells about the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. The bronze was made by my dad's cousin Steve Wirth. It depicts the story of Bodil Mortensen and is titled 'And should we die".

Many of those who crossed the plains were only children. One of those children was Bodil Mortensen, age nine, from Denmark. Bodil Mortensen came alone, before her family to join the saints in Salt Lake City, her older sister had traveled a year before her and was in Salt Lake. Bodil joined the Willie Handcart Company with a family from her country Denmark. Winter storms began early that year and slowed the travel of the company. Rock Ridge was a long hard journey for the children. The distance was about 15 miles, including a two-mile stretch in which the trail rose more than 700 feet in elevation. It took some of the children 27 hours to reach camp. The snow was already more than a foot deep, a blizzard was raging, and the temperatures were freezing. A howling October snowstorm blinded nine-year-old Bodil Mortensen as she climbed with several younger children, shivering and hungry, up the snow-covered slope of Rocky Ridge. Bodil was exhausted and weak, the young girl struggled on her way, hoping to reach Salt Lake City to be with her sister. Bodil was apparently assigned to care for some small children as they crossed Rocky Ridge. When they arrived at camp, in the wee hours of October 24th, she must have been sent to gather fire wood. All she could find was twigs of sagebrush. The next morning she was found leaning up against the wheel of a handcart, twigs clutched in her hands, frozen to death.

Bodil (Lyrics by Jenny Phillips)

Only nine leaving behind your home

what faith to leave all you know

so far to go

you are cold

shivering through the storms

your little fingers never warm

always one step more

you didn't know your journey would end

before you'd see the valley

but you left such a legacy

you didn't know

that your faith changes me

I can't feel my feet (your faith changes me)

There's nothing left to eat (your faith changes me)

Vocals by Jenny Phillips and Chloe Mueller

Happy Pioneer Day!

11 years and counting!

Happy Anniversary to us! We made it 11 years!! It doesn't feel like it has been that long since we said I do! So, I'll skip all the boring, mushy, lovey dovey junk from the past 11 years. I have to tell you though, I married one amazing guy! You're the best Clay. I love you!

Who needs a slip and slide....

.....when you have a SUPER SLIDE! We've had this slide for a few years and have used it once. Since the monsoons came early this year and have been sticking around, the pool has been long gone for some while now. The pool was so hard to take care of with all the rainwater that was getting in it, not to mention the leafs and pine needles and other various things that would blow in with each storm.
So, down comes the pool and up went the water slide. We even put up a little pool for me (and Nana) to sit in and catch some rays while the girls have a blast on the slide!

Then the monsoons struck up again. We did get a few hours of playtime in, then it was back inside to tackle the wall. THE WALL, that's a whole nother post. Uggghhh, I'll have to fill you all in!

See those clouds behind the girls!

We can't wait to play again tomorrow!! If you're in town call us up, we'll have a BBQ and play in the water. Kids of all ages welcome. I even went down the slide time after time (Nana too!). All you big kids out there, this is what summer is all about!!

Love and marriage

Love: When you take a bubble bath together.

Marriage: When you give the kids a bath.

Love: A romantic candle-light dinner for two.

Marriage: 4 happy meals.....to go.

Love: Giving your sweetheart some candy.

Marriage: Scraping candy off the carpet.

Love: A night out at the Symphony.

Marriage: A night out at Disney on ice.

Love: Aroma- French perfume.

Marriage: Aroma- "The baby needs changing"..........

Love: Lending your jacket to your sweetheart when she is cold.

Marriage: Your teenager just took your jacket.

Love: Long rides through the countryside.

Marriage: Long drives with the kids screaming in the backseat.

Love: Fancy restaurants, flowers, romantic dates, hand holding, late nights, fast cars.

Marriage: McDonald's, plants, once a month dates, ewwww they're holding hands!, early to bed early to rise, mini vans, nap time, ironing, dishes, house payments, lost teeth, kissing boo boos, teaching life lessons........eternal............priceless!

~Casssius and his new toy~

Ok, the pictures are a little weird but I'm still trying to get the hang of the new camera and all the settings. Bear with me! The girls had taken their Hula Hoops to summer school. There they were used and abused and all the shimmery stuff has started peeling off. I noticed the Hula Hoops out front against the front fence this morning when Clay was leaving for work. They looked pretty beat up and trashy, a bit of an eye sore so I threw them over the fence into the backyard.
Later I hear Cassisus barking and whimpering. I'm wondering if he's caught another gopher or bird to play with.
I see him outside rolling around with the hula hoop. It was too funny. Ever since I mowed the grass he has been so hyper and happy. A nice cut, clean yard can do that to a dog I guess.

We let him have his fun by himself for a while. We all stood by the sliding glass door snickering away because he was being so funny.

Then we decided to join in the fun with him. What a hoot. He is such an amazing and fun dog!

We'll see what his next new toy will be! At least we'll never have to buy him expensive dog toys, he comes up with his own entertainment!

Sit, Stay, Good boy!