Father's Day and other stuff

Ned always takes such good care of me on Mother's Day so I wanted to do the same for Ned. I wanted to make a yummy dinner, awesome dessert, take care of the kids, keep the house clean, and get to church on time.  Well, one thing I figured out is I cannot do it alone, I need Ned.  He helps me so much at home with the kids, cleaning he is really so great and keeps me laughing the whole time.  I am grateful I get to spend every day with him.  My kids also love him so much and would do anything for him. Lucas got up and cleaned his room and then all day they kept saying "It's dad's day so he gets to do what he wants".

Penny loves her daddy, and daddy loves his Penny

I miss my dad every day, but especially on Father's day.  He was just the right dad for me.  He knew when to push me and when to let me go on my own.  I wish my kids were able to know him, but I am pretty sure he is the one that sent Penny to me so sassy. Dad loved being a Granpa and often talked about what he would do with the kids. I am glad I got a glimpse of him as a grandfather with Lucas. 

Lucas and Ben's blessing day my dad is so happy.

One of the only pictures I have of dad and Lucas. 

While we were living in Rhode Island Ned served in the Providence Branch presidency.  Well, strangely enough the branch president moved to the Phoenix area just 4 months after us.  We were finally able to get together with the Culley family.  They have a great  pool and the kids played for hours and we ate a ton of ribs.  It was nice to have a little bit of Rhode Island here in the desert. 

Penny and Emily

Lucas and Tyson

This summer has been a bit challenging to keep to the kids from driving me crazy.  In Rhode Island it was easy we just went to the beach I was happy to be there and so were the kids.  In Arizona I have to do a little more work. This week we decided to go the Science Center in Phoenix.  We really love it and we have a pass.  It entertains the kids forever, and I feel like the kids are learning.  There is one particular area that has a big stomach and teaches about digestion.  As a result there is a button you can push that makes a farting sound.  That alone entertains forever, that was the first display Penny wanted to go to funny girl. 

There is a game that you wear a helmet and it measures your brain waves. 

In our ward I am serving with the Young Women ages 12-13.  We has an activity this week where we went to a park and played messy twister.  It was fun and eventually turned into a paint fight.  I love working with this age group they are so silly and keep me young. 

Roman has started crawling this week, and it is really fun to see where he wants to go and what he wants.  He spends most of his day following the kids around.  I can just tell he wants to be there with the kids walking and playing.  He is so much fun!!

This how Roman spends his days.

We are really enjoying the World Cup right now.  Lucas has a couple of jerseys and wheres them every day.

The other day we went to Chick Fil A for ice cream and they were having a circus. They had a clown, face painting, balloon animals, and cotton candy.  My kids will do just about anything for cotton candy. 

The Fourth of July

Happy Belated Fourth of July!!

We move quite a bit.  When I was a younger adult pre-marriage I always hoped and thought I/ we would move around a lot.  That is how my parents spent their early years together-  moving for school, military, military, school, jobs.  My dad always had the coolest stories to tell so I figured that was how you got out and lived life-you move.  The story my dad forgot to tell me is that moving is hard.  Leaving a place you have lived is really, really hard even if you didn't like it that much.  There are always memories, places, and most importantly friends that are left behind.  Then moving to a new place is exhausting physically and emotionally.  You have to start over again finding places, creating memories, and making new friends.  Every time I move I have to step out of my comfort zone.  I keep thinking the day we stop moving is the day I become comfortable with it.   To be honest the thought of settling down scares me.  Although, the older Lucas gets that more I realize moving takes its toll on the kiddos.  

One thing that makes moving A LOT easier is the church.  It gives me an automatic circle of friends.  I have resources of what to do, where to go, and easy access to friends for my kids.  So far my church friends have started out as a resource soon to friends, and then to family.  When there are no blood relatives around it is nice to find a family.  I have been very blessed so far with amazing people in my life.  Now that I have been in Rhode Island for 2 months I know that the same is true here I am on my way to whole new family.  I have been blessed again.    

For the fourth of July we were able to meet up with some friends at India Point Park for music and fireworks.  I was such a pleasant night with my immediate family and my church family.  It was probably one of the nicest nights Ned and I have had in a long time.  We were just able to sit back and relax and enjoy the company.

Penny spent the whole evening with Sophie

Thanks to Jenni for inviting us and saving us a place in a great location.

Lucas and his new friend, Samuel. 

The stage where the RI Pops played

Penny was also fond of Josh, Sophie's brother.

Fun on the farm

A couple of weeks ago we were able to go to a apple orchard/pumpkin patch with a bunch of friends. There was so much to do that we stayed way longer than we should have. We all had a ton of fun. Lucas was constantly asking me "what is that?" once I told him he needed to know the next thing. Ned got to climb trees, and I got to eat some of the yummiest pumpkin donuts (which I usually do not like donuts). To make the day even better gas was dollar cheaper than here in Chicago and there was a Taco Bell on the way home. All in all a fun day.

Lucas walking around in the kid sized corn (barrel) maze

In the actual corn maze. Every time he saw a piece of corn on the ground he stopped to stare and ask me "what's that?"

Walking around in the real corn maze. It was muddy and tons of puddles which he insisted on stomping in every single one.

Lucas and Simon waiting for the their turn on the moo choo train

LuAnn and Simon on the Moo Choo trained. Look how scared Simon looks. Poor Guy.

Lucas on the train

There was a little kids play area so Lucas got to ride his own tractor

Lucas and Ned looking at the cows

Lucas feeding the goats which he loved. Every time he finished feeding them he would lick his hands. Oh so Gross!

Lucas and Daddy finding the perfect apple

We were able to pick apples and Lucas found one that he loved and would not let go he just kept gnawing on it.

Here we are with our apples. I am not sure why I am holding the bag of apples since I did not pick even one. I think that I am still traumatized by the apple tree we had in our backyard in Utah. We never picked them. We just waited till they fell on the ground and then we had to clean up all the rotten apples that were in our yard.

Some of Lucas's little buddies: Lucas, Bennett, Simon, and Aston. Not pictured was Reese and Hunter. This is the only pic I got with more than two kids sorry.

Lucas loving his pumpkins while still holding on to his apple.

Mmmm....

Lucas loved looking at all the pumpkins in the patch. As he is pointing he is saying"Oh, what's that?"

Driving a bigger tractor

Here's the group Us, Olivers, Strongs, Parishs(minus Saerome taking the picture). We are missing the Clives and the Crews who had already gone home.

We stayed too long. He fell asleep in the amount of time it took us to walk to the car.

Mary and Darlene

My whole life I have been blessed with amazing friends. Two of my oldest, Mary and Dar, came to visit this summer and it was so much fun to get all of us together again.

We have been best friends since we were in seventh grade and Mary moved to our school. We were in most of our classes together so we just hit it off. We always laughed our heads off when we were together and had the best time.

In high school when we were graduating and going different ways we promised that we would be friends forever until we turned 25. Funny that 25 would be the pinnacle of life and the longest we could be friends. I am glad we beat it and made it to 30. I am sure that we will at least make it to forever--40.

Anyway I love these two girls and I am such a lucky person to have been blessed to have them in my life. They really have enhanced my life and I am so happy whenever we are able to get together.

Here are some pics throughout our childhood and then their visit.

Good old high school spirit week dressed like hippies.

We decided that we needed to get professional pictures done at Kmart. We coordinated our outfits based on black, white, and gray. Oh we are weird.

Picture after school. I included this one because the guy waving his hand is Nady, Mary's husband.

This is middle school on a bus trip some where

This is our middle school professional picture, and yes my shirt has painted fish on it. And if you can't tell there is some excellent use of puffy paint on that shirt.

We always need a good picture of Lucas

Isn't he cute

The whole family out for day with friends.

Uncle Nady is so sweet to Lucas. Lucas loves him so much.

Thanks so much for coming to visit. Lucas and I miss you so much please come back.