Drugs and Condoms

Last week I was cleaning my kid's room . . . Now I don't do this very often but my junior in high school was feeling overwhelmed with all the demands of Algebra 2, Chemistry and so forth. So while he was at school I thought I would help him out by getting his room in order and get a load of laundry in for him. So I started to clean his room and put things away from previous weeks that were still out of place. It was a proud moment for me, some parents find drugs and condoms in their kid's drawers . . . I found graham crackers and Nutella! Life's little blessings.

Week Eight thru Eleven

Family Vacation, Steinhart museum, Oakland temple, hike in the east bay hills.

Mission Call

August 11, 20011 Home from Warped Tour, 10pm opening the mission call.
Maryland Baltimore Mission, Spanish speaking, reports to MTC Nov 16th 2011











This is what he really looked like that night.

Bragging Rights

We had both daughters graduate this last April from BYU. We were able to go out to commencement and enjoy the festivities. Halie received her master's degree and Natalie her bachelor's degree. We are very proud that they both are happily married, happily graduated and happily employed. Halie is now employed by the University of Houston. She is an academic adviser in the College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Natalie is the Director of Internships in the Department of Communications @ Brigham Young University. Their wonderful husbands are currently working on their education/career and supporting their happy wives.

20+ years of child rearing finally pays off!!

New Computer

So I have this fancy new computer that is suppose to be user friendly. I don't see it like that. I am trying to regularly blog and add photos for interest. But when I go to browse I can't find the pictures. When I ask for help from my brilliant know-it-all son he tells me I have too many users. When I ask my husband he says "UE". So it's Use-r friendly not User-s friendly. So does anyone know if the apple growers offer any help for this apple picker in the first year of ownership? Or do I only get one byte? heh heh heh

P.S. I will try not to get discouraged and keep blogging. Sorry if there are no pictures. UE

Defintion: UE--user error

Summer Swimming--Woo Hoo!!

Week Seven

SO (service opportunity sounds better then service project) for Sister Kim. She's 60-ish and moving to the bay area. I volunteered the kids to come help clean and pack. Yes my kids were not happy and I just had to turn a deaf ear to the moaning. Maybe this opportunity will help them appreciate home. Haircuts , missionaries for dinner, Camelot @-Music Circus (generous gift from Joe) Greg and I needed a date desperately. RHS music boosters meeting, Greg and I went to Dean Smeltzer sealing @ the Oakland Temple, Cake decorating with Lynn McClure.

Week Six

Six weeks into summer vacation and we finally got out of town. Emma and I (Julie, AnnMarie & Max) went to Fresno to be with the girl cousins and aunts. We tied quilts (see pictures on AnnMarie's blog) and finished (with Beau's help) Emma's quilt top that we started when Natalie was making Ben's star quilt. Ryan went to San Diego to help Harris' move. He got to go to the beach. Riley had his final interview with stake president to get his mission papers in and then came home and was offered a canvasing job. (the Lord knows what you need). Ethan had Sunday School swim party but he doesn't swim. Clarissa sleepover. Convert baptism, Greg spoke. Tutoring for Ethan and piano lessons for Ryan and Emma. Emma is knocking out the Pink Panther Theme. (stay tuned)

Week Five

Standby jury duty , SO(service opportunity) @ Hunts, skating with Max & Co., Citizenship and the World, blue cards, Skype-ing :), ORPD ice cream social (mint choc chip, raspberry swirl, rainbow sherbert, strawberry, and banana splits) "Can we do this again next year?", Eragon, contact lenses, reading bingo cards---Yeh!!! Emma!

Week Four

Tutoring, beach trip with David and friends, Summer seminary school, piano lessons, Crocker Art Museum with Activity Days, erection of the Swimming Pool. Woo Hoo!! the cannery, 870 pages completed, Lake Natomas and the midnight premier of the Deathly Hallows. . . .

Week Three

Whew! Fourth of July was memorable because it was such a dud. Ry went to Coco, we went for a swim at Jet's. Then home for a neighborhood of fireworks and honey popcorn. Yum! we all know what a softball stage is now. Swimming with friends, wedding reception, and Vicious' birthday party

Week Two

E:Scout Camp-merit badges: climbing, painting, woodwork, and geology. Ry: Lassen Volcanic Park. Mom-Fireworks booth for the Rosemont Music Boosters and Order of the Phoenix. Ri and friend had a par-teh. M had Elizabeth and Camryn over to play, sleep and lots of crafts.

Week One

First week of summer under our belt. We had sleepovers, camp out (backyard @Eickmyers), sewing, reading, chores, haircuts, yard work, sickness (bummer Ryan), birthday parties (Ray, Mercedes & Isabelle), one lucky person got to go to Six Flags Marine World and Stake Conference to finish off the week. Oh I forgot the most important one . . . SWIMMING @ Aunt Julie's.

Ethan's First Weekend of Summer

I saw Green Lantern on Friday. It was a really good movie. It is all about willpower and the threat of the power of fear. When the Ring goes to find a new recruit for the green lantern core, for the first time it chooses a human. It was filled was action and excitement.

I also have stared a new book called The Hunger Games. It is a cool book. I am only about 27 pages into it but it has defineity caught my attention. It is about a crupted government that has formed after the distruction of north America almost killing everyone and these are the survivors rebuilding. I can't wait to finish it and the movie is coming out in March 23, 2012.

SUMMER 2011

It's Official . . . . Summer is here. Kids are out of school and the new routine is evolving. First item---sleeping in.

Next Item--Class pet. Emma volunteered to tend the class pet thru the summer. Mrs. Smurf. Enjoy the video.

Summer Blogging--What better way to keep them writing and documenting summer fun. So come August the can't say, " summer was so borrrring."

The Harry Potter birthday party preparations are underway. We have corks for our potions, the butterbeer recipe has been tested, and the magical creatures are getting spiffed up for the occasion. Invitations have been sent and the excitement of the term is upon us.