They call me...Mr. 7!!

This morning I walked down stairs to hear Conner say to Erin, "They call me...Mr. 7!! I laughed right out loud it was so darn cute!! It is hard to believe that my baby is 7 and will be in first grade! Where has the time gone? Conner has been a joy to have in our family since the day he was born. He keeps us all on our toes and in stitches with the funny things he says and does!

Happy Birthday Conner!!! We all hope that you have a wonderful day today and we want you to know how much we love you everyday!! You are such a sweetheart!!

17...Wow!!

Scott and I have been married 17 years today! I can remember when my parents celebrated anniversaries like this one and I thought that they were old (haha). That must mean that I am old now - at least in the eyes of my kids!! We were married in the Jordan River Temple on Thursday, August 20, 1992 at 1:30pm. Little did we know the adventures that awaited us on our journey together. Here is a snapshot of the past 17 years:

- We have moved 12 times

- We have lived in 6 different cities & 4 states

- Our 4 wonderful kids were born in 3 different cities & 3 different states

- Scott has worked for 5 different companies

- Kristin has managed to keep the same job (sometimes I wonder how!!)

I am very blessed to be married to such a wonderful man who loves me and takes such good care of our family. I am thankful that our family can be forever because with all the commotion and uncertainty in the world today, there are some absolutes that we can work towards and count on. Scott, I love you with all my heart. Thank you for "giving me wings to fly" and always loving me, especially when I deserve it the least. Happy Anniversary!!

Where did all the Band-Aids go?

Didn't we just have a full box of Band-Aids? Our kids want a bandage for every little scrape they get, even if there is NO blood at all. Conner came to me the other day and showed my a scratch that he wanted a bandage for. There was no blood, but in order to keep him happy, I went to the linen closet where we keep the bandages and got one down for him and helped put it on the scratch.

Fast forward ten minutes. I came upstairs and saw all this confetti from Band-Aid wrappers on the floor. Conner was sitting in the middle of it trying to pull down his pantleg so that I wouldn't see what he had done. I was laughing too hard to be mad because he had stuck bandages all the way up his leg! I guess if one cover the hurt, then all the rest just insulate the love.

Finally...updates!!!

Conner and a dinosaur stampede during bath time!!

The "boys" had a great time at the Father's & Son's outing.

Jason and Scott went on a Scout High Adventure bike ride. They rode from Stanley, ID to Donnelly, ID - about 130 miles (I think)!

Tyler met with Bishop Ririe to complete a project on the LDS Star Wards.

Erin performed at the Spring concert.

Jason had his braces removed (doesn't he look excited?)!

Conner "graduated" from Kindergarten!

Scott & I took a drive to McCall on a Saturday. It was a beautiful day!

Memorial Day

We are so blessed to live in this country! Many people throughout the history of this great land have given their time and often times their lives to protect the divine rights afforded us in the Constitution. Thank you seems so small but it is how I feel. Thank you to all those who have served this country to keep us free and to keep us safe. Thank you to all of those who lived to return home to teach us the lessons learned in service to all of us. Thank you to those who have died to give the rest of us the hope for a bright future of liberty. Thank you to those who are serving this day to protect us all. Today, during all of our activities, let us take a moment or two to express our gratitude to those around us, but especially to our Father in Heaven for His blessings that are given to us each day.

Builders

I think all boys are builders. I remember many, many hours spent with Lincoln Logs and Legos just letting my imagination take over. Creations great and small, complex and simple brought much enjoyment to a simpler time in my life. Jason has all kinds of Legos too, but they are lots different from the ones I used to play with. He has Bionicles and Star Wars sets - those didn't exist in my day. I was content with the "city" sets, making houses and cars and other vehicles.

Tyler and Conner are builders too. Well Tyler is a builder, Conner is on demolition detail. Mostly when they build together, Tyler makes it stand up and Conner makes it fall down. This picture was a day when they were having fun together. Tyler is starting to be more interested in Legos than blocks, so I'm sure the days of cooperative building are numbered for them.

Time to Tango!

On Saturday last week, Jason participated in a 6-stake regional dance festival. It was held at the Taco Bell Arena on the campus at Boise State University. As you can see from the pictures, there were tons of kids there dancing. Our Stake had a part in the grand entry and finale with everyone else and then had an individual performance where they danced the tango. Other Stake's showcased line dancing or swing or cha-cha, but I think our kids did the best, even though I don't know the first thing about what's involved with dancing the tango!

Jason had lots of fun with his partner (she's a Junior and in the Beacon Light Ward). I sometimes wonder if he is getting more interested in girls now because he passed up an opportunity to take driver's education in order to not miss any dance practices! Maybe he is just becoming more of a social guy and likes to hang out with his friends. Either way it is fine with me; Jason is a very responsible 15 year old.