Happy Birthday Luke!

It's great to be 8!!! Happy Birthday Luke!!
Luke had a great birthday this year. He was so excited this year because he's going to get baptized and he's taking 3 friends to see the movie How To Train Your Dragon in 3D!
He's worked really really hard the last few weeks to read the Book of Mormon
and has reached his goal! We're so proud of the boy you are and the choices you're making!

When I asked Luke what he wanted me to make for dinner on his special day, I was surprised.
I wasn't expecting his answer, but took it in stride and made the day his!
The menu:
Salmon
cream corn
potatoes, "you know the kind you can make a volcano out of"
and for dessert
cheesecake with cherries

This year Luke got his very own set of scriptures, some money, legos and some How To Train Your Dragon figurines. He was very happy!

A few days later we took a few of his friends to see the movie! They were so excited! It's always fun to go to a matinee so the kids can talk, laugh and be crazy! They had a great time.

In the picture are from left to right: Camille, Emry, Charlie, Luke, Maya, Jase & Dillon. They had viking hats to wear during the movie, but they'd already destroyed them by this point!
The moms sat behind them!! It really was a blast and the movie is really great!

Happy Birthday Luke!

Dinner at the Beach

Taylor, Jen & Adam came down to hang out for the day and have dinner on the beach. We made tinfoil dinners and just relaxed. We hadn't been to the beach in a long time so the kids were loving it! They played and played and played. We arrived just before sunset, nabbed a fire pit and let Trent & Taylor show off their cooking skillz! Dinner was yummy and we enjoyed the fire while eating s'mores in the darkness.

This was Adam's first trip to the beach!
I'm sure their will be many many more trips, that he'll actually remember,
but we were happy to be part of his first!

Luke is holding the treasures he found while digging in the sand...funny guy!

Desert Wild Flowers

Trent had the day off today so we put Carley in the car and took off to the desert! We've been wanting to see the desert flower bloom since we got here and have never gone, so today was our chance. Since we've had such a rainy winter this year, the bloom is supposed to be the best in 10 years. We drove to a town called Borrego Springs where the bloom was in full swing. We saw a variety of cacti blooms and desert lilies that haven't bloomed for the last few years, pretty cool.







Trent gets the Good Samaratain Award for his good deed of the day. This guy had pulled off too far into the ditch, that was sand, and got stuck. Trent was able to help him out in just a few minutes! I don't know exactly why, but men are so attractive when they're working hard!

We got our passports!

We got our passports today! It was really exciting and is making the next few years seem more real. We had to get them before Trent leaves b/c we both had to be there in person for the kids to get theirs.

We met Jason Mraz!!

If you haven't already heard, our property is connected to Jason Mraz's property on one end. We've seen him driving a few times, but had never met him or been to his house. Well we have now!! He's going to be around more over the next year or so working on an album so he decided to get involved with our home owners association. He held a get together about creating an organic food co-op for our neighborhood. It was very informational and cool, made me want to cook healthier. Jason is really really laid back kind of guy. He showed us around his property and then showed Trent his studio and guitars. It was a fun time, I'm glad we went.

Meeting Elder L. Tom Perry

Today I was able to be a part of a really fancy and cool dinner that our stake held for Elder L. Tom Perry and stake presidents in the area. It was so nice to be a part of the evening. I was one of the girls that got to serve Elder Perry and his wife! So cool! The ladies in my ward are so talented and awesome, I really feel like I've been blessed by getting to know them.

Bedtime Stories on the Tramp

Sometimes, when the kids begging is effective, Trent reads their bedtime stories outside on the trampoline. This is coveted daddy time! The kids are always so excited when he does this, such a treat!

Dance Classes

We finally enrolled Emry in a dance/tap combo class. She was so excited to start! She had a lot of fun and really took to it. I had to sit outside with the other mom's b/c we weren't allowed in the room to watch. Luckily the other parents had kids Luke & Carley's ages so they had friends to play with while we waited.

These photos are terrible. I had to sneak my camera inside a crack in the door so I wouldn't "distract" the dancers. The teacher was totally nutty and spunky which I suppose you have to be to teach 3-6 yr olds! She was very nice and Emry did really good. She listened better during dance class than she does at home or school!

We love to watch her practice at home. She gets a little shy when she realizes we're watching her, but we try to help her be the best she can be! The tap shoes have been banished to the garage. I can't handle the them inside the house, but she really really liked that part of class. Carley wants to take class too. Emry has taught her all the moves and they both passe together! so cute! We'll have to keep these lessons coming!

I had to post this photo b/c it's hilarious!
None of the girls could really put their leg up on the bar, but it was so funny to see them try!

Snails & Flowers

Every morning and late afternoon our porches and windows get attacked by snail slime! This morning was cloudy and this snail was out a little late. He'd better get to shade quickly before the sun comes out for the day.


I've been talking and talking about starting a little photo business for a long time now and I'm getting close to where I'd like to be. I've taken sooo many photos that I'm really proud of and am feeling ready to put myself out there.....now I just need a business name! Here are a few of my favorites, I haven't been able to get the colors quite right on this blog, so they're not as vibrant as they should be, but you get the idea.

Kids & Chuck E.Cheese....WHAT GIVES???

Is there some inherent rule in the land of kids that says, "All kids must worship Chuck E. Cheese"? I would like to see where this is written in the Handbook: Tips on Raising Kids, because I missed that page. I swear every other b-day party my kids get invited to is at Chuck E. Cheese. The school we attend even does fundraisers there. I just don't get it! The tables are permanently sticky, pizza is sooo greasy, prizes are lame-o and the carpet is totally grimy!

OK, don't take this post the wrong way, I'm not trying to be a hater, but I just don't get it. Let me get to the meat of my post. I'm posting this because Luke is going to a b-day party at Chuck E. Cheese tonight with 5 of his very best friends (Jase is the first in their little posse to turn 8). It's all I've heard about the past 52 hrs! This morning he was up at 6am, dressed and ready for school. By the time we had breakfast at 7:30am his eyes were bloodshot and he was beginning to fall apart. It was at this time clear to me that he'd not slept much last night in anticipation! I felt bad sending him to school this morning because I can see he's going to be completely worthless today.

Before bed last night and then again this morning he asked me about, "the plans". What time does the party start. When will I pick him up from school. When will I wrap Jase's gift. What time does the party start........you get the picture! Anyway, I finally got him to settle down and told him that it was going to be a normal Friday. I'd pick him up from boys & girls club at the normal time and then we'd go home, get the present and meet at Jase's house at 5:30pm. I thought that he'd gotten it, but I was wrong.

Fast forward to 3pm. I just got off the phone with Jase's mom, Kara, who received a frantic phone call from Jase on her cellphone when he got home from school. He was worried because Luke didn't know when to meet at his house (keep in mind these are second grade boys here, just turning 8). Was she picking him up at Boys & Girls Club or what? So, Kara of course calls me and we laugh and laugh about the situation. I told her how excited Luke was and that all this had already been discussed.

I'm sure he's going to fall into a heap on my doorstep when the party is over! Who would've ever thought that an over-sized mouse named Chuck E. Cheese would have such power of my kid!

Pure Comedy!