Summer! What do we do now?

I have been so excited for summer to come, but now that it is here I am a little bit worried that I'm not going to be able to entertain my kids. We don't move back to our house for about a month so we definitely are going to have to think hard. Today we built a hut and that seemed to keep us busy for a little while.

After lunch and naps we headed up to the Rec Center. Aunt Lisa was supposed to join us, but she couldn't make it. The kids had fun swimming and eating the snacks that we brought. Mom even took Chase down the Hydro-tube (I'm sure that was a sight!)

We spent the last hour playing on the splash pad.

Grandma even came up with a list of things to do, here it is:

-Work on Summer Program
-Throw pitches at the wall and catch them
-Pull 50 weeds in the garden
-Pick up the rocks in the lawn
-Find a worm
-Bird watching
-Play trains
-Learn something new out of the Encyclopedia
-Count to 100 by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's
-Burp the ABC's

Well, 1 day down! How many to go?

Carson, Carson, Carson......

"You know, The Fourth of July isn't just about fireworks. It is also the day we celebrate when they wrote the Doctrine in Covenants!"


For Mother's Day one of the things Carson gave me was a coupon for a free day of babysitting Hayden. I told him how excited I was to use it. He then explained that it expired today and that I wouldn't really be able to use it today since Dad was already home to watch Hayden. Well, I guess it's the thought that counts!

Hayden's 1st Birthday!

Hayden turned 1 on March 15th, 2009. We enjoyed having family over to celebrate with us. Both of the boys had birthday badges on their 1st birthdays so we decided that Hayden needed one too and couldn't help but put her in a crown. Surprisingly she kept it on for the entire party including her bath.

We enjoyed taco salads for dinner and then Hayden "Dug in" to her flower cake. To "Unsticky" her we stuck her in the bath after she was done. She loved her flower cake and everyone else loved the flower cupcakes. (On March 7th-Hayden got her first two teeth, just in time to enjoy her birthday cake)

Hayden posing in her crown. What a little princess!

Present time proved to be quite an adventure. She loved playing with the wrapping paper and tissue paper. She loved her new trike from Mom and Dad, her new bumble-bee pillow from Papa and Grandma, new clothes from Grandma and Grandpa Jackson, and her new ball and EXTRA BIG SUCKER from Aunt Lisa and Uncle Jeremy.

We had a great time spending the day with family. Dinner was Yummy and the company was even better. Hayden must have realized it was a big day because she decided to take her first steps today. She is growing up so fast.

Playing Catch Up!

Wow, time has flown by. I can't believe it is May. March and April were really crazy months for us. Between birthdays, Spring Break, Camping trips and much more, I really haven't had a chance to sit down and blog. So over the next few days I will be playing catch-up. Sorry for all of the old stuff, you will just have to forgive me. I will try to get us current as soon as possible, but for now you will just have to step back in time a few months as we try to get caught up!

Happy 7th Birthday Carson!

Carson turned 7 on March 13th, 2009 and there was lots of celebration. We took treats (Ding-Dongs, his favorite) into his class. When we got there they sang to him while he passed out them out. When we got home from school his present was sitting out in the front yard. He looked out the window and noticed a new bike on the lawn. He was really excited and took it for a ride immediately. After we put Chase down for a nap Cody, Carson and I decided to take a quick bike ride down to visit Papa at work. It gave Carson a chance to try out his new wheels. We got home just in time to get ready for Carson's birthday party. We drove up to the Rec Center to wait for everyone to show up. When everyone got there we walked over to a big grassy field where we enjoyed cake and opening presents. The kids started playing a game of tag so we didn't rush to go swimming. When they were done with tag we gathered everyone up and went to the Rec Center to let them swim for a couple of hours. The kids all had a great time swimming, splashing, making a whirlpool, and going down the hydro-tube with Cody. After all the parents picked there kids up we headed for home, tired but happy. Carson and his cousins decided it was a good idea to go and visit a few of the neighbors to inform them that it was his birthday. One neighbor (Tom) gave Carson a pack of gum and another neighbor (Tractor Bob) gave Carson, Chase, Shyanne and Sierra a Tractor ride around the neighborhood. Boy, were they excited. I guess it pays off to inform people that it's your birthday. We finished off the night with Carson's favorite dinner Homemade Macaroni and Cheese. On Hayden's birthday a couple of days later Carson got his Light Saber cake. It was my first attempt at using fondant. What a fun experiment and even though it didn't turn out quite like I had pictured Carson was really happy with it. Can't believe you're 7 Carson. We love you!

Those who came:
Carson, Chase, Hayden, Mom, Dad, Aunt Lisa, Shyanne, Sierra,
Tate, Grandma Jackson, Taina, Logan, JT, Carter, Jack, Nui, Parker

7 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT CARSON:
-Your honesty
-Your concern for others
-Your love of learning
-How hard you try to do your best
-What a good brother you are to Hayden and Chase
-Your quiet reverence (Dad's description of you, which I totally agree with)
-All of the notes, pictures, and flowers you give us.
What a blessing you are to our family!

Science Fair 2009

Science Fair March 12th, 2009
DOES THE DESIGN OF A PAPER AIRPLANE AFFECT HOW IT FLIES?

Carson really wanted to enter the Science Fair this year. Although it was extra work for us it was a good thing for him to participate in. Cody and Carson made 3 different types of airplanes and then we spent one afternoon at the park and in the gym at the church test flying them. Dad and Carson flew the airplanes and measured how far they went, Mom recorded all the data, and Chase ran around as usual. We stayed up really late one night finishing everything and then a couple of days later he spent the school day standing by his project. The next day we picked Carson up from school and he was so excited because he won 3rd place. On the way home from school he called all of his Grandmas and Grandpas and told them the good news. He took his ribbon everywhere we went for a couple of days. Good job Carson, we are so proud of you.

Glenn Beck-We Surround Them!

Just something Cody and I are really interested in. We won't be watching this live because it's Carson's b-day, but we will be DVR-ing it. We sent in our photo and we are really excited.

We Surround Them-The Unveiling

March 13th on FOX News 5pm ET
Do you watch the direction that America is being taken in and feel powerless to stop it? Do you believe that your voice isn’t loud enough to be heard above the noise anymore? Do you read the headlines everyday and feel an empty pit in your stomach…as if you’re completely alone? If so, then you’ve fallen for the Wizard of Oz lie. While the voices you hear in the distance may sound intimidating, as if they surround us from all sides—the reality is very different. Once you pull the curtain away you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak. The truth is that they don’t surround us at all.
We surround them. So, how do we show America what’s really behind the curtain? Below are nine simple principles. If you believe in at least seven of them, then we have something in common.

12 Values
Honesty
Reverence
Hope
Thrift
Humility
Charity
Sincerity
Moderation
Hard Work
Courage
Personal Responsibility
Friendship

The Nine Principles
1. America is good.
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

You Are Not Alone If you agree with at least seven of those principles, then you are not alone. Please send a digital version of your picture to: wesurroundthem@foxnews.com and then stay tuned to the radio and television shows over the coming weeks to see how we intend to pull back the curtain.