Yellowstone Pt. 4

We went to Yellowstone for 5 days. We camped, yes, in a tent, for 5 days. Luckily, they have pay showers and I dare say that was my favorite part of the trip!
Anyhow, the boys loved all of the things we were able to see. The second day we were there, a buffalo came out and walked right behind our car. By the 4th day, we'd seen so many buffalo that we weren't even jumping out of the sunroof to see them anymore. Sam sat in his carseat and just watched them, with an occasional "Whoa!"
We saw geysers,mud pots, Old Faithful, waterfalls, and creeks. And, we smelled lots of rotten eggs, a.k.a. sulpher from the geysers.

(Enjoy some pics and when you get tired of looking at them, be grateful I didn't post all 196 that I took! And, that's not even counting what's on Cam's camera!)

Jake and Jared throwing Sam around on the Boardwalk. I think it's one of those things that makes Jake feel grown up, so I just shut my mouth and pray Sammers doesn't end up in a geyser!

We took a picnic break one day at the Nez Pierce Creek. Jake and Cam cooled off in teh creek. Cam is still into silly but, again, muscle poses? What? Is he growing up?

Jared and my sweet Sammers in the creek. That little boy is not afraid of water at all. I'm afraid!

Proof that we saw Old Faithful. There's another geyser, the Beehive Geyser, that is nearby and only goes off once a day. We were lucky to see it while we were waiting for Old Faithful.

Yellowstone Pt.3

Jake, Josh, and Cam at one of the geysers. I read that the cool blue part is actually the hottest. The water cools a little as it reaches the orange and brown layers.

Isn't this a great picture of the deer? He's right between Cam's and Jake's heads if you can see past the distracting cuteness!

Jared and the big boys on the way down to see some really great rapids along the Yellowstone River.

Jake and Cam at the same rapids. (Look how close they are to one another and no one's crying...yet)

Yellostone Pt.2

We hiked down to the bottom of the great falls which were beautiful (even with a 600ft drop in elevation!)! It started lightening as we started back up the switchbacks so we were soaked by the time we reached the top!

Josh & Jake at one of the waterfalls. I think my kids only have green shirts!

Jared leaned over the side a little so Sam could see the water as it fell over the waterfall. I guess it was loud because he kept covering his ears!

The Canyon at Yellowstone is so beautiful. I normally enjoy flowers and trees a lot more than rocks, but this was really breathtaking.

Yellowstone Pt. 1

A family picture of us near the Yellostone Canyon.

The first buffalo we saw. He walked right behind our car. the kids were so excited! They were poking their heads up out of the sunroof to se him and then jumping back down in the car amid girly squeals!

This was one of the many geysers we saw. It seemed to be a continuous spray. Sorry, I don't remember it's name!

A lot ot the things to see are marked real big on the map. Some just have little signs and pull-out areas as you're driving along. We decided to stop and see what this area was and we were amazed by this beautiful waterfall!

Got Puddin'?

Sam needed a little chocolate after his first day going to nursery at church. He eased that anxious feeling by rubbing pudding all over his belly. Great therapy!

Thanksgiving Point

We went to play in the water around teh ark last week and they had drained it. So, instead we played in teh fountains and climbed like monkeys all over the statues!

Jake and Josh hanging out with Noah

Jake did a great job at taking Sam around and keeping an eye on him

Cam, for some weird reason, likes to have the water spray him in the face

Sammers could do this!

Cam's Birthday

Cam's 8th birthday was Sunday. We had cupcakes, his favorite dinner (web dinner) and he received his new bike from mom and dad. We even got to set up his Baptism Interview with the Bishop. But the real fun was on Tuesday - PaRtY TiMe! We had a Mad Scientist Party. Everyone got a lab coat (thanks to those that gave me old shirts!) and we had some fun supplies from an anonymous donor that works in a medical type office.

From july 09c

We started off by making molecules from marshmallows and toothpicks. These boys were really creative!

Joshie with his molecule.

One of our friends dissecting his jello jiggler frog. They had to get all of the plastic flies out of their frogs.

Each of the boys dissolved salt in a jar and hung a string in it. I really hope their salt crystals start forming by Thursday! We made lava lamps with water bottles using water, oil, and alka seltzers. I was having too much fun watching the bubbles to take any pictures.

We also made glurch which is like silly putty, but cleaner. It's great for weird feeling, messy stuff.

We had root beer potion and brain cake for treats. The cake was red velvet on the inside, of course! Someone left us some sample cups so we drank out of them; what would you have done with them?

A closer picture of the brain cake with the nerves or whatever those things are still on the back. Cameron insisted on the worms being near the cake. He's fascinated with worms getting into people's brain ever since his sweet aunt told him about it.

We finished the party with some Diet Coke/Mentos fountains. Jared drilled holes in teh lids of the soda so the pressure would make the soda shoot higher. We did it about 8 times and every time the boys were amazed!


Cam was so excited to open gifts. He was genuinely excited about each gift he opened. Each time he looked into a gift bag, we'd hear, "Wow!", "Awesome!" "Yesss!".

We had an awesome time! Love you , Cam!

For Kim, My Adoring Stalker

How to make a Lab Coat!
(I made this up as I went so feel free to change anything you need to to make it better!)

1. Cut the button & button hole plackets off the shirt. Cut the collar off the shirt. I cut them all right on the seam that sewed them on. Also, use a rotary cutter and quilt cutting mat; it's faster & easier. (If you don't have those things, I know someone that will loan them to you :) )

2. Line the sleeves up together and cut them straight across right above the buttons. I found some short sleeve dress shirts, too, which let me eliminate this step.

3. Around the neck, from shoulder seam to shoulder seam, snip quarter inch snips so it'll be easier to sew on the curve. Sorry I had to cover the flash so it wasn't gleaming!

More detail of the curved neck pinned down.

4.Cut the bottom hem so it's straight across. I left the shirts as long as possible when I cut.

5. Then, turn your shirt inside out and press half inch hems along the bottom and along where the button used to be and around the collar. Also press a half inch cuff in the sleeves.

6. Sew all of your pressed seams : sleeves, shirttail, and I do one long stretch up one side around the collar and back down the other side.

7. Take in an inch or two (depending on how big around you want it) up the side seam and out through the sleeve.

8. Trim off the excess after you've sewn the side seams and you're done!

Mad Scientist Cam

Home Church and Sunday Stations

Since Sam has had Hand/Foot/Mouth Disease and Cam and Josh are playing "Pass the Fever", we opted to stay home from church today. The big boys asked if we could have Home Church like we did a couple of months ago when I had bronchitis. That time, we spent the morning in our jammies watching movies about Joseph Smith that Grandma M had given us for Christmas.
This time, I had another idea that I found in the March 'Friend'. We read the story called "Sunday Stations" and then we made up our own stations. We stayed in each station for 15 minutes. Our ideas for stations are:

1. email family on the computer (or play games on the Friend website for Josh)
   
2. look at scrapbooks
3. help mom color & cut things for the Sunday Box
4. Write letters to Great-Grandma Gigi and Elder Brower (our cousin)
5. read stories (or be read to) from the Friend magazine
6. work on Faith in God book (or draw a picture of what you will do to be like Jesus this week for Josh)

I was amazed at how well the boys participated in each station. It was, as if they were really having fun! Even though Jared said he was going to report me to the bishop for starting my own church, Church of the Meiners, I think we'll be doing this every Sunday. They were calm, they were reverent, they were eager to do the things I suggested. What more could a mom ask for???

Prepare for Launch!

The little boys watching the big boy get things ready.

Do you see what I see? A 12 year old stuck in a 35 year old's body? He was so giddy! I think the Hobby Store might be his new favorite store!

We reloaded the parachute so we could launch it again and again.

Rocket Launching

I think I finally hit the nail on the head when it comes to Father's Day. Even though Jared is 35 now, he's still, and always will be, a boy. He doesn't want ties, books, etc., he wants to blow things up! And, with four little boys, I have happily resigned myself to liking the smell of sulphur as things take off, wasting a bottle of soda in the name of science, and finding the grossest things possible to share with the rest of my crew.
Three of the four kids have been sick this week, so we decided to shoot off the rocket in the field at the elementary school for some excitement. The directions called for a laucher and an igniter, but Jared attched a cord, spliced the wires, and used a battery from the Power Wheels. He really is great at engineering all kinds of stuff! (As a sidenote, I always had a thing for McGyver when I was little, and would you look at who I married?!?)

Here's a video of our launch. Sorry it's sideways - I'm still learning. Maybe I need help from McGyver!

Ice Blocking

A riend of mine in Chicago posted on Facebook that she was taking her kids ice blocking for FHE Monday. I thought about it and decided 1. the kids would love it and 2. I hadn't rolled down a good hill in a while. We had a blast and the kids thought I was auper duper for coming up with such a great idea. (Thanks Maureen!)

Sam went down the hill a few times with Jared, but he much preferred chasing the dogs that were at the park.

Cam is growing up way too fast! I love this shot of him.

Josh tried in on his bum and on his tummy, and finally decided that someone else's lap was the best way to go.

I made it all the way down the hill once (although not the time pictured). I blame it on balance and my lower back problems, but once Jared made me a double-wide (put both blocks side by side) I did it!