We're a two car family again!

Jared bought a truck today which means I get my car back!

Not that it's all about me, but I'm so excited that I'm making up places to go just so I can drive!

He wanted an older model Toyota Tacoma with low(er) miles and the extra space in the back. We called on this truck Saturday afternoon and it had just sold, so Jared was a little disappointed. Later that evening, the guy called back and said it wasn't 'sold' anymore. Jared's words were, "Unfortunately, I'm out for the evening with my wife". (I'm sure he didn't mean it the way it came out.) Monday, after work, he took care of the details and came home in his new truck! We have two cars again!

When Jared's last car died back in May, Sister Slater gave a talk in church that included a story about a family that had to deal with having only one car. The wife struggled with walking everywhere, in all kinds of weather. When they finally bought another car, she counted the days she had been without a vehicle and compared the experience to the pioneers that had taken the same number of days to walk across the plains. I haven't counted days, but I sure have a new appreciation for the blessings that make our lives so much easier!

"This is my tongue."

Just so you know.
I saw and heard this all day until I agreed to take a picture.

Baby Grant

Baby Grant, my sister's fifth baby, was born August 23. I got to go visit a few times and he was always so calm and snuggly. He smells like 'baby', too. Go figure!

Libby and Grant on Sunday - 6 days old

Kate, Miles, Sam, James, and I made the cookies to welcome Grant home. We cut out little boy shaped sugar cookies and Kate later frosted them blue.

The boys' attentioned waned (what do you expect from 3 year olds?) but Kate was still eager to frost cookies for Baby Grant once they were done baking and cooling.

She was also very patient with me and my camera; Kate's really not one for the constant paparazzi!

First Day of School

A picture is worth a thousand words.

I just wanted one...

one good picture of the first day

One good picture that told the story of two brothers heading off to 4th and 6th grade to learn and grow ...

and ended with the Back to School walk Cam made up!

Mrs. O'very and Mrs. Bush, they're good boys. Really. Anyways, my thoughts and prayers are with you!

Happy Birthday!

This little guy turned eleven today!

I remember feeling like time was going too fast when he turned 5!

and, then, it got scary!



(my kooky brain sees numbers like this - in a chart - since I saw my first number chart at a daycare when I was preschool age)

And, things are way serious now because....
We've moved to the next row!

And soon, even though he's only 11 today, it'll be time for a mission and college! Holy batwings, Batman! Time goes way too fast!

Birthday Celebration

Birthdays seem to last at least a week at our house!
Grandma and Granpa's gift arrived on Tuesday.
Abby brought a gift card that was quickly turned into a Wii game on Saturday.
We had treats on Sunday.
And spent Monday at Cowabunga Bay.

Jake didn't want cake, so we made cream puffs instead Sunday night.

Monday, we had his favorite pizza, Little Caeser's, for birthday lunch.

Monday afternoon, we finally let him open the big box that had been in Mom and Dad's closet all week. Jared came home at lunchtime and Jake's friend, Zach, joined us to go to Cowabunga Bay for the afternoon.

Sorry, there's no pictures of us at the water park, but I didn't trust myself with the camera around water! Just pretend you can see us in this picture I stole from their site!

Simple Math

Sometimes I'm not fast enough + Sam's becoming more independent =

At least I was fast enough with the camera!

Family Picture

I probably won't be blowing this one up to hang on the wall, but it's rare that we're all in a photo together. I'm usually taking it (unless Jared forces me to be in it and he's taking it). For Dad's work party we were able to go swimming at the Veteran's Park in Provo. They had a couple of water slides that the big boys loved. Sam had a blast in the pool - he was surprisingly, if not scarily, brave in the water!

Pizza Night

These boys love to make their own pizza. I think they actually love seeing how many toppings they can eat without being caught! Sam, for the first time, insisted on helping so we let him smush the dough and spread the sauce. He thinks he's really big stuff now! As for the other boys it's "one pepperoni for the pizza, one pepperoni for my mouth!"

Glurch!

Our cousins came to play.
ShelbyDog nipped at their feet.
"Your dog is BAD", said Grace from atop the kitchen table.
"We have to stay up high so she can't get us!", squealed Kate.
Think, Aunt Kelly, Think!!
Glurch!
Let's make glurch and play with it at the island!
Grab a chair and drag it to the island.
Every man for himself!

Miles Man chopping his glurch with a shark knife. There's something about saying 'cheese' that makes him automatically tilt his head to the side. I don't think he can control it!

Kate and Grace, the ballerinas, made pancakes and yummy cake with theirs.

Sam showed his cousins how to stick a straw in the glurch and blow bubbles. Even at two, little boys can figure out how to make dirty body noise sounds with just about anything!

Sam just hamming it up! He's played glurch every day for a week and a half now. Usually for at least 30 minutes at a time. This stuff hold his attention longer than anything else I've found!

Here's the recipe in case you want to try it:
In bowl 1, mix 1 c. water and 1c. Elmer's glue
In bowl 2, mix 1 c. water and 3 tsp. Borax laundry booster soap (I have a lot if you want to borrow)
Pour Borax solution into the glue solution and knead. The more you handle it, the less slimey it becomes. You can store it in a baggie in the fridge for months.

The Next Food Network Star

Sam is good in the kitchen.
I think he's going to be a Food Network Chef when he grows up.
He does his best work, though, when Jared and I gone.

We went on date night.
Brothers were left to babysit.
Sam decided to make a treat while his brothers played the Wii.
Luckily, when we got home they had cleaned up the mess.

Except...


when I looked in pantry, the buckets that we keep the flour, sugar, beans, and powdered milk in were amiss.

Now, I truly understand that genius is not always understood.
And, I get it that artists sometimes need to set a little messy in order to express themselves.

But, um, good luck using those pinto beans! (Actually, the beans may be the one bucket that can be fixed!)


So, we've been drinking cloudy kool-aid for a week now.
Don't you just love to sit down with a cold glass of kool-aid and wait for the flour sludge at the bottom of your glass to slide into your mouth?
I think the sugar/flour bucket will have to be dumped and refilled.

The flour/sugar bucket, on the other hand, made great zucchini bread last week!

You laugh now, but one day, you'll be walking down the grocery aisle and Famous Chef Sam's picture will be staring at you from a hundred bottles of salad dressing from his very own label.

(or, maybe, you'll just laugh now and I'll keep drinking cloudy kool-aid.)

Isn't this how you wrap up your lunch?

Science Camp

Science Camp was our last camp for the summer. We had a much smaller group this time, but still just as much fun. I found some great science websites to use for preschool and some just to use with my boys at home.
We made water bottle scuba divers, clean mud, vinegar volcanoes, flubber, ooblick, glurch, helicopters, straw planes, liquid density jars, etc. The kids all had a blast!

Kelsey, Sam, and Trayce playing with their glurch.

Taylor and Whitney with the nasty Flubber. It's made with Metamucil and water, so I had to wonder what this does to your insides if you drink the stuff!

Trayce, Sam, and Kelsey throwing their helicopters from the bridge. This was the best because they'd throw them down, rund downstairs to retreive them, run upstairs to throw the again. Repeat. I'm pretty sure Sam took a good nap that day - made me like science a little more :).

Sam's Plans

Sunday morning, Sam came into my bathroom and turned off my hair dryer to let me know he was going to 'Dinnyland' to see Mickey Mouse and Goofy. He had found a park map that I had saved from our trip last December. He told everyone in the house that he was going and followed it up with, "ya wanna come?" I worried that he wold lose interest before I could catch it on camera, but, last night he stood by Manda's car waiting to go to Dinnyland and now, Tuesday morning, he's still telling me about 'Dinnyland'! Anyone want to sponsor a trip for Sam?