CAMP REPORT......



Camp was Fabulous!! Honestly the girls make camp what it is. I could of just packed food and gone and we would of had a blast!! They are so much fun to be with and carry such a magical spirit with them. Our ward has a youth choir that is unbelievable.......ok, some may say what the heck...but let me tell you...... they are not afraid to sing and this brings such a spirit with it. 28 Girls singing..... Disney, pop songs, camp songs and spiritual songs they were awesome.






We were the Incredible Faithables for our skit...YEA we kind of blew it but had fun!! They gave us only 20 minutes to make up a skit.... while fixing dinner for 32 people.
Go figure!!






The girls loved the sweats the pillowcase and the mailboxes were a hit. Not only did they write cute notes to their secret sister, they also wrote notes to anyone they wanted. We loved the idea of writing fun notes instead of buying secret sister gifts. As a mother I always thought this was a waste because it was one more thing to do...one more thing to think about...hard to come up with. The notes simplified and saved money for the girls:) Its all about simplifying right? I need to remind myself of that!!



Using Shoes for the Stake theme was a great idea and there were so many fun cute things done by the stake!! Our ward PUMPED IT UP. I missed the group photo on the shoes. There were so many cute ones....this pic will have to do.




We had some Camp Signs that I had some of the girls make and also my girls helped me do some of them. Some chose scriptures and others were just random cute quotes......a fun addition to camp!





We did get some rain :( ~at night~ It was great to see the blessing come each night as the stake had something planned.... the dark black heavy clouds would roll in breaking up giving us just enough time to finish. We would get the girls buttoned down in their tent and the rain came dumping buckets. The night of the Testimony Meeting the clouds were so heavy and black... just as we began the meeting...yep...you know how it goes..... the sun peaked out from behind the clouds.... the clouds broke and gave us a good hour for testimonies. We watched as testimonies were born the clouds literally gathering together again waiting their turn to let loose. I actually had no problem with it and it added quite a fun dimension to camp.



We had a blast!! Loved CAMP of 09...PUMP IT UP BABY

PUMP IT UP....

I'm taken' a deep breath......camp is almost here. They called me as the camp leader in our home ward.....Anyone who has done this knows that nothing else exists until camp is over. I am always looking at everything I see and thinking.......would that be fun or cute for camp? It pretty much consumes each day.....planning and preparing. I must say that I am getting anxious to go. Our camp theme this year from the stake is....Legnthen your stride.....put on your shoes and move. Each ward had to choose a shoe.....I chose pumps...our value is faith.....so we are PUMPING UP OUR FAITH Here are just a few things going to camp......



These are our camp shoes...not to realistic for camp I know but we will wear them for our skit. Each girl brought me a pair and then I spray painted them. Most girls did 2 different colors. We then had an activity where we decorated them with jewels, ribbons, flowers etc...They turned out adorable.


These bags will be the girls mailboxes that I can put stuff in and also they will use it for giving secret sister things. The chap sticks will be something I put in their mailboxes one of the days. They say "Stick to your Standards".






Fun sweats...... the pillow cases will be the craft that the girls will do at camp


The menu is on my list today...feeding 28 girls and 5 leaders YIKES!

My Buddies

This last weekend I had the LITTLE BOYS stay with me.....it was Nicole and Nate's anniversary and they took a little trip. This is always an Adventure for me to spend time with the LITTLE BOYS. I was a little taken back this time as Jake and Josh are getting older and are true through and through LITTLE BOYS. Let me explain this a little bit...... I grew up with 5 sisters and I have 4 girls so I consider myself somewhat naive to LITTLE BOYS and their choice of words, their endless rough play and sneakiness. I'm a girls mom pretty darn good at playing barbies, dressing up and doing fancy hair do's with ribbons and bows. I've had to change my thinking.....with grandsons...each time I have the boys for an extended period of time I learn just a little more about LITTLE BOYS!!! This weekend I heard a lot about weeners and fart bags, and just farts in general. (oh I shudder to say that word.....it is not in a girls vocabulary) Why does that word come so easy to the male gender?  There were a few times I had to go into the other room so I could giggle. Needless to say I had a blast with these boys and they kept me entertained 24/7 :)

Our house provided some great entertainment to these LITTLE BOYS.....piles of dirt, tractors and mud. When bath time came the water was so dirty we actually had to go through an extra rinse cycle. I had some Dirty Billies on my hands.....



Alex (our landscaper) gave the boys a ride in the tractor...they were in heaven. He actually let Jake drive.







Our yard is in full swing of being re-landscaped!! Hurry please it is sooooooo MESSY
A perfect playground for BOYS






The trophy room is where they love to sleep and they spend endless hours playing



Sara helped provide a little entertainment with rides on her new Scooter



You might just wonder where little Sam is in all the pics.......he is busy just smiling and being happy, taking great naps and by the way.........always konking his head!! What handsome good LITTLE BOYS. I love being part of the world of DIRTY BILLIES !
My Four Favorite boys!!

Movin' On......

Boo Hoo, Boo Hoo....... Well Katie found a House and is moving on!!


I am really sad about this! I will miss our girl time and hangin' out time. I will miss being able to take off on an over nighter and being able to leave Megan with another responsible adult. I will miss Katie and her unexpected help around the house......cleaning the kitchen and picking up after who knows who? However, This Is A Great Move For Katie..... she has bought a fabulous home that is actually not to far from us. It is so cute and she is already fixing it up. She had the wood floors redone, ceilings textured and has been busy painting or better yet WE have been busy painting.







The moving Crew!!



Katie has a great yard and the ZIP LINE has been a hit!! Guess who will be mowing and edging and weeding? HMMMM....Good thing she has had some good training, she knows just what to do. Let the chores of a home owner begin:)

We will miss having her around the house but for some reason I think she will be home often for a good home cooked meal. Katie is movin' on but lucky for us she is still just a phone call away.

Memorial Day

I am not sure where the Merry Month of May went. Life has been soooo busy!! It was great to take a few days over the Memorial Holiday and enjoy the cabin. Although the cabin is open year round the long Holiday gives us a chance to start cleaning up for the summer months ahead. We have a lot of planned activities with our YSA ward at the cabin and need to get it tidied up! Have I ever said how much work it is to have a cabin? There is so much up keep and I now appreciate all the hard work that my Dad and Mom did keeping up Bear Lake for the family.






We pretty much have pioneered the land around our cabin ripping out sage brush to expand the area, keeping the weeds under control, mowing, staining the deck, fixing fences etc...this list is very familiar to any cabin owner. Mark always has a project or chores to do....I remember feeling like we could never go to Bear Lake and just play, there was always a major project or chores to be done. I'm sure our kids must feel the same way....actually sometimes Mark and I feel that way...always something to do. However, I must say.... I love improving, fixing up and working at the cabin.....it always brings pleasing results and such satisfaction.

PS We always find at least some time to play!!

I have been so anxious to have our Landscaping Redone. Since we remodeled our home last year the yard has been pretty much untouched. We have been walking a plank {literally} coming out our back door into the yard. We didn't put in any stairs....we thought we would wait until we were sure how we wanted our back yard layed out. Dandelions, Crab Grass, Weeds, makeshift fences {to keep our little doggie in} are long past due to come out!! Top on our list or should I say my list is to take out the Huge Pine Trees that lurk in our front garden. I have begged Mark for years to take them out. He loves them but then he never or hardly ever picked up the endless pine cones and needles {I'm talking garbage bags full each time I weeded the garden}. Nothing grows under them, they are straggly, giant and unwanted. As far as I am concerned pine trees are for the mountains only!! Mark could finally see the need to take them out.....He was a champ and worked so hard to get them out...you know I was in his back pocket obeying all commands making sure they would really come down. It reminded me of taking out all the big cottonwood trees at Bear Lake!



Mark's hanging out {literally} in the top of the tree. YIKES



Thank goodness for neighbors and an awesome son-in-law!! Nate is always so willing to help!






The little boys always manage to find entertainment while the job is being done. They actually were a lot of help once we started loading it up to haul it away! They definitely know how to work :) I love these little guys {which by the way they are not so little anymore}



YES!! I love this photo....26 years worth of growth and down she blows. This is the beginning of the big project!! The before picture.....awaiting the after picture *SMILE*

Sweet Sixteen !!!

April 30th brings another teenager driver on the road! {MEGAN}

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN

I love her sense of adventure, her carefree love of life, her commitment to be good, her tender heart and her determination to succeed.

This is always an exciting Birthday!  Megan I must say is a great little driver but.......I still get a little paranoid when she drives.  Does she really have any clue how responsible she needs to be? She will get the lecture.....you know.....the one we all got!  You are responsible for everyone in your car, wear seat belts, keep the music down,  absolutely no texting or talking on the phone while driving, make wise choices, don't be pursuaded by your friends to do dumb things, be a defensive driver, no speeding, and always always watch out for little kids.  Did we forget anything?  Oh yea and You Must Buy Your Own Gas!!  REALLY?? {of course that is our ultimate goal}

We decided to give Megan  Mark's car...which I must say is not too shabby, an Acura TL.   In fact it is a little more car than we wanted her to have, but it just worked out to be the best. YIKES!!  The rules are inforced and I am closing my eyes.  She won't have much free reign for awhile.

HAPPY 16th MEGAN  We Love You!!