California...what more can we say?!?

We had a fabulous trip to Cali to visit our friends, the Joneses. Funnest trip ever. If you don't think about the million hours that were spent in the car that is. Here are a few highlights of our busy fun-filled week.

We ate lunch one day at Bubba Gumps...yummy.




We went to an aquarium in Long Beach (along with half the school kids in LA) and the kids got to pet the Sting Rays.


Putting their hands in those of Ron, Harry, and Hermione!


Outside the Hollywood Target. Super nice Target!!


At the zoo...not sure who fought more, our crazy kids or the flamingos!


Kelsi and Logan outside the LA Zoo.


What's a trip to Cali without going to Bakersfield to see a movie? :)


We played lots in their pool! Kelsi learned to swim!


Andrew hung out more in the shallow hot tub.


Santa Monica Pier...fun rides! Me and Andrew and Emily- before the scrambler ride. Makes me green thinking about it...


The LA Temple. Beautiful! We asked a nice man coming out to take a picture of all of us. We love to see the temple!


A quick summary-
Gas to Cali and back:$200.00
Lunch at Bubba Gumps:$85.00
Dave being pulled over by a very mean CHP who turned out to be a friend of the Joneses (the whole thing was set up): PRICELESS!!!!

Where did June go??

June was so busy for our family. Here are a few highlights, not counting our fabulous trip to Cali which will get it's very own post! :)


Andrew finished his first year of preschool! We tried to get a picture of the class but as you can tell there were more exciting things to do for most of the children. Andrew loved preschool and is excited for next year when he gets to go 4 days a week!


Kayli tried baby cereal for the first time and you can see from her smile, she loves it! She has never had a problem with eating!


Nick graduated from high school!! It was a fun night and I got a little choked up when all the kids screamed as he walked across the stage. We love Uncle Nick!!


Kelsi finished 2nd grade! She will be going to a new school next year to be in a special program for little smarties. We will miss Summitview and all the fabulous staff. sniff sniff.

Happiness is...

Finger Painting with Chocolate Pudding in the Summer!!

Forever in our hearts...Grandma Willis

While the country was celebrating Memorial Day this past weekend, our family had a sad loss.


My grandma Lila Willis passed away. These past few days have really allowed us to lean on our strong beliefs and be thankful for the knowledge that we have about the plan of salvation and in knowing that we will be with her again someday.







She has been quite sick for awhile, including the beginning stages of Alzheimers and a bad fall 4 months ago that led to a broken hip. She has not been back home since then as different parts of her body just were giving out.


While we have been incredibly sad at our own loss, we also have the great knowledge that Monday was a great reunion day for her. Over 50 years ago she lost a 3 yr old daughter in a car accident, and as a mother now myself, I can only imagine the loss she carried in her heart in not having her daughter to raise. She is now reunited with her precious daughter Kay and with my Grandpa that we lost to cancer when I was 5 yrs old.


This loss makes me so thankful that she has been freed from the pain she was in, but she also leaves a large posterity that will miss her until we are with her again.

I was lucky to have lived close by my grandmother while growing up and to be able to spend lots of time with her. My favorite times were when I got to spend a few days at her house, just me and her. We would spend time baking together and reading stories. I am sure all the grandkids remember her "library" that we got to check books out from! She always had an immaculate home (that must be where I got my OCD from!) and a beautiful yard. I used to love eating the huckleberries that grew in her backyard. She was a frugal woman who saved everything, just in case she might need it again. Just this past week while going through some of her papers we found thank you letters that we had written to her as children more than twenty years ago. It was such a fun thing to find on such a hard day. We also had fun laughing and crying as we looked at old pictures and letters that she had saved.

I know that she loved her family very much and while we do mourn her loss, I know that I will see her again. Till we meet again...

Feeling a little Crafty

I have been getting the fabulous Family Fun magazine for quite a few years now and I always see things and think "Hmm...that would be fun to do." So I rip out the page and file it away to be forgotten. However, last month had the cutest thing- and it was so easy, I had to do it! Kelsi helped me today when she got home from school.





Kayli loves her new toy!! And I love that I already had everything to make it!

And in case you were wondering, my baby does know how to smile, she just refuses to do so in the presence of any recording device :)

Wii had an accident!

Since Kelsi was ready for school early this morning, I let her play a little Wii bowling. She is an amazing bowler and is known to get strike after strike. This morning she got a little too excited and this is the end result...





RIP Vizio! We loved you while you were with us.

Look what we have at our house!!