4th of July!!!

I could not figure out how to post this slideshow, I tried for about an hour to try to remember how to do it. I finally got it and I'm so glad, I was about to give up!!!! I hope you like it!!!

We had quite an adventure. My sister Kylee and I, and our kids headed out to St. George without our husbands, on Tues. the 1st. They joined us on the 3rd to sleep at the cabin. After that Justin and I, and our boys stayed at the cabin on Cedar mountain, and in Cedar with my Granparents. On the way home we went back over Cedar mountain, and through some of the small towns on highway 89. It was an eventful time.

We got to see some of our favorite people (especially mine, I love my family, and miss them so much!!!).

I had lunch with a cousin, and tried to make her go into labor. Which didn't happen, until I was half way home, and missed the birth.

Went swimming twice in one day.

Went to a cousin's baby shower.

Slept in the cabin for 2 nights.

Went to the parade that I went to, and watched, in front of my Grandpa's car dealership, just like when I was a kid. Ate at Hermies in Cedar City.

Spent a lot of time with Grams and Gramps, my parents, sisters, brother, cousins, aunts and uncles who I don't see enough!!!

Went to the fishing hole I learned to fish at.

Swimming in the pool I learned to swim in, and swam in a lot as a young kid.

Ate TONS of yummy food!!!!

And took the scenic route home!

Without all the details, which could make this as long as a novel. We had a very fun filled jam packed few days! (Which probably explains why I was exhausted last week, and why this post took me so long to get posted!)

When we got home Izac had missed his friends so much! While I unpacked and put things away, Izac decorated our house for a party to have his friends over. He wanted to have them over for dinner, but since I can't feed the whole neighborhood, we had a popscicle party instead!!!

Random things

Last week we went over and met our new neighbors, who are from Sudan. They are so nice, and cute, I'm really starting to love them. Their kids are so well behaved, and obedient (there are 4 kids, a girl who is 10 and three boys, ages 8, 4, & 2). Today we had them over to play in our little pool, so I took a picture. It's so cute to see my little blonde boys playing with these dark skinned people. They love Alex, and think his hair is so cool, they love to touch it. They are as black as we are white, I hope it helps Izac to be more accepting and tolerant of people who are different from us. He was a little leary about them at first, just because they look so different, but I just told him their skin is a different color, and he can't believe they are from Africa. According to him, only scary animals live there. They told him some wild animal stories, and I think he's starting to finally get it . The mom doesn't speak english very well, but the kids always translate for her. She comes and sits outside with me while the kids play, and we talk the best we can. The other day I got out my beads and she, her daughter and I made earrings. It's been so fun and educational to get to know them.





I went to a provident living workshop tonight, to learn about wheat and oats. We sampled some food make with fresh ground whole wheat, and oats, saw some wheat grinders in action, talked about wheat, and made a batch of dough. I got to bring some of the dough home to bake and I wish you could smell it. I actually feel kindof guilty, having not done any of the work. I think I might actually think about making bread now, it would sure beat buying a loaf a week at Great Harvest for $5. It doesn't seem as hard as I always thought it was.




This pic is of the cute little plate Izac made for Justin for Father's Day. It was sitting by the bread so I decided to show it off.

Izac information #2

Izac informed me as we were driving down the street about fuzzy hair, it went like this:
I: Mom, you don't have fuzzy hair
me: I don't?
I: no only grandma's with no kids have fuzzy hair.
me: Oh ya?
I: ya, feel your hair mom, is it fuzzy?
me: do you have fuzzy hair. I don't mine's soft.
I: see mom, only grandma's with no kids have fuzzy hair.

The things he comes up with? I don't always write the things down that I want to remember that he says, I wish I was better at that. He's so funny, and observant sometimes.

The Whole Fam-damily Pics

When we were in St. George we had family pictures, with my whole family. It's hard when the kids are all so little and never look at the camera at the same time. Also my sister was the photographer, and is in the pics. We forgot to take someone with us to get the kids to look at the camera. Considering that, I think they are all still pretty good.

This sequence is pretty funny! They are all looking

pretty good in the first one.

Then who knows what happened. Alex and Auri have

the funniest expressions on their faces.

Izac, is doing such an Izac thing in this one.

It's funny, but still pretty cute!

As for Jenn, if anyone is wondering. She had her surgery, in which they were able to remove the mass and part of the kidney. There was no other tumor in the tissue that they removed the tumor from (negetive margin, for those of you who know what this means). They are quite confident there is no cancer in the rest of her body, that they could find, so at this time she is a cancer surviver. It really is quite a blessing that she found it when she did. Most of the people who get the kind of cancer she had, don't know they have it, until it's too late to do much. It isn't very receptive to chemo, or radiation, so she's quite lucky!!! She's recovering, and has been home since Monday, which was sooner than they expected. So it seems like things are going pretty well.

Winds of change!!!!

We have had an eventful couple of weeks. Here is a rundown on whats been happening.

1. Justin and I are having a contest to lose weight, and have started a "get healthy plan". His sister's Liz and Ali wrote us a book (pretty much) on how to get started and have been helping me figure out how to make this happen. We are hoping to make a change in our life to focus on keeping the weight off, while also making a habit to eat and live healthier. It is long overdue, and surprisingly it's pretty fun. Also for Mother's Day I got a bike trailer/jogging stroller, somehow it's supposed to give me incentive to exercise, I haven't figured that part out yet. The boys look so cute in it, I just had to put a picture of it in.

2. I cut my hair. I have been wanting to for soooo long, but have always hated it when I did in the past. So I finally just did it and love it! I don't have any real good pictures yet, but here's something that somewhat shows it.

3. Alex is finally sleeping in his crib, in "the boy's room". He has been sleeping in a bassinet, next to our bed since he was born, and sadly was scrunched in there. I finally got so sick of it I was willing to put up with the crying. It went much better than expected and we have had two weeks of sleeping soundly through the night for all of us. I was so worried that Alex was gonna wake Izac up, but he sleeps through it all, thankfully. If I knew it was gonna go so well I would have done it long ago. What was I thinking??????

On a down note Justin's older sister was diagnosed with kidney cancer about a week and a half ago. It's scary, but there's so much hope. She will have surgery Wednesday to remove the mass, and hopefully, only some of her kidney. Our thoughts and prayers are with her.

We went to St George for Memorial Day weekend. My youngest sibling Krista graduated from high school Friday. Then it was my Dad's Dad's birthday and we had a get together, Saturday at their house. Then my Mom's Mom's birthday, we went to the cabin up Cedar City Canyon for a dinner and party Monday. Here are some pictures from our trip.

Izac, and my cousin Brendan in the cabin sandbox. Alex and Justin on the famous cabin swing.

Izac's 1st time fishing, with Brendan again. Alex at the cabin.

Izac at my uncle Richard, and aunt Linda's farm, we usually have to go there if we're anywhere near Cedar City.

Izac, my cousin Taylor, and my cousin's little boy Maddox, at my Grandparent's house. Maddox and Izac at a splash pad near my parents house.

Brendan and Izac with their snails on my

parent's front porch.

Izac had his last day of preschool last Thursday. His teacher put on a great little program and we had lots of fun!!! We also went to the zoo with his school friends, the day we left for St. George.

Izac's last day of preschool program. Izac at the zoo, looking at the giraffes, did I

mention it was freezing cold!!!

Izac's Birthday Weekend.

We partied all weekend and here are some photos of the events.

Saturday: B-day party with family. (Thanks Mom, Dad, and Krista for coming from St. George, and Mom for making the cookies) We had horse shaped sugar cookies, and ice cream cake, horse napkins, and party blowers, and horses on the cake. He made sure everyone had a party hat. Every gift, except for one shirt, had something to do with animals.

Monday (real birthday):Got a bike, went to the zoo with Mom, Dad, Alex, cousin Connor, G-ma Carol (Thanks G-ma for a trip to the zoo), Aunt Jenn, and cousin Kate. Then the Mayan for dinner.

We partied hard, and I'm pretty sure Izac knows he's loved! He didn't want to wake up today, he was exhausted!!! Every morning last week he'd wake up and ask me if he was 4 yet. Friday when he went to bed I told him his party was the next day, so when he woke up he came flying into our bed, woke us up and immediately exclaimed; "Mom and Dad you didn't even say Happy Birthday to me!!!" I had to explain, it was only his party day, and that I wasn't awake yet, so that's why we hadn't said it. He was so excited to be BIG and 4 like his older cousins and friend.

Well Izac, you're 4 now and we love you to pieces!!!

The Birthday Boy

This handsome fella turned 4 yesterday!!!

My sister took these pictures on Saturday, during his party, he looks like a gnome (especially with his new frog boots and party hat). In the second one, she told him to show her his happiest smiley face!!!! So funny, so Izac!!! I giggled when I saw these, so it's ok if you do too!