Preschool Graduation

Today Abby and Ainsley graduated from preschool. Ainsley still has one more year before she goes into kindergarten so she isn't really graduated.




They did a little program of the songs they learned this year. All the kids were so quiet and shy and we could hardly hear them. I know my kids can be a lot louder, but I guess they were overcome with shyness.

I love seeing Abby and Ainsley do things together. I love that they are so close in age (but I didn't love it so much when they were both babies). I know sometimes Abby feels Ainsley encroaching on her territory and gets a little hostile, but for the most part they have so much fun being together. I hope they stay close friends all during their lives.

Garden

We have put in our first garden this year. Terry has been working hard cutting out grass and hauling in dirt to get it ready to plant. We planted everything a few days before we went to Oregon. Unfortunately it froze while we were gone and all the tomato plants are dead. I guess that is when happens in Idaho if you plant before the end of May.

Oregon

Last weekend we went to Oregon to visit all of our old friends. The idea to go started when Russell--Terry's old running friend said they should meet back in Hermiston to run the Butte Challenge. Terry was able to work his schedule so he could go. That was a little unfortunate for Russell because that was the same weekend his little brother was graduating from college in Lewiston Idaho. But Russell wasn't going to back out on Terry so he ended up driving his family to Lewiston on Friday and then driving back to Hermiston early Saturday--running the race--eating a hot dog--and driving back to Lewiston. Crazy.

Jared Westover, whose house we stayed at, also ran the race. I said I would watch his kids because his wife was busy that day.



So I watched 8 kids at the park where the race started while these 3 men ran. I figured I could handle it for 30 minutes. They were only supposed to run the 5K But as they were lining up at the starting line, Russell started yelling 10 at me. I had no idea what he was talking about until they kept running after they had finished a 5K. Then I figured that they had decided to run the 10K instead. I got a little tense after that because those kids were hard to keep track of. I had Isaac in a back pack and then I was watching Sam and Lauren who is also two. They kept going in different directions and I was constantly saying to the older kids--everyone find Lauren--everyone find Sam. Lauren and Sam also had a love hate relationship. Here is an example.




The love came when they were apart and the hate when they were together.

Anyway, Ellie and Abby had so much fun visiting their old friends. And so did Terry and I. We love the people we met while living in Hermiston.





The Westovers were so nice to let us stay with them for 3 days and we had such a good time with them. We also were able to visit with the Loughmillers (thats Russell and Jenny) as they passed back through again on Sunday on their way home to the Dalles.

Anyway, a fun time was had by all.

Oklahoma Trip

I went to Oklahoma City with Suzette and Jodi in April. Jodi had all three of her kids and I had Isaac with me. We went to see my parents for five days--(well it would have been five days if our flight hadn't been delayed)and it was a nice relaxing trip. It started on Sunday evening when we were flying out of Salt Lake City. We got through security at the airport and were ready to board our plane when they announced there were some mechanical problems with the plane. They eventually told us our best bet would be to wait it out while they flew in some parts and then get to Denver that night. We would be put on a connecting flight early the next morning. So that is what we did. We were supposed to fly out at 6 and ended up leaving at almost 10. Then when we got to Denver they put us up in a hotel. Unfortunately our hotel was on the other side of Denver so we didn't get there until about 1 in the morning. Jodi's kids were great considering all the waiting and the late night.

We had to be back up at 5:30 in the morning to get to the plane. Somehow we managed it and the rest of our trip had no hitches.

It was good to see mom and dad. They have been on their mission for almost a year now. We were able to see some of the missionaries when we helped feed them lunch during a leadership training meeting. It was also fun to hear about how the work is going there.

We also saw the Oklahoma City bombing memorial and museum. It was really sad and touching to see what happened there.

Terry was good to let me go for five days. He was worried about handling the kids for that long, but when I got home Thursday night he had the house totally clean and all the laundry done. I had a very slight sad feeling thinking that maybe he is better at taking care of things than I am. But I haven't dwelled on it too much and am just thankful he is a good husband and dad.

Making Memories

I was just reading in the Ensign about how we should create bucketloads of memories so that our kids can remember happy childhoods. THat isn't exactly how they phrased it. But it made me remember our little experience we had on Sunday.

After conference we decided to make cookies as a family. Terry told the girls they could do everything. So they all gathered around the counter and got the butter in the mixing bowl. Terry turned the mixer on and a cube of butter went flying out onto the floor. The girls screamed. He bent over picked it up and put it back in. (I know it is unsanitary--but oh well).

Then Ainsley reached over and turned on the mixer to high and another chunk of butter went flying out. The girls screamed and then that chunk of butter was retrieved and put back in.

Then Ellie went to dump a cup of brown sugar in the bowl and somehow completely missed the bowl and dumped the sugar all over the counter and the floor. The girls screamed. I started cleaning up the sugar while the girls frantically licked up as much as they could. They managed to get in a few more ingredients without any mishaps.

I noticed Abby was standing in some sugar so I moved her and her stool so I could clean it and in the process knocked the open bag of chocolate chips off the counter. They fell in such as way as to empty the whole bag before it hit the floor. Chocolate chips were everywhere. The girls screamed. Then they jumped down and started stuffing their mouths with chocolate chips until we told them to stop or we wouldn't have any for the cookies. So yes, we picked up the chocolate chips off the floor and still used them. I know it is gross but they were the only chocolate chips we had.

After that Ainsley was standing on her stool and somehow lost her balance and fell off. She screamed.

That was the last of our mishaps. We baked the cookies and took them to our bishops family. I know we shouldn't have because of the exposure to the floor--but maybe the oven heat killed any germs. And for all we know they could have just dumped the cookies because we ended up leaving them on their doorstep without a card. So maybe they didn't trust anonymous cookie giving.

So that was our cookie making memory. It was fun because we all (meaning Terry and I) managed to keep our sense of humor through the whole thing.

Ones Semester of Spanish Love song

Now I have figured out how to get you tube videos on here I am sure I will post way too many. But here is a family favorite. ">

Crying

Here is a song to brighten anyone's day.

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When Terry was little his brother Tom would torment him by singing this song when Terry was upset.

Terry really likes the guitar playing in this video.