SUMMERS FAMILY NEWS!!!!!

Some people might think we are CRAZY, but there is nothing better than a new baby! We are so excited to have another little addition to our family at the end of September!

When we told the boys last night that mommy has a baby in her tummy their responses were hysterical! Drew told us, "I don't think that is a good idea!" Ian told us, "I want 100 babies!" Owen said, "NO!" (He does say that to everything though) I know the boys will be excited when we actually have a new little baby that they can hold. Unfortunately, they have quite a wait ahead of them!

My kids WILL get their veggies!

I am a firm believer in the importance of a healthy diet. I make sure my boys always get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in a day. Drew & Ian have always eaten their veggies without a fight, even when they were toddlers. People would even comment how impressed they were with how well they ate them. I even wondered why other parents couldn't get their kids to eat their vegetables. Well of course, I am getting tested because the Lord has blessed me with a challenging eater! Owen hates vegetables and most fruit! It baffles me that I could have a child like this. He used to love steamed broccoli and that was the only veggie I could get him to eat, but even now he won't touch them. So I have had to get creative in order to get him the good nutrients that his body needs!

* If you have a weak stomach (Carmin) do not read this!

Johanna's Fresh Smoothie

I use a magic bullet to blend the following ingredients:
2 T. Flax Seed
1/3 C. Simply Orange Juice
Half of a banana
3 spoonfuls of Dannon All Natural Yogurt
Handful of fresh spinach leaves
Half of a celery stick
1 broccoli spear
4 baby tomatoes
Chunk of cucumber with the skin
Juice from half of a lemon
Handful of blueberries
Handful of strawberries

Its amazing how much he loves this smoothie. I make him one everyday, but still continue to always offer him a veggie and fruit at every meal hoping that someday he will choose to eat them for himself. So if you have a picky eater, give the smoothie a try and tell me what you think! They honestly have no clue how good it is for them and you can relax knowing your child is getting a drink packed with healthy nutrients.

Let's Race!

We use many different parenting techniques with our boys to help motivate them. Racing... has become one of our most used and popular way to get the boys to do what we want them to do. We race to see who can get up the stairs the fastest, who can put their shoes on first, & who can clean up toys the quickest. At times, Kenny & I have to drive different vehicles to church and we each take a boy, Drew usually likes to stay with me, & Ian always wants to be with Kenny. So we will "race" (very carefully) to see who can get home first. Well today Drew & I were in the lead, getting all the green lights, and staying in front of Kenny until he sped through a yellow light to pass me. Drew got VERY UPSET : crying, screaming that he wanted to win, and kicking the back seat in dismay that daddy and Ian beat us. Of course when we pulled into the driveway, Kenny & Ian were gloating about their victory, which made Drew even more upset. Kenny told him he needed to calm down and told him to go to his room. Kenny's remark to me, "Let's hope he outgrows this before he starts playing sports!"

So tonight as the boys are getting ready for bed Ian makes the statement, "I am beating you putting on my pajamas!" Drew calmly responded, "That's fine, I'll beat you next time!" WOW....I'm amazed how much he matured in one afternoon!

Mr. President

Today Barack Obama has been sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America, at a historic ceremony in Washington DC. I wish him well and will pray for him as he leads our country.

New Discoveries

Today my boys and I had a blast! We discovered a Children's Museum down in the desert and spent all morning down there playing. The boys had fun playing, doing crafts, pretending, and learning!


The boys each made their own pizza and placed it in the fire burning oven.

They took a ride on a motorcycle!

They painted a Beetle Car!

They pulled themselves up using a rope.

They climbed through a rope maze.

They shopped in the cutest grocery store. I was in heaven at this point.

We will definitely be going back soon! I went ahead and got a year pass, so if anyone wants to go let me know. I love days where we go out and find cool discoveries!

Having Fun in the Sun/Mud!

Owen after going outside to play with Drew and Ian. I think he had fun!

Church Basketball

For the last several years Kenny has played along his friends church b-ball. We had our first game of the season on Friday night. It is always a highlight of the boys week. We go as a family to watch him. I sit and chat with friends, we also make up the cheering section, while the children run around. Its a tradition to then go to McDonald's after the game so the kids can play and the men can talk about the game...good times. Two years ago our team actually took first place! Kenny loves to play and continues to be very competitive.

Kenny is shooting in this shot and scores! (unfortunately that was the only shot he made the whole night)
The Banning Ball Players Wins: 0 Losses: 1

Happy Birthday Ian!

Today Ian is celebrating his 4th birthday! I can't believe how fast the years have flown by. I still remember him like this....
Ian Scott wrapped up in his Great Grandma Scott's blanket.


We celebrated by taking four of his good friends down to John's Incredible Pizza, to ride rides and eat pizza. They all had a great time.

Ian and Sila bowling.
Kenny had a blast too!The roller coaster ride and the bumper cars were Ian's favorite rides.
Ian, Tristan, Sila, Tanner, Drew, & Mese



Four Fun Facts about Ian

1. Ian's favorite person in the world is his dad. He is his little shadow and loves to follow him everywhere. He even told me this week, "I like daddy best!" I'm okay with that. I actually love how much he adores Kenny.

2. He has a zest for life... I have never seen anyone with so much energy and excitement in their little body. He gets excited about the littlest things, like skittles, and when he does his eyes twinkle, he giggles and shouts for joy, and claps while jumping up and down.

3. He is a wonderful protector and brother. Ian is very close in age to Drew and I strongly believe he was sent to us so that he could come and be Drew's little buddy. He loves Drew and always has his back in any situation.

4. Ian has many talents. He loves to bake muffins and is always such a great helper to me in the kitchen.

We love you Ian and are so grateful to have you as our son.

Drew the Builder

This week at school, Drew has been choosen to be "The Star of the Week!" He created a poster all about himself that he showed to his class. He wrote on his poster that when he grows up he wants to be a builder. Today he has been working on one of his masterpieces! Thanks Ge & Grandad for the new set of blocks.

I am so proud of Drew for all of his many accomplishments in kindergarten. He is a year younger than most of the kids in his class, but he is doing so well. The week before school dismissed for Christmas break, Drew was presented with an "Award of Excellence" for his exceptional achievement in writing and group participation. Way to go Drew, you will always be a star to me.