{Silverwood Lake}

Our friends, the Westbrooks, invited us to go with them to the lake to play on their new boat!  After spending the morning outside working, the lake sounded like bliss!!!  We had a blast!!!!

Getting everyone ready with life jackets was a chore.

After listening to some instructions on different hand motions to give, to let the driver know if he should go faster, or slower, or to stop, we were ready to go!!!

Drew was first up to go out and ride on the inflatable tube.

He was a natural and loved every minute of it!!!  He was standing up and kept putting his thumb up to go faster!

Ian was surprisingly nervous for some reason!  He did not dare stand up and never requested to go faster.  He was done after only a couple of minutes. 

After watching Ian, Owen decided he wanted Chandler to ride with him.  You can tell by his face that he too was a little leery.

Owen is giving the "STOP" signal with his hand!!!  He did it the whole time he rode!  Of course Kenny said, "He's fine" and they just kept going!  We just cheered him on and waved at him!  We tend to push our kids :)

Mya takes after Drew (and me)  and is adventurous!!!  She did NOT want anyone to go with her!

She kept giving the thumbs up signal to go faster!

Then she surprised us and stood up!  She loved it and the attention she got from all of us on the boat!

It was my turn next!!!  I wasn't going to let all the kids have all the fun!  Ryan encouraged me to try knee boarding, so after he got in and showed me how to do it, I jumped at the chance.  

It was so much fun!!!! It was a thrill!  However, when I put up my hand to stop, just like Owen had, the adults just started waving to me too!!!!   My dismount, or lack there of, sent me flipping through the water and hurting my neck!  I realized Ryan never told me what to do when I was done and I didn't just let go of the rope like any normal person would do!  Kenny thought I was saying I was ok with the speed.  He obviously didn't listen to Ryan's hand instructions!

 We found a cove to park the boat and let the kids swim. 

 We discovered a great rope swing that sent Drew swinging in the air and splashing into the water!

 I didn't go on the swing because of my sore neck, but I wish I had!  I guess we will have to go back!  Next I want to go water skiing!

We had such a fun day playing with the Westbrooks!  Our kids all want to go back and ride on the tube again, so I guess even though they were a little skeptical, they still enjoyed it!  I'm so glad we have friends who have a boat!!!  

{Count Your Many Blessings}

Every year our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, hosts a community, "Helping Hands" service project.  Members assist in their own communities at different locations.  Last year we helped clean up a school facility and this year we went to Child Help.  Child Help is a group home for troubled children who have been neglected or abused by their family.  It was an honor to go there and help in cleaning up their awesome ranch facility.

Unfortunately, Kenny had to go to work, but I still took the kids to go and help.  Before we left the house, I talked to my kids about why the children were living at Child Help.  Ian's tender side came out and he ran to our garage and started grabbing toys he wanted to take the kids!  I read them one of my favorite scriptures, Mosiah 2:17 -"When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

We left eager to serve and were surprised by how much fun we had in the process!!!

 Before we got to work we met the horses!

 Ian loved feeding them!

 We started by first cleaning the fences.  We were warned about the spitting Lamas, but that made my boys even more excited to clean right beside them!

 Owen made many new friends!!!

 After 30 minutes of cleaning fences, Ian was ready for another task.  He went to work on the weeds!

 Drew was glad to join in on the shoveling of the cut down weeds.

 Ian decided this looked like more fun than pulling weeds and joined in!

 The boys loved getting to ride on Mart Westbrooks truck to all the cut weed piles.

 Ian left his shovel for a paint brush!  He was excited to have complete access to a big bucket of paint and a brush.  

 On our way to the dump Mart showed off the dead squirrel to the boys!  They loved it!!!!

At one point I couldn't find Owen anywhere.  I had 4 people out looking for him and he was found in the barn!  He was as happy as could be with his find of a Shetland pony and a tortoise!

 He had so much fun at this ranch that he wants to move there!  

The boys found some great climbing trees and made themselves comfortable.  They ate their lunch up in the tree!

I was so proud of my children working so hard all morning.  I know they will be blessed for their efforts!  I am grateful they had this experience to help those in need and hope they will remember the good feeling they felt from doing so!

{Mya's 1st Crush}

Our little neighbor boy Luke and Mya really enjoy spending time together!  As soon as the boys are off for school in the morning, Mya asks if she can go to Luke's house.  Some mornings we see them outside and even if Mya is in her pajamas she goes into have breakfast with Luke at his house.   The other day the two were watching the older boys play Wii and I caught them snuggling on the couch!

 Cute now....FORBIDDEN when they are TEENAGERS!!!!

Yesterday, the doorbell rang at 7:15 am and we were pleased to see Luke smiling at the door holding 2 donuts!  He knows the way to a 3 year old's heart!  He quickly handed them to Mya and said, "These are for you!"  Mya was ecstatic and her brothers were very jealous!!!

Later that morning Mya heard Luke outside and she ran to the window to talk to him!   Prince Luke was beckoning Princess Mya to come down and play!

Mya came out and they played in a make shift swing Yarnida put up.

Elliot came out to join in on the fun!

Makayla then came out too!

Mya is blessed to have such great neighbor friends to play with!  However, there is only one boy, Luke, and I hope these girls aren't fighting over him some day!  He does know how to woo a girl!

{Time Out for Women}

I flew out at 4 am on Thursday morning for Kansas City to join my sisters and mom for a girls weekend!!!  This was a first for us, gathering without our children or hubbies, to spend time together at a convention called, "Time Out for Women."

  

The night before I left I went and had my long hair cut off!  It was down the middle of my back and it was the longest I had ever had it.  I was ready for a change, but as soon as I chopped it off, my hair stylist said, "There goes your Victoria Secrets hair." I immediately felt nervous!  If I would have known anybody compared my hair to that I would have never had cut it!  Oh well... hair grows back and I do feel like it is much healthier.

 I adore my mother and sisters and was desperately missing them, so we decided to surprise my mom for Mothers Day and take her to "Time Out for Women."  It was fun to spend time together, uninterrupted from everyday life, and to reconnect!  We needed this "time out" to just be together.  Of course the program was fabulous and we all left feeling a little pumped up wanting to Think Higher, Believe Higher, and Live Higher!  It was amazing to hear the stories of individuals who have had such tragic struggles and loss in their lives and how they have had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and have chosen to live their lives to the fullest.  What an inspiration these individuals were to me and a reminder to value what I have been blessed with.

Of course I couldn't go to Kansas City without eating at Oklahoma Joe's!  It is the best BBQ place I have ever been to!

I was encouraged by several people to get Burnt Ends!  I did and may I just say they were the most juicy and amazing thing I have ever eaten!  My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

 We partook in so much yumminess this weekend!  Lemon brownies, chocolate sheet cake, double stuff Oreo's, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and mint Oreo's were all devoured!   You know if you've had fun  if you come home barely being able to button your jeans!

 We spent time shopping at the Plaza and Holly and I fell in love with a couch from Restoration Hardware!  It made us feel every so tiny...correction...short!



We were fortunate to have my dad and Matt watching these cute kiddo's while we women were out playing.  I did love getting to squeeze my nieces and Jace!

And of course this trip would not have been possible without my amazing hubby who stayed home from work to watch our brood, so I could go away for the weekend.  He truly never ceases to amaze me at how well he does the single parenting thing!  Heaven forbid something ever happens to me, but if it did I would be at peace knowing my husband is a Super Star and can hold down the fort without me...possibly even better than me!!!

No Kenny did not do Mya's crazy hair, unfortunately it is crazy every day!

He took care of Crazy Hair Day at school, took them on several bike rides around town, out for ice cream, and didn't even go out to eat once!  Besides them not getting all the vegetable I would have given them, they did pretty good!  He made sure the kids got baths every night, he did the laundry, and mopped and vacuumed before I returned!!!!  I appreciate him so much and fall a little more in love with him every day!!!

So while I was away we had the most exciting family news!  My 2 sister-in-laws, Catherine and Tara, both had babies over the weekend!  I am already head over heels for my two sweet little nieces!

Penelope Olivares daughter to Catherine and Gabi is on the top and was born on Friday, April 19.   Tenlee, daughter to my brother Tyler and Tara, was born on Sunday, April 21st.   I can not wait to get my hands on these two little girls!


What a quick, but fun filled weekend I had!  What a blessing to be able to be around family!  Its after times like this that I ask myself why do we live so far away?  If only we could all live on the same block in the same town!!!  That would be one crazy block party!

{Home Depot Trip}

Today Mya ventured over to Home Depot for a field trip along with her preschool buddies.  They were each given their own cute little orange aprons and a pencil.  The kids were very excited and had a wonderful time touring the huge store.

Mya, Julie, Jaxon, Steven, Isabella, Home Depot  Guy

 Mya has been to Home Depot several times, but she walked around today in awe like this was her first time to see the place!

Watching paint turn yellow resulted in several ooooh's and awe's!

 Her favorite part was planting her own flower to take home.  

She was pretty proud of herself and drenched it in water when she returned home!  I love going on fun outings with this girl!  Love her to pieces!!!