Summer...Where has it gone?

I thought for sure I was going to be able to catch up on all things this summer.  It was going to be calm and we were just going to relax.  Or Not.  It was Not.  Don't get me wrong... it has been a wonderful summer but super busy and it's gone so fast.

We started out the summer with school ending on June 18.  Yep that number is correct.  It's actually 4 days earlier than last year.  Woo Hoo!!  So one week after school gets out Dave and I had the opportunity to go on Pioneer Trek.  For those of you who don't know what that is, it means we dress up like pioneers and pull handcarts for a couple days to see what it was like for the pioneers.

Dave and I were Ma and Pa Hannant.  We had 12 kids in our family.  7 boys and 5 girls.  Ages 14-18.  These kids are amazing.  I used to think I was pretty cool, but I'm so impressed by the positivity and hard work these kids put in.   We put in some hard work too. We truly had so much fun.

This is our very serious family.  They wanted us to be authentic and back then no one smiled for pictures.   

Then they let us show our pearly whites.  Not too shabby for 3 days in the same clothes.  Ok 2 but still gross. 

Now this picture was our family's idea.  Yep we are just that awesome!!!  Our family name was the Minions.  It was perfect.



We had a wonderful experience with our kids and love every single one of them.

As you can see we actually had pretty good weather until our walk out.  Then the heaven's opened up and hailed upon us.  We were soaked thru our 4 layer to the skin.  It was crazy.  The road was a river and every time we took a step water and mud squished out of my shoes.  My white socks were dark gray.  I'm so glad that happened at the end and not the beginning.  

A couple days after we got home from trek we loaded the family up.  No not the trek family just our little family of 6 and drove to Utah for Dave's sister Laura's wedding.  It was a wonderful and full week.  Laura got married on July 3, then we celebrated our country on the 4th.  After that we had our niece Lily's baptism, and then the blessing of the newest Hannant our nephew Owen.  Then I took Dave to the airport and he flew home to work and I left for Idaho the next morning.  The kids and I spent 2 days there and then finished the drive back home.  

I had about a week and then it was that time of year again.  Cub Scout Camp!!!  Yep I had the honor of running the cooking station again this year.  The boys are so cute and excited when they do it and not burn it in the fire.  Lots of fun again!!  It was my Jacob's last year.  Crazy.  When did my boys get so big?

The day after Cub Scout Camp was my 40th birthday.  Yep that's right the big 4-0!  Dave had to work that day.  He said he was taking me out to dinner and got a babysitter for the kids.  So just the 2 of us.  That should have tipped my off.  But it didn't.  The fact that he chose a restaurant in Seattle instead of the Bellevue location should have tipped me off.  It didn't.  The radio station talking about the traffic (which we were stuck in) should have tipped me off it didn't.  The birthday present of a camera should have tipped me off.  It didn't.  It wasn't until I was looking for the lens cap for the camera and saw the tickets in the bottom of the camera box did I wake up.  

Yes that is me going down to ground level for the PAUL McCARTNEY CONCERT!!!!!

Can you say amazing and so so so so so so Awesome!!  Once in a life time.  I mean you only turn forty once and then to go to a Paul McCartney concert on your actual birthday.  Crazy.... My hubby wins the awesome present award.


The next day we went out again and saw Jim Gaffigan.  He is pretty funny.  We went with a group of friends from church.  There were 8 of us.  So we had a nice dinner and then headed to the late show.  When we found our seats, Dave and I took the aisle, because in addition to a long list of issues I have, claustrophobia is one of them.  As we sat down I noticed the guy behind us seemed a little out of it.  I even commented to Dave that something was wrong with him.  But the show started and we started laughing.  I was still pretty tired from the night before so I don't think I found it as funny as I could have.  Although "hot pockets" will forever be funny.  But sadly to say weird man behind us had had too much to drink and decided to deposit the contents of his stomach behind us.  Luckily Dave moves quickly and none of it got on anyone, but him.  As his wife or girlfriend and people tried to get the drunk passed out vomiter out of the theater I missed a bunch of the show.  Also if you know me, not a fan of vomit or the smell.  Good thing my shirt smelled of my lovely perfume.

This is us with some of our friends Eric and Corinne.  And the bearded beauty behind is the barfer.

But it's always great to have a night out with my love.  So I'll try not to focus on the negative too much.

Then the next day we were off to Bear Lake.  Another 2 day drive.  We had such a great time.  We went to the lake tons.  Dave and Dad and Bryan went 4 wheeling.  Dave also took Noah on a four wheeler and poor Noah got a little scared and wrecked, so super Dave, his protective instincts setting in, threw Noah from the machine (which is no easy feat.  Noah is a brute.) so he wouldn't get rolled on and they both came back with some war wounds.  Still they had a great time.

We also went to the Pickleville Playhouse and saw a couple of shows.  Bandito rides again and 7 brides for 7 brothers.  The kids loved them.  They all got a T-shirt that has a picture of Bandito or I love Bandito, or a line from the show.  It was really fun.

After all the travel we actually stayed home for a whole week.  Who knew it could be done?  Then Dave and I had the chance to go to girls camp and teach a class on tarp shelters.  Only because we were the only ones that put up tarp shelters on the one rainy night on trek.  Everyone else got wet.  So we taught our amazing talent to the first year girls.  When they get to go on trek they'll be set.  After that we set out for Cannon Beach!

The weather was wonderful while we were there.  I even got a little sun burn.  We had a wonderful time hanging with Mom and Dad and their friends.  Their friends come and stay for the summer from Arizona.  They have some land and park their 5th wheel trailer on it.  So we were supposed to go out there and we were going to have homemade ice cream.  Abby thought this was such a cool idea.  But then she thought about it a minute and said "you mean trailer made?"  Since they weren't in a house.  It was pretty funny.  It ended up being home made because a storm came in and they came to our house.

The beach was fun and we finally went home.  Once we got home our landlord's decided they wanted to give selling the house a try.  So of course while trying to pack and get things ready to move I had to have the house spotless for 4 showings.  One of which cancelled (yay).  My mom and dad came up and helped me to get the house wonderful and the house ended up getting rented again.  So no more showings and now it looks as it always does....very lived in.

School started 2 days ago and I have to get ready to move next week.  I can't believe how quick summer went and how busy it was.  All in All it was a great summer and soon we move onto the next adventure.... Building a new house.  I'll keep you posted.  

Happy 5th Birthday My Littlest One!!

Do you remember when you turned 5?  Did you have a party?  Was it a big event or a quiet family one?  Or was it both?  I can't remember when I turned 5.  I know I lived in Utah.  I believe I had a birthday party, mainly because there are pictures of it!  I know it was at my house and since I'm a summer birthday, water and swimsuits were involved.  This I know because of the pictures.  

Now days I don't think very many kids have birthday parties at home.  If they do it's pretty rare.  Last year we did two parties at home for Sydney and Noah.  This year is Jacob and Abby's party time.  They are turning 5 and 10.  Pretty big days.  Anyway we asked Abby what she wanted for her birthday and she chose gymnastics.  They do parties almost everywhere these days.  So for $125 Abby and 11 of her friends and family can play in the gym for and hour and then have goodies and open presents for 1/2 an hour.  It was perfect and not expensive.  And just the right amount of time.  I didn't have to entertain anyone and the kids had a blast.  I also didn't have to clean up after either!  Awesome!!!!  We have done some of these kinds of birthday's in the past and I have to say so worth the money and so easy!  That leaves me the question of are we getting lazy?  But that's a question to answer another day....why?  Because this party was a blast!!!

Jacob taking a swing on the rope.

Jacob climbing the rock wall.  Big shock there.  He has loved to climb since he was a little kid.  I would find him climbing the door jams and the pillars in the house.  Which makes it really hard to clean since he'd go to the ceiling.  

Noah sitting on the wall.  Oh wait he's on the trampoline.  

I love this picture of our nephew Jack!  That is pure joy.  He is flying!!

Abby's BFF (best friend forever) Megan, from school.  

Ah there is the birthday girl.  so cute.  

Not sure if she's saying "I'm cool" or "I hurt my butt", either way Abby is hurting her face in the back ground.  Yes those are my daughters.  

Abby's friend's brother.  Yep we had others get in on the action too!

Jack levitating.  He's magic!

Cousin Lucy swinging on the rope.  Looks like fun!!

Megan's turn on the rope!  It'll hold I promise.  

Syd made it to the top of the rope climb.  Good job girly!!

Abby's friend Brynley.  The trampolines were a huge hit!

Megan on the trampoline.  I wish I could still jump.  Now I get a little motion sick.  Getting old isn't fun!  Turning 5 is super fun!! 

Abby rocking the beam.  

Cousins and friends.  

Swinging!

Posing and swinging!  Girls are so different than boys!

Still swinging!  Let someone else have a turn already!

There we go!  Everyone loving the rope. 

Jacob.  Hi Jacob!

Yep there were Hula hoops too.  Maybe some artistic gymnasts?  

Lining up to check out the other side of the gym.  

Noah in the bar pit!  The perfect place for the big guy!

Mom's and dad's got in on the action too.  And little brothers!

Apparently it's never too early to fly! 

Jacob proving he can climb the rope while it's swinging!

Sydney showing her skills at casting.

Coming out of a back hip circle.  Nice job girly! 

Not to be outdone by her sister Abby showing some bar skills. 

Posing, but still super cute.  

The other favorite the foam pit!  

go Jacob!!  He likes to run and see how far to the end he can go.  

Abby's friend Decker!  

Bar pit swinging!

Dave has always called Abby little frog.  Now you know why!

Still climbing things.  Such a monkey.  Abby said she wanted an animal party.  She got one with Jacob.  

Swinging! 

And swinging...there were two ropes. 

They had to try out both.

Syd doing her front flip into the pit.  

Lucy showing some skills on the beam.  She was taking dance but I think there might be some gymnastics talent there. 

Finally some cupcakes.  The sheep cupcakes were the favorites.  So cute.  

Opening presents.  She got so many great things.  She loved everything.  The funniest thing was after we got home.  Dave and I had to run to the store to get food for dinner and we get a call from Noah asking when we will be home.  We can hear talking in the background and ask what's going on.  He tells us that Abby opened both the ferby's she got for her birthday and they were currently talking to each other in "furbish".  Noah couldn't wait for us to get home.  The bad thing about ferbies?  There is no off switch.  They can talk for hours.

It was a fantastic day and everyone had a wonderful time.  I can't believe my baby is 5.  I sure do love her!

The Pinewood Derby from January!

Nothing like being 5 months late in posting!  Here is the pinewood derby that was in January.  Jacob was our only entry this year seeing as Noah is now in the 11 year old scouts.  Jacob wanted to have a cool but fast car this year.  He decided he wanted to have a mario kart car.  

Dave and Jacob worked very hard to make his car look just like Mario's with the exception of the J on the front.  If you can't guess which one it is... It's the one with Mario driving.  

Look at Mario ready to go!!  Everyone had some big smiles on their faces.

As you can see Mario beat pokemon in the battle and came in first in that race.  

My two boys.  Noah got to help run the cars from the finish line to the start.  It was lots of fun for him since he didn't have a car this year.

Mario did pretty well.  He placed 8th out of 20 cars.  That's pretty great!  It was a fun night for all and everyone really loved Jacob's car.  I'm not sure what he is going to do next year, but it'll be hard to beat his great car this year.