California Fun

These two pictures of Luke perfectly illustrate my love/hate relationship with camping. I HATE the dirt. And when we camp EVERYTHING is dirty!!! All that you have to do is make eye contact with the dirt and there is an invisible magnetic pull that binds every square inch of you to the dirt until you get home and shower. This absolutely drives me nuts. But look at what a little bit of dirt does to this little boy's face! A smile that only dirt can buy. I guess suffering with all the filth that camping brings is worth it after all!

In one of my many futile attempts to keep Luke clean, we got out this mini tent that Grandma D. had sent along. Luke LOVED it. But there was just one little glitch. He insisted that everyone had to be in the tent with him. So he grabbed Dad's hand and pulled him in first. Then he got out and went to find Grandma and he pulled her in. Here you can see he is trying to get out so that he could grab my hand and pull me in as well! It was so funny. So all 3 of us were on the ground trying to squeeze some part of our bodies in the tent. If one of us pulled out, he immediately went after us and brought us back in. Then he would just sit in the tent and smile with our 3 big heads poking in at him. He is so darn cute!!!

So it was off to the beach where Uncle Troy led off the sand burying festivities. Tyler was pleased as punch to be buried neck deep in the sand. He made it look so fun that Jake signed up to be next.

Nice work, Uncle Troy!

Bree's turn! Uhhh, could someone get the hair out of my eye? I have an itch!

Dad's turn! Just as we got Jer completely buried, Luke came over to help. He started dumping sand all over Jer's face. It was so funny. He just kept pouring it directly into Jer's eyes as if he knew it was just what Jer wanted.

Jer decided to see how Luke would like being up to his neck in sand. No surprise here! Aren't these two SO cute???Uncle Troy had this great idea to capture a seagull. So he dug a huge hole in the sand, and put a blanket over it. He put some food and trash on the blanket, then got under the blanket and waited for the seagulls. With some help from Aunt Tiffany, the seagulls were lured to the bait. And as soon as they stepped on the blanket, Uncle Troy grabbed them from underneath! He actually got a hold of one, but it got away! Jake tried to catch one in Troy's trap, but by then they were too smart!Time to hit the waves...let's boogie board! Actually Jake and Bree stayed pretty close to the shore, but Tyler who is 4 years old, was fearless. Grandpa and Mike took him out to the deep water and Tyler rode in wave after wave. He went under a few times and consistently just got right up with an enormous smile on his face. It was so awesome!!Here is Breanna with her ginormous Sand Crab. She and Jake spent a good amount of time finding these things. Definitely one of the highlights of Carp each year. They tried to get Luke interested in them, but I don't think Luke could really distinguish them from the sand. Probably next year!

Time for some adult games, so what to do with 3 babies who could inflict some serious injuries on themselves with any number of things at the campground? Easy! Put all 3 in a port-a-crib and play survival of the fittest. They actually did pretty good for a while. Jake convinced Makayla that she needed a hat and Kaylee chewed on some cards, but eventually all 3 were in tears. It was pretty funny to have them all crying together in the port-a-crib. So we went to plan B (hey, babies or not the games must go on!) We enlisted Jake's help who took the babies on stroller rides. He saved the game! Sadly for me, Tiffany won, but hey, I'm not competitive or anything, so I was really happy for her.
We had the coolest visitor in our campsite. This huge butterfly was with us almost the entire time we were there. It stayed in our little kitchen canopy. Jake of course could not resist the impulse to hold it. He was surprised at how easily the butterfly came to him. It even rested on Jake's head. Jake loves animals and creatures of any kind, so this was especially cool for him.

Well, after 2 days of roughing it, I was ready for civilization! We said good-bye to Carp and headed down to San Diego. We were so excited to see Erica and Jeff and their kids. They live in GA, so we rarely get to see them. We had fun playing games and just enjoyed catching up! Aren't Soren and Luke cute? We stayed at mom and dad's again but sadly they were in Idaho! Our timing was really off on this trip!

We spent Monday at SeaWorld with Nat and her kids. We had an awesome time and rode a ton of rides and saw some shows. As we were waiting in line for this ride, I looked ahead and noticed the woman right in front of us was wearing a spaghetti strap tank top and her entire bra (the wide part where it snaps together in the back) was completely hanging out of her shirt. So I discretely said to my nieces, "You better not ever let me catch you wearing that look!" They turned to see what I was talking about and just laughed. I guess Troy overheard because he stretched his arm out and pointed directly at the woman and said, "HER?" Apparently, Breanna was also listening because in her LOUDEST voice, she said, "Oh don't worry mom, that's not her underwear, it's just her swimsuit". The woman could not have been more that a foot away from Breanna, and we all almost died! But we were laughing so hard, it was all we could do to not pee our pants. That's my Bree...she calls it as she sees it!

Kyle, Troy and Jake. I can't believe Kyle is 16 and Troy will be a Freshman this year!!! They are such great kids and perfect examples to Jake. He loves hanging out with them!

Luke was reunited with his super cool cousin, Sawyer! These guys are going to be such good buddies!! What a great trip! There's really nothing better than being with family!!!

Breanna Turns 7!

On Friday, Breanna got together with some crazy friends for a party to celebrate turning 7 years old! Sydney, Madison, Caitlyn, Breanna, Cassandra and Sierra.
Here are the girls getting ready to dive into the cake!
Breanna loved dancing with Chuck E. and was so delighted to be in the spotlight.
And just as I'm beginning to accept the fact that my little girl is now 7, she starts talking about how next year she'll be 8 and will get to be baptized! In her mind, she can't grow up quick enough, but she already growing up way too quickly for me.

We love you Bree!!! Happy Birthday!!!

Kartchner Caverns

This weekend, we went to Kartchner Caverns with some of our friends. After Jeromy and Wyatt whooped Bobbi and I in a game of Pinochle, the Whites and the Sheppards arrived and we all went out to dinner. We ate at R&R Pizza and it was actually pretty good food. With stomachs full, we headed back to the hotel and the adults played Pop 5 while the kids partied in the room across the hall. The guys once again beat the girls, but it was all worth it because we got to see Dave do the River Dance (perfectly, by the way), and Greg "Dirty Dance" (which closely resembled the Deacon 2-step). Jeromy and Wyatt pulled off some pretty amazing and last minute guesses which ended our chances for victory, but it was good all the same. The girls did have a few moments of glory though, especially with Lynette and Nichole pulling off "Grey Poupon" and Bobbi's Tai Bo. I am still lamenting the fact that I didn't know what a Trapper Keeper was- arghhh!!! I'm sure I cost us the game with that one. I know, I must let it go.

We stayed up kind of late and were in denial when Luke decided to wake up at 4:00 a.m. He wouldn't go back to sleep, so we finally gave in, got some breakfast and went swimming. Then it was off to the caves. They were amazing. It was neat to be inside that mountain and see all of the beautiful formations. It really made me think of the Creation and the awesome undertaking that must have been. Being there reminded me of the many wonders that are all around us and yet I seem to overlook so many of them on a day to day basis. It really is a blessing to live in such a beautiful world and to have friends to enjoy it with!

Utah 2008

We went to Utah last week to attend the funeral of Aunt Julie who passed away after a year-long battle with cancer. I met Julie over 13 years ago when Jeromy and I started dating. Jeromy was living with Aunt Julie and Uncle John at the time. A year later, Julie hosted a bridal shower for me at her house. She was one of the most well-loved people I have ever known. She always seemed to have a smile on her face and she radiated happiness. She will forever be an example of goodness, of kindness and of charity. One of Jeromy's favorite memories of life at the Knab home was the day he came home from school and parked his truck at the top of the driveway, just overlooking the hill down to the backyard. He went in to use the restroom when he heard Aunt Julie call from the kitchen, "Hey Jeromy, look what's in the backyard." Jeromy looked out the window to find his truck had rolled down the hill in the backyard and smashed through the neighbor's fence. Julie just laughed. This is the perfect example of how good-natured Julie was! This week, Jeromy gave a FHE lesson on the plan of salvation, and we talked about Julie and her life here on earth and where she is now. We also talked about the many wonderful things that were mentioned at Julie's funeral and the legacy she left because of the great life she lived. Her daughter, Amy talked about one of Julie's motto's: "No Murmuring!" We decided to adopt that motto for our family. I thought it would be a good thing for the kids to keep in mind. A few days later, we were meeting Rachel for dinner and as we got out of the car, I looked Jake over and said, " Your shirt is untucked, your hair's a mess, and where are your shoes?" He just looked at me and with a little twinkle in his eye, said, "Are you murmuring, mom?" Thanks Aunt Julie!! I guess the new motto will be good for me too! We miss Aunt Julie very much, but we know she lives on. We hope to follow her example and be more Christlike everyday.

We were so thankful to Grandma and Grandpa Jensen who let us stay with them under these difficult circumstances. We know it has been hard on both of them and we just appreciate them opening their home to us. Jake and Breanna adore Grandma and Grandpa and whenever we say we are going to Utah, they are thrilled at the prospect of seeing them! One of the best things about their house is Grandpa's garden. Grandpa grows the sweetest peas on earth! Jake helped him harvest the yummy crop while Luke pulled all the peas they picked out of the bucket! Luke loved to chew on the pod and refused to eat the peas. Such a silly boy!

The second best thing about Grandma and Grandpa Jensen's is the rider mower. Luke got his first ride with Dallin. Loved it! Bree tried to convince Dallin that she could handle things on her own....maybe in a few years, Bree.

Grandma snuck away with Jake and Breanna and Uncle Troy and went up to Bear Lake. We met them there a few days later and had a great time with the Jensens. Here we are swimming at the pool and yes, Luke is reaching for Grandma as usual!

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This is the "must see" volcano the kids built. Hey Luke, the idea is to stay clean! Luke LOVES mud!

Dad and Breanna

Dallin and Clint on Grandpa's boat. The water was really choppy, so we opted for tubing. There were wedgies a-plenty, but everyone had a fun ride!Dave took Jer and Uncle Troy for a ride. We were all so glad to have Troy on the tube. He had the worst gas I have ever smelled in my life. The boat was moving forward full speed ahead and Troy was at the rear doing his thing. A bunch of us were inside the cabin (up wind at the opposite end of the boat) and were nearly suffocated by the stench. No more Tacos for Troy!!!

Dad and Jake take to the water.

Clint, Breanna and Jer get ready to ride.

There's nothing like the hum of a speed boat to put you to sleep. Luke was out!

Then it was Grandma's turn. She volunteered to hold Luke after he got off the boat. Who knew sleeping was contagious? Grandma caught it fast!

Cute Cousins! James, Savanah and Luke. They loved these whiffle balls and did pretty well sharing them.

Sinai, Makayla and Breanna were so thrilled to find out they are all cousins!!! How cool is that?? They had a ball playing together! Sure wish we lived closer!

Breanna, Natalie, Sinai, and Makayla giggled and talked while they waited for the fireworks to start. Thanks for the glow sticks, Aunt Sue!

Time for Fireworks!! Grandma, Jake and Blake get cozy and eat some treats while waiting for the big show. Our kids had so much fun, they are determined to make sure Bear Lake is a part of our family traditions! And I just want to add a special thanks to Garret, Blake, Clint and Dallin for taking Jake and Bree's abuse so well! They definitely love you guys!!!

Bye Bye Baby Face!

Breanna's permanent front tooth started coming in right on top of her baby tooth. So we took matters into our own hands. We twisted and pulled and after much effort, Breanna pulled out her tooth on her own. She knows how to get the job done! Now let's just hope that tooth slides down nice and straight, right into place!

The New Bree....well for now anyway. I taught 1st grade for several years and it was always so strange to find that when my former class came back to visit the next year, they all looked so different. Something seems to happen when those front baby teeth are gone....the baby face goes with them. It makes me just a little bit sad. Although I hate to say goodbye to my baby girl's baby face, I know I'm going to love her looking all grown up!

Jake's a Bear

Here is Jake at Pack Meeting. Dad is holding Jake upside-down as is the tradition when the cubs move up in rank. Bro. Sheppard is putting on his new neckerchief and I'm putting the clip thing (what is that called???) on upside-down. When Jake does a "good turn", he can turn his neckerchief holder thing-a-ma-bob right-side up! Jake loves scouting and he has exceptional leaders who make it so fun to be a scout. Congrats Jake!!

The scout then gets to pick a favorite cheer that everyone does for them. Jake chose the Pole Vault cheer.

This is Mom's favorite part of the night! The scout leader usually tells the boy to give their mom a hug whereupon the rest of the cub scouts immediately begin chanting "kiss, kiss, kiss". Ahh the joys of positive peer pressure. In all fairness, Jer should really be getting the hug as he is the driving force behind 99.9% of the accomplishments of this scout. But when it comes to free hugs, who's counting?

Future Cub Scout!

Father's Day

I wanted to backtrack and post some pictures from Father's Day. Jeromy is an amazing father in so many ways. He loves our children and always makes time for them. He took Breanna to a Princess Ball on the Eve of Father's Day. They danced to High School Musical, YMCA, and the ChaCha Slide among others, ate treats, got their picture taken and had a "ball"! After the ball, they went to Olive Garden with Brittany and Jon and also ate with Chad and Kate! Breanna loves her Dad and there's no place she'd rather be than spending time with him....especially at a Princess Ball!

On Father's Day, Jake and Breanna showered Jeromy with presents, most of which were books. They definitely love their Dad!! Luke loves him too....he was just snoozing when we took these pictures!

Dancing Queen

This was a big weekend for Breanna because she had her dance recital. She took 2 classes this year, ballet and tap. She said she liked her ballet costume the best, but she liked her tap dance the best!
She did a fantastic job on both dances and had the brightest smile during her performances. She has been dancing around the house all year long, so we were so glad that she finally got to perform on stage. We are so proud of you, Bree for sticking with these 2 classes and doing such a great job this weekend!!! Next year she says she wants to do Hip Hop and Jazz!

Luke's Walking

Although Luke's technically been taking steps for over a month, we can officially say he's walking now. He is so tickled with his new talent. Jake and Bree can't get over it either. I'll hear shrieks from the other room and think someone's lost a limb, but no, Luke's just walking again. We're all just so excited for him!!!!

This was the first video we took of him really walking. Love how he grabs the camera at the end and zooms in on the sploodgie on his shirt.

Here he is all cleaned up! Watch out Luke, Jake's coming to get you!

And here is his other new favorite thing to do. "This toy box could use one more toy....ME!"