The Boys of Summer and Vern's Big Test

Some of my nephews came over to our house last week. It was so fun to watch them play together. First, they played Batman with all of Riley's batman stuff, taking turns wearing the batman mask and cape. Then they got the firetrucks and rescue vehicles down and they played rescue/batman. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them play. It reminded me of when I used to play with my cousins during the summer for hours on end. Swimming in between playing and then playing in bathing suits. I'll admit that I played Barbies until I was 14 or 15 and look forward to the day when Mattie and I can play. Shhhh let's just keep that little fact to ourselves.

All six boys crammed into the small plastic pool: Connor, Cody, Trey, Kyson, Ridge and Riley

Trey and Riley

Vern has his FAA check ride Friday July 23rd and part of Monday July 26th. This is what all his schooling, flying, studying, blood, sweat and tears for the past four years have been leading up to. If he passes this test he can be a flight instructor!! Needless to say, he is quite stressed and nervous. He tries to study here at home but the kids and sorry to say sometimes myself just won't let him be. So, we are getting out of here so he can study in peace for the big test.

Last night while Vern was trying to study in his "flight room" Riley wanted to go in there and "help" dad study. This included him drawing on the white board and writing his name. He also informed us that he was going to teach us Spanish. I asked what kind of Spanish and he said, " You know, my Spanish amigo". It was very cute but not all that helpful to Vern.

Riley "teaching" Mattie

And of course Mattie can't be left out- she wanted to help dad study too!

Hopefully we will be off tomorrow and Vern can get the studying in he needs to. We are going to Greer again. This time it will be with Vern's parents. I am so looking forward to the cooler weather but not the mosquitoes.

Bed Time Fun and the 4th of July

I have to tell about last night when we were getting the kids ready for bed. Mattie has learned how to climb up onto Riley’s bed and loves it. Last night we had just gotten home from Travis and Sarah’s barbecue and it was late. Mattie had climbed up onto Riley’s bed. Vern asked her if she wanted to sleep with Riley and she got this huge smile and nodded her head definitively. Then she lies down and put her head on his pillow and pulled up the covers. She refused to get out of Riley’s bed. We eventually put her in her own bed and then everyone went to sleep.

Now, back to the 4^th of July. We spent the 4^th of July weekend in Greer. It was a lot of fun. It was different this time because it was just us at the cabin Friday and Saturday. Usually when we go up there Vern’s parents are there and at least one or two siblings and their families. My mom ended up coming up on Sunday. The first day we got there we were driving up the road to the cabin and there were two deer in the road. We were really close to them. The kids loved playing outside on the porch, digging in the dirt and finding sticks that looked like guns. Surprisingly there were quite a few that really did look like guns.

The Road to the cabin with a deer in front of us

Mattie and Riley playing outside

Mattie playing outside holding her stick gun

Riley and his fort

We went down to the Greer Lodge to feed the ducks. There were several people fishing in the small ponds where the ducks were so we couldn’t feed them. However, there were some geese off by themselves near a picnic table. We went over to them and started throwing them some bread crumbs. Well I haven’t really had any experience with geese but if you have, you know that they are mean and aggressive. Unfortunately I didn’t know this at the time. So they started stampeding us and coming directly at us. I was frantically breaking off bread as fast as I could and throwing it away from us, but they just kept coming at us and then one goose started chasing Riley. Poor Riley didn’t even have any bread. It was actually pretty scary. A worker heard Riley screaming and came running over and kind of herded them away from us. A word of advice: Don’t feed geese!

On the 3^rd we went into Springerville to watch the parade. Vern ran into Scott Shellenberger and his wife Kim. What luck! They asked us if we wanted to watch the firework show with them and that they had VIP seating. We watched the fireworks with them at the airport and we did have VIP seating. I’ve never been so close to fireworks before and it was spectacular. Riley was a little out of control. He gets really excited about things he likes or enjoys and he loved these fireworks. He commentated on the whole fireworks show. He was talking so loud I am sure all of Springerville heard him. We had a great time. There is a video of the fireworks at the end of this post. You can’t really see them but you can hear Riley talking/yelling about the fireworks. It’s cute.

Mattie and her 4th of July dress

Riley on the slide at the park

After my mom came up we tried feeding the ducks again and avoided the geese. We were able to feed them and they were really friendly and nice, unlike the vicious geese. It was a really fun trip. We all ended up with mosquito bites and Riley had a huge one on his forehead. Here is a video of us feeding the ducks. Too bad we didn’t get the geese incident on video.

Mattie feeding the ducks

Adventure in Tucson

I have so much to say and so little time say it in. First things first, Riley's swim lessons are going great! He loves it. Occasionally he gets a little silly and his teacher will tell him "Riley get back on the white line." He is learning about water safety and a few techniques for which we are really proud of him.

My wonderful family in Tucson, whom I don't really see that often anymore had an Eclipse party for the premier of the movie. My mom, Riley, Mattie and me went down to Tucson for it. Vern had to work so he couldn't go on this adventure. Mom priced line a room for us and she got Ventana Canyon. Anyone who knows this hotel or has stayed there, knows this is a classy, expensive, awesome hotel! She got it for $55 a night. Normally this would probably be a couple hundred a night I am guessing. So we pull up and my mom runs in to check in. She comes out and says we are at the wrong Ventana Canyon resort that there is another one down the road. We looked at each other and laughed. Maybe this was why we got the room so cheap.

We drove down the road and came to "The Lodge at Ventana Canyon". We pulled up to the gate and gave them our names and then they let us through. We drove around to the check in area and a bell hop greeted us. I rolled down my window and asked him if this was where we checked in and he said you check in at your rooms. I told him we didn't know what room we were in and he said room 127. We hadn't even given him our names. Obviously the gate people must have called him but it was weird. Check in at your room? We get to our room and could not believe it. A suite was what he called it. It had a full kitchen, living room, bedroom and huge bathroom. All for $55. I really wished Vern could have been there it was awesome. Here's there website http://www.thelodgeatventanacanyon.com/

Out our back patio

Large living room

Kitchen with a stove, refrigerator, sink and microwave

Riley playing crochet with Degen

Mattie in her swimming suit

The kids got to swim for a little bit and then we had dinner. At last, it was time to go to our Eclipse party! I loved seeing my cousins. After my Aunt Edith passed away we haven't seen them very often. My cousin Laurel and her daughters Deanna, Emmy and Amber were there (they planned it and have an awesome party business. Check out there website you won't believe it http://beyondparties.com/ ). My cousin Jill and her twin daughters were there Alex and Annie. It was a night to remember. Not so much because of the movie but because we were all together again.

Emmy, Deanna and their friend posing with Edward and Bella

Alex and Annie all grown up- I still think of them as little girls

Really cool decorations! See the chess pieces from the Breaking Dawn cover? Awesome!

Mom and me posing with Edward and Bella. I have a "Team Edward" shirt on.

I went to bed at three and then got up at six. It was so worth it. It is midnight right now and I am getting tired. I have to get up early to pack for Greer. We almost weren't going to go but Vern doesn't have to work tomorrow or Monday so we are outta here!

Busy Little Bees

Well we've actually been quite busy this week! We went to the splash pad at San Tan Mall with Farrah and her kiddos. We also saw Toy Story 3. It was really good. I hate to admit but I cried at the end when Andy was explaining all of his toys to that little girl. It was just so sad, him leaving for college. It made me think about Riley leaving and how quickly children grow. Riley liked the movie but it bothered him when Buzz was re-set and mean.

The primary activity was awesome! We had a great turn out and I think the kids had lots of fun. It was exciting to watch them play kick ball and then slip n' slide into home base. After the activity my nephews Trey, Kyson and Ridge came over to play. They had so much fun. Here is a movie of them playing Just Dance on the Wii. They were still in their swimming suits from the primary activity.

Vern also started at his new job!! He is driving a truck hauling parts and stuff. We are really excited here. His last job he had was over year ago and it was only for 2 months. Hopefully this lasts longer. We are grateful he finally found work. I think it will take some adjusting to because he's been home for so long. We need to get back into the routine of actually having a routine and a schedule. It has been nice having him around to help with the kids and other stuff. Now back to the real world where my husband has a job!!

The "Old West" and Our Little Diva

On Sunday after dinner I was thinking to myself, I really wish we could go for a ride today. It was a perfect day to go on a ride. About two minutes after I had thought this, Vern comes in from the garage and says, "Do you want to go for a ride?" I jumped out of the chair and started grabbing the kids so we could go. Sometimes I just need out of the house. Even if it is just to ride in the car. So we drove to the Gold Canyon area. I love driving in the desert it was beautiful and both the kids fell asleep which was a bonus. So, we're out in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road with cactus on either side of us and we pass this big horse trailer on the side of the road. Riley yells at the top of this lungs from the back seat, "OH YEAH! We're in the old west!!!". We both thought he was asleep but he must have woken up just in time to see the horse trailer. I guess you would have had to be there but it was hilarious. He was so excited to be in the "old west". I'm not sure how he decided it was the old west because the horse trailer looked brand new and there was nothing else around us but cactus. But he was adamant that is was the "old west".

I am glad to say that Mattie is definitely a girly girl. I was worried a little bit because she always plays with Riley's "boy" toys. Recently, she has started showing her feminine side. This girl is already into shoes, purses and yes jewelry. If she finds her shoes around the house she has to have them put on. She especially likes her pink flip flops. Sunday before church we were all getting ready and Vern says did you put this on her? I said put what on her? He explained that Mattie was wearing a red heart necklace. She picked that out and put it on herself. This morning Vern said she demanded (not with words but by loud grunting/growling noises) that her pink flip flops be put on and then she kept hanging her pink purse on the little chair. Today at Costco when we went by the jewelry counter she got really excited and started kicking her legs and grabbing with her hands. We are in TROUBLE! She is our little diva.

I don't know why I want to tell about our trip to Costco today but I keep thinking about it and how all our shopping trips are drama. Usually Mattie refuses to ride in the basket and she refuses by repeatedly standing up in the basket even with any type of buckle on. Today however she rode in the basket. Hooray!! Only, she scratched Riley continuously until we had to pull Riley out of the basket screaming. I told her no no several times and smacked her little hand but she kept on scratching him and then would smile and laugh like it was just so cute. I don't think she understands when she is in trouble. Every time we go to Costco Riley wants to eat pizza, so we stopped for pizza and a very berry sundae. Mattie of course wanted the ice cream so I gave her bites. She somehow managed to get the spoon from me and would not give it back. All of us ended up with ice cream on us from it dripping off the spoon and her hands. I wonder why all our shopping trips always turn into drama?

TOP 10 Reasons I Love Being a MOM

Top 10 Reasons I Love Being a MOM

1. Receiving a hug and kiss from my children- Riley will give me a hug, then "nosees", then a wet kiss. Mattie will put her little arms around my neck and then pat me. I love it!

2. I love to play with them- I really like to watch them play too they are so funny!

3. I love to hold my children when they are asleep. I rarely get to hold Mattie when she sleeps but on a rare occasion I get the special chance of watching her sleep and holding her tight. When Riley was smaller I held him a lot while he slept and it was special to me.

4. I love to watch my children grow and learn new things.

5. I love my husband and how much he makes my job as being a mother easier and fun to raise our children together. I love to be together as a family, just being together it doesn't matter what we are doing.

6. I love listening to my children- Riley talks nonstop and I love to hear whatever he is saying. Mattie doesn't say many words but she makes a whole lot of noises and I love those too.

7. I love being a mom because it made my parents grandparents. They are such good grandparents.

8. I love to be apart of something so sacred and special, having these little souls come to us from Heavenly Father and be in our care.

9. I love to go places with my children- whether it is grandma and grandpa's house, the White Mountains, Disneyland, the Zoo, or the pool. Anywhere they have a good experience and I can experience it with them is the best.

10. I love being a mom because I know I can be with my family forever and I wouldn't want any less time than that . I have forever to get to know them, teach them, be with them, love them and hug them.

Summer kick off

We kicked off our summer with a trip to the Phoenix Zoo last week. It was lots of fun and the weather was great. Mattie loved the monkey's and kept trying to get past the rope barrier to get to them. She also loved a duck that was following her around. But then she didn't want anything to do with the goats at the petting zoo. Silly girl. Riley liked the monkeys and getting wet at the splash pad!

Mattie and Grandma

Riley milking a fake cow- that was weird

Mattie wanting to get away from the goats

We went up to Greer on Friday. The weather was beautiful, it was cool but not cold. We stayed in our trailer right by the cabins that the rest of the family stayed in. We played salads and Phase 10. The boys had fun riding bikes and playing around the cabins. Riley was usually Spider Man or Batman. The only thing Mattie wanted to do was open and close doors. She was fine as long as we let her open and close the screen door at the top cabin. If anyone got in her way or made her stop she had a cow. We went to the park in Eager and it was awesome. They had these slides that were a steep and really fast. Jen and I could not get enough of them. We even talked Grandpa into going down one. Monday came and we were not ready to come home. Its always a bummer when the fun has to end. Hopefully we can think of something fun to do this week so we are not just sitting at home roasting :)

These slides are amazing!!

My hair is messed up because the slides are that fast!