Memorial Day Weekend

We had a fun filled memorial day weekend.
We started out the camping trip with our friends the McDowells and the Nelsons (minus Melissa who we missed) The kids had good time hanging out by the fire....

and eating junk food like chips


capri suns...


and doughnuts.
Because Ashton and Matt had gone on the father/son campout the weekend before Tera thought this campout should be a bit more "girly" so insisited it was a "ballernia campout" She brought tutus for her and Tatum to wear and they performed a beuatiufl dance for us.

Mazzi decided she did not love camping and insisted on being held most of the time- and then woke up at 4 in the morning to play in the tent. I love this picture of her because if you look closely she is rolling her eyes at me while I take the picture. Mazzzi mastered rolling her eyes when she was less than a year old (concerns me greatly)

Our next adventure was going to the beach on Memorial day, which also happened to be my b.day this year. If it hadn't been my b.day Matt would have never agreed to go because he knew it would be very busy for the holiday. The beach wasn't too bad, but the parking was horrific! I think he spent an hour finding a spot and Clint spent an hour and a half. Poor guys. Glad they dropped us off! Then leaving the beach it took about a 1/2 hour just to get off Balboa avenue. So I don't know if we will dare brave the beach on memorial day again. I am sure Matt will not allow it and will remind me of our experience this year!

But we had a good time and it was worth it! I love this picture of the boys playing football.

and being manly..Ash and Dad enjoying a game of paddle ball.
I loved spending time with some of my favorite girls- Niki and Melissa.
Tera always looks forward to playing with Tatum
and Mazzi enjoying getting sandy
There were adults at this activities... but the kids are cuter so they get more pictures. :)

Duck Pond

The duck pond is one of all our families favorite places to go. This night we enjoyed a pizza picnic, then running around on the grass area, followed by duck feeding.

We would hand Mazzi some bread to feed to the ducks. She gave some to the ducks...

But she had her fair share too.

It was a nice evening with family. Love spending time with them... and love being outdoors.

My Daughters

A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous...
that grows more beautiful each day...

Kindergarten Graduate

Ashton and Mrs. Welch

Ashton has graduated Kindergarden. He has learned a lot this year and the fact that he can sit through a morning in a class room and pay attention says a lot for his teacher and education in general. I am so proud of my little boy and love that he is growing up so smart and "mature." He is quite good at math and good at sounding out words- as long as you can sound them out. He gets frustrated by the English language and how the rules change from word to word. I don't blame him! He had a good yer and when I asked him if he would miss school he said "No, but I will miss Mrs. Welch." We only hope he has more of a desire to learn by next year and are trying to focus on his sight words over the summer. He is quite different from me when I was in school. I had a strong desire to be the smartest and get the best grades and Ashton could really care less. His whole report card was filled with 'S's" for Satisfactory and if I had gotten anything other than "O" for outstanding I would have had a melt down. He's a fun one though this boy- he keeps us laughing and on our toes. Love you Ash and sorry I didn't have you wear a tux and get you baloons and flowers like some of the other parents. (Not really- I mean seriously, it's kindergarten people!)

Tera's preschool graduation

Tera graduated from preschool last week. They had a fun graduation party at "pump it up" a place filled with bounce houses. Tera has enjoyed preschool with Miss Melissa and all of her friends and is now anxiously counting down the minutes, days and months till her 5th b.day and kindergarten.

Every day she asks "how many days until my birthday?" but today she asked "how many minutes until my birthday?" It could be a long couple months considering her b.day is not until September! She knows the order of all events too. She says "first its mom's b.day, then it's dads b.day, then we go to Redding, then it's my b.day, then its Halloween, then Ashton's b.day and then Jesus's b.day" It is quite cute (she doesn't count Mazzis b.day yet for some reason)

We love our darling, sweet, sensitive, sassy Tera. She brightens our home with her smile and her contagious laugh. She won the "laffy taffy" award from Miss Melissa for laughing the most and making others laugh. She is fun to be around and is a good friend and daughter.

Beautiful People

I was on my picasa account and it wanted me to go through and name everyone's faces so that they would be recognized in the system (like facial recognition at CTU for all you 24 lovers)
But it randomly created this collage for me and I looked at it and instantly was happy. It has pictures of family faces and a few friends- search to see if you can find one of yours-

It also made me realize how beautiful and different every one is (Melissa is even pulling off a mustache in one of the pictures)
I am grateful for the our differences and grateful for the moments I am able to see beauty in everyone and have a small glimpse of people the way Heavenly Father sees them.

Anticipation...

I love this series of pictures... the kids waiting for the water to fill up and drop on them

The looks of anticipation on their faces as they tightly squeeze each other

their cute smiling faces after the water has poured down on them

Looking forward to another summer of mooching off our friends
and using their communities pools!

Why I can listen at church...

As of last week, Mazzi is officially in Nursery! Hallelujah! I am so excited to be able to pay attention in
Sunday School and Relief Society and so am grateful for all the leaders willing to serve in the Nursery!

Don't let this angelic face fool you- she's as feisty as they come.. and we wouldn't want her any other way!
Also- as a side note... Mazzi had just been attacked by red ants and bitten all over her feet right before these pictures-
and she didn't even cry. She's so tough. We love this sweet little pouty-lips girl!