Help!

So I bought myself a new planner - partially to help me remember what is going on for the week (there's something about writing it down with a pencil that helps me remember better than putting it in my phone) and partially to help me remember while I'm blogging, what I did.  The new planner really got put to the test this week....

Monday morning after the older kids went to school, James and I went for me to get my allergy shot done, then spent the rest of the day doing laundry, grocery shopping and making the kids do their homework, piano and reading.  Also, we are still trying to potty train.  Which meant that Monday was also full of accidents, and clothing changes and sitting in a bathroom for little to no reason....

Tuesday was much calmer... We had some friends come over and play with us while their mommy went to the temple.  The kids had lots of fun together - but they did require some attention to keep them out of trouble!  After their mom (Niki) came back and had lunch with me.  Then we had to go get the big kids from school - and the usual battle of getting stuff done set in.  Tuesday also happened to be Evie's birthday!  My little girl is already 5 years old!  She is so funny and so sassy and independent - but in some ways she is still a little girl - she still will snuggle with me and still throws massive fits over everything.  We made cupcakes for her and she got to open her presents.  She just loves them - she carries them around everywhere!  Also my Visiting Teachers came over in time for a cupcake!

Wednesday was when things really got nuts....  I dropped the kids off for late-start Wednesdays and then went to the library with James.  After that, we headed over to get my allergy shot done, then home for lunch, followed by picking up the kids for school just in time to try and get them to get their stuff done before we had to leave for Parent/Teacher conferences.  Dan and I hit 4 teachers in a little over an hour and then we went home just in time for me to leave for Choir.  The kids are doing well in school - it seems like Aaron has a bit of trouble keeping focused sometimes because he is too distracted by the girls he sits near....

Thursday I took James to a dentist appointment - he got his teeth checked and got a new tooth brush which made him very happy - he was easy going and polite, but not very helpful!  :) Then we had to get home so James' little friend Addie could get dropped off.  Then I went to the school to get the kids and they came home for Piano lessons.

Friday, James and I headed out for another Allergy shot, followed by doing some visiting teaching, then picked up Heather and headed home in time for Addie to be dropped off.  The kids ate lunch, Heather and I made more wedding plans, then I dropped her off before I picked up the kids from school.  The kids had to make a mad dash at getting homework done again before we could all head over to the yearly school carnival.  The kids had a blast and came home all sugared up and crashed hard!

Saturday was even crazier than the rest of the week.  Dan and I got up early (for us) to go to the temple, then we headed home, I dropped off the sitter, then headed to a baby shower for my friend Marie.  After the baby shower, I went home and Dan and I took apart the girls bed to sell to a nice couple who came to get it for their daughter and her kids.  Then I mowed the lawn, Dan went and got the new beds for the girls and he set those up while I got a wedding gift and then headed off to a wedding reception.  I finally got home around 8:30 - just in time to put the kids to bed and make cookies for the primary kids.  I finally got to bed around 11:30 - totally exhausted!  The best part of all about Saturday though was the fact that James went through the whole day with out having an accident!!

Today was the primary program at church - it went really well and was really sweet!  The kids are so cute and they did such a good job - but apparently they used up all their good behavior during the program, because they were crazy for the last 2 hours of church!  And best of all, James duplicated the no accidents!  We still have to tell him to go about once every 2 hours - but once we sit him down, he goes and then he's good!

Family Fun!

We had a busy week as always.  We have been trying (and failing) to potty train James.  I've been going in for allergy shots 3 times a week.  Monday was typical laundry and grocery shopping.  

Tuesday, I had a dentist appointment in the morning, after which I dropped James off with a friend and went to the temple - it was a really nice morning, and next week I'll watch her kids so she can go!  Tuesday night, I had a concert -  I picked up Christina and we drove over to the High School where the concert was - it was a benefit concert, so we were just a small part of the whole, but it was a really neat performance and a really neat thing to be part of.  

Wednesday was our library day - James just loves going to the library with Riley and Tayanna.  It's funny because both James and Tayanna love to talk about each other and always want to see each other, but when we get them together, they rarely play together!  I didn't have choir since we had the concert the night before so I got a relaxing Wednesday evening at home.  

Thursday James and I went up to Becky's house.  Adena's first comment when we came in was "BAMES (she can't say James) I MISSED YOU!"  and gave him a big hug!  It was so cute. and they played together well so Becky and I got to have fun talking and crafting!  

Friday, I picked up Heather after the allergy shot and we chatted about food and decorations for her wedding, then I packed up the van and after I picked up the kids from school, we grabbed Dan and headed off for the ward family campout.  I felt sadly un-prepared, but next time, I'll do the planning instead of expecting Dan to do it all :)  We had a great time hanging out with friends and chatting and eating and fishing.  The kids all got to do some fishing, but didn't catch anything.  The only down side was that it got REALLY cold that night.  James couldn't manage to stay in his sleeping bag or under his blankets, so we brought him into bed with us, and he promptly passed out.  Evie had to go to the bathroom around 3am and was freezing by the time she got back, so she joined us too - it was nice and warm on our air mattress by that point, but poor Dan kept falling out of bed....  

Here's a great shot of Eileen fishing near our gorgeous camping area!

Saturday morning, we ate breakfast, then had to pack up to get home in time for Eileen's flute lessons.  We got home in time to be there for the men to come do the concrete in our back yard.  The kids all loved trying to help out - and they were very patient (helps that they are in our ward) with them.  James woke up from his nap and went straight outside and stepped in it - but the guys were still there and able to smooth his little footprints out!

Dan and I put the 3 younger kids to bed and left Eileen and Anna in charge and went out to dinner for my birthday.  It's our first time leaving them for more than just a few minutes, but it went well and they were SO excited, they practically kicked us out of the house!

Today was my 35th birthday!  Dan made me a yummy chocolate cake.  All the primary kids sung to Evie and I and I got some beautiful clothes, some fun kitchen gear, a fun game (which we all played after dinner) and some Calico Critters for my birthday, plus two sweet notes from my kiddos.  So here's a rare picture of me and my brightly glowing cake.  (James helped me blow out some candles, but other than that, I managed to get them all with one blow!)

Back to Busy

Back to school and back to a schedule also tends to mean back to busy - This week was full of our normal schedule, plus some.  

Monday was Labor day, so all the kids and Dan were home.  We had planned on hanging out with our cousins, but they had to cancel last minute because their whole family was sick :(  We missed them, but we had food and needed friends to eat it, so we called Dwayne and Nicole and had a great afternoon with them instead!  

Tuesday I spent most of my day around the house trying to get things done, I got Heather's wedding announcements done and read a LOT of books to a cute little boy who loves to sit in my lap and be read to.  Then that evening, Dan and I spent the night canning peaches.  they were ripe and ready and REALLY yummy!  We got through the 2 boxes in one night and were feeling pretty proud of ourselves - we're getting pretty efficient at it!  

Wednesday was library story time and James and Tayanna and Riley all had a great time and didn't want to leave.  Then I had choir in the evening.

Thursday, we had Addy come over to play with us in the afternoon and the kids had piano lessons.  Evie got her first piano lessons this week and she is very excited about it.  She loves to play and was excited to do her theory and everything.

Friday, Addy came over again and she and James had fun together - as long as James wasn't bossing her around too much anyway.

Saturday was rather insane, I went to go help clean the church building that we use for choir in the morning, then I got home and took Eileen to flute lessons (she's doing great and loving it!)  Then i mowed the lawn while Dan worked on the rotten fence in our back yard.  Finally, I ended the day by heading out to Coors field to the Rockies game where the Colorado Mormon Chorale was singing the National Anthem.  All went well - then I headed home, ate dinner and hung out with Dan who was about to pass out he was so tired!  (lol, well ok - I wasn't actually much better - we both got larger than normal amounts of sleep and were still tired all day today)

Today we had a great day at church, then after Dan played Risk with the kids - they all had a great time - especially Anna (who won) and Evie (who didn't actually play but decided that she won anyway)  Eileen is always a great sport and enjoyed the playing more than the winning or losing.

We talked to Grandma and Grandpa Jones and Grandpa Cox on the phone this evening.  James also insisted on having a chance to talk on the phone - he was pretty cute having a conversation with Grandpa Cox.  Here he is pausing to say cheese while talking.

Busy Buddies

Well James and I have jumped into our one-on-one time with energy.  We have been keeping seriously busy.  Monday started out with our usual laundry day, then we went to a friends house to help her pack.  James was a big helper.  There were a lot of animals there and it was hilarious to watch him with the animals.  After, we made a trip to the grocery store and then it was time to pick up the kids from school.  

Tuesday we had a friend over for the day.  Addie came to hang out with us all day.  She and James played together really well and had lots of fun together.  We went on a walk and James said "Mommy, I like Addie!"  Then, best of all, they played together while I had my first lunch since school started that didn't include a little boy climbing on my chair and trying to get me to give him bites of everything I ate.  

Wednesday was another doctors appointment for me - the allergist did the skin prick test - I was there for over 2 hours - thankfully they deal well with kids and had movies for James to watch and even gave him a little snack since I'd forgotten one.  James was well and done with being there well before I was able to leave though.  Then we snagged a quick lunch and headed to get Nicole and the kids for the library.  I had told James that we were going to a doctor's appointment and then the library - but when we drove past Dwayne and Nicole's house and didn't pick them up on the way to my appointment - he was rather upset with me, until I told him that we would get them later.  I was amazed that he knew where we were though!  Then that evening was my first day back to choir!  yey! 

Thursday we went back to our friends house to help pack some more and worked there for a couple hours.  James was very good and very helpful!  

Friday James and I took Heather and Chasity to another doctors appointment.  I took the kids to Costco (which was nearby) during the appointment then we waited in the car until she was done.   After, we headed back to the house to help Heather plan her wedding!  We talked about music, and decorations and invites.  We made a quick trip to Hobby Lobby to look at ideas and prices, then put the kids down for a nap!  Then in the evening, we dropped off Heather and picked up our babysitter so Dan and I could do a temple night.  It was a wonderful evening!  

Saturday Eileen had her first flute lesson.  She is so excited and can often be heard blowing into her flute and trying to make sounds!  She loved her lesson and her teacher.  (I will try and get a picture of it soon!)  Then I went to go pick up the peaches we ordered and then Dwayne and Nicole came over to hang out for a bit.  In the evening, I wanted to hit the grocery store for just a few things, so I hopped on Dan's bike and rode over with his side back that I got him for Christmas.  It was a nice ride and nice night to be out!  And the bag worked perfectly for carrying what I needed to get.  

So I wasn't very good at taking pictures this week - but I did snag this funny one.  James had seen a fly on the ceiling and wanted to get it.  So he asked for the fly swatter then pulled the stool over to try and get it, but he couldn't reach.  So he got on the ottoman and started trying to jump to get it, but he still couldn't reach it.  Finally he came and asked me to get it for him.  It was so funny to watch him try to solve the problem and GET THE FLY!!!!  

Here We Go Again!!

With school officially back into full swing, we are starting to get back into our regular habits and our regular schedule.  

Tuesday was the first Skate City night of the year.  The kids had a blast as always - Eileen's really starting to look comfortable on those skates!  Evie and Aaron still mostly just hug the wall and skate around the carpet - but they all have a great time anyway.  

Wednesday morning, I went to an allergy appointment, I'm looking at allergy shots now since nothing else seems to do anything.  Hopefully they will work - in the mean time, I'm on a short term solution that has me feeling like a human being again!!

After the doctors office (where James was VERY well behaved) we picked up Nicole and kids and went to the library for a bit.  

Thursday, James and I went up to Becky's to hang out and craft.  Adena and James played together REALLY well - it was so nice!   Plus they had marbles there - so James was in 7th heaven.  I'm really looking forward to this being a normal part of our week again!!  

Thursday evening, I went and visited a friend who recovering from surgery and bedridden.  It was fun hanging out and chatting with her.  She is such an amazing woman - she is so strong and so independent - both of which make this long time of immobility very irritating to her - yet she still works so hard to have a positive outlook and to see the good.  I truly hope that if I am ever in a similar situation, that people will be able to say the same of me.  

Friday, James and I took Heather and Chasity to Heather's doctor appointment.  I worked on a quilt while I let James and Chasity watch Blues Clues.  It was so funny to listen to them while they watched - they were laughing and giggling and interacting and singing along and chatting together - it was just adorable!!  

Saturday we did our usual house cleaning and yard work.  It may not be as fun as playing all day on Saturday, but I sure feel better about our house for the rest of the week when we do it!  Then in the evening, we had some friends over for dinner and had lots of fun eating, chatting and playing Chinese Checkers.  

I realized earlier today that with out all the excuses of outings and first days of school that I might actually have to take pictures of my kids just being cute or I will have no pictures to post here.... :P  

Church today was awesome - we got a few more choir members which is awesome - then after we had the missionaries over for dinner.  They (and the kids) filled up on French Toast and fresh fruit and we had a great time talking about things that we had learned at church today and learning even more.  I enjoyed the conversation so much, it made me late for going Visiting Teaching.  Which I enjoyed just as much.  I have a couple new sisters to visit teach this month and had a marvelous time getting to know one of them today.  Not only is she just an awesome person, but we have quite a bit in common which is fun!  :)  

And Then There Was One

That's right - my smiley little bit of sunshine has left for Kindergarten.  Here she is with her short hair all ready to go on her first day of school.  The backpack is so big on her - when she happily runs off she just looks like a backpack with little stumpy legs and arms going crazy.  

She has loved her first week of school and her teacher and her classroom.  It took a couple days for me and the teachers to convince her and Aaron that they had to wait for their big sisters to pick them up and bring them to the car - and that they had to tell their teachers that they were leaving - not just run off - but they were so excited to tell us all about what had happened that day!  

Wednesday, since story time hasn't started up yet, Nicole and I took the kids to the park with some other friends and the kids had a blast - I was even able to sit and chat and James went and played with out me for a bit - it was amazing and unusual!  Unfortunately I paid the price after for sitting outside on the grass all morning - I was so stuffed up that evening that I could hardly breathe at all...  I really need to get to a doctor and get this solved - I hate allergies....

I got the back lawn mowed this week - and was much smarter this time - I waited until Dan was almost home to mow, then I showered after he got home - that helped a lot.  But he was still kind enough to mow the front for me this week.

Dan told the kids that if they could get everything cleaned up he would take the girls to Walmart for some new shoes and then he would cut out some wood animals for them to paint.  The girls took a long time cleaning though (as usual) and so they only got the animals cut out and Dan showed them how to sand off the rough edges - so the kids will work on sanding them down this week, then maybe we can paint next Saturday - then we can show off pictures :)

Back to School

So school started starting this week - yes that is as weird as it sounds...  Eileen started on Tuesday, and Anna and Aaron started on Thursday.  Evie had a screening on Wednesday so her teacher could find out what she already knows, but she doesn't actually start school until next week.  LOL - I had a hard time keeping it all straight! 

Monday night was back to school night.  We got to find out their classes and class mates (poor Aaron - everyone he knows at the school in his grade is in the other class) and meet the teachers.  Getting the kids all excited for the school year!  

So here is Eileen on her first day of school - beautiful and brilliant!  

Anna and Aaron wouldn't let me do their pictures together - so here is the beautiful Anna ready for school on her first day

And this really is the best picture I could get of my handsome boy starting 1st Grade.

Thursday was the start of piano lessons for the kids too - Evie will start after her birthday in September - but we have started the other 3 up again after summer traveling - this time at our house - and it seemed to work out well - it was also an excuse for me to make sure I got my piano tuned finally - it was in desperate need and it sounds SO MUCH BETTER now - I really don't know why I waited so long!

Evie decided on Friday night to give herself a hair cut.  Momma was NOT happy with her - if she had just cut the back - it would have been ok - I could have straightened it out and her hair would still have been cute - but she butchered her bangs and one side too.... Nothing I could do but try to straighten it out and try not to cry over having to take first day of school pictures like this and all the adorable ringlets all over our bathroom floor......

Saturday was cleaning day at our house.  We spent the whole day cleaning (well Dan and I spent the morning cleaning - the kids decided to goof off more than clean, so they spent the whole day cleaning)  Trying to get our house back to a nicer cleaner state than it has been.  Dan spent the afternoon cooking - we had some peaches in our freezer and Dan decided that he needed to make a pie - so he searched for recpies and found one he liked and cooked this gorgeous pie (which tastes as good as it looks - or maybe even better...mmmmm....)

***Friends and family - please note, I use this blog as a family journal, because of that I am including this next bit because it's part of our family history and I feel the need to record it - but please, I DON'T want to talk about it and it doesn't need to be common knowledge***

I've spent a fair amount of the past week at the doctors - after last weeks ER visit, I needed to get blood work checked and find out what was really going on with my body.  The final result is that I've had a miscarriage.  We knew I was pregnant, but I wasn't very far along, so it wasn't common knowledge, even among friends and family, now the doctor is just making sure that my body is recovering like it's supposed to and that I'm healthy and ready for a healthy pregnancy next time.  The pregnancy hadn't really started feeling real to me yet, I don't know if that was just the Lord helping me be able to deal when this happened, but as long as I don't dwell on it, I'm doing fine - I figure it wasn't meant to be and that the Lord has another plan for our family.  

End of Summer

What???  I can't believe summer is almost over for us - the kids start school next week and I'm not sure if I'm excited or worried.  James has been really clingy lately and I think it's just going to get worse when all his siblings are at school.  Dan got all their school supplies while we were up at the cabin - so their bags are packed and they are ready to leave me :(

We were up at the cabin through Wednesday.  Grandpa took the girls fishing - they each caught 2 fish, then Uncle Frank helped them cook them and they got to eat them for dinner!  They were so proud of themselves!!

We also spent lots of time hiking and singing and collecting rocks and flowers - but it rained a lot - so thankfully we were able to have lot of fun indoors too.  Frank and Tina and Frankie arrived Monday evening and the crazyness there was complete - beds were filled and the kitchen was packed with food!

Thursday we spent doing laundry and recovering (I always need to catch on sleep after visiting the cabin - I never sleep well up there)  Friday we met up with the family at the museum and checked out some of the kids favorite exhibits.  After, we picked up Nicole to babysit for us so Dan and I could go out for our anniversary!  We have now been married for 12 years - I'm not sure how we got so old - but I'm sure glad I've gotten to get older with him.  We went to the movie grill place and had dinner while we watched X-men.  

Saturday, Dan and I spent the morning working in the yard - I needed to mow the front yard and trim up the edges and put down some week and feed, Dan worked on an old shed, making it use-able and clean!  I spent some of the afternoon at the hospital - but I'm not ready to go into details yet - then we spent the evening eating Bagna Caulda with the family over at Grandpa's house.  

There and Back Again

We spent the first part of the week recovering from Idaho - sleeping, working in the yard, doing laundry and sleeping some more.  

Saturday afternoon - after the kids finally got their stuff cleaned up (and I finally got us packed up,) we headed up to the cabin.  We made a stop on the way at Tiny Town - the kids had a blast climbing, exploring, seeing, riding the train and goofing off!

We arrived at the cabin and just had time to start unloading the car when Mark, Julia and Doug arrived.  And then it started pouring.... The kids had fun playing with my cousins and goofing off - which was good since, it rained a large chunk of the time we were there and it was good they had people to play with and keep them entertained!  

 
The hard part for me was keeping them from getting soaked in the creek. But they love exploring and walking around the woods.

I had a lot of fun hanging out and chatting with Mark and Doug and Julia - and even more fun singing with them.  We spent a good chunk of every day around the piano or around the campfire with the guitar, singing and making harmony!

Sunday, I took the kids to church.  On the way back, we got to see some of the burro racers!

Then in the evening - Grandpa watched the kiddos while Doug, Mark, Julia and I went down to town to meet up with Frank and Tina and Frankie and Dan to see the Indigo Girls.  It was fun - but honestly - any thing is fun when I am with Dan.  :)   It was really nice to get to see him, even if it had only been a day and a half.  After - we headed back up to the cabin!

On the Road Again

The boys got haircuts early on this week - Dan really did a great job - they kept wiggling around and squirming away from the clippers - but he got it done - and they look so handsome!!  

Wednesday, bright and early, we headed out to Idaho.  We made a quick stop at Little America for lunch and heard about a huge accident blocking the road and so we were able to take a detour and avoid the traffic and get there not much later than we had expected.

The next morning, Olivia and Aunt Sarah watched the kids so Dan and I could go with Gene and Ann to the temple.  It was a wonderful morning!  After, I went with Gene and Ann to the quilting store to pick out the fabrics for James' quilt.

Then the rest of the family started arriving!  It quickly became rather crazy!!!  We had planned on going camping - but because of a lot of fires up in that area - the camping area was closed and so we had to just hang out at Grandma and Grandpa's house - but really - with that many people around, it's never boring!!

We had two recent birthdays to celebrate - so there was lots of cake and ice cream and dollar store gifts!

Saturday was a big day!!!  Things started out a little crazy - Anna's baptism was going to happen in the church building near Grandma and Grandpa's house - but the font was padlocked and no one could find a key - so we ended up holding the baptism at their community pool.  It was such a neat experience - the weather and the pool were just gorgeous and it was wonderful!  Certainly one Anna will never forget!

After, we headed to the church building for the confirmation and the program.  The cousins all sang a musical number and here Anna is with the priesthood members that were in the circle for her confirmation - so neat to have them all there!

That afternoon - we went to a park by the river and had lunch and made bows out of pvc pipe and arrows out of dowling.  The kids LOVED playing with their bows and arrows!

Then we headed to the river to play in the water - the water was FREEZING though - so only the kids were crazy enough to brave it (mostly)

Here's my little warrior princess.

Dan managed to get ahold of the camera for a minute - so there's a rare picture of me (proof that I exist!)

Sunday, we all  got dressed up for church and had a wonderful time.  Evie had fun getting her nails done by Grandma Jones

It was such a fun week - so many memories made and so much fun being with family!  There was tons of food, lots of singing and playing and goofing off.  We made s'mores over a charcoal stove since we had no fire pit, we had fun trying to match baby pictures to their subjects, learning middle names and watching the kids become best friends again.

Home Sweet Home

Bright and early Monday morning, we loaded up the car and headed back to Colorado.  The trip was nice and easy - the kids were great and we arrived back in good time.  

We've spent most of the week recovering.  We came back to an empty fridge and lots of dirty clothes and a yard in desperate need of attention.  So I spent Tuesday doing laundry and working in the yard.

Eileen and I decided to work on some crochet animals together - she has been working on a knit one with Grandma - but I'm not much good at knitting, so I'm not much help when she makes mistakes.  So I told her she could pick a crochet one to make and I'd make it with her and help her out.  So together we made these!  They sure came out cute!  Now we are working on penguins!

Friday, I told the kids that if the basement and school room were clean and they finished piano practicing, then we could go to the museum.  The kids have been very excited to check out the new Discovery Zone.  They had a blast - we stayed there the whole time - and the kids were still sorry to leave - lots of fun things to explore and learn with.

Saturday, Dan went to work pulling out a stump that he's been working on for a while.  I was a stubborn one with lots of roots from other trees around it.  He finally managed to get the stump out - and was too tired and sore to fill in the hole.  He came inside to get water and rest for a bit - a little while later, we peeked outside and found Aaron doing the job for him - Such a sweet helpful boy!  He stayed out there at least half an hour helping daddy fill in the hole!

Church today was awesome.  The ward choir sang today - and they did a great job!  There is so much talent in our ward!!  There were also some awesome talks - Our high council speaker talked about making Gratitude not just about being thankful for THINGS - but about having an attitude of gratitude.  Choosing to be grateful and happy - not just because you have things to be grateful for or happy about - but because it's a state of mind that we choose to always have.
Now we are trying to prepare to leave again - we are heading out to Idaho for the Jones Family reunion early Wednesday!

Just Keep Swimming

I did better this week - I brought and used my camera!  Monday, we took it easy and I spent most of the day getting laundry done.  

Tuesday, we headed out to the zoo.  The kids had a blast - but was hot, but not too miserable - in fact - the weather this year in Texas has been relatively mild.  The kids loved checking out the animals, climbing on everything, riding the merry-go-round, getting wet, and petting the animals.  

The only way to get a picture of myself is if my dad is taking pictures or like this - in the mirror on the merry-go-round.

This was James in the petting zoo - the kids all loved feeding and petting the animals.

Tuesday night, Dan arrived!  It's so good having Dan back with us - even if he has had to work some while he's been here.

Wednesday, we went out in the boat - weather was actually kinda cool and windy, so we just played around in the tube - neither Dan nor I really wanted to brave the choppy water on a wakeboard.  If you can't tell - this is me and Evie in the tube.... :)

We went out to open water and let the kids drive the boat a bit - I love how serious Eileen looks here.

Thursday morning, Jon and Sandi (and kids) came over for Anna's birthday party - we wanted to wait until Dan was here to celebrate - and since we did it in the morning because that was best for Jon and Sandi - it meant we had cake and ice cream for brunch.  :)

On Friday, the girls, and Sandi and Mom and I went to get our nails done - the kids had to wait until we were done and so they got rather bored....  In the afternoon, Jon's family came over and we all ate and swam and played.  The kids had fun playing with the other kids and getting thrown in the pool by daddy and grandpa!  

Saturday, the kids wanted to spend their entire last day in the pool.  They all had fun swimming, floating, paddling, motoring, and jumping in.  Grandpa pulled out the old inflatable row boat that we have been taking camping since we were kids - and the kids had fun playing in it - and learning how to row it.  The row boat was almost as big as the pool...

We went up to our old ward for church.  It was so nice to see old friends and so nice to go to Sunday School and Relief Society for once! After, Sandi and Jon and kids came over for one last dinner together.  Taz and Anna still get along as well as last year.  Taz calls Anna - Barbie Anna.  James and Taz have become buddies too - they have also become partners in crime - lol - they both encourage each other in getting into things!

Tomorrow we head home - I'll miss family, but it will be nice to get back to some normalcy!  And slow down a bit - at least for a week!