Results Come from Doing

"When our wagons get stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer-no matter how eloquent the oration."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Monday July 26th UPDATE: Glue stick all over the kitchen walls.

Sunday July 25th UPDATE: Somehow made his way up to the top of lil John's closet, got his air soft rifle down and preceded to fill it with pellets. Jolie caught him and he said he was going to shoot the gun. Jolie said "Oh no you are not!!"

UPDATE: tube of lip gloss. And where am I? The kid is fast I tell ya. No I'm not right next to him all day. But looks like I should be.

Since Saturday, Sam has dumped out 2 bottles of lotion, body wash, powder, ketchup, tire cleaner, shampoo, conditioner, flour and sugar all over the kitchen, water, toothpaste in both sinks, desitin, and sprayed febreeze all over the place and put mascara all over his face, walls, and table. Not to mention all the toys and games that have been dumped out and spread across the family room. Oh this kid. Oh yeah!! The mud! He also dumped that mud all over himself.

I'll let you know if I remember anything else or keep you updated on what else gets emptied today.

It wasn't until Jolie read all my recent posts and mentioned that it sounds like Sam is the one with all the excitement around here that I decided to think of what has happened the past few days.

More than I realized.

summer lovin

The kids found out who their teachers are on Friday and now they can't wait to go back to school. They said they are getting bored and they are excited for their teachers.

Makes it easier when they WANT to go back. And as it always goes, school will start, I'll blink and it will be Christmas; I'll blink again and school will be out. Doesn't it seem to happen that way year after year. Especially with a jr. high kid this year. Oh Boy!!!

So we have had many, many hot, lazy days this summer and it's been wonderful. But if they are getting bored, maybe I need to make some plans. Any cheap, not hot ideas for me?

Rained Out

Thomas and John had a baseball game one night. We got to the game and just as they were heading out on the field, it started to rain. And it poured and poured for just a few minutes. And within those few minutes, the fields were flooded, all the games were cancelled, we were all soaked, and we headed home.

Right there

This is how Sam let's us know what it is he wants us to see.

Kind of reminds me of this.....

That is Jack in September 2007. Same age as Sam now. Kind of funny how they did the same thing at the same age. And it is just as cute with both of them.

Cute kid.

Sam loves Leah

And Leah loves Sam.

While Sam was holding Leah, he whispered to Jack "I like you to see my baby sister......because she is me and yours." It was very sweet.

Jack graduates from Kindergarten

The kid next to Jack, Tyler Thomas, asked if I would take this picture and send it to his mom. Guess I better get on that.
His teacher, Mrs. Connors, is on the left and the principal, Mrs. Weight, is giving him his diploma.

Jack's Butterfly.

Jack with Savannah Coleman in our ward.

Jack had a great year of kindergarten. He couldn't stand being home all morning though and is so excited to be in school all day next year.

Who needs a Leah fix?!!

I DO! I DO!!

The day we came home from the hospital.

The hospital doesn't take 'hospital pics' anymore. So we had to try to get our own.

Laura's mom made the hat for Leah. The booties and pacifier hook thing is from my grandma and the outfit was given to Emily from my mom when Emily was born. She gave her two. One with a pink trim, one plain white. Emily wore the pink trim one home from the hospital and Leah wore this one home from the hospital.

There is nothing like baby feet. Oh, I love them!!!!

Look at those long fingers. The bracelet is from Cindy Bryson, my visiting teacher.

Leah is 2 weeks old here at the family reunion in Idaho.

She went through a month or so of some nice acne. It's clearing up now though. Yeah!!

One of my Mia Maids, Stephanie Toone, gave me this outfit.

3rd of July outfit....courtesy of Grandma C.

Nice sleeping mask.

First bath in her tub. She LOVES having a bath. She gets ornery around 8:00 every night and a bath always helps sooth her.

Sitting with Dad at Lagoon. 6 weeks old.

Emily wore this dress. It's a little big for Leah right now. The bow is the only bow I owned until Jolie's mother in law and sister in law hooked me up with 4 more bows and another headband. And now Heidi has made me several more bows and a couple more headbands. Maybe she'll wear them more when it's not so hot outside. But right now, it is very rare to see Leah with a bow.

She is sort of smiling here. She smiles at us an coos. I love it!!

Here she is again in that same outfit and the headband from Jill and flower from Joee.

I love her little cry face.

Pretty much EVERYONE says she looks just like Emily.

Ouch

The kids were playing rough in the front room. Sam slapped John and it left a mark.

Thank goodness John didn't complain or get even.

We have all kinds of battle wounds around here. Ouch.

On the 2nd of July, we went to the Centerville Park to watch fireworks. Thomas laid down on the ground and when he got back to car kept complaining and crying a little because his back hurt.

I guess something got him. Ouch.

Playing in the Mud

Jack did this to Sam in July 2008.

Two years later, July 2010........

John and I were visiting in the front yard with my visiting teachers and we heard the kids playing around the corner. Sam started crying and walked around the corner looking like this. I think Thomas and Jack may have had something to do with this but it sounds like Sam is just as much to blame.

SOLD!!!

We said good bye to our favorite blue van today. It doesn't fit our family anymore so we needed to part ways. It went to a great family who just had their third baby. When the wife heard we just had our sixth, she said "we hope to get there one day".

We have had a few people drive it and have had two other offers, that we turned down, but this family was the family we wanted to have our van.

We have had a lot of good memories in this van. John bought it while Jack and I were in California visiting Heidi. He picked me up at the airport in it. We brought home Samuel and Leah in this van. We've watched way too many movies in it, hauled way too many big rocks down the mountain in it, and as John shared today, our favorite memory....when we surprised the kids with a trip to Disneyland.

We didn't tell them we were going. We just got in the car and started driving. We said we'd go to St. George and when we got there we said maybe we should continue to Vegas. At Vegas we suggested continuing on to California. It wasn't until we were driving down the street just outside of Disneyland when the kids started asking about the Mickey, Donald, and Goofy flags everywhere. Then they saw the gate and we told them maybe we should just go to Disneyland for the next five days. We filmed this and it was so exciting. And we had an amazing and magical vacation in Disneyland. In fact, in the end we called to find out how much it would cost to add a 6th day. We just weren't ready to leave.

The man buying our van didn't tell his kids he was buying a new car and was excited to pull into the driveway and surprise them. So cute. We were sad to see it go but now that it is gone, we are happy it's gone and excited to find our next vehicle.

Anyway......

After the van left, we came inside and as John and I were talking, John stopped and said "What's that?"

THAT is thanks to Sam. Every day, several times a day, we have many surprises like this. Isn't that pretty?

So Lucky...

... to be a part of this. 41 grandkids. 22 adults. 2 more grandkids on the way.

Family Reunion at Harris Pond in Burley, Idaho. June 2010

It was rainy, windy, and cold. I had my two week old baby with us. We stayed up until almost 2 when I fell asleep at the fire and at that point headed to the hotel John reserved for me.

We canoed, raced, played soccer, had a great drum circle, swam, zip lined, visited, ate, and throughly enjoyed each other.

We were lucky to drive up with Mom and Dad H. in the motor home and John and the kids slept in a tent. Thanks for the pic Leslie. She added those missing.....Colin who was born a couple weeks later; Uncle Bruce who passed away 25 years ago; Uncle Aaron who passed away 3 years ago; and Nathan who was in Finland on his mission.

Half Dozen

Leslie took a picture of each of the 40 grandkids at the reunion in June.

Here is the colage she put together of our children.

Wow. We are blessed.

Leah's Hospital Bath

Long arms. Long fingers. Long legs. Long feet. Long toes. Long baby.