family camping

This past weekend the whole family went camping, the whole family minus Tucker that is.

Tucker's 18 as of today (Happy Birthday Tuck) and had other plans that didn't include the family,

I guess we aren't so cool and fun anymore.

Anyway, we did celebrate a few firsts up camping this summer.

The first one being my dad actually helped cook breakfast (even while sitting) and he volunteered to do it,

usually it's Jim and Heath that are the ones outside on the grills.

This was also Kimberly's first camping experience and she did fantastic, so did her parents!

The plan was to celebrate the July birthdays up camping but since Tucker didn't come we just had my mom to celebrate.  She's turning 58 this Saturday not 85 like her cupcake says thanks to Heath.

We celebrated with a dinner of sliders, baked beans, potato salad, corn on the cob and cupcakes and rhubarb crisp for dessert.

The gigantic picnic table that Matt built is so perfect for all of our feasts, it was so sweet that Cody loved helping set the table for all of our meals.

Nicole and Jim each gave the boys their very own personalized hot dog/smores cooker.  Luke's says "The Hot Dog King" because he loves to sit by the fire and cook his own meals and he does it to perfection.

Brooke's been having trouble with her car overheating so she followed us up on the way up to camping, to keep the car from overheating she had to drive with the heat on full blast the whole way, not fun when it's already over 100 degrees outside.  It was the same thing on the way home but Hailey was with her this time, I couldn't help but laugh when you saw what a sweaty mess they were from the drive.  Thankfully Heath and Jim got the part to fix it once we got back and she is a cool girl once again.

 Saturday we took a family hike up to a mountain lake.

Matt and Summer were the only ones to do the hike before so the rest of us were excited to try it out. 

A few details were left out when explaining it to us, 

"like it's not just down the road a mile then you turn up another road and go up to where you hike"

somebody forgot to mention that once you turn on the road after a mile it's an eight mile ride up the mountain on a tiny gravel dusty road that winds back and forth, not so fun when you are riding in the back of a truck.

We survived it though and started the hike just a little sweaty and dusty.

The hike was definitely a work out at times, thankfully between the thirteen of us and three dogs we were spread out quite a bit so you didn't have to feel rushed and we took breaks often.

Even Kimberly joined us on the hike in a makeshift sling made out of rope and my mom's sarong. 

The scenery was beautiful we even found a little snow still tucked away up in the mountains.

The boys did awesome, even though it was just a one and a half mile hike they didn't complain at all, it wasn't until right before we made it that Ryan asked to be carried which of course was denied.

Matt would constantly remind us that we were half way there and that the lake was just right over that ridge, it didn't take long for us to realize his sense of distance was way off but he did keep us slightly entertained though. 

Proof that we made it.

 Good Times

loving our summer days

Last Saturday Ryan tested to earn his stripe for his white belt.

Since this was his first test I didn't really know what to expect but am just learning as we go.

Parents aren't allowed to stay so I just had to drop Ryan off, which he was fine with.

For him it just felt like another class day so he wasn't worried about the test and what that all meant.   

Monday was the presentation ceremony which is a big deal, so the family was all there.

Ryan was presented with his black stripe by his teacher and Senseis.

He is so proud now to say that he is an advanced white belt.

Ryan is loving karate so it looks like this might be his thing.

I think it's great for him and love that he loves it,

not to mention how cute he looks! 

Tuesday the kids got together to show off their tie-dye shirts that they had made the day before.

This is just another one of their traditions that they expect to do together each year.

Another thing they expect on these long summer days is to have never ending play dates.

They had already been swimming together earlier in the day but were so excited to get together again 

when they were invited over for brownies and ice cream with the girls.

After dessert it didn't take them long before they were playing games that they just make up as they go.

These kids never run out of ideas to keep themselves entertained.

Just when the play date should of been ending Jason came out to teach them all how to play kick the can. 

I never played it growing up so it was all new to me too but the kids loved it so much and it was the hit of the night. The kids took the game serious, Ryan was a die hard and was all business.

I had to laugh that the kids would go to the same hiding spots every time and no one seemed to catch on. 

 These five kids just bring a smile to my face.

Friends for a lifetime is what they are.

 The fourth of July is yet another tradition they expect to do each year together.

We try to hold them off as long as possible but getting them together at 8pm was still  too soon,

the smoke bombs and tanks and a few more games of kick the can bought us a little time at least.

Why the kids love to stand and dance around in colored smoke I just don't understand, but they seem to love it.  They also love having their tank battles.  Usually they have the U.S.A. tank against the Russians but they changed it up this year and had the McMullen's against the Hoodenpyle's.

I have to regretfully say that the McMullen's lost the 2012 tank battle. 

Right when we thought the night was over at 10:30 the kids insisted that they still needed dessert, 

so after a quick dish up of strawberry pretzel salad we called it a night

where five very happy and dirty kids had to shower and go right to bed.

june (photo a day)

1. yellow (my new lawn chairs) 2. today's outfit (celebrating my 36th birthday while camping) 3. looking forward (watching the early morning camp fire). 4. vegetable (McDonald's french fries, does that count?) 5. gate (Ruby's kennel)

6. the letter I (the boys eating ice cream bars) 7. strike a pose (Cody asleep in the living room) 8. mood (the boys in their wrestling mood) 9. words to live by (it's a given around here) 10. clouds (a summer day)

11. sunshine (on my flower garden) 12. colorful (a gorgeous sunset Amanda and I stopped to get a picture of on our way home from shopping) 13. summer read (An American Heiress-I was sold on it once I read the description "if you liked Downton Abbey...) 14. hair do (Ryan got his stylin new do) 15. you (me heading out to do some errands)

16. say "cheese" (Tucker enjoying the Cherry Festival) 17. father (my daddy-o) 18. in a chair (the chair in the corner of my room that always holds Luke's blankets, clothes-some clean and some dirty and my robe) 19. dress up (Luke with a big booty) 20. work it out (Ryan in karate class)

21. summer days (visiting sweet Kimber) 22. hat (you rarely find Heath without one) 23. taste (my raspberries that finally started blooming this year) 24. around the house (the beautiful outdoors while we were camping) 25. treasure (the pile of Pokemon that Luke and Ryan have me print out so they can color and cut them out to play with, this keeps them busy for hours each day)

26. joy (Ryan's losing his first real tooth) 27. the letter K (something I do almost every morning and night, read my Kindle in the bath) 28. shadow (Ryan playing fetch with Ruby) 29. sunset (a beautiful sunset in Cascade) 30. just do it (Ryan tested for his stripe today)

"my lucky day"

 Today was a good day.

The weather was hot.

The boys and I went to see this baby girl.

Oh my goodness!

We couldn't get enough of her.

The boys find her simply amazing and are so curious about everything she does.

I just love to hold her and get her to smile.

Tonight the boys went swimming with the girls

something they never get tired of doing.

We also took the dogs swimming at the dump.

While we were there Abigail pulled out her own tooth.

We convinced Ryan to try and pull out his own very loose tooth,

and he did it!

His very first pulled tooth!

(of course not counting the two that had to be pulled by the dentist)

again thank you Luke.

He was so brave and so excited when it happened.

He said it didn't hurt at all.

Not only did Abigail and Ryan lose a tooth today but

Ashlynn pulled out a couple of her teeth on her own this week too.

Just look at these three musketeers...

As we were coming inside Ryan said to me, "it's my lucky day"

he was one happy boy!

Ryan's other bottom tooth is also loose,  

so can you even imagine that smile?

{three things}

 We had a full weekend with three things to enjoy.

Saturday we spent all day in Emmett for the Cherry Festival.

First thing in the morning was the two mile walk/run.

What started out to be the whole family participating ended up being just mom, dad & Nicole.

My dad took first place for the walk in his age group and my mom took second for the run, congrats!

After some relaxing, lunch, dessert, and a small father's day celebration we headed back to the park.

Luke didn't even make it on one ride before he threw up in the grass, not for sure what that was about?

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing games, hanging with cousins, going on rides, eating sno cones, and watching the parade. 

 Of course this weekend was also about celebrating the dad's.

I think the world of my dad just like Heath does his dad and the boys are the same with Heath.

They love just hanging out with him and doing all those boy things and talking about boy stuff.

The boys are so blessed to have such a great dad, we sure do love him.

Heath and I also had a little something extra to celebrate on Sunday, it was our 12 year anniversary.

The day didn't quite go as planned but they never do if you wake up twice in the night to a sweet boy who had diarrhea and who also didn't make it to the bathroom either time, good times!

Thankfully that was short lived and we were able to go out and enjoy a family lunch and do a few errands, the rest of the day was spent doing a whole bunch of nothing.

I guess Heath and I will have to celebrate our twelve years another day.

I thought that after twelve years we would know pretty much everything about each other but apparently my husband didn't even know what my favorite candy bar was when I asked him yesterday.

Now I didn't know what his was either but in my defense he rarely eats candy bars and doesn't get the same kind every time at the store like I do.  A quick call to Amanda confirmed that even she knew what my favorite candy bar is and I'm sure that a few more of you probably know too, so if you do then leave me a comment just so I can pass the information onto Heath (not to try and make him feel bad or anything you know). 

2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004

2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008

2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012

Look at how far we've come in twelve years, it's been good.

I love our life together.

I love our family.

I wonder what it will look like after another twelve.

thirty six

Friday was the last day of school for the boys but 

it was also our first camping trip of the season.

It would be our first time trying out our new camper and 

I think my first time celebrating my birthday while camping.

So here are thirty six pictures for my 36th birthday.

We headed to Cascade to my parents lot for four days of camping.

 My mom and dad were up there also to camp and help me celebrate.

Even though my whole family wasn't there I still got calls, texts and emails from all of my family and friends, so it made for a very special day.

We headed to town for a yummy pizza dinner, no cooking for me was another plus.

We found a tv for the camper at a thrift store called Luke's Corner, it was only five dollars so we thought that was a sweet deal.

Pine cones were everywhere so my mom paid the boys one penny for each pine cone they picked up, reminded me of when my grandma would pay us one penny for each weed we would pick, I guess the price for manual labor hasn't increased over the years.

 The weather wasn't perfect, we did have a little rain off and on but the scenery was beautiful.

My mom made me an angel food cake, decorated a table and had a banner hanging on the camper, isn't that so sweet.

This Coleman camp stove used to be my grandpa's so we loved cooking on it over the weekend, it's crazy to think that is what he cooked on for me when I was little and our families all camped.

We bought a new bicycle for me on the way home from camping, so now everyone in the family has a bike to ride.

 Saturday morning before breakfast we headed out fishing for my birthday.

I finally bought a fishing license this year so I was legal to fish away and not just "help" the boys anymore.

Since it was my birthday I knew that it would be my lucky day, and it was because I caught three fish.

We fished four times over the weekend so everyone had a chance to at least catch one fish.

Once Cody caught his first one he was hooked and wanted to go all the time.  He also managed to fall in the cold water up to his chest trying to get his line loose, not a fun thing at seven in the morning.

Luke managed to catch Heath once in the butt with his hook while casting, oops
but was all smiles when he finally caught a fish on our last time out.

When Ryan loses patience while waiting for a fish the worms become a good distraction.

Ruby is not a great one to take fishing, she doesn't like not being able to get in the water and swim.

Our fish totals for the weekend:

Melissa 3, Cody 3, Luke 1, Ryan 1

Poor Heath was busy helping get every one's poles ready, untangled their lines a million times and taking off all of the fish we caught to do much fishing of his own.

The weekend was almost perfect besides the lack of sleep caused mostly by Ruby and a little bit from the boys.  

The camper fits us so well and now that everyone has their own bed to sleep in, it makes it so much nicer.

The boys loved to go off exploring, play games, read comic books, eat smores, play with their knights, eat watermelon, talk with papa and grammy and hang out by the campfire. 

It was a birthday to remember for sure!

may photo a day

1. pink (my snap dragons) 2. friend (Amanda) 3. faces (a bike ride with friends) 4. laughter (dress up at craft warehouse) 5. cinco (my dad's birthday) 6. play (pokemon cards are everywhere at our house) 

7.  blue sky (a beautiful day) 8. comfort (grandma's peonies) 9. the letter g (Ryan in his gi)

10. flowers (my purple pansy) 11. treat (a caramel coke) 12. old (Heath sent me this shirt from Camp Lejune fifteen years ago and I still wear it to bed) 13. mother (my momma) 14. favorite room (my bedroom or anyplace cozy) 15. you (me) 16. everyday (talking with Amanda on the phone)

17. shoes (my new sandals) 18. refresh (a favorite treat of mine) 19. weekend (I spent all weekend cleaning the camper) 20. casual (boys sleeping on the way to church) 21. world go round (waiting for doctors) 

22. new (a bunny friend that showed up in our neighbors yard)  23. corner (where all the junk gets piled)

24. chore (dinner time) 25. the letter H (Hailey) 26. fashion (flannel pants all day long) 27. skill to learn (the PS3, just kidding I have no desire) 28. memory (a fun whole family day shopping and watching the Avengers) 29. hope (Ryan counting his money, hoping he has enough for a pokemon deck) 30. reaching up (Ryan touching the sky) 31. noisy (all the Kindergartners at graduation)