little boys make me smile...

I overheard Ben and Luke fighting about something and wanted to know what was going on. This is the conversation I heard:

BEN (sounding very annoyed): I guess you know everything, Luke. You must be the smartest kid in the world.

LUKE: I never said I know everything.

BEN: Well, every time I try to tell you something you just say, "I already knew that."

LUKE: I still don't know everything. I never said I could remember heaven, so I don't know EVERYTHING!!

Now, if that's not entertainment, what is? I love my little guys.

Fun with Cousins...

It's always a good time with Lilly and Anna! The boys get so excited to hang out with their cousins, but who wouldn't? It was lots of swimming, making cookies, playing hide-and-go-seek, sleeping in a tent in the living room.. they are completely exhausted after a couple of days of non-stop fun. We love Lilly and Anna and can't wait for baby girl #3.



Patiently waiting in line..One of their favorite things is riding in their cousin's car (I know, really exciting) But with Deb's brand new gorgeous minivan...it really is a thrill!Ben and Luke are LUCKY to have so many fun cousins! Deb's baby will be grandchild #23... and the oldest isn't even 10 yet! If only they could be so fortunate to have a cousin on the other side...hint.hint.

PAR-TAY!

Yes... Ben is actually SIX! The 4th of July is the best time of year to throw a party!!! We decided to celebrate early so that Lilly and Anna be a part of the shin-dig. We threw it together totally last minute.. (called everyone the night before) and we had a great time.

We went to our pool down the street from our house.. We swam while Aaron grilled hot dogs. We played water-balloon volleyball (sorry no pics), had a killer Spiderman 3 pinata, opened presents, did fireworks... seriously, what else could a six year old ask for? Ben kept saying over and over, "This is my best birthday EVER! and it's not even my birthday YET!" We love his enthusiasm!

Last minute preparations...

Do you get sick of having a flag cake every year?? Of course not.. it's DELICIOUS! Thick cream cheese/pudding frosting and fresh berries! This year it was cupcakes instead of a sheet cake.. still just as yummy.

Most of the kids at the party... still a couple in the pool. Kelly, do your kids miss the "Rainbow Park"? Sure wish Macy and Charlie were here!

What a swing, Ben! We did without the blindfold.. Not to make it easier, we just happened to leave it the table. Oh well, they each had a couple of turns and eventually, the candy came out.

Opening presents...
"MY OWN TENT!" Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!
Trying to light the cool sparkling candles... with no luck.
Ben pretending to blow out the candles that never actually lit.
We love you Ben and couldn't imagine our family without our little firecracker!! Can't wait for the "REAL" celebration to begin!

There were never such devoted sisters...

I LOVE MY SISTAS! We did a TON in just a few short days... pedicures, haircuts, waxing, lots of swimming (or laying out while the kids swam,) laughing, diaper changing!, partying, temple, NO WORKING out! I can't believe it!! Even though Deb is due in August, she is a die-hard exercise queen...but somehow, we just couldn't fit it in!

I seriously needed this visit.. the timing couldn't have been better. Thank you so much for coming!

Let there be Rain!

No, it didn't actually rain in Vegas... but we cooled off at the Rainforest Cafe!

We met up with the Grahams last Monday night for dinner. They are some of our best friends in Washington. They live in Spokane in their big, beautiful house on the mountain and we can't talk them into moving here. They just had boy #3 (yeah for boys!) It was great to see little Jake! He's such a hunk!
Zack, Luke, Ethan and Ben in front of the panting Gorilla. The boys love this restaurant.. moving, life-size animals and real thunderstorms. Definitely worth the 2 hour wait for food! And THANKS for footing the bill, by the way! We promise get you next time.. as long as it's Taco Bell.
Thanks to Ben, this is the only picture we have at dinner. We were too busy catching up. And we didn't get one of our handsome husbands. Brandon and Aaron couldn't resist playing tennis after dinner. They are famous for their long matches.. they give each other some real competition. The match went to Brandon and Aaron is still losing sleep over it.

We miss you guys and hope to see more of you next visit! Say hello to everyone in Spokane!

We'll miss you, Alexus and Kaia!

For the past couple of months, I have been watching these two sweet girls. They came to our house in the morning, ate breakfast with us, and then I would take them to school (just across the street from our house.) They became a part of our family and we love them! I really needed the girl time and loved doing your hair and hanging out with you!

They are now going to live with their mom in California for a while. Their dad is an awesome single father and we will still hang out with him.. but we'll really miss you, Alexus and Kaia! We promise to keep in touch!

Watch out, Bill Gates...

We have a computer genius in the making.

A couple of times everyday, I find Zack exactly like this. What cracks me up is that he frequently looks at the screen, like he's actually doing something important. (Here, he is playing a game on AppleJacks.com)

He's is such a handful, but I can't help but love every bit of him. Isn't he cute?! He thinks he's so much older than he is... who would have thought that an 18 month old baby could do more than his grandma on the PC? Sorry mom, I love you and never mind answering your questions about computers.

Happy Father's Day!

The boys sure love their Daddy and "Big Daddy" (as Stan referred to himself today!) We gave Aaron a new shirt and tie, new shoes, a steering wheel cover, a BBQ Grill AND (last but not least) an ironing board. I don't iron (usually).. and Aaron has been asking for one ever since our move. It was kind of a joke, but not really. We love you, Aaron! You're the best Dad a kid could ever hope for (and a pretty good husband, too!)

A visit from the Grandparents..

It was a fun weekend with Aaron's parents in Vegas! They were so nice to come see us and take care of the kids while we went out. Aaron and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary yesterday. There's nothing like leaving the kids with fun grandparents. Ben and Luke were practically pushing us out the door. Thanks for coming for the visit!

This picture isn't particularly flattering... but I have been meaning to post a picture of my red hair. I disappointed Deb by dying my hair with a box color. I can definitely tell it's not as healthy, but it's fun for the summer.

What do you get when you combine a hot summer day, a trampoline, and a Batman Slip & Slide?

A lot of fun.

1. No, this isn't our first time doing this.
2. No, we didn't have any broken bones or accidents.
3. Yes, I was out there sliding on it with the kids..
if you didn't know that... you don't know me by now.

Who's in charge here?

I was making lunch a few minutes ago when I hear Ben say, "Zack, come over here. Do you see this? You let your milk drip on the couch! I am not mad at you this time, but don't do it again!"

Excuse me? I am not even that harsh on my 18 month old. But whatever... as long as our house is under control.

Mommy's Little Helpers

After dinner, Ben asked if he could do the dishes (thanks to his primary teacher who challenged the kids to help around the house :) Luke volunteered to do the rinsing and within a minute, Zack was helping too. I will never forget this moment.. all three squished on the bench, slaving away.. or rather, playing in the water.

Three Men in a Tub

The boys had a great time in the bathtub, especially after spilling an entire bottle of shampoo. They called it "bubble city" and wanted dress up as old men, hence the white hair and beards.

We're loving this weather!

Hot is great when there are fun pools everywhere