Happy 9th Birthday, Michael!

I think this is the longest post ever...I just could not narrow it down!  I was enjoying my trip down memory lane too much, and can't believe where the time went.  As usual...it makes me want to get my pictures organized.  So many before the digital era that I need to get together, and so many that I still need to get on my computer.  Oh, well. I think that just judging by how many pictures I have here-  I found enough! 

I was happy that I have a few digitals from right after Michael was born.  (He weighed 9 lb 5 oz)  So cute!  

Michael was such a happy baby and that is why I could NOT narrow down the birthday tribute! He was always so easy take pictures of because he would smile so easily!  He just had so many happy pictures!  Here he is with Aunt Krista.  (About 3 months old)

His first birthday...(with his brothers on the left and good friends on the right). 

Still first birthday and still crawling...he walked soon after. 

Hard to believe we just had three boys. 

He was such a solid little guy, love this picture of him from the back waddling around in his church clothes.

Halloween 2004

I love this action picture of the boys running in circles around Nana's living room!  I love his face even more!

Michael loved making rows with his cars and he would do this ALL the time.

He is still particular about organizing his "things". 

 One of my all time favorite pictures...we were on vacation and couldn't find Michael.  He was hiding under the SINK in the hotel with a little treat he had found.  So funny.

 Another favorite picture of mine...We were trying to leave the beach that day.  I was WAY pregnant with Luke and couldn't carry Michael any further.  He had had enough of the beach and refused to move.  

 So many of the picture I found revolve around food.  Michael LOVED to eat when he was little...you wouldn't know it now!  Apparently he found a watermelon here and took matters into his own hands.

Even though I have a really messy face, I sure am cute! 

 Michael holding his new brother Luke for the first time. 

 This picture of the boys cracks me up.  Michael had the funniest faces in just about every picture.  Man, these guys were SO hard to get posed for a picture.  I think we took about a million. 

2nd Birthday, not quite ready to leave the dinner table. 

Gifts...

Cake time...

Hooray!

I love sleeping babies...this picture shows how "thick" and soft Michael was.  Where did the chub go?

 Michael would always be the last one at the dinner table.  He would climb up and try to finish everything off. 

Little Michael with Uncle Michael (Bear Lake)

Again...look at his face, such joy!

Having a ball with Aunt Melanie and Uncle Dane.

Taking a spin with Papa...

More fun with Aunt Krista and Uncle Gary...

This picture was taken at the Airport.  Michael wanted to be up in the window so he could see all the airplanes coming in and out of the Airport in San Francisco.

THEE picture from Hawaii..."oops, Nana was talking on her cell phone so I was just trying out the lipstick!"

Beach in Maui

Michael went NUTS over the mango's in Hawaii.  He still loves Mangos.  He really just loves fruits of any kind, but Mango's are a favorite!

When Michael turned three he was obsessed with sharks.

I decided to cut his hair so he would look nice for his birthday party.  I got distracted and someone grabbed the clippers and shaved off a big chunk of hair right smack in the center of his head.  Luckily we had a best friend that is a barber.  He came and saved the day.

Michael got a new look for his 3rd birthday...

I have so many pictures of these two together...they are my closest in age.  It is pretty fun.

"Don't mind me, I am just relaxing on the stairs." 

He colored everything, and I mean everything!  

Michael was always wearing crazy outfits.  He loved dressing up in costumes.

Aunt Carly lived with us for a while and Michael adored her.  They had a special bond!

Reunion with Aunt Carly in Southern California...

Family Vacations can be SO exhausting! 

Another thing about Michael is that he has always been fascinated with animals.  (We even had his birthday party this weekend at guess where?  That's right, the zoo!)

He has also always loved all things military.

The summer Annie was born, James and Michael flew back to Idaho with Grandma. It was his first time away from home for that long.

Grandpa took him fishing for the first time...something he still LOVES to do!

Didn't have any digital pictures of Michael's 4th birthday, so on to number 5!

Another favorite of mine with Luke and Michael.  The two little missionaries!  I think I might have to frame this one.

Michael with Annie as a baby.

"I sure do love my Nana, she let me come to Lodi Lake and get a real fish to take home!"

Preschool Graduation

I love all creatures, big and small.

More fun with costumes...

First day of kindergarten

Happy 6th Birthday!

He loved this costume.

He has been really into making music and creating his own "band."  Here he is performing a number on the drums. 

 Birthday #7 with a favorite treat...Mentos! 

AND a gun...he loves those too.

I told you he loves the Army....

Still need to transfer all those baptism pictures from his 8th birthday.  For now, all I have is a scout picture.  Michael earned his bobcat award and is giving me the mother's pin.

It sure is great to be eight!

 I have really become the entrepreneur this year...I started by own Pet Business and was able to take car of two dogs, chickens, and a bird.  I made over $100 this summer! 

I hold frequent lemonade sales and if I am not getting enough business I go door-to-door. I also have sell used toys and at Christmas I sold Candy Canes and made over $20! 

Like I said, for Michael's 9th birthday, we had a party at the zoo.  It was a great day!

Michael, I love you!  Happy Birthday!

You are no ordinary boy and have brought so much joy to our family.  I was so happy with Michael this year on his birthday because he showed so much appreciation for everything!  I even took him to get a slushy at Sonic and he told me, "Mom, you spent too much on me, I can pay for this one."  He is a hard worker and I can always depend on him to do his chores.  He is also so great to give me massages, and play with my hair whenever I ask. He is very independent and is becoming a great little cook. I don't know what I would do without him!  I sure do love you! 

Goodbye, Sweet Summer

Even though we spent most of the weekend sick, we managed to salvage Monday.  The kids wanted to go to the Fair, but I knew it would be so crazy with Labor Day and all. Instead we headed down to the river here in Idaho Falls.  We started off at the playground and had a picnic lunch. 

Michael was in a major mood, and it took a while to snap him out of it.  Annie and Sophie thought they were in heaven at the park.  When we lived in California the park was three houses down and we went almost everyday.  Here we don't get to them as much as we should!  The boys got into the slides and monkey bars too...even if they were not initially as excited.  The slide in this picture is three stories high and the boys took turns taking Sophie up to the top over and over again.

It sure makes it easy having little ones with these guys around.  I just snapped pictures and watched.  (I am trying to learn how to use my camera.)

Ryan joined in on the action...

If you look extra close in this picture you might be able to see that Ryan has a new addition to his teeth, that's right...he has braces now!  (That apple took him about an hour to eat.)

James was a good sport, posing for me endlessly while I tried to figure out different settings on my camera.  (Only my mom will fully appreciate that the temple is NOT in focus in this picture!  We took a little photography class and our teacher used this as an example about five different times.)

After the park we took a walk on the greenbelt.  (It follows around the Snake River and our "Falls".) Ryan and I were actually the only ones walking as you can see. 

I always forget how much I love this part of Idaho Falls.  There were several houses across from the river for sale and I thought we should buy them.  As usual, no one else agreed.

Finally, we headed over to the Temple Grounds and Visitor's Center.  Everything was so beautiful!

I left my better camera in the car thinking we would not be able to walk on the temple grounds since the temple was closed.  I didn't realize they let you in through the visitors center.  Here's my crew...

I took a quick snap shot of the gardens for future ideas in a garden of my own someday.  This really doesn't do them justice!

On our way home we had one last VERY important stop to make.  We had to stop at the snow cone shack for our last icey of the season.  So sad.  They close after Labor Day.

This summer Annie truly "got" the glory of the snow cone and not a day went by that she did not ask for one. 

Sophie "got" it too.  She goes NUTS and starts shaking all over the minute she sets her eyes on these things.  I tried "sharing" with her and getting two spoons.  She quickly took over both spoons, shoveling her flavored ice in as fast as she could. 

Good bye, dear Tigers Blood.  Good bye, lazy summer afternoons.  Good bye eating our favorite treats on warm evenings at this dusty corner in Ammon, Idaho. 

I was seriously a little sad eating our snow cones and thinking that the closing of the snow shack means that summer is officially over.  Fall has always been my favorite, but now that I live in Idaho...I think I just appreciate the summers a tad bit more.  Everything is so beautiful when it is green.  I love the long days and how it gets dark soooo late.  And lets face it...I love summer because I am a "yellow" (remember the color chart) and I shirk any responsibility, and so I love NO SCHOOL and no schedules thrust upon me.

 September really is just about perfect here in Idaho though, so I might as well stop lamenting and enjoy it while it lasts!  (I think as I age I get more sentimental...yikes, that is a little scary.  If I am getting emotional over snow cones now, what will I be like at 70?)  Good bye, sweet summer.

It was a looong week!

 Well, we survived the first week of school, and what a week it was!  I just had to throw in this picture of my cart from Sams Club. I can't believe how much money I can drop in that place.  It can be dangerous. As my kids are getting older I am definitely seeing the grocery bill go UP. I swear I go to the grocery store and in about two days, the kids are already telling me everything that we are out of.  I decided to buy pre-packaged chips this year because once a large bag is open, they are gone in about one day.  These should last me a while with the kids lunches.  I do try and pack some healthy things....but chips are usually a must!

It is nice when the girls will sleep through all the morning madness.  Annie will half the time, Sophie almost always does.  Sophie is so happy when she wakes up.  I just love it.  I wish that were the case when I woke up the boys.  Wouldn't that be nice if they would coo and giggle when they are 12 and you wake them up for school.  Why doesn't it work that way?

I think Annie had actually just woken her up.  She can't seem to resist. 

The first day of school I was trying to accomplish a million things before the kids returned home.  I figured I MUST make them homemade cookies for their first day.  (Something that somehow I created in my head as an important tradition.)  Annie thought it would be so fun to help and insisted on sugar cookies.  (I was hoping for a chocolate chip request, much faster!)  I said gave in since I knew Ryan likes sugar cookies best.

This is the recipe I always use.  It is my moms. I love it because not only do I think it taste the best (not too sweet, to balance out the sweet frosting) but it doesn't require you to chill the dough first.  I ALWAYS double it (at the least).  

 This is what happens when you decide to let the little ones help. Don't worry.  These cookies were not going out to any neighbors and yes, Sophie had just taken a bath.  

I thought I would go all Martha and make a letter for each child's name that they could decorate when they got home.  I did stars to represent being a "star student".  I thought I was being this wonderful mother, and then in walked the kids from school....

Michael: "COOKIES!?  Who in the world wants cookies when they get home from school?  We are HOT, we want something COLD."  

James: Sniffs, looks around, and basically says, "I'll pass, I am not really into those cookies."  

Joshua: (By the time he gets home he can tell I am not having the best afternoon so he tries to be a little more diplomatic.) "They look great mom, really, I love them, I am just not really in the mood for something sweet right now."  

GRRRRR........

Thank goodness I had Luke around...

 He told me his day was, "THE BEST!  Second grade is the best grade ever!" 

AND he loved the cookies.  

(Although he did tell me he likes them a tad bit softer, thanks for the tip buddy. I think he was comparing them to STORE BOUGHT cookies....I know, I don't get it either. )

Speaking of tips...I picked up a new chore chart from Staples. I love it.  It has a huge pad of these papers, and there is a magnet on the back.  We just did a big switch up with our chores at the start of the new school year, and I love a cute chart that makes it simple!

Thank goodness our first week of school was only four days long.  We had Friday off, and then Labor Day weekend to follow.  Friday morning I went on an eleven mile run. I have not trained too well, and I felt awful.  By the end I laid down in the grass and thought I would die.  Later that afternoon I just got worse. I thought it must be some sort of dehydration or something (I forgot to bring water with me).  I soon realized that while the run probably had not helped things out, I really was coming down with the flu.  Soon James, Michael, and Annie were throwing up.  Sophie and Luke also had a mild version of the sickness.  All Friday and Saturday we were DOWN AND OUT.  I couldn't believe it.  This is the FOURTH time we have had the stomach flu in our house this YEAR (as in 2012).  We were completely sick over Memorial Day Weekend, and wouldn't you know it, same with Labor Day!  I really do clean and sanitize my house...I don't know what is going on!  I am just glad it is OVER!

We had a huge rainstorm Saturday late afternoon when I was feeling super sick.  I woke up from a nap feeling much better and the sun was poking through the rain clouds....

Wish I could capture how pretty it was!  It was my little bit of "sunshine" during a yucky couple of days.  Man, I sure do appreciate good health more after being sick.   I think of those who are chronically ill, and it gives me just a taste of how brave they are.  I am such a baby.