Total Eclipse of the Heart

I am sorry, I just can't stop singing that song whenever someone mentions the word, ECLIPSE.  "Turn around bright eyes...."

We took a little walk to Grandma and Grandpa's to view the Eclipse.  Bruno Jackman, a sweet man in our ward, gave my mom sunglasses to view the site.  It was pretty sweet.

I put this on Facebook and someone thought it was Joshua and I.  They said, "Natalie, you are SO tiny!"  I replied, "I wish...that is my niece Abigail."  Funny.

This is me...Not so tiny.  I tried to erase my booty, and let's just say I need some practice in the photoshop department.  Busted. I also tried to erase all the bruises on my legs. I always look like I just was in an accident or something.  ANYWAY, Luke and I are enjoying the solar sites. 

Abigail

 Joshua and Michael.  

 The sun was bright, but everything around us was just a little darker and eerie.  Very neat!

All these photos were taken via iPhone.  Look at that little dot in the middle of that tree straight ahead...what is it?  It look like the eclipse did through the sunglasses.  ????   Mystery.

A little too much fun...

Joshua and I are having WAY to much fun with Photo Booth.  Here are some of our collaborations tonight.  This is mostly for Abigail.  The rest of you might just want to wait for my next post.

Here is another...I love Joshua's chubby face, Ryan says he can't even bare to look at me.  Worse, is I don't even know the lyrics, so just concentrate on Joshua.

The last one is Rated PG-13...don't judge me.  Sometimes I am not quite aware of the lyrics at first.  Seriously, I try to choose the right and listen to uplifting music, but I get carried away and this is one of the times.  :) 

Go have yourself some fun on Photo Booth today.

So many things...

I am have been so busy I have not had a minute to blog so I figure I better take a second to catch up while the girls are still sleeping!  Here are a few things we have been up to this month-

Trips to Sams...

 Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, Mom-in-law, Grandmothers...I was one busy Mama this year and didn't even get out ANY cards.  My mom was in Southern California since Carly just had her baby.  My sister's family and our family had a potluck at my Dad's.  It was VERY low key.  My Dad volunteered to grill us some steaks but the grill was not heating up.  We kept having delays, but after an hour or so we finally had dinner on the table.  It was fine with me because I didn't have to do much at all! 

We made it even easier by eating out on the driveway.  

I think if my mom had been there we would not be eating in the garage.  But, it was just feeling a little hot and we wanted shade!  It was perfect, and kinda funny.

This is the season of Field Trips and Field Days.  I went on this Field Trip with Luke this week.  It was an ALL day event, but fun to just spend time with him.  I have to spread myself out, but try to make at least one with each kid.  I thought it was so funny because the morning before the field trip Luke was saying how excited he was that I was coming.  Joshua said, "Man, when I was your age I would HIDE those field trip papers because I didn't want mom to volunteer to come."  He thought I was so embarrassing!  I am glad LUKE appreciates me coming! 

The Fire Station...see Luke on the left in the front completely enthralled with the fireman.  He loved it and when some of the kids lost interest, he was fascinated the whole time!

Checking out the ambulance...

Luke is trying on the oxygen tanks.  Did you know those puppies are 30 pounds? All the gear together is about 100 pounds!  Can you believe it?  You would have to be in seriously good shape.  When the fireman was talking about it one of the mom's said, "Now you know how we feel for 9 months."  100 pounds for 9 months?  Seriously?  You can blame that on a baby, but I think you ate too many donuts. (Disclaimer: It was not the Mom in this picture.)

The last stop of the day was at the Sand Dunes.  (Anne came along on the field trip too.)  It felt more like we were in the Sahara.  I thought I was going to die.  I know, I am wimpy...I think it was in the 80s.  That stuff on Luke's face is all sand.

James is doing a Spring Football League and it has ended up being just as intense as Fall.  This is what he looks like after practice, sweaty and tired.  

My Dad's 70th Birthday was on Thursday....Happy Birthday Dad!  All of us kids decided to compile a book of memories for him.  We contacted friends, relatives, military comrades, childhood friends, church folks and neighbors and asked them to share a memory they had with my Dad.  It was so interesting hearing all that people had to say. I am so proud of my Dad and the good life he has led.  He is a great example to his children and grandchildren and greatly loved by all who know him.

 I compiled it into a book and we presented it to him that night.  

All of us that are in town went to dinner that night. (David must have been tired and fallen asleep-just kidding.)

I am just so happy because Spring has finally made it to Idaho!  Only in Idaho do my tulips finally bloom mid may.  I love them.

All Anne wants to do now that the weather is nice is ride her bike!  She also wants you to "watch" her.    

"Mom, come watch me ride my bike."  Then she says, "Pedal to the metal!" 

Everything looks so pretty when the trees get their leaves!

Sophie just runs around in circles chasing Anne.

Joshua taking in the fresh air!

I love the Valley in Springtime.

My mom cut these lilacs from her yard and brought them by, so my house even had Spring in the air!

And one last thing...Sophie's first ponytail!

Happy Spring...one final week until Summer Break, yahoo~

PS Here is a picture of me on a field trip with Joshua when he was in second grade...SO EMBARRASSING!!!!

 It actually is pretty embarrassing only because it is a terrible picture of me.  Joshua is sure a cutie though.

Olive Denise

Congratulations to my brother Michael and his wife Carly....

they just welcomed a sweet new baby girl into their home, 

Olive Denise

7 lbs 14.5 oz

I wish I knew how to steal pictures off their blog.  They all look so cute.  This one is of Avery, the oldest, holding her.  So sweet.  I sound like a crazy person but I was feeling almost a little jealous (but that is not the right word, because that is  something bad, it was a good feeling) of them.  I guess I just wish I was there so I could smell and hold her.  Something about little souls straight from Heaven.  There is nothing else like it. I am lucky I got to experience it six times. 

Isn't Avery the cutest too?  We are all sending Best wishes to them in California, may you get lots of sleep and may nursing be a breeze.  

We love you!  

PS Annie still can't figure out why Aunt Melissa hit the jackpot and got TWO babies at one time.  She talks about it all the time and seeing this picture she brought it up again.  "She is so happy she had a baby and next time she will have two babies."  She thinks everyone is just crossing their fingers waiting for their twins.  Silly girl.  

Random Wrap Up

May is so busy and it seems the weeks are flying by.  Here is just a few random things we have been doing...

A couple weekends ago there was a Kids Fair here in town.  I had heard Dora and Diego would be performing there.  Annie LOVES Dora and Diego.  I was imagining a stage...dancing, singing.  No.  They were SO lame, just lame dressed up stuffed-animal looking things SITTING on a couch with a 4 hour line to take your picture with them.  Forget it!  Ryan was busy working so I thought I would be a "fun" Mom and take the youngest four to the fair. It was a mistake...I hate these kind of things.  I can think of about 50 things that would have been more fun.  I think the coolest thing there was this helicopter.  And the helicopter was OUTSIDE the event, before we paid to get in. We should have just looked at that and then left.  

The cop cars were cool too...

This picture is in honor of Joshua's favorite restaurant lately.  Actually we just noticed that the cow was hanging out and unlike Dora and Diego there was no line to see Mr. Cow.

I thought it was really cool when I realized there was no line for Snow White, but after taking this picture I realized there WAS a line...I had accidentally cut everyone.  Oops!  I paid for it though, I lost my iphone at this booth...and FIVE hours later found it.  Sitting right there untouched in the middle of where the crowd was.  Serious blessing.  I had to repent because in my heart of hearts I had accused all the people there of stealing it. It had been a bad week and this was the cherry on top!  I guess we all have those!

This was a trip to Sam's last week with the girls.  I love the double seats they have in their carts.  I love that I have two kids still at home with me.  I always get sad and melancholy at the end of the school year when I realize all the kids are one grade older.  This next year will be Annie's last at home before Kindergarten.  Boo hoo, so sad. 

In the summer we pretty much eat strawberries and milk with a little sugar everyday around here.  In August strawberries are replaced by raspberries and peaches.  If we are lucky I might have some half and half or whole cream.  These days we don't wait until summer.  We just pour milk right on top of frozen blueberries from Sams.  The milk freezes and gets slushy and delicious. Michael could live on this stuff.

Ryan was out of town last week and this little peanut had to go on about a billion errands and events last Friday.  The last event of the day was a Basketball game at the YMCA at 8pm for the older boys.  She had been going all day and had enough! She kept running on the court and trying to get away from me.  She thought she was pretty funny!

For Earth Day the Elementary kids can do an optional project of their choice made out of anything your can recycle.  Luke quickly snatched some boxes I was throwing out and with a little help from Dad came up with this Robot.  I helped him paint.  Luke sure is a happy kid.  Love it!

Happy May!

Happy Birthday to you....

Over the weekend I missed two birthdays.  Friday was Austin's and Saturday was Uncle Cade's.  Does it count that I thought about them all day long?

 No one will ever be able to accuse Cade of not living life to the fullest...(They can accuse him of hating blogs...so he might never see this. ) :)

Never been too shy...

If you are wondering...he went SKI DIVING here...

Willing to take one for the team...

So glad Cade married Michele (I think he is too.)  I was rooting for that one from day one.

Brothers.

He has lots of skills...

The kids know it is always fun times with Cade around! 

Feliz Cumpleanos, Wesley Cade!

I still have not transferred all my pics from my old computer so I was lacking in the Austin department...but I did find these.  Austin came to see us in Palm Springs when he was only a few weeks old.  

A few months later at Bear Lake.  Heidi, forgive me. 

Don't be fooled, these two are not tigers try as they might.  They are monkeys.  Nothin' but trouble!

Step away from the cupcakes fellows.

I think this picture taken at Bear Lake is just so funny! 

So glad we have Austin in our family!  

Happy Late Birthday Austin!