James is Eleven!

Happy Birthday, James!

I think this is the FIRST birthday I have not been with James for his birthday.  He is still in California, so I am sending lots of love his way!  He does have Dad, Joshua, Nana and Papa to celebrate with.  I wanted to do a "year in review" but I don't have the first half of his tenth year on this computer.  :( Instead I am throwing in some of my favorite of James through the years. 

My favorite picture of James...his big blue eyes.  Such a cute little baby!

Another favorite.

This was taken in Carmel on his second birthday.

I love his face in this picture of him with his Aunt Melanie.

3rd Birthday

James...doing what he does best, flying high and having fun!

4th Birthday

9th Birthday...I could do a whole post on pictures with just these two.  (Cousin Nic)

Okay, now for some pictures from his tenth year on the planet....

Lots of fun swimming with his brothers. 

I love this picture of him and Sophie.

He spent a lot of time playing football this year. 

Another favorite...

Halloween

 Thanksgiving in Arizona...with Nic again.

Hoover Dam

Veteran's Day Program at school.

I think that this might have been last year...oops.

New Year's celebration with guess who?  That's right, Nic.

Pinewood Derby

Lots of fun skiing this year...mostly with Grandpa. You really improved!

Skipping school to go to the Romney Rally!

Looking so handsome on Easter

Palm Springs with cousin Pierson...

He is good at entertaining himself while running errands with Mom.

Doing flips at Grandma's birthday party.  This year we got a new trampoline for Christmas from Nana and Papa.  James loves to jump on the trampoline!  He is a natural at doing flips and just learned to do a backflip on the ground.

What a way to end his tenth year...at Disneyland!  Thanks Nana and Papa!

What a year it has been!  Happy 11th Birthday, James.  I love you soooooo much.  I have never been away from you for this long (going on a week and a half) and I miss you so much!  You add so much to our family and it is not the same without you.  I hope this next year brings many more fun memories. Have a wonderful day!  XOXO

What a week!

First of all...these two boys have gone just over one week now.  They are down in California living it up with their Aunt Krista, Nana, and Papa.  It seems like they have been gone sooooo long!  I miss them so much.  Here are some pictures Nana has sent from Disneyland.  They are having the time of their life! 

We celebrated little Isabelle's 6th Birthday.  Happy Birthday, Isabelle!  We love you!

That night my cousin Rebecca came to visit me for one night.  It was so great to see her. We NEVER lack in things to talk about.  We chatted until 3 AM!  You may say we are crazy, but had we not been talking at 3 AM we would not have heard a major pipe bust outside our window.  Two rooms in the basement flooded, but had we not acted immediately...it would have been the ENTIRE basement.  What a nightmare.  Fifteen minutes into the nightmare a house pipe broke.  We went without water for two days.  The plumber had a wedding that weekend, and said if we wanted him to come ASAP we had to have the pipe exposed.  So, Ryan to the rescue...

Can I just say that it was a total miracle Ryan was even home?  He was totally supposed to be in California and I had begged him to stay.  Serious blessing.  He saved the day by running around at three in the morning turning off the water to the house, and also digging all day so we could have water back on by Sunday.  Serious blessing my cousin was there and we stayed up talking, serious blessing Ryan was home. 

You can't tell how huge this dirt pile is, but this is what our nice yard looked like that night after all that digging. 

Did you know my husband is 6'3''?  He is standing in this hole.  He is pretty much the bomb digity and what a great Father's Day weekend for him.  :)

Speaking of Father's....this one is pretty special too.  Here he is on Father's Day talking to his grandkids in Arizona via iPhone.  Isn't technology amazing!?

While we were working on the flood issues, our kids were running wild and free through the neighborhood.  They had a lemonade stand.  We don't have a lot of traffic on our street.  They decided they might have better luck going door to door.  These three went house to house and one of them just might have told someone it was all for "Cancer Research"! 

Even if it was not for cancer research, how can anyone refuse a fresh drink from a cute face like this?

Or this?

Ryan appreciated the drinks!

Here is a final look at one of the rooms in the basement...carpet all torn out.

Ryan showcasing the newly fixed pipe.  Thanks Ryan, you are the best.  Seriously.

And finally, I had to include this picture of Sophie sleeping in her CRIB, just so I remember that it happened. 

I am hoping this week is a little less eventful.  Boring is good.

Happy Late Father's Day to the wonderful Father's in our life....I love you all.

Surprise!

Saturday while throwing a load of laundry in, I looked at the window and saw a black car parked in my driveway, but no one was in it.  I said, "WHO is parked at my house and where are they?"  I peeked out the front door and low and behold it was PAPA!  He had driven a rental car up from California and on his way to Canada to visit his mummy to help her move.  He was just in time for breakfast, having driven all night! We were under strict orders from Nana to send him right to bed, but being the good grandfather that is, he went to James' football game first.

After taking a nap that afternoon he joined us in our Spring Clean Out of the Garage.  He fixed bikes, pumped up flat balls, and helped move things.  It was great to have him around!  We even made a quick trip to one of Idaho's true treasures-the snow cone shack!  And just as soon as he had arrived, it was time for him to leave.  We drove him out to the freeway to meet up with his brother Doug and off they went to Canada for another all night drive!

Saying goodbye with Luke.

While on the subject of Papa...the kids sure had fun with him over Spring Break.  I didn't have these pictures when I did my Spring Break recap.   

One day that week Papa loaded all four boys up in the truck and headed for the hills...literally.  It was a wet day and papa let them drive with the windows down as they flew through mud puddles.  

If this is what their faces looked like, I wonder what his car looked like!

As usual with Papa, SAFETY FIRST!  No seat belts required for this adventure. Joshua is sizing up the next mud puddle. 

Papa took them to one of his favorite diners up in the hills.  The kids were able to order whatever they could eat.  

Looks like each boy even got their own drink!

 I am sure that will be a memory the boys will not forget!  

Later that week we all headed to Palm Springs for Aunt Carols memorial service.  Joshua, James, and their little cousin Presley all drove down with Nana and Papa.  They stopped in Carlsbad for a mini visit to pick up Aunt Krista and visit with Uncle Gary.  This was taken right across from their house....yes they live RIGHT by the beach.  Pretty sweet. 

Hanging out in front of their home. 

Thanks for the fun times, Papa!  We love you!  Looking forward to seeing you back here this weekend!