the fourth

We headed down to the parade

on main street this year with muffins & orange juice in hand

Lucky for us it's only a block away & we can pretty much get up & go!

The weather was FANTAStic!!
A fourth of July- first- it wasn't burning hot!!!
It couldn't have been better- all day long - perfect.
The weather people say it's over- 90's all week.
It was GREat while it lasted.

Some people are not as cooperative as others in the morning,
if you get my drift?

Jack & who's that with the glow in the dark hair??

SETh

ya - he bleached it for the summer.

It's easy to spot him in the crowd - oh to be young again?

The parade starts off with 4 F-16's flying by-

fantastic!

There were floats

and my favorite marching band

Trent was picking up candy being thrown & sharing.

He doesn't really like candy.

Jack looks so tall in this photo-

I think I need to send it to his brother the missionary...

The missionary is about 5'9". He & Jack have been neck & neck their whole lives until... puberty hit Jack & he sky rocketed. Whenever I send pictures to the missionary he thinks jack MuSt be standing on his tippy toes... nope. He is going to be ticked off for sure when he gets home to see jack is over 6 ft. now- that is unless he has grown down there in Chile?

Kristy & Jake were in the parade!

Trent was looking for them the whole time.

After the parade we went to the carnival-- also just blocks away.

We ate pizza & shaved ice in the park- voted for our favorite quilt in the quilt show, saw some local entertainment, Trent toured a fire truck! Thanks fire man.

We went home, took naps, the company went shopping,

then we had a BBQ & fireworks.

I guess I was burned out tired on photos- I quit after the park.

It was a GREAT fourth!

Summer feels like it is finally here!

cowboy road trip

For the past couple of summers the boys have really looked forward to going on a trip up to their Grandparents home in Cody, Wyoming. This is Jack's first year going without Brian. I'm sure he can handle it.
Trips to Cody have been the adventure of a life time for them both- trail riding with Grandpa, the rodeo, white water rafting, shootin' fireworks & guns- oh boy heaven help me- lots of boy fun. I have to keep reminding my self, Brett grew up doing all these things & he's fine...

So far Seth here has gone up every year too. Seth is just plain family around here.
Well, I sent them off with a credit card for gas..., pringles, soda, some candy bars, & a downloaded mapquest map.
These adventures are what makes boys into men.
I just hope they're okay- what can I say... i'm the mom.

Jack's Birthday

Today I got up early to frost these. Treats for the young men & young women at church- since it's Jack's birthday & Sky's son's birthday too!
We went to meet Elder Thompson. Cool missionary who just got home from Chile two weeks ago. Yep, he was with our missionary just a month ago. They weren't companions but in the same zone. It was so fun to hear him speak about his mission, the people in Chile, & how much he loved it there.

When the meeting was over we immediately went up & introduced ourselves as Elder Messer's family. It was so great to talk to someone who had seen him in Chile. I told him I was getting a package together & asked what he thought I should send. He said- you can definitely get American candy there. He thought for a minute then said...
socks & a new pillow case... they grow fungus pretty quickly...??
Gross.
(Not exactly what I wanted to hear.)
We had a little birthday dinner for the birthday boy. Seth, Megan & Tony came. The menu- pork chops, potatoes & carrots with a salad. His choice for birthday dinner every single year. Then some yummy peach pie & ice cream.Is that a good lookin' pie or what? This kid's not too bad himself, even with his favorite goofy look on his face.

Happy Birthday Jack

Great day.

Taste Test Wednesday- UPDATED

Have you seen these? I HAVE- I found one in 7-eleven (I love 7-eleven) last summer while stopping with the ballet girls to get slurpees (I love slurpees on a hot day.)

I fell in love with them immediately. I love Elvis & he had such good eating habits...?

So sure they SHOULD make a special tribute to him with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup- Right? By-the-way, who knew there were special addition peanut butter cups?

You can read about it here - a candy blog- which gives them a 7 out of 10- pretty good! Or check out the official Hershey website here.

Elvis reminds me of when I was a girl. My mom loved Elvis movies & somtimes there would be an Elvis Movie- on the 3:00 movie, which came on just as I came home from school. I think I remember my mom cried when Elvis died. Well, this afternoon while Jack & Seth were home eating lunch. I ran to the store & happen upon a few. The clerk told me NOBODY likes these- I said I DO I just haven't boughten any because the are so hard to find. I starting thinking maybe I should see if the boys like them or if I have just never met a chocolate I didn't like???

Seth loved them. Jack is faking trying them. The big wimp says he isn't a banana cream pie kind of guy. WHAT IN THE WORLD? Can this be my son? If he wasn't the spitten image of my father (the true banana cream pie lover) I would swear he was switched at birth.

Hailey went a long. She had mixed feelings.
Results on Chloe & Trent will come in today. I forgot to give them one to try since I was knee deep in a sewing project- in my newly cleaned laundry room-OH MAN AM I LOVING IT! UPDATE- THE RESULTS ARE IN.

You can see for yourself, Chloe gives them an enthusiastic thumbs up... Trent doesn't want to eat chocolate in the morning. I have failed as a mother. Last night was New Beginnings. A traditional program for Young Women in our church. Hailey played DeBussy. It was amazing. I snuck in a video- don't tell her, she'll find out soon enough.



I know I am up early- Brett comes home from a business trip today. I was having bad dreams & can't sleep. I miss Brian. I got up & read his last two emails & prayed he's okay.

*do you like/love Elvis? Come on You can be honest!
*have you seen these peanut butter cups?
*have you/will you try one?
*do you miss Brian too?

Scout Camp 2007-Jack & Seth

Brett was up until midnight then up at six getting ready for scout camp.Camp is such a huge undertaking.Luckily he has a lot of good help.Brett has been the YM president for a couple of years now.The boys say they hate it because their dad makes them do things they don't want to do, mainly participate.If he wasn't involved he wouldn't know what was going on, then they could slack off more.It's so hard being a teen with an involved father.Brian is not in YM anymore so he is not going-gotta work.
Trent is taking a basketball class through the city rec. program MWF @9:00AM.Right after he has an archery class.It has been really good for him, especially with so much energy so early.Can you imagine Trent in archery?If you are feeling low or hating your job today~just think, at least your not hiking five miles & camping with 14-17 year olds & you don't teach archery to 8-12 year olds.Thankfully there are those who can & are willing to do it.I suppose it could be a lot of fun. But trust me, after getting a crabby teenager out the door- I don't envy his father.