Photo Album and Funny Family Moments

My mom and dad have an awesome tradition when her grandkids turn 8.  They send them up in a hot air balloon and Julia got to go with her grandma, Amanda, and Stewart.  Rather nervous at first, she didn't want to go any higher than the trees but once she got up there she really loved it.  She took a camera with her and I will get the pictures scanned in so she can share more of her awesome experience. 

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

For family home evening we took a trip to Thanksgiving Point's Animal Farm.  Martie loved playing with Dad while everyone else made a craft and the rest of the kids loved riding on the ponies.

Brigham had his birthday party at the skate park.  He loved it.  He had Grace, Tiernan, Hailey, Hannah, Porter, and Abbey all there.  Mom made the pinata and the kids loved all the loot they got out of it.

Julia's class culminating event involved the production of three plays.  Julia played the part of the "greedy wife" in the story, "The Sparrows Tongue."  She did a great job and looked beautiful in JoElle's kimono.

The kids loved having the missionaries over for dinner.  After eating, they stayed and had pillow fights with the kids and then gave us a lesson.  It was a fund evening with the Gordon's joining us.

You may think we picked out the craziest pictures of Martie but more often than not, her hair is flying off her head no matter how many times mom combs it and she usually finishes dinner at least this messy.

Bonnie, Reid, Brooklyn, and Owen came to Utah for a visit and we met them at Thanksgiving Point.  We had a great time seeing them and their sweet little ones. 

   

As an end of the school year celebration, the school goes to Hollywood Connection.  This is the first year we have been but it was a ton of fun.  We pay $2 per person and the kids can roller skate and ride on the rides as much as they want.  Brigham stuck to the rides with Ben and Julia had the most fun roller skating with Abbey who got to come play at our house afterwards.  Hooray for summer!

They do share sometimes.  The Gordon's are the only ones that have roller blades that fit kids  and since everyone always wants them, we frequently see two kids sharing one pair.  They each put one skate on and then hold hands.  Whatever works!

We have also had a few funny comments and moments in our house that I feel should be logged for posterities sake. 

Brigham had two weeks of school left and he tore the bottom of his backpack open.  I had a hard time feeling very bad as he spent the year dragging it on the ground, trying to tie it into undoable knots, and swinging it around.  Fortunately we found a solution for the remainder of the year.  We had him wear the backpack upside down and put the papers in the bottom.  Now I'm worried he liked it enough to try it again next year.

Porter and his best friend Abbey were caught getting in trouble again.  They have been known to potty outside, fill the sprinkler box with wood chips, and even stuff pennies into the neighbors CD player permanently ruining it.  Their latest seems to take the cake though.  Peter's fan belt broke on his car and caused all sorts of engine problems and the like.  After towing it home, he had it in the garage with the hood up.  A few days ago he came in furious after seeing that they had taken grass clippings in the garage and FILLED HIS ENGINE with grass.  The cap was off where you add oil and they thought that would be a fun thing to fill.  Fortunately we have to have the engine rebuilt anyway or they would have cost us a vehicle though I suppose we could have just held onto it and given it back to him so he could fix it when he turns 16 and wants a car. :)

Julia made a brilliant discovery.  Towards the end of the year, she got in the car saying, "Mom we should never, ever, ever go to the mall.  It is terrible there."  After asking her why she explained that one of her friends got a pair of shoes there for like $65 and the next day another boy showed up with the exact same shoes but he got them at Ross for $20.  I hope she remembers her disdain for the mall when she is older.

Martie is insistent to only go down or off things face first.  She crawled down the outside patio stairs face first and then she started doing the stairs to the basement face first.  She did it a couple of times and then fell once.  I held her while she cried for about five seconds and as soon as I put her back down, she crawled back up the stairs and turned around face first so she could try it again.

Before school got out, Brigham was caught giving money away.  Peter got a pad of 100 one dollar bills glued together as a pad.  We keep it in our closet so that when the kids do something neat or special, we can give them one.  Apparently Bugs went in, got out the pad, and took it to school and was handing them out like candy.  Fortunately the teachers caught him before he gave away too much of the $64 he had.