Echo Canyon Campout

For Memorial Day weekend and to celebrate the end of school, we went camping! The kids love camping, hiking and fishing! They have been asking everyday since it stopped snowing! Allie was telling everyone she would see that we were "going camping and exploring and hiking and fishing and that we were going to play hide-n-seek in our tent!" (We have never actually played hide-n-seek in our tent but I guess it could be fun!) Anyway, Echo Canyon is in Eastern Nevada. We had never been there but found out that the fishing was great! Chris caught 12 fish and everyone else caught at least one! Even Austin caught his first fish!

Abigail helping put up the tent!

Allison is so photogenic and loves taking pictures. Unlike, Abbie who yells "no pic, mommy, no pic!" (I have no idea where she would get that:))

Allie and grandma.

Another lovely pose from Allie! And she learned to cast very well! Dad even ended up putting a real hook in her line after he knew she wasn't going to hook herself or someone else!

Austin with his first fish! It was taken with Chris' camera phone because I had just left to go start breakfast...I was so bummed I missed it! :(

Chris catching some shut-eye!

Grandma and Abigail.

Allie and Austin playing in the dirt!


So tired after getting up at 5am to go fishing! Daddy is an early morning fisherman!




Allie wanted to touch the fish!


Abigail loved all the duckies... that is what she is pointing at!

It ended up raining one night really hard...my camera was in the van and I wasn't about to leave the shelter to go and get it, even with a poncho on. It was raining really hard! The kids loved it but it got cold! Luckily there was a pavilion that we could still cook dutch oven under. We had a lot of fun but it ended a little earlier then we would have liked because I got the stomach flu! That is the third time this pregnancy. Last pregnancy I got it 5x...so hopefully this will be it!

Father-Son Campout

Here are some more pics I am just now getting around to cataloging. Austin loves the Father & Son's campout every year. He starts planning the next campout as soon as he gets home from the previous one. He talks about it all year! He loves having his dad all to himself. Although, I told him since he wanted a brother that isn't going to last for much longer. He says he is ok with that.

The first year they couldn't sleep so they put their bed in the car and watched movies all night. Since then it has become a Father & Son tradition to sleep in the car...although they said they didn't watch movies this time. And I don't think anyone else will fit so either we will have to find a bigger vehicle or they will have to settle for the tent.

Look at all those dutch-ovens. Just looking at them makes my mouth water. Luckily my husband was sweet enough to bring me left-overs which were almost just as good. YUM-O!

Climbing, hiking and being silly!

Field Day

Yesterday Austin had field day at his school. He told me that he didn't even want to go because he couldn't do any of the events. I told him to just have fun and not worry about winning. Well, I guess he listened to my advice because he did have fun and during the process ended up getting first place in 4 out of 7 events. Two of the others he got 2nd. Funny boy!

Austin got 1st in the bean bag toss!

He got 2nd at the basketball dribble.

He got 1st in the Frisbee throw!

He got 1st in the long jump!

The boys lost against the girls in the tug-a-war...twice! :)

He got last in the sack race probably because he couldn't stop laughing!

Him and his buddies messin' around between events!

My girls holding hands!

Family Bowling Night

We went bowling with some of my family a couple of weeks ago and I am just now getting to the pics. Thanks Uncle Michael and Aunt Katey for treating us!! The kids had a blast!

Chris and I both beat our individual records. Chris got 174! I got 132...does it count if it was with bumpers? :)

Our First Home!

When we built our house, my sister-in-law gave me a free credit from Heritage Makers (similar to Shutterfly or Snapfish) to be able to record our experiences. Almost a year later, I finally have it finished and here is a preview of it. Thanks Anna for such a great gift!

Happy Birthday Chris!

Today is Chris' birthday and I just want to tell him and everyone how amazing he is. He continually amazes me with how much service he provides everyone around him...his family, at church and everyone he knows. He is such a great example of hard work and selflessness. And for that babe...you deserve one of these...:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Gotta Love Laundry!

I, like most moms hate doing laundry. I go so far as to not buy more clothes then I need because it will just mean I have to do more laundry. I also, yes, I'll admit it, try and wear my clothes twice if I can (if I don't have a kid who has used me as a napkin at some point during the day). It isn't the doing it that WAS the problem it is the folding and putting it away that was the issue. However, as my kids get older I am having a problem with the "doing it" as well. I now have to add another step in the process which I am really dreading; sticking my hands in all my kids sandy little pockets to make sure they have no crayons, rocks, pens, candy, tissue, chapstick (or lip gloss in Allie's situation) and whatever else their little hearts desire to put in their pockets for mom to find (or poor Dad's clothes) when doing laundry.

This is a picture of JUST this weeks menu of goodies. Last week it was crayon! I actually didn't find it...Chris's only good shirt did. :( Sorry, honey!

I remember my mom telling us to check our pockets at one point in our childhood...I don't really remember doing it and for that I am profusely sorry mom! I have tried to keep the lip gloss/chapstick away from the kids but how do you tell a 4 year old girl who keeps it in hand all day (or in her pocket) and puts it on 100 times a day because she thinks it is so shiny and pretty NOT to wear it. Plus I don't buy it for her...her wonderful Aunts do! Thanks guys! :) And what am I supposed to do...outlaw crayons in our house...I think that is against some law! So I guess my only option is to add, yet, one more step to the laundry doing process which will now make me abhor the ENTIRE laundry chore rather then just the folding and putting of it away. Oh well...the things you do for your kids, right?

Oh! and I just had to throw in this picture. This is Abigail's Famous Artwork! This was done with Dry-erase marker which DOES NOT COME OUT! I went online and tried all the tips and tricks and nothing seemed to work. This is another reason I ABHOR laundry!