Hiking Stewart Falls.....

Well, our kids have been wanting to go hiking for ever, so we finally did it. We went with my brother and his family. It is 1.5 miles in to the water falls. The kids played in the water when we got there. It was really nice. The hike was nice in the fact that the kids ALL walked in and out without whining or wanting to be held. There are lots of trees, shrubs, etc. so that you don't bake in the sun either. It is a beautiful hike. Us invalids (Erik and I) did okay too. On the way back, my foot was saying ENOUGH! Erik hasn't been able to move since, but it was all well worth it! I really want to go do it again:)

July 24th......

For the holiday weekend, we went to an Owlz game on Friday night and went hiking on Saturday. It is always fun to go to the Owlz game. We just sit on the grass so the kids can run a little. The weather was nice--not to hot due to the cloud cover. I thought for sure we were going to be down poured on, but lucky for us that was not the case. The pictures with the kids with the glasses on is because Grandma bought
3-D glasses to use to watch the fireworks. I had never used 3-D glasses for fireworks before, but I must say that it does intensify everything ten fold. It is quite crazy. After a while, my poor eyes were getting overstimulated, same with Erik, but it was crazy and fun. The firework show is awesome there. They go all out! It is really long too, which the kids love. It was a really fun night!

1st boating day....

I know it is pathetic that we just had our 1ST day boating in our boat and it is July 20. Oh well! It was really fun. It always amazes me how long it takes to get the boat "ready" for the season. We finally got it all together and got to the lake. We always go to Deercreek up Provo canyon. We all had a blast. The water was great. We had a good ole family swim because the lake was pretty rough with all the boats. All the kids love it, but Kiersten told Erik that she wanted to hold his hand while they swam. My kids LOVE their daddy. Trevyn said the other day that his dad was better than having a best friend. He definitely ranks higher than me. I always tease them that I am just the "MAID". Anyways, we tubed, skied, and Trevyn even wake boarded. I was so proud of him. Boating is something that we as a family all love and it is so relaxing. The day we bought our boat was a good day. We have built so many memories as a family.

Garden....

Our garden has done so good. It's been fun. This was our first year and so it has been by trial and error. Our strawberries were very good. We have tons of peas in the fridge. I'm ready to can beans this week. The corn is coming along, as well as pumpkins, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and cantalope. We have had 3 zuccini so far and 2 yellow squash. It is SO GOOD. It is so much better than the store. The kids love it, so it has been a fun activity to do as a family.

Montana Summer Vacation....

Montana here we come!!! Me and the kids headed off for our trip to Montana and it was fun, long, and tiring. We look forward to going to Montana every summer, and this was no different, but we did miss dad. Erik couldn't come this year since we are no longer self-employed. What a bummer:( We were gone about 11 days. The kids did really good. Now that I only drive up to Montana about once a year, I think the travel time gets longer and longer every year. When I traveled it a lot I didn't think it was too long, but now it is. Maybe I'm just getting old, but WOW! Anyways, here's a break down of our travels.

1st stop: Anaconda, MT
Erik's aunt and uncle have some property with horses and such in Anaconda, MT. I thought it would be a good place to stop and get wiggles out and it was. They ended up having their grandkids there, so there were kids to play with, horses to ride, four wheelers to ride. Lots of fun. Who would of thought that such a small town would have an incredibly fun slide to go on. Some retired men built this big slide that you ride down on blankets, and you go fast. The kids got skin burns from where their skin touched the side while blazing down it. That was a good place to go to get wiggles out before we headed on to Missoula, MT. Thanks Hogge family!

2nd stop: Missoula, MT
Here we went to Grandma and Granpa Zentner. My grandpa has been really sick, so we went and spent some time their seeing him and grandma. We hadn't been their in like a year and really wanted to see him before anything happens to him. It was great to see them and get a picture with them. Grandpa really liked the diversion that the kids brought and went to sit outside and watch them be maniacs on the bikes. Grandma really appreciated having some company since my grandpa sleeps ALOT now that he is really sick. We were also able to go to my cousin's daughters birthday party, go swimming, and see a lot of my cousins. We don't get to see that side of my family much, so it was fun. Another good stop!

3rd stop: Superior, MT
This is where my sister lives. We stop here every year and spend time with my only sister. Our kids are the same age, so it is fun. This town is very small and I always have a few crazy stories just because life in these small towns is a lot different than city life in Utah. They have a branch there instead of a ward. I always have to laugh at myself because some people there really struggle with cleanliness and anyone that knows me knows that I really like things clean. My sister laughs at me as I go to church and try to be friendly when dirty little kids are trying to be near me. The people are great and that is what really matters however. We went to the park and had lunch. I was able to see a friend of mine from Ronan, MT, in Superior. Here mother has now moved to Superior. It was so good to see her and talk with her. It is really a small world and I have been so fortunate to reconnect with her. We also went swimming at the public pool that is SO cold to my kids. There is nothing "HEATED" about it. My sisters kids can swim and swim. My kids last 15 minutes and are shivering. This year we slept in the tent one night at my sisters. My sister has had bears, etc. in her yard, and I was quite leary about sleeping outside where bears have been. I didn't want my sister out there with all the kids, so I bucked up and went out. It was really fun. The kids had snacks, we played games, and as we went to sleep we did where one person starts the story and everyone adds on to it. It was quite comical with 5 kids under 8. I hadn't slept on the ground (with no air mattress or anything) in a LONG, LONG time. When I woke up the next morning, I honestly could hardly move. It is just another sign that I am getting old. I just had to laugh and take a little Motrin (my drug of choice). Kiersten also mastered riding her bike with no training wheels here because it is gravel roads. I couldn't believe she never wrecked. As always, we had a blast.

4th stop: Lake Blaine in Kalispell, MT
We have come here every year for the last 4 or 5 years. It is kind of a private lake and we have a blast. There is no cell phone reception, no computers, not much for TV. It is so peaceful. I would live there if I could. My kids love it too. We don't wear watches, have a schedule, or anything. The kids fish, go in the paddle boat, swim, tube, ski, sit around the fire and eat smores, and just be kids. Oh, and we get swimmers itch. If you've never experienced this, you just need to come with us. It itches like crazy. We have gotten it for the last few years. Crazy! I can't really explain the peace I feel here. I swear I'm a different person. Life is so stress free here. I love seeing all my family, grandma, cousins, etc. I usually only see them here. I have been coming to this lake since I was a baby and am glad to share my fond memories with my children as we come here year after year. Thank you Lies Family!

5th stop: Polson, MT , Pablo, MT, and Missoula, MT
Then we headed home. We stopped in Polson, MT, and saw our dear Uncle Urban and Aunt Donna. We all love them dearly. We hadn't seen them either for like a year. It was really good to see and spend some time with them. This is where Kiersten decided to start getting car sick. As we pulled in, she threw up all over. She said she was feeling car sick, but I didn't know if I should believe her because she uses this as an excuse all the time. Apparently I should have listened. We had to do a little laundry and clean up there. Thank you Aunt Donna. The kids loved seeing the deer walk the through the yard as we were sitting in the kitchen, out on the patio, etc. It was really neat.

From there, we went and stopped at Grandpa Mike and Grandma Mary's for a few hours. My kids had never seen them. I was a little nervous about this, but it all worked out great. Grandma Mary's grandkids were there, so they got to meet them and play with them. It was a great relationship made. Now the kids can put a name with a face. Hopefully, we will be able to do that again when we return that area.

Last, we stopped back at my grandparents in Missoula, MT, to see grandpa one last time before we left for home. This was a long day by the time we made all of our stops. Who would have ever thought that Dramamine makes my kids hyper. It was a long trip back, but low and behold in Dillon, MT, where we stopped to eat I ran in to one of my old primary teachers. What a small world. My kids never did sleep the whole trip. I kept telling them it would go quicker if they would just sleep a little. But, no--they would not! All in all, this was a great trip. I wished Erik could be there, but maybe next year. We love and miss all of our family! Thank you for a great trip:)

Happy Father's Day.....

Better late than never right?? Life has been crazy but fun. For Father's Day we laid low this year because we needed to stay healthy so we could go see grandpa in Montana. I made Erik his favorite desserts--homemade german chocolate cake and homemade fresh strawberry pie. I made him his favorite breakfast ever from Callies Cafe. He calls it his heartattack. It is a pitchers mound that has hash brown, eggs, biscuits, sausage, cheese, and gravy all piled up high. It is really nummy actually, just a lot of cholesterol. Oh well, once a year won't matter. We also had a nice dinner after church (ribs) and laid around. It was really relaxing and nice. The kids love being with their dad. It was fun:)

Look who turned 7......

Witnee is now 7 years old. I can't believe it. On Memorial Day weekend, she flew to Butte, MT, with her grandma and spent the weekend riding horses and hanging out with grandma's brother and family. She had a blast. Aunt Marjorie and her have the same birthday, so they made cupcakes early to celebrate. Of all my kids, she is my cowgirl. She could live on a ranch and be just fine. Then, she came back and we had to get ready for her party. I always think that doing a party at home is cheaper, BUT I don't think it really is. When we finished getting the stuff for her party, I offered to take it all back and go to a swimming pool with friends. I figured that would have been cheaper in the end to take 10 kids to the pool, but she wanted nothing to do with that. She wanted her party at home with her friends. It was her party so I had to go along with it. It ended up being fun, but they are just so much darn work. The girls decorated flip flops, did a pinata, had cake and ice cream, had a water balloon fight, and ran through the sprinkle at the very end. At the end, I asked her what her favorite part was, and of course it was the water balloons. I should have just done a full water party the whole time. She said she had fun and it was a fun group of kids. I can't believe how fast they grow up. Next year she'll be getting baptized. AAAHHHH! She is our peacemaker, musician, artist, daredevil, and easy going child. She is such a joy in our family.

Memorial Day....

Well, Memorial day was really fun. On Saturday, Erik had to work, and then we went swimming at my brother's neighborhood pool that is a hot springs pool so it is nice and warm. We also BBQ'ed and ate lots of good food. We then attempted to fish and got skunked so went back and played games with my brother, his wife, my cousin, and her husband. I hadn't laughed that hard for a while. It was really fun. Then, Monday we took the kids to Lagoon for Erik's work party. It was so much fun. I hadn't been there forever and our kids hadn't gone at all. Needless to say, at the end of the day we didn't have time to do the water park or about 1/3 of the rides. We just ran out of time. The girls of course like the rides that spun and went shooting in the air (that made your stomach go crazy). Trevyn liked the drag racing ride (race) and the fast roller coaster. He didn't like the slower ones that make your stomach go crazy. I went on some rides that I remember being not so scary back when I was a teenager. I am DEATHLY scared of heights and I hate it. There were a few rides that I felt like I was going to have a heart attack on, but just closed my eyes and prayed for it to be over quick. I am such a whimp!!!! Erik likes the roller coasters and the drag racing. Most of the rides he wanted to go on were ones that the girls couldn't go on yet due to height. It was lots of fun and we were all tired by the end. I wish we would have had longer, because we didn't see everything, but oh well. We'll just have to go back.

tilt a whirl

This is where I thought I would have a heart attack.

The boys.

The dinosaur egg that the girls loved.

The boys (Trevyn didn't love.)

Witnee loved this (shoot up and then drop.)

Kiersten loving it, Trevyn not liking it too much.

Mom and Witnee.

Preschool Graduation....

Kiersten had her preschool graduation last week and will be heading to Kindergarten at Center Stage next year because she misses the public school deadline. It was so cute to watch her and her classmates perform everything they have been working so hard on all year. They do karate there too, which is why she's in karate attire. She has learned so much there: counting to 20 in korean, counting in english, counting in spanish, numbers, letters, sounds, reading, sign language. She loves it and I love it. I can't believe she is going to be 5 already! She has grown up so quickly. She is fun to watch perform because she makes sure she knows all her parts and make sure her partner in whatever dance follows along too. She is always so proud to perform for us. They were suppose to dress up like Dorothy from the wizard of oz, but I really didn't want to buy a costume to wear once, SO Erik's aunt made the little blue dress. It looks kind of like Dorothy but not so much that she can't reuse it for church, etc. His aunt is an amazing seamstress. She whipped that dress out in a couple of hours. I told her that I would help but had no idea what I was doing. She thought that by the time she explained everything to me she would be done. I had to agree! I am not so good at sewing. I am glad someone is. I videotaped the whole performance so I didn't take many pictures. Anyhow, I can't believe my baby is going to be in Kindergarten.

Mother's Day....

(Sorry these pictures got messed up. I forgot to put them on first. Uggh!)

Kiersten started the weekend off with Mom's and Muffins at school on Friday. She is so cute and was so excited for us to come. She sang me some great songs and wrote a cute recipe with her favorite food I make. It went like this:

Egg Sandwiches
cook eggs first
Cut off the crust (on the bread)
Start eating them, and you are done.
Set cheese on it.
Sausage on it.
I don't like macaroni in it
I don't like flags in it, or alphabet, or markers, or stickers
That's pretty much it!!!

She gave me a cute flower too that they made and put a sucker in it. It was really fun. I can't believe my baby is getting so big:)

Flower she made.

Kiersten and her good friend Riley

Then, Saturday, after Trevyn won the soccer game, I finished planting my garden. Now I just hope it grows. So far the peas and strawberries are doing awesome. It is going to be a big chore however. I forgot how much work they are but am still excited. The kids are really excited to go pick the food. I can't wait to eat it however. Gardens are the best.

Sunday, Erik and the kids made me a yummy breakfast before church. They got everything for the BBQ after church ready. Witnee gave me lots of cards (she is very crafty) and a picture frame with a poem and a picture she had drawn. Very cute. Trevyn made this calendar at school and thoughout it are his hand prints to remember how small his hands are with a card with a poem. It was really cute. It was to the effect of " Though my hands leave dirty hand prints, etc. all over, here's a calendar to remember these times because I will get big and this will all be gone. " Kind of sad, but true it is. They grow up so fast. Kiersten made me a mug that she had drawn on and also a card. I loved all of it. Erik and the kids got me a Magic Bullet Mixer. I wanted one really bad to mix my shakes in, and it works fabulous. Quick, Easy, and Delicious. What else could you ask for? Then, after church we went out for our usual BBQ with the family. It is really fun. The guys make it all. They BBQ'd steaks this year. YUMMY! My dad makes mean baked beans (which I absolutely love). We play badminton too, which I remember as being easier to play when I was younger. I love it, but I don't think there is any sport that makes you feel more uncoordinated then badminton. I just chalk it up to getting old:) It was an awesome day.

Soccer Champ!

Trevyn won the championship game at his academy on Saturday. Both teams played so great. It was sad to see some of the boys crying. Trevyn personally did awesome too. He had quite a cheer squad with cousins, mom, dad, grandmas, grandpas, aunt, uncles. It was really fun. He has improved so much. I really like this soccer academy he is at. It is lots of fun, not to much pressure, and they learn great soccer skills. He was really excited and cute. I get so stressed, which is awful because he is only 8. I really need to work on that. I don't yell awful or anything, just feel tons of stress internally. I better get use to it since he is my sport lover. I, of course, forgot my camera, but my sister in law took some pictures for me. I will get them posted when I get them.

My baby isn't a baby anymore.....

Saturday Kiersten went up to Erik and said to take her training wheels off. Erik did so very quickly. She's off. It's weird to have all my kids on bikes. Yes, she's not great yet. Yes, she's had some spills, but doing great. We did put her helmet on her too. Here are some pictures:

Some Doctors.....

So I am trying out a new dr. (endocrinologist), and am not sure about her and her office. I went in for all kinds of stuff (hormones, aches, thyroid, etc.) and kind of felt like they thought I was crazy. Now this makes me mad because I know my body and have lived with this crap forever. I'm not the healthiest fish in the sea, nor have I ever been. They didn't listen and blamed everything on the compounding hormones I was taking because they don't like them. Then she asked me about my weight. This is how our conversation went:

Dr.: "How's your weight been?"
Me: "Not so good. I've been trying but have had no success."
Dr.: "Well, do you DO anything?"
Me: "Yes, I ride bike, pilates, walk, etc. As much as I can with my foot, since I'm not cleared by my dr. to do much."
Dr." Well, try Southbeach or Weight Watchers."
Me: " I tried Southbeach under a dr.'s supervision and had NO success."
Dr.: "Well, try Weight Watchers then. And when you come back we'll talk about your eating habits."

At this point I felt like slapping her. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't sit around and eat bon bons all day. She was really pleasant let me tell you. This is what I decided. I will do their tests and things, see what they do with the results, and then either stick it out for a little while or switch to someone else. She is the only one on my insurance so if I see another one, I will have to pay. However, I have to have some of these issues resolved, and they aren't very pleasant people. I want to get a good repoire going with a dr. who believes me and doesn't think I'm crazy. We'll see what happens. I truly felt like pulling my hair out when I left their office.

Early Mother's Day....

So, today me and my mother went to the DeLeon Spa for pedicures. It was so much fun. We have never lived next to each other and been able to do these kinds of things before. I love my mother to death. She is amazingly patient, kind, and a great listener. She NEVER goes to get pedicures, massages, etc. so I think it is a fun treat for her. We had a great time together (with no kids). This was a nice mother's day treat for both of us. I truly have been blessed by the women in my life. Thanks everyone!

Easter.....

For the last 6 years or so we have gotten together with cousins and celebrated Easter. We have great memories of this time. We asked our kids if they wanted to go to St. George this year or be with cousins, and they said stay with cousins. Crazy, but I love that they love to be with cousins so much. We had a great time. We decorated eggs, decorated cookies, had an easter egg hunt, played games, had a sleep over, went to the park, and had a great dinner. We had fun, as you can see. Decorating eggs is always fun, but messy. I love that it is getting easier since the kids are getting older. When it was time for the easter egg hunt, thankfully, it stopped raining for a brief moment. So that was great. On easter morning, we did a scavenger hunt for the kids to find their baskets. My 6 year old was hilarious. She was so excited and new that the easter bunny had come because her basket was "missing". It was interesting that when Trevyn read the clues, Witnee actually was the one to get and figure out the clues. It really surprised us. It was really fun and added a new twist this year on finding their baskets. We also had a great time at the park before we went over to my brother's for dinner. I wanted to move my body a little before eating. I was feeling sluggish, so we walked to the park/rode bikes. The kids played golf, football, rode bikes, etc. It was actually pretty nice weather too. Then we had an awesome ham dinner (of course). It was a great easter together as a family.

Egg decorating--Aleya and Witnee (Holly is peaking through)
Dying eggs with cousins.

Easter egg hunts are the best.

Corbin, Trevyn, Aleya, Witnee

Easter Morning.

This is the craft we did at Trevyn's school party. Very fun. The kids loved them.

Practicing golf at the parkThe girls got new polish for easter so we were trying it out.

Can you tell who the ham is in our house? She is showing her new polish and hat.

We went to the park to move a little before our easter dinner.

I couldn't resist this picture of our goon Kiersten.

When the wind came up, it was a little cold.

(if anyone wants to share with me how to do a slide show that would be great!)