This is the video that didn't cooperate from that last long post. If it works . . .
From the Yosemite trip with the Parkers. Special thanks to Brad for perfoming the music. If Davy ever makes it big in the entertainment industry, you'll know at what age he got the hunger for the stage.
The Arizona Summer--it was my nemesis just a few short months ago, but I have now proudly conquered and defeated the foe (thanks to a few short weeks--OK, just over a month, spent on a Utah/California Sabbatical of sorts. I really needed to study some seasonal weather patterns in those regions). So, since there have been several mornings now where I have NOT been turning on the AC while taking the kiddies to school, I'm inclined to declare that the Arizona Fall has officially begun and while we relish these mid 80 temps, I reminisce on Summer '09 for our happy little family.
Spencer and Conner Andrus stayed with us for several days. There is something about colorful blocks and several independently humming children that gladdens the soul.
The backyard hose was immensely popular this summer
We hiked a doozy of a hike--one that probably should not be attempted with young children. There were no strollers going up this trail (the top of the mist trail). But they did it with only our prodding, Grandpa's promises of ice cream, and occasional adult piggyback rides to spur them on. Here Lindsey and Roxy hike with Kelly and Jason.
Us at the top of a cliff with a huge fall behind us. OK, so the kids may have run out of energy a bit.
Josh, after (and during) the hike.
Ice cream bars, as promised! Sooooo worth all the physical strain.
All dressed up for church at the Yosemite Chapel.
Looks just like a planned professional picture, right? Except for the fact that none of us had showered.
Kids love group pictures.
Uncle Jason's treasure map was cracked and the sucker treasure was consumed in 5 min flat.
We couldn't decide if Lindsey and Roxy were the dirtiest . . .
or Lindsey and Josh.
Unshaven brothers.
Back at Grandma and pa's house: You can never fit too many kids on a swing.
A rowdy group of Buccaneers with a cannon ball in the center.
Connor turned 2. Can you get any cuter? Can the cake get any cooler? (made by his mom and dad. Who also appreciate a good episode of Ace of Cakes.)
Afton and kids at the SF Sea Lions. You know just where this is, if you've ever been there.
And right after we, almost, learned our lesson from the Yosemite hike we marched the children all over SF. Poor kids thought they may get a prize at Chinatown for their labors.
Deej and Afton are totally into the "thumbs up"--international symbol.
Uncle Jason had the kids hanging from the bars on the train ride home.
4th of July
* A special thanks to my mother-in-law, Barb, for all the pictures. I don't think I took one on the entire trip. I knew she had me covered.
The late rains and snows made for a greener than green Utah this year--which can't be beat. All that colorful foliage climbing up the steep, towering slopes is breathtaking.
My sister Mary's friends, the Hickson's made it out this year, and a good bunch of us went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house.
Tibble Fork, AF Canyon. Nothing like snow melt to cool your paws.
Jared demonstrated to the boys some serious skipping skills. On one throw it the rock nearly skipped it's way to the other shore. It is one of Jared's lesser known talents.
Davy and Carmel, sharing a hug amongst bags of laundry. Davy's shirt reads: Lock up your daughters. It's very appropriate--for a number of reasons.
Enjoying some 24th of July fire-work fountains.
and sparklers.
Jared taugh Davy how to dunk and hang on the rim. 
By the way, I do not condone this. I am just willing to take pictures for evidence purposes.
First day of first grade! Loved it.
Kissed goodbye by Lindsey who anxiously awaited her own first day, which kicked off when school is REALLY supposed to start--after Labor Day.
One more year of preschool, until Aft is swallowed up into the school system and taken away from me forever. We are enjoying her while we still can.Economy as it is, it's a real downer to get demoted, or, worse yet, pushed out onto the streets without a benefit to one's name. Lucky for me I was just demoted. Being demoted by your husband, though, does have it's own peculiar kind of sting. Just kidding actually. I'd better explain myself before the Big J realizes I've made another post and decides to give it a quick skimming (I'm not sure he has time for a full-minded read at this point).
The story goes like this: I was hired by Jared and his partners to do some bookeeping. As of late, the number of properties owned by the fund, and the turnover rate has increased. These are good things--but not so much for a little stay-at-home mom/completely inexperienced bookeeper who sometimes (but not ALL the time) can't decide what is for dinner until 5 o'clock anyway. Throw in a few figures to run and emergency checks to put out at 4:30 pm, and dinner doesn't happen until 7:00 that evening! Meanwhile, during those 4:30-6:00 hours, while my head is bent over reciepts and a 17 inch laptop, four scavengerous kids have ransacked the pantry, eaten half a large carton of goldfish, and left the other half on the table. A table which Davy then climbs upon and uses his height advantage to better strew the goldfish upon all kitchen surfaces in a 10 ft radius and upon those always unlucky close-to-kitchen carpet areas.
Sooo. . . . it was getting a little bad. But we really realized something had to give when several Saturday nights were spent side by side, desk by desk doing work. When long sighs, and side-long glances have more to do with impatiently waiting for your spouse to finish scanning so he can hand you back the printer line, you know something has really, really, reeeaaalllly got to give.
So the guys hired another little stay at home mom to do the job--one with experience and a handy accountant husband to refer to. And I still have a few of the accounts to work on so that I can feel important, and even better than that--I have time to blog! You lucky readers you. I am bound and determined to post some great summer pictures and stories, and maybe we'll make it to Halloween before Thanksgiving! That is my goal, lofty though it is--I'm shooting for it.
Davy is so entertaining. My nephews follow him around when they have no Harry Potter books to read and relay his step by step moves in their reality TV show "Davy In His Natural Habitat." It IS funny. First of all, to imagine his plumpalicious figure, picture a severely swayed back of a well-ridden horse coupled with the softest white doughy tummy you've seen of late. His shoulders are pulled back making it look like he leads with his chest, but due to the size advantage of his tummy, it is the first thing you see when he rounds the corner.
Davy's movements resemble those of a drunk chimp--constant tipping and swaying and toe-stub-induced-falling to the ground in an almost graceful, purposeful movement. Rarely does it provoke a sob or moan. Falling is just part of natural forward-propelling movement for him. He's on the ground almost as much as he is up, and while he's down sometimes he'll rest and do a face down carpet angel, pick up bits of what-ever is on the ground, or roll onto his back and get excited about the ceiling fan. But much of the time he'll jump right up after the fall and continue with a purposeful face (hilarious on babies) toward some random thing that has caught his interest, be it dust floating in a ray of light from the window, greasy face imprints on my mirror left from his siblings, or a pack of kids he wants to follow and shoot down with his outstretched arms and two chubby pointer fingers. Pichooowww. His shooting noises are hilarious, and if you respond with any kind of injured grunt, you will get a good giggle from him and a minimum of 5 more pointer finger laser beams.
I still have not posted about his birthday, and the sad part is that he was so different then, so it's a shame. But really, he was the same funny boy. It was just 3 1/2 months ago. The day after Easter, but we combined it with the whole Easter hurrah.
The 1st birthday celebratee had no idea, of course that he was in any way being honored, but enjoyed the bounteous access to dropped and forgotten candy throughout the day. After church we did dinner and the hunt at my sister Mary's house, which was ideal. Enough grass to send the kids on several rounds before determining that the eggs were indeed all gone, a trampoline to count the spoils on, and space for a quick game of kickball that the overly sugared kids wimped out on and left to the adults.
Then there was the cake--one of my best looking yet, but pretty much not good tasting at all, just shy of being dubbed "gross". Luckily we were already all sugared out, so it served it's purpose as a candle prop and we ate a few bites along with ice cream.
Happy Birthday Davy Boy!
And I'm seriously expected to look straight at those blue eyes and do some disciplining?. . . Maybe at two.
Stuffed into the Easter clothes and stuffed on the couch for the token Easter shot (Davy had already been outside before the 8:30 am church--note the dirty knees)
He was laying innocently behind me on the kitchen floor before suddenly being endowed with a handful of jellybeans placed on his chest by a passer-by. Yay Easter!
I hold this bag and say "Cheese."
Striking the pre-hunt pose.
And they're off!
I came home from shopping one day to present Jared with a "costume" I had inadvertently picked out--the same shirt and pants as Sandman, from Spiderman 3. Never knew I had a thing for Sandman, but Jared looks great in it.
