She's a keeper!

This is my friend, Mal.

She is {super} sweet, fun, and friendly.

She is pretty cute too!

She is also an awesome athlete - she plays keeper for UVU.

Our family's {new} favorite thing to do is watching her play soccer, she has had 2 shut-outs in a row. See, she's good!
Mal is also {my brother} Daniel's girlfriend, my kids are hoping to call her Aunt Mal someday soon. Great game today #1! {uvu 5, nd 0}

Summer of the Grasshopper

This little guy decided to hang out on my back porch today, I passed him a couple times as I took care of my {beloved} pet. I got to thinking about just how many grasshoppers I have seen over this summer...LOTS!

Then I started thinking of about each of those times, smiled, and decided to share:

♣Early in the summer we had a grasshopper waiting for us on our doorstep when we returned from church - I convinced Adi to be brave and hold it, which she did. It was cool until it peed on her, I laughed, she didn't. Oh, and don't bring it up - its still a bit of a sore spot.

♣Later in the summer I saw a HUGE one while watering my flowers. I ran in and got Luke to show him - he was kinda disgusted. They aren't as cute as they are in his morning cartoons.

♣My next memory is our backyard fence. Mike had just finished mowing the lawn, I think Chad was over. We went to show the kids a baby grasshopper on the fence only to have it hop away. Sheer disappointment -UNTIL - we looked over and found 20-30 all along the back fence, dad must have scared them with the mower. We had no problems showing them off to the kids then, although, Adilynn would have nothing to do with them, she likes to keep her hands clean!

♣Then, just the other day as I was out visiting teaching, my friends little girl ran into the house telling me all about the grasshopper she had seen on her walk over. She was so excited to show me afterward. Then, as she left the house she found another and called me over to see it. As I walked over it made a big hop away and the little girls all squealed. I couldn't help but smile - how fun to be a kid!

I think this picture makes the ugly thing look a little friendly! And my point to this all? Not sure, just thought I would share some happy memories. Do you have any grasshopper memories?

Long time, no see.

After 6 years, he looks {exactly} the same, but he sounds {completely} different!

I could not be happier to have my littlest brother {Brian, 18} back as part of our everyday lives...after a very unexpected email and phone call {and tons of tears} we were lucky to have him come hang-out/reconnect for a few days last week. My kids were in heaven to have yet another Uncle in their lives. This unexpected addition did not phase them one bit, no questions asked - he was family. They climbed, wrestled and talked him crazy for 4 days straight! I loved that Luke kept coming up to me and asking "what's his name again, you know, your brother?" All I can say is - kids are awesome and family is the best!

Welcome back, Stone!

First

Here is a look at our newest first grader, on her first day of school!

Highlights:

♥School clothes shopping with Grandma Stippy @ Justice for 2+ hours, almost making grandma miss her flight home

♥Lots of mix-and-match outfits

(she's a little too into clothes for a 6 year old)

♥ Hannah Montana backpack

♥Driving in Dad's truck on the 1st day

♥ Mrs. Downs is a scrapbooker like mom, loves all things Disney, and she is also "magical"
♥First graders get lots of recesses

Drawbacks:
♠ Apparently lunch is short, Ads only had time to drink her milk on her 1st day

♠ She couldn't find Cassidy at recess, she's always chasing the boys

♠Long days make her too tired to clean her bedroom and create a huge need to just watch TV

I fell off...

I am officially guilty of falling off the blog-wagon.

To top it off, my computer then broke and refused to reboot.

My cute hubby tried to fix it - but he's a tax guy, not a computer nerd - so no luck.

But, my cute neighbor/friend does have a hubby who is a proclaimed computer nerd (I call him this with the utmost affection) and she volunteered him for the job.

Together, they were successful. :)

So, I am attempting to dust myself off and jump back on. Please bare with me.

While Ads still has some growing to do...