WHEELS!!!

July was a busy month for wheels around our place. The kids were extra creative and outgoing. Check out some of the accomplishment highlights.

Naomi learned to ride her bike without training wheels. It only took about five minutes of practicing with Mommy's help and then she was off and riding all over the place like a pro.

Nicholas created this by taking apart the Bionicle bike and using the parts to create
the most powerful Bionicle ever!!

Naomi wanted a pair of skates. These next pictures are a visual confirmation of the saying "Necessity is the mother of invention." I was pretty impressed with her thinking and initiative. They actually worked as well.

It is amazing what you can do with some Matchbox cars, a couple of blocks and some packing tape.

Steve's Birthday Bash

Flautas - $15.00 Ice Cream Cake - $20.00 Bowling $35.00

Having a great time with your family - PRICELESS!

The funniest part of the night was the arm fart contest. It sounds childish and juvenile, but it had us all in stitches and tears. We were laughing so hard it hurt. Naomi is the champion arm farter. I tried to upload the video, but it wouldn't work, you are just going to have to use your imagination on this one. Lick your lips and place them, mouth slightly open, on your bicep - now blow! You can come up with the silliest sounds.

Disclaimer: We have never claimed to be completely normal, but we do have a lot of fun!!!

A trip to the Wild West!

June can pretty much be summed up with the words Scout Camps. We spent the first week getting ready for cub scout day camp, the second week going to cub scout day camp, the third week recovering from cub scout day camp and the fourth week getting Jeremy ready for full-week scout camp. It was so much fun. Here are a few pictures of the highlights.

Nicholas caught 5 of the 23 fish our boat caught on the first day. The other boat only caught 5 fish. It was so much fun to see the smiles on all the boys' faces when they reeled another one in.
Naomi and some of her new friends in the Pixie Camp.

Nicholas is giving roping a try. The boys got to do a lot of hands-on activities which really made it fun.

Jeremy got to be a Junior Staff this year. The highlight was getting to help for an entire afternoon at the archery range.

Manly, Jeremy and Makari - all toghether as junior staff. They were in the same den at Webelos two years ago.

The pixies got to go out in the canoes. Naomi had a great time and got completely soaked.

My awesome den - #12. I love being a den leader and getting to know all the boys and see all the fun things they get to do during camp.

Nicholas got to paddle the canoe. He didn't want to have to come back in when it was time to go to the next activity.

Jeremy and Nicholas at the BB gun station.

Archery was extra fun as well. Nicholas shot a couple of bulls-eyes.

This day was absolute chaos and the boys loved every minute of it. We were trying to entertain all the scouts (250+) while all the dens had their pictures taken. I learned that it is not a good idea to give a large group of scouts several beach balls and expect them to do anything in an orderly fashion.

It was a fun, but exhausting week. We all slept very well each night.

Just One Adventure After Another

You thought we had fun in April, then hold on to your socks for May!!!

Baby ducklings are the best. We had to visit them before they got too big.

Our trip to Utah was amazing. For those of you who feel bad that we didn't get to see you, please check out the pictures of our daily to-do fun list and see that there was not much time for anything else. It is always so much fun to visit, but there is never enough time to do everything so we try to fill our time with family and fun.

At the airport with Grandpa Weening. Mommy is getting our rental car all squared away.

At the gravesite of our Great Grandma Hansen. We learned all about our ancestors while visiting some of their gravesites. It was a fun day.

We took a trip down to Provo, Utah, to see the Carl Bloch exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art. AMAZING!!!!

Had a sleepover with our Wykstra cousins at Grandma and Grandpa Weenig's house.

Giving Grandma Cannon her Mother's Day roses from Daddy while she talked with Daddy on the computer.

Listening to our cousin, Connor, play his bagpipes. Live entertainment is great.

Naomi with her Cannon cousins!

A baby shower for Sam and Amanda and the soon-to-arrive Waylon!

Celebrating BreElle's second birthday. Naomi picked out the present all by herself.

I think she likes it!!!

Giving Grandma Weenig her Mother's Day gift and hugs!

Visiting Mindy Larsen and clan in Rexburg, Idaho. Mindy and I haven't seen each other for 18 months and that is a lifetime for best friends!!

We stopped at the visitor's center for the Idaho Falls Temple and the kids wanted their picture taken with Jesus. I love how Naomi is holding His hand.

Huckleberry shakes with Miss Mindy!!!

Our Larsen Buddies. We miss them!

We stopped in Logan, Utah, to see our cousin, Rachel. She was in her new apartment and it was really cool!

Naomi at the Utah Renaissance Festival. They had cream soda in cool bottle with corks. The kids had to have one.

Nicholas wanted to meet Captian Jack Sparrow. He still is not convinced that this was not the REAL Capt. Jack Sparrow.

Hanging at the Ren Festival with Granpa Rick and Grandma EllaRene.

Naomi and me with Nate (my nephew) and Andy of the Rovin' Boozers! We bought one of their CDs and the kids now know all the words to all the songs. Check them out - they are awesome!

Taking TRAXX to downtown Salt Lake to see the sites.

Here we are posing with our great, great grandfather, Joseph Fielding Smith. This is just one of the many amazing things we saw while taking a tour of the Conference Center.

A much-needed popsicle break with my cousin BreElle after a long day of site-seeing.

Grandma built a snowman while the kids played in the snow at Solitude, up Little Cottonwood Canyon.

The cousins playing a game they called "The Nutcraker". The object was to slide down the railing as fast as you could without hitting the poles in the middle. Nicholas decided to play it safe!

Our last night in Salt Lake. Grandma and Grandpa Weenig came over for dinner. It was a great night with family.

Our hosts, Uncle Shaun and Aunt Kathy.

This picture is right before we left to get on our plane. Notice the time on the clock. It says 10:35 - that is p.m. We took the red-eye home. It was worth it.

Nicholas with his Pinewood Derby car - The Fire Bullet Tail. This is what we spent our time doing once we got home from our trip to Utah. We only had a little over a week to get everything together and ready for the big race.

My great-nephew, Waylon. He LOOKS like a Waylon. Way too cute! Amanda and Sam do good work! He arrived on May 24th, just a week after we left.

Memorial Day weekend was great. Naomi, Nicholas and I went to the pool while Jeremy and Steve drove to Columbia, South Carolia, to go to stake temple day. Jeremy got to do baptisms for the dead for the first time and he LOVED it. Going to the temple can be rather addicting and that is a VERY good thing.

As you can see, we had a great May! It looks like the rest of the summer will be just as much fun. We are going to be busy with scout camps and such, but I will try to keep the blog updated.