Random Photos for May and June '09

It must have been funny, whatever it was!














Ostrich anyone?












Zoboomafoo Bryson!





Bryson and Cathi had a date to go see "Treasure Island" at Hale Center Theatre. Bryson had given Cathi the tickets as part of her birthday present. Cathi gave Grandma Lynn a ticket for her Mother's Day present, and Larry and Cathi gave Dustin a ticket as part of his birthday present. It was an evening of laughter and fun.










An exchange for an exchange...









On Mother's Day, Cathi received two copies of "Fiddler on the Roof", so she exchanged one for a copy of "The Sound of Music", which she had forgotten she had received the year before. Sio that was exchanged for "Somewhere in Time" and it arrived in the same box that Larry's Father's Day DVDs arrived in.







A moonlit view from our front porch.

Celebrating Dustin's B-day and Father's Day

Dustin's birthday, June 17th, is frequently close to Father's Day, so we occasionally celebrate the two at the same time.

We started out the evening with Dustin's dinner request: KFC fried chicken, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, and biscuits.

Grandma and Grandpa Lynn came by for a few minutes after dinner, bearing plates of homemade candy (which disappeared quickly!), and additional pages to add to the scrapbooks she has given us in past years. We really enjoyed their visit.

Then we all went to see the movie "UP". It was a cute movie, and one you should see with someone you love.

Afterwards, we went back to the house for presents and dessert.
In keeping with our family tradition, Dustin is looking for one of his gifts, which is wrapped in newpaper, and hidden in the recycle box. He is being guided by "hot and cold" statements from the person who hid it. He also found them hidden in potted plants, the hall closet and somewhere in the front room, I think.
"This isn't what I thought it was, but I like it."

He thought it was a bread maker, which he had requested, but it turned out to be a wok, which he had also requested.

He also got a game, a movie, a pizza pan and cash (always a welcome gift).



Larry also had to go on a "hot and cold" hunt for his Father's Day gifts.

His wish list consisted of a long list of DVDs he wanted to add to his collection - and he got what he wanted. He was a happy guy!


Once all the gifts were done, we celebrated with rootbeer and orange soda floats and freezes.

It was a fun night for everyone!


Happy Birthday, Dustin!
Happy Father's Day, Larry!

A Change of Seasons

Where have the days gone? It seems that only yesterday I was standing in line with Dustin, waiting for him to begin his first day of kindergarten. Now we are finishing our last days of middle school with Bryson. Only 3 years of high school and all of our children will have finished their public education. It doesn't seem possible! I don't feel old enough to have all my children grown and on their own (almost).

I've said many times, "It's a good things mothers can't decide when their children grow up. We would have them jerky through time so unevenly. Stay little and precious for too long, race through the trying toddler years, stop, start, grow, stop growing. What wisdom their is in having one day follow another. Some days it is so hard to let the peace and joy and celebration go. Other days we don't think we can possible live through the first hour of the day - let alone the hours that follow."

These are a few random pictures of Bryson's last days in middle school.

Bryson was the Vice-President of the National Junior Honor Society at West Jordan Middle School. In mid-May, part of his responsibility included the induction ceremony of the newest NJHS members. This first picture is of his all decked out after that event.

"The Boyzz in the Band"

Then, of course, we attended the final band concert of his middle school career. Dustin, Christopher and Niki also played band during middle school. Dustin choose to take other classes beginning his 8th grade year. Christopher and Niki took band all the way through high school, including AP Music Theory - for which they both earned college credit. Bryson is focusing on computers in high school and would love to take band as well, but doesn't have enough hours in the day to fit it all in.

All of our kids participated in car pool for the three years they were in middle school, then took the bus to the high school.

Bryson's car pool group was pretty much the same kids all three years, or at least the same families. This picture was taken on the last day they all attended West Jordan.




And of course, any reason to celebrate is a Great Reason for ice cream!!!

Congratulations on a job well done!!!