Last Thursday Zane and I went hiking with McCall's webelos bunch and the other scouts, to Timpanogos cave. My friend Alyson came along as well with her 2 kids. Alyson and I have been talking about doing this sometime during the summer, so when we heard that they were doing that for a scouting activity we thought it would be fun to tag along. Zane did a lot better when we hiked to Stewart Falls a few weeks ago. It's only 3 miles round trip,(Stewart Falls was 4 miles round trip) but he sure had a hard time. Once we were at the top and went in the cave he was fine and loved it, but then we had to hike back down again, and let's just say that it was no picknic listening to him... He even took his shirt off, cause he got sooooo hot! And here I have always heard that it's lucky we have boys cause there's always drama with girls. Hmmm. We did have fun, though, and it's something I want to do again with Derick, since he has never hiked up there before. Maybe we'll wait until next summer, that might make a difference for Zane;-}

That same night we went to the rodeo in Kamas. Our friends the Potter's were going and they called and asked us if we were. It wasn't something that we had planned on doing, but since there still were tickets left, we thought why not? It beats sitting at home twiddling our thumbs:) It ended up being a lot of fun. Derick and I like any entertainment that includes rednecks, and this definitely does:) Just going there to people watch is worth it;-}

Saturday night we had tickets to go to the demolition derby in Kamas. This is something that I don't particularly enjoy, but I know the kids love it, so we went. I said that the rodeo is a redneck thing, but holy cow it doesn't even compare to a derby. That truly is a redneck activity! It was fun until they started blending jousting into it. What a joke that was. It was a promotion for what they are showing on tv in November, but if that's what their doing I don't think they'll succeed. The guy 'announcing' it really likes to hear his own voice and it just took foreeeever for them to get to the jousting part. And even then it was pretty weak. Their jousting sticks broke like toothpicks, and I'm no expert on midevil times(although I do LOVE anything from that era) but I think they need to make their sticks a little more durable and more entertaining. I love a show called "IVANHOE" and that is all about that era. In my humble opinion, you have better luck trying to hunt down a copy for that show and watching it, then having to endure what we did. It didn't help either that it was at the end of the derby when your butt and back hurts, plus your starting to deal with tired kids that are excited for the fireworks. I know, I am complaining a lot and I didn't mean too. I make it sound like we didn't have fun, and I certainly didn't mean that. We did have fun and we enjoy spending time together as a family. I just hope that they will leave out the jousting part next year;-}

An incredibly awful and sad thing happened in Norway on Friday. A totally nuts guy made home made bombs that he set off at the government offices in downtown Oslo. As if that wasn't horrible enough, he then went to an island called Utoya, and started shooting all these teenagers that were there attending a summer camp. A lot of these teenagers decided to jump into the water and swim ashore, but that completely nuts guy started shooting them as they were running for the water. I can't even begin to understand the horrors that these poor people went through, and I am so incredibly sad for them and their families. It is so insane how one person can do such things, and on top of that he didn't even commit suicide! That right there just tells you how crazy he truly must be, cause how can you live with yourself after doing something like this? My cousin, Linda posted something on facebook from a newspaper that I posted on fb from her, and now I am posting it here too.
A German newspaper article says: "Even in their deepest sorrow the Norwegians don't get hysterical. They resist the hate. It is amazing to see how politicians and the whole country reacts. They are sad to the deepest thread of their souls. They cry in dignity. But nobody swears to take revenge. Instead they want even more humanity and democracy. That is one of the most remarkable strengths of that little country."
God bless all the families that in some way were connected with this horrible event. I don't know anyone personally that were struck by this, but it effects everyone. Tell the people in your life that you love them. You never, never, know what will happen in the next few minutes, hours, days, let alone weeks, months or years. If you have a problem with someone, don't put it off until tomorrow to get it settled - tomorrow it may be too late... To all you out there: I LOVE YOU AND I AM SO GLAD THAT IN SOME WAY YOU ARE IN MY LIFE!

I am sitting here thinking about this day a year ago and it makes me incredibly sad. I am crying because I miss that little sweet angel boy of mine. I keep having memories of that kid, of when we would go places or when we would just hang out at home. I took all three of them to a park a few times last summer and he loved it. He would climb and look at me and give me the cheesy smile he always gave me. Sometimes he would get himself into a pickle and I would have to come and help him out, but mostly he just wanted to do things himself, like his brothers. I don't think that it ever occurred to him that he couldn't or shouldn't do something because he was little, he would just go ahead and do it. Life seems so unfair sometimes, and to me today is one of those times. Instead of visiting his grave, I should be able to hug him and hold him close. I long for the day when I can hold him in my arms again and give him a great BIG hug! Jake, I love you so much and so does your dad and your brothers. There's not a day that goes by when we don't think of you and your silliness. I know you are watching out for our little family.

Yesterday, Doug and Carol came and saw us. They stayed for dinner, we had a nice visit. We went to the grave, and Carol brought a little radio flyer wheel barrow that she put on his grave with a pretty flower in it.

I am so grateful for our family, friends and neighbors. They are what makes this life bearable and I couldn't continue on without all of their love and support.

What the heck is up with the friggin' mosquitoes this year??? We have all been bit several times already, and both the kids have swelled up a ton! It's like they're infused with something extra lethal. It's probably cause of the longer than usual hibernation they've had to do this year, but really, it's insane!

The first year Derick and I were married we went to the Shakespeare festival in Cedar City and loved it. We thought that we should make it out yearly get away. Have we? Nope. So this year we are thinking of doing just that, but which one should we see? I would love to see all of them, but since the money tree out back is not producing very well this year, we'll just have to pick one. And there lies the problem - which one??? A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, The Music Man, The Winter's Tale, Noises Off, The Glass Menagerie, Dial M For Murder... Maybe I'll just pick one randomly while not looking:)

Zane has a friend that McCall has a hard time liking. I keep telling him that it's not this kid's fault, it's his parents lack of involvement, and for him to just be nice to him. So one day last week, McCall asked Zane if he really liked this kid, and Zane said: well, he's better than Satan. LOL! That child of mine makes me laugh daily, they both do:) I really do wonder what in the world goes on in their minds.

McCall and Zane made a fort in the living room that they have been sleeping in the last couple of nights. I am going to be very sad when school has to start and the monotony of every day starts again.

Derick and McCall made a volcano last week and I took some pictures of it. I will post them soon.

Here are the pictures from Sunday when the
kids went sledding. It looks pretty crazy to be
wearing shorts and short sleeved shirts and
playing in the snow. They had a lot of fun:)

Zane had been to his friend Jed's birthday party

where they had face painting. None of my kids

have ever had that before, cause I just can't stand

it. Here he is with a dragon on his face:)

Here are some pictures from Zane's birthday
and t-ball game. I was going to post more, but it's
just taking too long so I'll do the rest tomorrow.

It's hard to believe that it's been a whole year since we lost Jake. We were still in the hospital with him, but he was gone. It's been really tough to think back on the time just before the accident. Last week I kept thinking a year ago we only had a few more precious days with him. I am so glad that I was blissfully unaware of the nightmare that was lurching just around the corner. I know for sure that things happen for a reason and that he is in heaven where he is supposed to be, but that doesn't always make it any easier, especially now on the anniversary of this tragic event. I just want him with me sooooo bad. To hear him talk and laugh and discover new things. Our family doesn't seem complete without him. Whenever we go some place I am very aware of him being gone and wishing for him to be with us and have fun.

Everyone have been so nice to us. I feel like talking about him all the time, but I know that people get tired of that, which is understandable, even so, that's how I feel. The head stone that we ordered for his grave has not arrived yet, but we are hoping it will be here for the time that he was buried in a couple of weeks.

There was a 17 year old kid that drowned here at Deer Creek last week. He was an excellent athlete and had just been to football camp at BYU the week before. They say he got a cramp while swimming and the water was extremely cold because of the late run off. I am sad for his family. In one way it makes me relieved that all of that is behind us, but I know that there is still a lot of healing that they are going to have to go through. It is dang hard to lose a child! No matter how old they are.

I think I have posted this on here before, but I love it so much that I am posting it again. It is something that C.S. Lewis wrote:
"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace."

I just love this, cause it just goes to show that our plans are not His plans, and He is preparing us for something greater, something that we as mere mortals probably can't understand until we are face to face with Him again and we can say: Oh, that's why this had to happen to me/us!" I LOVE my Heavenly Father and although I don't get all that He has planned for me I know that it will make sense in the end.

Yesterday after church, our friends Dan and Lauralee Ivie invited us to go with them to Prove River Falls. We had a great time. We hiked, brought a picnic lunch and the kids went sledding. Yes, sledding in July! We drove up to just over 10,000 feet and there was a lot of snow. I took pictures and will post them here later. It was great to be out and not sit home and think about what day it was.

The kids have wanted to sleep outside for a while, so last night Derick and the kids did. I thought for sure that they would end up coming inside sometime during the night, but when I woke up this morning, they were still out there:) I am so glad that our kids have such an awesome dad, he is the best and I thank God for him every day:)