Happy Fourth of July

We spent Fourth of July at our house with Tom's family. We had a BBQ and swim party. We planned on going to the local fireworks show but didn't get around to it. For a good two hours the men were racking their brain about how to put the ping pong table together. It was a big task. Uncle Dave was the champion player for the ping pong tournament. Next time Tommy is going to whoop you!

Daniel, Austin, and Payton taking a dip in the pool.


Aunt Barbara and Tommy. (We missed you Shiv!)


How many chips can we consume in one day?

Laughlin, Nevada

It's been two years since we've been to Laughlin! That's scary! We used to go two or three times a year. Last year we went to Lake Mead instead. The thing we like about Laughlin is that our hotel is 5 minutes from the dock. We also like the fact that there is sand to play in on the shoreline. (especially when you don't sink in up to your knees!) Laughlin has a charm of its own. It's small and less crowded than Vegas. The best part of all is that there's an In N Out there! We can't survive without it.



The boys love playing in the sand. Dad doesn't let them have too many chances to do it. Wouldn't you rather be riding the Sea Doo's? They found it very entertaining to float down the river a little ways with their life vests on. Then they would get out and walk upstream to repeat the whole process.

Coronado Island, San Diego

This was the brig on the ship. I wish I had one of those at home. The perfect time out!




This is the second time we've gone to the Midway Museum Aircraft Carrier. It has been two years and the kids didn't remember much. I enjoyed it just as much the first time. I actually got to listen to all the commentary on the headphones. It was amazing what the soldiers had to go through.


We rented a buggy bike that was enormous. I made the kids promise to help pedal. It was very heavy and bulky. It was really fun riding around with the ocean view all around. The kids did a good job pedaling. Except Payton who has short legs.
We only rented it for one hour. We were so tired when the time was up!



We got to tag along with Tom while he went to a company retreat. We stayed on Coronado Island! I've never been there. I didn't even know it existed. I always thought it was just shoreline. We had gorgeous views of the ocean from our room. It was so pretty that a wedding was held right behind our balcony! Our first day we walked around and explored the area. The first thing they did was go climbing on the dangerous rocks. Why can't we be safe?

The Tooth Fairy

The tooth fairy came to visit Payton! He finally lost a tooth! His two bottom teeth have been loose for about two months. He kept asking when I could pull them out. I didn't think he would like it after feeling the pain. He was getting so impatient. All through kinder, his friends were losing their teeth. One day I realized his adult tooth was growing in behind it. So I got the dental floss and yanked it out. It hurt a little bit. Two days later we were swimming, and he bumped his face into the edge of the pool. It bent his top tooth inward. He was so upset and said he didn't want to be ugly. I said that nobody would even notice that it was crooked. He couldn't eat any food because his top tooth was hitting his bottom one. (candy and gum were the exception) I told him I could just yank out the other bottom tooth because it was already loose. Problem solved. Now he has no bottom teeth and two dead ones on top. They are nice and gray. I can't wait to pull those out too!

Happy Father's Day!

This father's day I wanted to do a special blog just for my daddy. I want to tell him how much I appreciate him and love him. He is the best dad in the whole wide world. My dad was always so supportive of me. No matter what decisions I made in life, he always was there by my side. He taught me the importance of education and that I need to keep on trying. He taught me about the gospel. We were always learning new things in Family Home Evening and scripture study. Of course, it wasn't always the most fun. But now I appreciate it and realize how hard it was for my parents to raise us. He's been a great example to me by being diligent in his church callings and going on three missions! Wow, these are some tough shoes to fill! My dad likes to joke around. He always has some funny saying or story. I remember sitting at the dinner table every night - And there I was... He liked to share with us about his day. The best part about dad is that he is an excellent photographer. He knew how important it was to take pictures of us for cherished memories. I love all the DVDs and pictures he has made for us. They are priceless. I love you Dad! Happy Father's Day! Don't move away too soon. We want to keep you here for a while.