Easter 2014: The Weekend in Photos

Happy 4th

With all of our recent travels it was nice to have a day off - at home.  That doesn't mean we weren't on the go a lot of the day, but much of the 4th was spent around the house.

One of our favorite 4th traditions is to go over to Alicia's ward for their annual breakfast.  Lots of food for us, lots of fun for the kids.  They always have games for the kids with many little prizes for the winners.

I think Alex and Dylan's favorite part of the breakfast is the "train" ride.  One of the guys creates a train and pulls it behind his lawnmower every year.  The boys can't get enough of this thrill ride around the parking lot.

A little later in the day we had a fun visit with Jeff and Jeni Wright and their cute little family. Since they live in Virginia it isn't often we can get together. It was a short visit, but great to catch up and hear what they've been doing for the past couple of years.

The real party came after the sun started setting. My kids are way into fireworks - ok, I am too. This year's show didn't disappoint. We went over to the fireworks stand earlier in the afternoon and hooked up with some pretty cool stuff. Add that to a package our neighbor Hal gave and we were ready to light up the night.

After our show ended, we laid out in the front yard and watched the big stuff from the country club. One of the best parts of the 4th from our house is the view we get of the fireworks from across the street. They really go all out. It must have lasted 20-25 minutes and we enjoyed the entire show. A great end to a fun day.

Father's Day

Today was a great day.

At church the kids sang.

I got a treat.

We had presents (including a new tool set for the shed).

I  took a nap.

Nothing beats Father's Day.

Mother's Day Moment

Earlier today the kids and I were making Tara breakfast for Mother's Day.  We had Kennedy making french toast, Alex was in charge of fruit, and Dylan - well Dylan was asked to get Tara something to drink.

Dylan what do you think Mom wants to drink?

Chocolate milk.

Really?  Are you sure Mom wants to drink chocolate milk?  I think you're the one that wants chocolate milk.

Nope, Mom wants a glass of chocolate milk.

At this point Dylan proceeds to make Tara a cold glass of chocolate milk.  Once he finished Dylan stared briefly at his creation and said:

It looks too full.  I better drink a little so it doesn't spill.

A few minutes later (while Tara was eating her breakfast) Dylan polished off his mom's glass of chocolate milk.  Pretty smooth Big D, pretty smooth.

Easter 2013: The Weekend in Photos

Easter came a little bit early this year, but that didn't slow us down from having a great weekend.  The kids decorated eggs with cousins, found easter baskets and eggs at home, and participated in some mammoth egg battles.  We had a lot of fun and lots of great pics.  Enjoy!

Christmas: The Day in Photos

Christmas at the Polar Express

The Ward Christmas Party has been months in planning.  I know, I was part of the committee.  Being involved in Young Men's I have had my hand in a lot of different ward events this year, none was bigger than the yuletide celebration we just experienced.

It was a magical evening for all who attended.  We spend three days decorating the cultural hall and it was transformed into a wonder of lights and sights.  The Youth were all excited for the party as they came dressed like conductors, engineers, and chefs. And then there was me.

I was asked last month to play the part of the conductor from the Polar Express.  No big deal I thought. I've seen the show several times and Tom Hanks character is certainly a big part of Christmas for a lot of people.  There was one little catch.  In order to pull off the part I had to look the part.  That meant shaving off my beard and leaving an old man mustache.  Never let it be said I wouldn't do anything for the kids.

One of my family's favorite parts of the party is the annual visit by the big man himself, Santa Claus.  It was fun to see our favorite Santa and the kids all shared their Christmas wishes.  Seeing these pictures never gets old.

After the party was over it was time to officially welcome Christmas.  We have a great ward and this was a great night.  Let the season begin.

Starry is Back

One of our new traditions is the Elf on the Shelf.  Even though it isn't December 1st yet, the kids couldn't wait for Starry the Elf to make a special appearance.  We told them that Starry had to wait until all the Christmas tree was up and decorated, so they made sure that was our first holiday chore.

After spending the day decorating, we sat down and watched another holiday favorite, Elf.  We absolutely love that movie and I'm sure you can guess which scene is the kids' favorite.  Let's just say when you mix a two liter bottle of Coke and Wil Ferrell there's going to be something funny.  "Did you hear that?"

I guess the kids must have gotten Santa's attention with all the decorating.  Check out who was hanging in the tree when everyone woke up this morning...

Father's Day 2012

Father's Day was met this year as a bittersweet time for our family. This marks the first one without Tara's dad Lynn and I know he was on her mind quite a bit. It may sound funny, but I still think of Father's Day as being about my dad and Tara's dad, so the thought of one of them not being here was very sad.

For the kids however, Father's Day is all about me. They really are great kids and they wanted to make today special. We celebrated with some of my favorite food, enchiladas, and the presents. Tara was very nice and got me some new work shoes. She knows how much I need them. I think my favorite part of the gifts wasn't the present itself, but the wrapping job. The kids all helped to decorate the boxes and they were classic!

 

Today was a great day to be Dad!

Mother's Day

What can you say about Mother's Day?  I love the fact that we get to share our appreciation with the special women in our lives.  The kids and I try to pitch in more and help with the morning routine.  Today we tried to provide Tara with special breakfast, french toast.  Unfortunately, early church meant that the morning couldn't be shared in bed - still, Alex and I were able to whip up a tasty treat for breakfast.

After breakfast we gave Tara her presents. The kids gave Tara some items for the yard - lawn chairs, and a new peach tree. For some out there these presents would probably give a response like, "WHAT?! A tree for Mother's Day?!  Where's the pedicure, the facial, the massage?!" I hear you, but Tara was really interested in planting a peach tree and the chairs have been on her list for months.

Church provided the mothers with a Primary mainstay, "Mother I Love You." After the meetings each of the women in the congregation received a rose as a token of appreciation. I thought it was a nice sentiment and I made sure to take a few roses to some of the ladies I home teach.

We wrapped our evening with a trip to visit June in Mapleton.  It's always good to get together with family and I know the visits are very important to June in this year of transition.  The kids had a fun time at Grandma's house and it was a great way to cap our day.

I made sure to call my mom and let her know how much I appreciate her. Being away from her family can be hard, but I think she needed the break after being in Salt Lake for much of the past month.  A phone call may not be much, but it's good to talk to my mom and I hope she had a good day.

I know I'm not the most appreciative husband, but I wanted to give Tara a nice Sunday.  The kids love her more than anything and Tara is a terrific mother.  Happy Mother's Day Tara, I love you....


 

Easter: The Weekend in Photos