Dons

Brooke has been playing on a traveling basketball team lately and is loving it. The girls on her team range from 4th through 6th graders which makes us the youngest team. All of the other teams that the girls are playing against are 6th through 8th graders. Now this makes for some interesting games. I'm very proud of Brooke's team no matter how huge the girls are on the other team and how intimidating it is to play older teams they always go and play their hearts out. Needless to say we did not win many games, but the experience they have gotten is invaluable. This last weekend they played a tournament against girls their own age and came in first place. Brooke is loving basketball more and more every day which of course makes me really happy...there is no greater sport!

Brooke has been invited to join her junior highs summer basketball camp. It starts Monday and is everyday for 2 weeks for 3 hours a day. She is very excited. I think the coach is only taking 2 or 3 sixth graders for the team which mainly consists of 7th and 8th graders. It would be great if Brooke made the team but it's a long shot. I told her to do her best and see everything turns out. There is also a practice team so for sure she could do that and get ready for next year. I still can't believe that my little girl is starting junior high...where has the time gone?

Leo Carrillo

Every Year we get together with some of our good friends ( Hansens, Wallers, Tupous, and this year the Figuroas and Ben & Jen Hansen) and go camping at Leo Carrillo. The kids love everything about camping and well I just love watching my kids have a great time and I endure. Don't get me wrong I had a good time...it's just so much work. Everyone is always dirty, I feel like I'm constantly preparing food, and then there is the never ending clean up, but its worth all of it.
Every morning we get everything together, pack the wagon, and make our walk down to the beach. Leo Carrillo Beach is a lot of fun for the kids especially when it's low tide. There are tons of rock which makes it easy to find cool sea creatures. The rocks don't allow for much boogie boarding or surfing, but the kids don't seem to mind that much. They know that when we go to Leo Carrillo its always a fun adventure of what they can find and also climbing over the rocks to the caves and other beaches.

Brooke was dieing when I told her to hold the huge sea slug that Mason caught...great picture though. I was surprised because she usually doesn't mind touching or picking up anything, but this was her first encounter with a sea slug and I don't blame her GROSS! All of the kids found tons of stuff everyday including hermit crabs, octopus, sea slugs, fish, sand crabs, and tons of star fish. They would show all of us parents and then run back to the rocks in the water and put them back so they wouldn't kill them. I think this was Spencers favorite part of our vacation he loves hunting and finding animals whether its fish in the water or lizards back at camp.Jake spent most of his time watering the rocks. There is a very large wall of rocks that some of the older kids would climb to the top and back down again. Which of course Jake wanted to do as well. I convinced him that he could only go up about half way and that was far enough for him. One of the girls that came with us "Spanky" was awesome she spent hours filling that water can up for Jake to dump on the rocks. She was a life savor and Jake loved every minute of all the attention he was getting from her.
Tyler gave himself the nickname "sandman" He loves rolling around in the warm sand. I cringed every time he came up to me for a snack. I think he got buried a couple of times every day we were there. Every time I was looking for Tyler all I had to do was in the sand.
The Wallers brought their Kayak which was awesome. Mike Waller was the best I lost count of how many kids he took out in the kayak. Both Brooke and Spencer said that one of their favorite parts of the trip was going out on the kayak. Even Tyler loved going out on it, but my camera battery died so I didn't get a picture of him going out.Camping was awesome...we had a great time. My mom came out one night for dinner which made the kids very happy. Brooke finally took my camera and started taking some pictures with me in it. She doesn't think its fair that I'm not in the pictures when everyone else has to be. I think it's perfectly fair because its my camera :)

A lot of work but worth every minute of it!

My Grandpa

My Mom sent out an email about her Dad my Grandpa Chic yesterday...it was the 40th anniversary of when he past away. Now obviously I have never met him, but I have always felt very close to him through my Moms stories and memories that she shares with me. As I read through her email this morning I couldn't help but get a little emotional as she described what an amazing man he was. I use this blog to help keep memories and records of my family and I really wanted this to be a part of it. My Mom has definitely made my grandpa proud. She emulates everything that he was and through her I feel that I know my Grandpa Chic.
-Thanks for the beautiful tribute-

Forty years ago today a great man slipped through the veil from mortality to the spirit world where he would be free from pain and able to continue his life of service and devotion to the Lord....it was my dad, your grandfather and great grandfather.

I wish you all could have known him and known what an exceptional person he was/is. There was nothing he wouldn't do for others, and everyone that knew him loved him. He wasn't wealthy, didn't hold high positions, but his funeral was as crowded as Stake Conference because of the many friends and associates who admired him and wanted to honor his memory.

We always knew what the most important things in his life were and he was passionate about them: The Gospel, his family and his country. He knew that without faith and obedience to the Gospel, he couldn't have his family forever, and he knew our country was divinely inspired so that the Gospel could be restored to bless the whole world.

He literally wore out his life in service to others; anything anyone needed he would give to them, whether we needed it or not...he knew we'd be fine and would get along, but sharing and caring was as much a part of him as breathing. Mom told many stories of when they were first married and had very little money...they'd go in the grocery store and come out empty handed because dad found someone in the store who needed something more then he did. He'd donate his time and meager earnings to make road show backdrops spectacular for wards and stakes; he's spend hours taking photographs of weddings, or family events, for people who couldn't afford a "professional", but he'd make sure it was perfect for them; he taught us what service meant - that it was most needed when it was most inconvenient, and that no effort was too small to bless someone's life. Whoever was moving, sick, hurt, down etc., he was first there to do whatever he could. He taught us to never think we had nothing to offer someone, or there was nothing we could do for someone in need. He was the perfect example of being content and grateful, even...no especially...when we had little.

There was never, ever a doubt how much he loved us and how much he loved his Savior and the Church. I can't describe the gentle, kind, loving, giving, faithful man who is waiting for all of us; loving us from "afar"; cheering us on when times are tough; watching over us and continuing to bless us. He always told me that his family was his treasure, his joy and his life ......... dad, I understand and could not agree more.

I love you all so, so much. Thank you for blessing my life everyday with your love and kindness and for all you do for each other, as well as others. I know dad is as proud and happy with each of you as I am.

Mom

July 4th Party

This 4th of July was a lot of fun. Scott and Tera had us over along with my parents and Ben for swimming, great food, and fire works.

So I have to give a disclaimer...I took a ton of pictures and so many of them turned out so dang cute that I just couldn't leave them out. So I went through the pictures made a lot of collages and sadly believe it or not left a ton out.
Jake and Nate have been fun to watch this summer as they have learned how to swim. Jake has been a water baby since the day he was born. Now I can relax just a little bit that he has learned how to swim. He jumped in the pool as soon as we got there about 1:00 and didn't come out until 6:00. He was a complete prune and by that time was finally hungry enough to take a break and eat.
Scott had too much fun launching the kids in the pool. I wish I had some pictures of how they landed. The kids loved it as they came back again and again for more.
I love my family and one of the things that I enjoy the most when we get together is a nice gentle noncompetitive game of basketball...NOT. My family is one of the most competitive families out there. We love to play almost any game especially basketball and we play to win. In Water basketball my brother Scott pretty much dominates so the rest of us do what ever we can to make him lose which doesn't happen very often. The game usually ends with scratches, blood, hyper extended fingers, bruises, and all of us asking for ibuprofen, but it's a ton of fun...I know we're crazy.
Mike was awesome as usual. He took on the heat of the day to BBQ dinner for everyone...it was yummy! We had a very fun day. Well I'm not sure how you couldn't enjoy yourself with family, a water slide, a pool, toys, great food, and a beautiful day in Southern California.What a cute bunch of sun kissed faces!
The Grand Finale of the day...Fireworks!

3rd of July Parade

Some good friends of ours the Arbons and the Speakmans have been doing a bike parade on the 3rd of July for many years. It is a very fun activity for all the kids. The kids each get to decorate their bike and then they ride up and down their street. I guess it used to be just family and then grew to their neighborhood and now just about everyone makes their way to the parade. After the parade is over they provided a snow cone machine and popcorn for everyone. The kids had a blast and I think it's a very fun tradition.
The kids loved the snow cones :)
Especially the blue ones...

Muscles

I have been looking at some of my summer pictures and noticed all these cute muscular bodies. I was cracking up that my kids have these little muscles already...so dang cute!

Kindness

Mike has been working really long hours lately. Of course the kids have been missing him like crazy and miss goofing around with him. In stead of complaining they have been asking me what they can do to make him happy when he gets home...love my kids!

Late last night Brooke set her alarm for 6:15 so she could wake up on a Saturday morning and make him pancakes before he left for work...yes he's been working every Saturday lately as well. What a kind, thoughtful, and unselfish thing for her to do that meant the world to Mike.

Sleepover Fun

After Wendy came down to go to the beach we decided to swap a couple of kids so they would have longer to hang out and play together. I kept Jordan and Katie and Wendy took Brooke back to Bakersfield with her. Well seeing how Bakersfield was 110 degrees the girls spent a lot of time in the pool. One night after swimming Brooke and Susie got in Wendy's jacuzzi bathtub and poured in the bubbles. They had a blast and giggled for hours.Brooke was a very lucky girl her Aunt Wendy spoiled her rotten. She did her hair, gave her rock star toes, and made her a cd with over a hundred songs on it for her ipod. Needless to say she was a very happy girl when I picked her up.
I drove up to exchange the kids back and decided to stay the night at Wendy's house. Which of course made all the kids very excited. It gave them more time to play and be goof balls. Tom decided to set up the slip and slide for the kids which they loved especially Jake. I love summer it gives me so much more freedom to have fun with the kids.

Summer Beach Trip

Last week Wendy decided to come down and take the kids to the beach. So of course I wanted to join in on the fun. We had a really fun time but we did miss Jason, Janna and the kids.The kids of course all had a great time together. I love my family so much! We all have so much fun together. I count my blessings often at the close relationships I have with my family they truly are the best.It never really seems to matter how cold the water is...well at least to the kids. The moment we got their the shoes came off and they were running to the water. It's fun to watch the kids now that they are getting older as they are becoming more and more courageous in the water. They are going deeper and staying out in the big waves without even thinking about it. They also love boogie boarding and skim boarding.

Of course when it comes to my family there is rarely a dull moment. Just when you think you are going to relax out comes my brothers. Scott and Ben pretty much got everyone soaked one way or another. Well that is except for Tera because she was holding the camera...next time the camera will be in my hands :)
Well out of the many pictures I would have to say this is one of my favorites of Jake and his Uncle Ben. He was laughing so hard as he was walking on his hands. What a great day we had...love the beach!

Lake Havasu

About 2 weeks ago we went to Lake Havasu for a little family vacation. Ever since we went last year for the Seay family reunion my kids especially Tyler have been asking to go back. So Mike gave his brother Rick a call to see what he could arrange. Of course he was more then happy to have us come out to the Lake and stay at his and Kathy's place...lucky us!
The kids loved playing in the water to cool off from the 112 degree weather. It was really hot, but on the lake it felt really nice.
They also loved going on the inner tube for a crazy ride. Even Jake had a good time as long as he wasn't going to fast. The best was when Mike and Brooke went together. Rick took them for one wild ride. I still can't believe that Brooke held on tight enough to not get bounced out. I thought for sure she was going over a couple of times.

Well of course they enjoyed going on the boat...that was my favorite part. Rick has a great boat that accommodated all of us. The kids loved going fast so that they could have a bumpy ride. Bree was also able to come with us and I think she had a lot of fun as well. Rick and Kathy were awesome they were always making sure that everyone was happy and well taken care of. We really appreciate all that they did for us it was a great weekend.
My boys are so dang cute...love them!
Brooke was awesome as usual...What a cutie!
- One big happy family enjoying good company -