Ahhhh. The relaxing sounds of Sunday......

Tomorrow, July 23rd is our 15th wedding anniversary! Scott lets me go in front of him, even if it's just to go upstairs each night to check on the kids. He lets me have the window seat and gives me the bigger half of whatever is delicious. I think that you are supposed to have a new bedroom set, some fancy ring or a cruise for a 15th, but I just want more of what he's already given me. It's not the things that make me happy, it's him. Truly.

Connor and Joshua

Connor has been begging for friends to come over lately. Today Joshua will come. Connor has thought that they might slide off the fort slide into the pool in the backyard. They will probably play chess, as Joshua likes chess. Maybe a game of Monopoly? I'm sure they'll play or create something else before the afternoon is done. Connor also enjoys Hayden.
Tanner, Dalton and Quentin

Tanner's playdate this week will be tomorrow with Quentin. I bet they'll make tinker toy swords and maybe settle down enough to play a game of mancala. The pool may come out again? I imaging they'll jump on the tramp and laugh the afternoon away.
Kyle, Brandon and Quinn

Quinn will get to have Thomas over on Wednesday.....last week he had Grant over and went to Hank's party. He does things like bike rides and playing ball when his friends come over. Quinn celebrated his 12th birthday last week. He doesn't go to Primary anymore, he's traded that for Young Men.

Allison is friends with everyone!

Allison got to play with Ethan last week and she always gets a chance to play with Loren, the neighbor boy. She loves to baby baby Sophie who just moved here. Right now she has Kade over to play. She is hoping, naturally, to have friends over soon. I just am amazed at the incredible mess her and her friends can make. It always can be cleaned up and they have so much fun! Our silly little bug! "Well, can Payton still come over?"

Whenever you have some free time, mom. -Quinn

Quinn invited me to learn to make a lanyard keychain thing. He learned it at 11 year old scout camp. He taught Connor this afternoon. Now, he wants to teach me, when I have some time. I told him I couldn't do it now, but then he said that maybe in heaven they'll have the heavenly lanyard and he can teach me then, since that's when I'll have free time. Is he telling me something????

Inner Space Caverns

We took a little trip to Austin at the beginning of the summer. We hadn't seen Grandma Goodwin since Thanksgiving! It was good to see her. We enjoyed hearing and seeing her laugh and she made us laugh, too! We also went on a canoe/kayak trip. I was a little anxious, but it turned out fine. Scott capsized my dad....Scott didn't mean to, he was just trying to help! Since gas costs what it does now, we decided that a trip to Inner Space Caverns would have to be good enough (I remember Carlsbad Caverns as a child). It was a treat to have Paula with us. She's a fun girl to have around. She'll be off to BYU this fall! My littlest sister!

So you think your teeth are safe at Church? Check out Tanner's front tooth. It all happened in Primary....

The Zoo in Ft. Worth


Lake Mineral Wells State Park with the Zoggs
Staycation Summer 2008
We vacationed this summer in the DFW area.... we went to a manmade lake, called Burgers Lake. They had a trapeze swing, that I even tried! Allison would do the little slide and diving board over and over. The boys kept going off the big boards and slides. I guess we didn't take any pictures of that outing. It was also Lyle's 30th birthday and Scott picked out a most delicious cake to celebrate after all that swimming.

We also met up with Sara and Scott and family on their way to Houston. We explored and played at a place called Lake Mineral Wells State Park. We swam in the lake, we canoed in the lake. Scott and Sara are a little more daring than I am, and even Allison was jumping out of the canoe! Fortunately, I was in the right canoe, because those in the wrong canoe capsized! It was an adventure. We explored the rocks and climbed as best we could. We saw the Ft. Worth Water Gardens before they headed off, but it was somewhat disappointing since some of the water wasn't on at the Water Gardens. We still had fun and raced relays in the sweltering summer humidity. Ahhh.

On Monday we started the week off by going to the Ft. Worth Zoo and we finished our vacation on Friday night at the Mesquite R-o-d-e-o. We also went for a family bike ride.... A staycation is a nice way to enjoy all the conveniences of home, while doing some different activities during the day.

A random day in June......
Allison was reading (in her favorite attire) on the stairs....
Connor was mad about something on the couch......
Quinn was happily working on his toothpick bridge (notice, he uses Elmer's School glue very patiently).....
And Tanner, well, Tanner was in his usual place, too.... (that's the bathroom door).

I think this was a random day in May....I watched a little girl, Hailey. Allison and Hailey had a ball. Hailey is the youngest in a family of 5 kiddos, and who has been there through the whole time her mom has battled breast cancer. Everything looks good for her mom right now. But, the reason Hailey was at our home that random day, was because her mom was going to a funeral of a girl who wasn't so lucky (or was she). Hailey's mom said that the girl who passed away would tell people to "dry it up" when they'd come visit her! Cherish each little day and moment!