Birthday by the Numbers

1 40-something hubster

4 kids working nicely on 2 birthday posters

1 chocolate chip cookie cake made by 2 kids

1 dinner for 6 at Applebee's for $24

3 items of clothing given as a gift

3 items of clothing that have to be returned

1 trip to Best Buy with 1 gift card

2 new accessories for the PS3

4 kids who tried their hand at Rock Band

1 birthday boy who needed to play just 1 more game

1 fun little evening celebrating our 1 and only Glenn ♥

Practically Perfect

The Franklin and Ryan girls enjoyed their collective birthday present last night downtown in the State Theater. Mary Poppins dropped by and she was delightful. I love that they changed up the storyline from the movie just a bit, and the dances were pretty darn awesome.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, to be exact.

Thank you Grandma and Grumpy for a fun girl's night!

I know this crush ain't going away

It was revealed at church this morning that there was to be a spontaneous youth fireside in Kirtland tonight. And that the speaker would be - oh - David Archuleta. Yeah, that David Archuleta. He is in town for his tour with Demi Levato and just may be an aquaintance of our new mission president. I wasn't going to go, since I don't technically have "youth" in my family, but when the stake president's wife said I should totally take Emma and Leah, I totally did!

I thought it would be a total mob scene, but when we pulled into the church parking lot, there was ample parking and a second row seat (!) in the chapel. For the kids, at least. They asked the adults to move the overflow seating in the back. Emma stayed in front with her cool older friends, but Leah wanted to hang with me in the back row. I think Leah was a little overwhelmed with anticipation and uncertainty. She just didn't know what to expect--was it going to be a mob scene of screaming teenage girls? That would be too much for her to handle. I tried to reassure her that it was going to be a very calm, normal fireside, but she hasn't had too many experiences with those, either, so she just stuck close.

After several reminders to keep quiet and reverent, and a couple announcements that there was to be absolutely NO PHOTOGRAPHY, in walked little Brother Archuleta. The opening hymn was "The Spirit of God" and I thought Holy cow, David Archuleta is going to sing The Spirit of God! Like, he knows the words! Very cool.

From a different fireside where they did allow photography (whatever!) but I think he wore the exact same thing for ours!

He then began the evening by singing "I am a Child of God." Let me just say that the boy can sing. Like for real. It was funny because he was was rambling and talking in circles while telling his stories and admittedly did not have a way with words. But when he starts singing, he is amazingly eloquent. He definitely expresses himself through music. After he sang "Be Still, My Soul" I was ready for him to release a CD of church hymns. And by the time he ended with an a capella version of "How Great Thou Art," I was completely converted.

As I listened to him speak, I was impressed by his humility and desire to be a good example and stay true to his standards. He's just a good boy. He made me happy. And I am so glad the girls had this experience and that I got to share it with them.

And I might try a little harder to find some tickets to the concert tomorrow night for Brooke's birthday...

This is your zucchini. This is your zucchini on steroids.

We planted a little garden this year. Tomatoes, carrots, cilantro, cantaloupe, chives, pumpkins, squash, and zucchini. Stuff that would be easy to grow. Well, I guess so! We came home to this gargantuan veggie after our vacation. All the other zucchini were regular sized, but this one had to go and show off. It's as big as Andrew's leg! Can't wait to cut into this puppy! Zucchini bread, anyone?

The big finish

What do you get when you cross hundreds of swimmers at a huge conference swim meet that doesn't start on time with a hot, humid day and some thunderstorms?

One sweaty mom, two antsy young spectators, one dad who has enough time to go home and mow the lawn between events, and two bored and slightly overwhelmed swimmers.

Who just happened to finish 2nd and 3rd in their heats for their individual events!

Here is Leah's 2nd place finish in the 50 Back:



And here is Emma's 3rd place finish in the 50 Breast:



So there you have it, sports fans--another great swim season from the Wonder Twins!

In sync.

One of the best parts of our family reunion was watching how much fun my kids had with their cousins. Sure, they see them at least every other week, but there's nothing like traveling together to make those bonds even stronger. And I just have to give my nephew Tyler props for the way he treats Andrew. I keep reminding Andrew that there aren't too many teenage boys who would put up with a 7 year old's shenanigans. Andrew is lucky to have such a cool big cousin who will not only give him the time of day, but also spend lots of time with him.

The day our fishing and canoeing plans got rained on we had fun playing games in the cabin for a while, and then we just had to get out of the house. We tried a couple historic sites that were closed, so the trip kind of ended up being a long round about way to get milk from the Super Walmart. As Glenn's mom put it--"We're getting a feel for the lay of the land!" The passengers in our car didn't have too much of a problem with the mini road trip, though--



And then we got a huge kick of watching the kids watch themselves. They think they're hilarious.And they kind of are.

Free Advice

Dear Amy,

I would like to organize a family reunion, but I just don't know how to go about it. Do you have any advice for making it a week to remember?

Sincerely,
Reluctant Reunioner

Dear Reluctant-

There are several things you should keep in mind for a successful family reunion.

1. Allow plenty of travel time, as unexpected delays can pop up at any time (especially in Indiana).

2. Plan an exciting event for the girls-- ---and then one for the boys.
3. Take a tour of an historical site that has family significance.(Graue Mill - Oak Brook, IL)


4. Plan around an important milestone in a family member's life.

5. Stay in a hotel with a pool.

6. Taste local cuisine, even if you are already stuffed to the rafters.
7. Celebrate a long life well-lived, and still going strong.

8. Enjoy the great outdoors together.

9. Let the kids catch fireflies and make s'mores and look at the stars.

10. Don't get discouraged if the weather doesn't cooperate. You can still find plenty of things to keep you and your family entertained.(Lowden State Park - Oregon, IL)


11. And with enough ingenuity, you can still grill up a tasty dinner.

12. Make sure you know the hours of local attractions. And if you happen to get there 30 minutes late, take pictures to prove you were there. (Ronald Reagan's boyhood home - Dixon, IL)

Don't hesitate to plan your next get-together, my friend. With a little planning, patience, cooperation, and love, you too can have a reunion to remember.

Considerately yours,

Amy

A swimming FIRST

Last night we had a swim meet against Bay Village. Typical meet. The girls each had three events. I was a first-half timer.

I happened to be timing the lane Emma was in for her 50 free. As she stepped on the block, I told her, "Head down on the entry and KICK!" She was looking strong as she headed down to the other end of the pool. She did her flip turn and began the final lap. At this point I realized, Hey--she is in the lead here! I don't know if it was a conflict of interest for a timer to be crazily cheering on the swimmer in her lane, especially with the meet official very nearby, but I kind of didn't care. Emma finished in first place, shaving a whole second off her time! She won't be getting any ribbons, since it was Heat 2, but what a boost to have a first place finish after lots and lots of - shall we say - not first place finishes.

Leah had a bit of excitement in her 50 Breast, too. She was also swimming in Heat 2, but happened to be the only girl. So they stuck her in with the boys (ewwww). She was cruising right along and - oh yeah - beat TWO of the boys! Take that, dudes!

Things sure are going swimmingly around here.

Sale of the Century

The 6th graders around these parts have a week-long trip to an outdoor camp each fall. Our family will be sending TWO 6th graders, which means we are responsible for TWO fees of $250. Yeah. For those who are having trouble keeping up, that means $500 smackers. We told the girls they would have to work a bit to help offset costs.

During one phone conversation with my mom, I happened to mention how obscenely expensive the camp is. Leave it to Grandma to come up with a brilliant plan: a jewelry sale! She headed up to the Galt flea market to stock up on necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and headbands at wholesale prices. I threw in some of my bracelets and handmade reversible ribbon headbands.

Mom walked the girls through the process step-by-step--advertising, overhead costs, price points, sale ettiquette. The girls went through the neighborhood handing out flyers, sent emails, and set up for the sale. They labeled the items, took money, and made change. They even did a little bit extra selling of water bottle carriers at Andrew's baseball game (with a lot of help from Syndey!).

And so, in about 14 hours over three days, Emma and Leah earned enough money to cover the cost of one camper! I was amazed and impressed and incredibly grateful to Grandma for the brilliant idea and the loving execution. I am also impressed with Emma's and Leah's work ethic and willingness to help out in their own behalf. I know they will appreciate and remember this experience so much more because of the part they played in getting themselves to camp.

{I think they will also remember those "America's Got Talent" and "SYTYCD" performances Grandma inspired during down time! Wink, wink}

Thank you, Grandma, for saving the day--
and our bank account!

Just for Grandpa

Andrew's second double of the evening!

Sounds of Summer

For your viewing pleasure.....I give you a selection from the fab Summer Band concert.

Parents just don't understand...

...how being able to attend a summer band concert is a big deal.

...that their grandkids love it when they goof around with them.
...that being together for the 4th of July was so great, we had to celebrate the holiday twice.

(Public Square ~ Clague Park)

...that free family bowling is worth dealing with the grumpy bowling alley employee.

...that it is possible to have the perfect BBQ, and that sometimes too much is a good thing.

...how lucky their daughter is to have known her father for 35 years of his 60-year life. And counting.

...that they can make fairy tales come true for their grandkids.

...we are all questioning the worth of future visits to CiCi's. Well, maybe not the kids.

...just how much we love them!