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