I Love a Rainy Night!

Monsoon season has been disappointing this year.

We got so excited when it started to rain.

We went outside to play in the cooler evening air.

Here's Cus & Ryan watching from the truck's tailgate.

Future Scientist

One day Grandpa Martinsen said to Caleb,

"Stop jumping on the couch.

I know you can remember because you've got a really big, smart brain in your head."

Caleb very seriously replied,

"It's just hard because I have a lot of stuff in my brain!

I'm like a future scientist, ya know!"

Caleb is determined to be a scientist when he grows up. Here are some pics of us doing some experiments over the summer.

Go Caleb Go!

This was Caleb's first summer with the Anthem Auquabats!

His proudest moment was winning a 1st Place ribbon in the Butterfly!

He and Eli have also both conquered the high dive this summer.

Ryan had to promise them Slurpies & a Redbox, but they did it & now they can't get enough!

the 4th

We had a fun 4th of July with our good friends, the McBride's, in Oceanside.

Ryan surfed, of course.

Megen and I got pedicures and lunch together.

We all played at the beach and pool.
The fireworks were held at an outdoor theater in Vista.

Here's the whole gang having a picnic and waiting for the fireworks to start.
What a great friend Meg is. One of those that will always be.

The kids had fun dancing to the live band!
Goodbye Oceanside. Until next time...

One of the Greatest Places on Earth...

LAKE POWELL 2009

The traditional crazy face and regular face pictures of the whole gang.

Eli spent much of his time hunting lions with various plastic knives. Here is his hunter's face.

Mom & Eli. He insisted on this life jacket. Preferred it over the sissy blue and gray one.

Driving lessons for Mom. Now if I can just learn how to park this thing!

This was taken right before they all went over the boat's wake & Eli did a flip in the air.

He came down right on the water weenie and then ricocheted off into the water.

I jumped from the boat to console him because I naturally thought he would be scared.

Nope, he was just ticked off!

So appalled that someone would intentionally try to knock him off!

Evenings were spent sitting around the fire talkin' story and listening to the guitar.

Ryan loves to fish and is passing that love on to Caleb.

The score for catching fish on the 1st day was:

Caleb - 1 Ryan - 0

Ryan

April

Somehow nobody got any pictures of me doing my sweet jumps!

Go Grandpa!

Go Grandma!

Crazy cousin fun!



Caleb & Eli spent so much time up on the top of the houseboat doing attack/dance moves to the Superhero cd that their cousins brought.

We Love Dad!

We spent Father's Day @ Lake Powell this year. As usual, Ryan requested that I spend a grand total of $0.00 on a gift.

He really wanted a gift "crafted from the natural surroundings at the lake."

Last year's saltdough paper weights were cool, but what else can you make from rocks and water?

So, I went to LeeLee's International Market and got some of his favorite items from Japan and Colombia.

Here is the World's Best Grandpa t-shirt that all of the cousins made for Ryan's dad.

Some good times...

I'll admit, the last month has been pretty rough.
But, there have been some really good times too.
I'm determined not to get so caught up with sadness that I don't recognize the goodness.

Here are some of the good times...

Caleb's t-ball season. For the 1st game or two, he slid into every base.

What a DAD!

Summer is here. That means Mom has to be a little more creative to keep little minds and hands busy. Here are the boys with their edible (equal parts peanut butter & marshmallow cream) playdough creations.

At Caleb's school (Montessori) they have a "Celebration of Life" ceremony on their birthday. The child walks around a calendar on the floor while holding a globe. They walk around once for each year of their life and tell the class something that happened to them each year.

Last week, Eli walked into his primary class at church, looked around the room, and said, "I have bigger muscles than all of them!"
Lately Eli has been really into showing his muscles. He often asks for snacks or sugar. When I tell him, "no" he will respond, "But Mom, eating gets my muscles big, so I have to eat!"

He is also showing off his rash due to an allergic reaction to an antibiotic.

(Notice Ryan in the background.)

We get this ad in the mail ever few weeks.
The first time I thought it must have been a joke. But, we keep getting it!
It makes my day everytime!




We planted a garden this spring and are now enjoying the fruits of our labor!