And the Winner is........

Oh how we love Karaoke at our house! Every New Years Eve for years this has been our tradition! We also do Karaoke and DJ professionally (http://www.hartdjandkaraoke.com/) but when we get asked to do a New Year's Eve party, we turn it down because we just can't disappoint our loyal friends who look forward to it every year. Last year we had a couple people singing until 4 AM! So we decided to try it in the summer this time. We had the grand idea of having it in our backyard to take advantage of the crisp summer evenings we have here, but I'm sure my neighbors heard about it and prayed for rain. They got their wish. So the party quickly moved to our basement which was just as fun. I always try to record the funniest song of the evening. Last night the definate winner was Brother Roberts lovely rendition of Enter Sandman. No one saw that one coming! I'll post the video if I get his permission. Or I may just give a copy to his sweet wife Erin. But my alltime favorite has to be a group of four grown men singing........

HaHaHa I love Karaoke.

Yesterday was quite eventful. We also got to go to the new splash park in Rexburg and my kids went to two birthday parties!

Then today we had the Roaring Youth jam and a baptism! I guess we're trying to cram in all the last minute fun we can before school starts Wed.

Park Day

Every Wed morning the ladies in my neighborhood gather their children together at various parks throughout our suburb. Yesterday morning I was running a bit late, and so to compel my youngest daughter to move faster, I said "Hurry and get ready so we can go see your friends!" And her quick reply to me was "You mean your friends." Even 4 year olds can see the truth. Mommy needs some grown-ups to talk to. This reminds me of that commercial on t.v. a few years ago. The father enters the home after a day at the office and is greeted by his wife asking in a sing-song style "Is daddy waddy home from worky jerky?" I hope I'm not to that point yet, but I do think I look forward to park day more than my children sometimes.....

As much as I love talking to other adults from time to time, I try not to let the time with my children be only quantity and not quality. But sometimes it's hard to think of things to do at home, yet it can also be hard, and expensive to drive 5 children around to different activities all the time. I found a great website with a new fun idea for you to do with your kids every day. And if you don't like what's on the menu for today, you can look ahead or behind to any day.

http://parenting.ivillage.com/familytime/calendar/frame

Chase

Chase learned how to bat at and grab toys this week. What a fun little 2 month old he is! I just love the big huge grins first thing in the morning. It's as if he's saying "I'm so happy to see you!"

My kids have the coolest Uncle ever!!!!!!!!!!!

This past weekend we drove to Boise to my only sister's house. Since the time they moved there about a year and a half ago, we hardly ever see eachother, and I hadn't seen her new house yet. It was large and beautiful and they, and their six kids, totally deserve it. She was such a gracious host as the 7 of us, and my parents showed up all at once. It was alot of fun, and she made some fabulous food, including a lemon/lime angel food cake jelly roll type dessert! (e-mail me for the recipe, I'll get it from her). My only brother was able to make it as well. This was becoming more unusual as he moved to Vernal Utah and has a crazy work schedule. But it's not as impossible to get together as most families might have it be. In fact, I see my brother from Vernal much more ofter than my sister from Boise due to the fact that Uncle Mark is not only a pilot, but earlier this year he bought himself his own plane! Now the 9 hour drive from his home to ours can be condensed to a feasible 2 1/2 (depending on weather) flight full of awe-inspiring views! And Uncle Mark never tires of flying! He's always excited to give people a ride, whether planned or spur of the moment as both mine and Justin's were. The weekend before last, Uncle Mark flew up to celebrate his birthday. I just went to pick him up from the airport, but was lucky enough to end up flying over the windmills up on the hill. When we were leaving Boise, Mark offered to fly Justin as far as Burly. They voyaged all around the area, flying down into a canyon, just a few feet above the river. Most people only get those kind of experiences by watching them in a movie! And even then it's like comparing store bought tomatos to the home grown ones. It's just not the same. You've got to experience it yourself.

Welome to our blog!

Justin, Debbie, Austin, Ashley, Evan, Emily and Chase!