Dinner

Handsome Hubby picked out my blog topic for today. As I took dinner out to put on the grill he said it looked "beautiful" and snapped a picture with his cell phone.

I was just trying to use up what I had in the house, grabbed some frozen meat, a couple of peppers, a few zucchinis, threw on a few spices...

and voila...

you get a handsome husband who thinks his wife is a great cook!

I must admit though, the meat was tasty and Bubba said, with his mouth full of food, it was the best zucchini he'd ever had.

I love it when last minute ideas come together!

By the way, I love Handsome Hubby and I'm glad he appreciates my cooking - his compliments mean the world to me!

Slightly Unbalanced

My parents started out with a family of 2 Girls & 2 Boys

Now we look like this!

You may have noticed a lot of short hair in the picture... probably because the boys slightly outnumber the girls.

Okay, okay...

Here's Grandpa & Grandma with their

14 Grandsons

&

1 Granddaughter

We're a little top heavy with the boys!

First Haircut

First Junior Looked like this:

Mommy really didn't want to do it... her baby wouldn't look like a baby anymore :(

But, we're all supposed to learn and grow, so...

Daddy went to work and Junior didn't even cry (the only one of our boys who didn't) - he just seemed slightly annoyed.

Here's how he looks today:

All "Big Boy"

Say Cheese

For all those wondering... this is what a 40 pound block of cheese looks like.

Why do we have a 40 pound block of cheese?

Handsome Hubby's parents are dairy farmers - how lucky are we?!?

What do you do with 40 pounds of cheese?

- send half to your brother-in-law's house

- cut a few smaller cubes for the fridge

- shred, shred, shred...

- put in storage bags and freeze

- did I say shred?
It may look like a lot, but I'm sure the boys will finish it off in no time! Four growing boys... bring it on!

Happy Sleep

I couldn't resist recording this... every time Junior would wake back up he'd start to laugh... way too cute!

Happy days are good days!

Backyard Fun

When it's 104 degrees - the pool is a wonderful place to be!

Junior loves floating around!

Bubba, the noodle thief!

How about a snorkeling adventure with the Professor?

OTG Boy's up for a little one-on-one any day!

And of course Handsome Hubby and I take turns playing and life-guarding...

How 'bout a swim? Come on over!

My Little Helper

This little one loves being outside and loves watering the lawn. I love how our kids come to this earth natural born helpers - I wish it would stay that way. Junior really is a good helper, but...

He also loves any excuse to get in the water :)

Better Late Than Never?

You may remember Handsome Hubby and OTG Boy were going to be in the Easter Pageant at the Mesa Temple this last March. Well they did it... they loved it... and had some amazing experiences!

During the pageant cast members are set apart as cast missionaries - what a great opportunity and reminder to our family that, "it is the Spirit that matters most." Next time you're talking with Handsome Hubby ask him about a few of the miracles he experienced... wonderful times.

So, for those who could not come, this is the pair in their costumes. They did a great job! It was busy, but both will tell you they'd love to do it again!

Grandpa

So, blogging kind of fell by the wayside for awhile... turns out being a mom took away some of that free time this year... between virtual schooling (for the first year), an infant/now toddler running around the house, primary calling and all the "stuff" a growing family finds themselves participating in... I got a little busy. You know what? I wouldn't have it any other way - I love being a MOM and I love my family!

So, you see the guy with the big smile on his face teaching my little brother how to shoot the 22?

He's my Grandpa!

Grandpa passed away last week. I miss him.

I am incredibly lucky to have him as my Grandpa.

He loved his family, he loved adventure, he loved this earth, he loved learning! He's one of the smartest people I've ever met.

As a kid I loved the adventures of camping and water skiing... it was also fun when my Grandpa was the only person I knew with a home computer - I thought that was the coolest thing ever (Grandpa was a techie, too).

As a teenager, I loved to learn about World War II and listen to Grandpa & Grandma's experiences as they travelled the world.

As a college student, I visited any time I could... BYU was just down the street.

Once I got married I loved talking with Grandpa about our trips as we'd drive back to Utah. He'd always get so excited when I'd tell him about our adventure, the path we travelled the places we stopped.

During the funeral as my Uncle was describing the way my Grandparents travel - always stopping to see the landmarks, admire the beauty and enjoy the adventure, Handsome Hubby would give me a nudge and smile. Why? Totally me... I can never get in the car and just go... we have to stop, we need to learn about the sites... we need to take in the adventure. When Handsome Hubby tells me I'm just like my Grandpa, that's the best compliment I could ever receive.

Love you Grandpa! I'm thankful families can be forever! Say "hi" to my little angel!