When I grow up...

I love it when Kayden brings home writing assignments from school accompanied by a picture. This one is a good one:

It reads, "When I grow up, I want to be a ploice.  They throw robbers in jail becaues they ar cool they have picetoles."  The translation is, "When I grow up, I want to be a police{man}.  They throw robbers in jail.  Because they are cool.  They have pistols."

We will have to see what the future brings.  Perhaps he will become a police officer.  One question: Will he be the good cop or bad cop??

Easter 2014

I love Easter. It is a reminder of all things new.  Celebrating Easter with kids makes the holiday all the better.

The boys are ready to go see what the Easter Bunny and in store for them--bedhead and all!

Jaxon looking under the couch.

Finding treasures on the stairs.

Checking all the nooks and crannies.

More of that teenage toughness that is becoming familiar.  Yet he smiles through it all.

Josh finding eggs in the rocks outside.

Kayden with a full basket of Easter eggs.

Spring Break 2014

The kids had a break from school and we decided to make the best of their time. There was play and there was work. It was a good week!
 

We started our Spring Break off with a visit to Grandma and Grandpa White's house for Sunday dinner.  They decided to install a pool in their backyard this summer.  The boys are so excited!  The installers had been busy the day before digging the hole for the pool.  Kayden and Josh were pretending that they are swimming.  Silly kids.

At the beginning of the week we went with some friends to visit the new aquarium in Draper.  It was a neat place to visit and we had a great time exploring all kids of aquatic life.  The boys got to cross over a suspension rope bridge that they thought was quite adventurous: 

 

  

 Whew!  Kayden made it!

 

  Josh having a good time with Jaxon and McKay right behind him.

Can you hear his thoughts?  I am sure they were something along the lines of, "Mom, I am way to cool a teen for you to be taking my picture.  Therefore I will give you 'the look'."

Josh watching the sharks swim around.

Jaxon and I thought the jellyfish were mesmerizing!

McKay and Jaxon watching the penguins swim around.  McKay has a different look in this shot.  This one says something like, "I am having a good time, but I don't want the camera to know about it."

Josh and Kayden enjoying the show the penguins put on.  They were quite entertaining!

This turkey decided he was tired.  So he took the opportunity to lie down for a rest accompanied by, "Mom, take my picture!"

While he wasn't resting, Kayden and I liked watching the sea turtle swim around.

Jaxon got to feel what a starfish is like.

Just as I snapped Jaxon's picture a stingray photo bombed him!

Jeremy took a few days off during spring break to get some yard work done.  But before we began our big project, we took the boys to the Draper temple.  The older boys and Jeremy did some family names at the baptistry and the younger two and I walked the temple ground.  It was a nice morning.

 Josh and Kayden enjoying the temple grounds.  The trees were out in bloom and beautiful spring flowers were all around.

 Kayden thought the temple windows were pretty neat.  "Why can't I peek in there Mom?"

 Josh ran across the lawn to have his picture taken.  He is that small little boy by the fence.

My handsome boys.

After the temple, we took the boys out for breakfast.

 Yum.  Kneader's french toast.

 Jeremy and I decided to accomplish some landscaping during spring break in between all that fun.  Jeremy took a few days off work so we could get the job done.  The boys were good sports and helped us out.  (Despite McKay's claims that he would have rather been in school than digging holes for trees.)  In just a couple of days we planted 65 plants, 6 trees and spread tons of bark.

Josh using the wheelbarrow to carry the bark where it needed to be.  He was Jeremy's sidekick for three days straight!  Josh said to Kayden, "Kayden go get a wheelbarrow and help me with this bark!"  This is what Kayden came back with:

What a great helper!

 I love that he has headphones in while working--he wants to be just like his older brothers.

The front yard turned out really nice.  We couldn't have done it without the boys.  We still had our spring break fun. In between all that work we made time to go to the movies and out to dinner along with making family memories.  The boys can't wait until summer break when we are thinking of finishing off the landscaping in the backyard--haha!

My Roots

My Uncle Verl, my dad's oldest brother, passed away a couple of weeks ago. His funeral was held in Bountiful where my dad grew up.  After the funeral, we went to eat with my cousins, parents, brother and other family members.  It was great to be with family.  Little did I know that the restaurant we were at was located on the same property that my dad's grandparents owned and lived on when he was a boy.
 

 

My dad told me the apricot trees that are located on the far side of the property (in the middle of the picture) were there when he was a boy.  The trees were in bloom and were beautiful.  It was neat to think that my Great Grandma and Grandpa Haacke planted those trees and picked apricots from them.

My dad then told me that he grew up next door to his Grandma and Grandpa.  This was his childhood house.  His dad built it.  I felt a connection to my roots that afternoon.  Family is awesome.  Especially mine.

Wax Museum

Josh participated in the third grade wax museum a couple of weeks ago.  He researched and did a report about John Adams and then dressed up like him and at stood still as part of a wax museum.  When it was his turn, he told about who he researched and dressed up as.

So serious.  He wouldn't look at us or move until it was his turn to talk.  He truly was like a wax statue!

Here he is presenting his whole report to his class.  He did a great job and was so informative!  His costume was made by his Grandma White several years ago when Josh's Uncle Brady dressed up as Benjamin Franklin for a similar event.  Sure glad she holds on to stuff like this!!

Josh and his awesome teacher Mrs. Knight.

So if you ever need or want to know about John Adams, just ask Josh!

Happy Birthday Jeremy!

Jeremy had a crazy day at work on his birthday. He was glad to get home and celebrate.  We went out and got some sushi without the kids (only because they wouldn't have eaten anything) and afterwards came home and had some birthday cake.

41!

The boys with the birthday boy.  They love their dad!

We gave Jeremy some tools for the yard for his birthday that will come in handy as we finish planting.  Jeremy loves working in the yard.  Happy Birthday Jeremy!  We are so thankful that we belong to you!