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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Fun With Cousins!

Twilight Camp was lots of fun!
One of the nights during that week, Paul and Kody slept over. Of course, I wanted to make it a big party, so Ashlyn and Lochlin came and joined Braeden in sleeping over too!

It was so much fun!

The kids put on a show. They had tickets, bouncers, security, an MC, and OF COURSE - the performers. They practiced for a long time to make sure the show would be perfect. I think most of the fun was had in getting ready for their big show. They were so stinkin cute! I love how these kids play together. They did their dances/cartwheels/handstands/frolicking on the floor to songs by Michael Jackson, ABBA and Billy Idol. All classics. Their entrances were well timed, and did I say they were adorable?I also love how I have a room for them to do things like this. I mean, seriously - who needs furniture? I love having an empty room. One day, we will get furniture, and the room wont be as fun anymore. It will be a sad sad day for my kids.

Then, we all went swimming. Dawn was there too. These kids just played so well together! We were all in HEAVEN!

The "BIG" boys

Kody & Nate

Ok, how cute are these girls? So glad they are such good friends!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Lake Powell #1

The week after baseball camp, we went to Lake Powell! I seriously love that place! We drove Joe's dad's Hummer towing the jet-ski's. It was nice to drive a vehicle that wasn't our own car.

It was surprising that even in mid-June in the desert, it was still COLD! The water was freezing, and there were several days that the temperature didn't even get above 85. Global warming is CRAP.

We still had fun. I froze a bit when it was my turn to stay in the water to help the little kids ski/kneeboard or whatever. At least nobody got a bad sunburn!







Saturday, June 13, 2009

Botanical Gardens

So, I signed Aaron up for TCU baseball camp. I LOVE the camp. I LOVE the way they teach the kids so much. I love the facilities there. I LOVE that Aaron improves so much while he is there. I just think it is a very well-run camp!

Too bad his baseball team this year SUCKED (maybe it had to do with the fact that his coach was a no-show 75% of the games and held no practices EVER...)

Too bad also - he had camp WHILE the HOWEYS were in town! :(

I didn't get any pictures of the baseball camp.

It is all the way down in Fort Worth, so it is quite a drive from up here in Frisco. I did, however, try to make it a party. Aaron at least got to hang out when we slept over at Grandma Allen's with Dawn & her kids. One of the days, we took the kids (minus Aaron) to the Fort Worth botanical gardens. It was fun to walk around there with the kids! Maybe, if it wasn't so hot, we would have enjoyed it a bit more?!



Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Twilight Camp

Aaron was signed up for the cub scout TWILIGHT CAMP. I can't believe he is a cub scout. This was his first real thing to do with the den. His cousins (Paul & Kody) signed up to come with us in our den (because theirs wasn't going). We were so excited to spend the week having them be ALL BOY together. Nate was signed up to come along and be in the papoose section. I figured Charity would love to spend the week with Grandma and Sarah... (and Ashlyn who was visiting!)

HOWEVER... Dawn was in town. SO we got Braeden signed up to go too! Poor Lochlin was too old :( so he was excluded. It was even more fun with Brae there with us too! He just spent the week up at my house, so we had lots of fun sleepovers!

The boys had a blast together!





Saturday, June 06, 2009

June 6th

June has begun, and it is a very BUSY month!
Fun began when Dawn and her kids came out to spend the summer here in the DFW!! We are so glad to have them so we can play!

Friday night, Joe's mom came into town and stayed with us!
Then, there was Saturday, June 6th which in and of itself made my head spin!!!

Beginning at 9am, Aaron had a baseball game.
He played the first 45 mins of it, then rushed over to the church - for his baptism! (why he couldn't skip the game was beyond me, but Joe was committed to having Aaron not let his team down - it all worked out, so no complaints, but a bit stressful...)

The chapel was full - lots of kids were baptized that day. The nicest thing was that our ward got to go get baptized 1st (they were just 2 of 20 slated to be baptized that day). As we were walking out after confirmations, children were still not done with their baptisms. I knew this would be the case when I found out how many kids were getting baptized. I lost sleep, I shed tears. I was so stressed for so many reasons. Seriously, prayers were answered because everything worked out wonderfully. I totally begged to go first, but I had a good reason! So many things had to work out perfectly for the day to not fall apart and be a disaster. Piece #1 that needed to work perfectly was that we needed to be done with the baptism and confirmation quickly. (oops, I forgot my camera, so pictures were taken, I just haven't gotten them onto my computer yet...)
ANYWAYS... Joe baptized him. Jacob Woodrome (cousin who lives in Houston) got baptized that same day by his dad at the same service! It was a very special day. We were thrilled to be able to get baptized at the same time/place to make it easier for all the families to be together! Being baptized with a cousin made it honestly SO INCREDIBLE! So many people came to show love and support! Our family was there, then of course the Woodrome family (Christine, Lehi, Jacob and Emma) along with Lehi's mom and sister and sons. Grandma Robinson was there. Grandpa & Trish & Jessica came too! Patrice (+Zach, Tyler & Jillian) was sweet to come for the event as well!

Grandma Allen came, along with Cherry (+Sarah, Luke & Max) Dawn (+Lochlin, Braeden, Ashlyn & Irelyn) Lydia (+Kaitlyn & Mckinsie). During the confirmation servie, my mom played piano, while my sisters and I (and our kids) represented the Allen side of the family with the traditional singing of "The First Step". Of course, I cried through it. I can't believe my son is baptized. I couldn't even get past the words: "You were born into a family that loves you..." I had sung those words so many times before, but was now facing MY son - I was singing those words to HIM!! He really was born into a family that loves him. As a child/teenager, I didn't really understand that love... but as a mother, I couldn't help but be overcome. I love him so much, and I am so proud him.

PS I am also proud/thrilled and totally IN LOVE with Joe for being willing to be the baptize-r.

Brent & the Wall boys (Jacob, Ethan, Justin & Owen) came and so did the our wonderful neighbors: the Jettons. I was glad they came because Terry and Brent were the witnesses for the baptism and helped in the confirmation!

Grandma Robinson gave the closing prayer from the confirmation and gave both boys a white blanket with their names and their baptism date embroidered on it so they could always remember their special day. It was such a wonderful event! PS, Aaron's primary teacher (Sister McKendrick) also came! So nice of her!

One might ask why I was so stressed about getting in and out quickly. Getting home by 11:30 gave us a whole hour to feed lunch to about 40 people!

Why just an hour? Charity's 1st ballet recital was at 12:30 pm. Seriously - who makes a dance recital at 12:30??? Shouldn't they be at 5 or 6pm? Apparently, she was in only 1 of about 5 shows, and unfortunately, her show was the 12:30. ARRRGHHHH. WHY on the baptism day???? I fretted and stressed because I knew so many people were going to be in town, and how were we going to entertain them after the baptism, and how were we going to be able to sneak out to her recital etc....

12:30pm: We went to Charity's dance recital. I only had 6 tickets, so I left most of the people at my house with Joe. That way, my mom Ashlyn, Joe's mom, Joe's dad & Trish and Jessica came to the recital to watch Charity do her 1st ever ballet dance! She was absolutely wonderful - the cutest one out there! She knew her dance perfectly! My favorite part was when she was the only one on stage who knew what was going on. She literally took things into her own hands when she actually gracefully/knowingly/sweetly reminded the 2 little girls on either side of her to take her hands during this one part. SO STINKIN CUTE!!!



ANYWAYS, We were totally blessed because while it started at 12:30. I didn't know what time she would perform until Friday night at the dress rehearsal. I gained a few minutes inbetween the baptism and the recital because she wasnt until 2nd to last on the program! That way, I didn't mind that we got there a few minutes late! PHEW because we were of COURSE a few minutes late!

These things sound so silly, but what would you do if you had 5 families from out of town come INTO town for a baptism, and need a place to go after that baptism... but instead of being available to feed them and entertain at your home (because most were staying in a hotel) you weren't available because your daughter also had her 1st ever recital that same time!!????

Anyways, while we were at the recital, Jeff and Jessie flew in and arrived at my house and joined the party. We got home from the recital by 2 and everyone just hung out and relaxed for a while. Then... Joe picked up my babysitter and the whole bunch of us went to the indy car race at Texas Motor Speedway!

The pieces had fallen into place, and I was so much more relaxed after the children had made it to their big events that morning.

It was quite serendipitous that the race was that evening - it brought more family to the baptism (at least I think so). Our race attending group included Lehi (and his nephews and Jacob) Aaron, Joe, Me, Patrice, Zach, Tyler, Jeff, Jessie, Dan, Paul, Jamie, Kody, Joe's Dad, Trish & Jessica.

We were able to talk the race up to Dan & Lydia, so he bought tickets for his office - and luckily had enough so Dawn, Loch & Brae were able to come too! It was a GREAT evening! The race was under the lights and we even went down to the garages and pit row after the race! I am Texas WT and PROUD!!! It was so fun to go with family and I really TRULY enjoyed every minute of it!


What a day!

Thursday, June 04, 2009

And More...

Memorial Weekend was WONDERFUL! Of course, we headed down to the ranch. This time was exciting though - we got to work the cows!


All day Saturday, we worked the cows - herding them into the corral, sending them down the chutes, immunizing, deworming, tagging and branding them. We all had so much manure flung on us... It was gross, and REALY hard work but SO MUCH fun at the same time. Then, after all the big cows were done, we had to chase the baby calves down and tackle them to the ground (rodeo style) to tag them and castrate the males. It was quite an experience. We got SOOO tired and DIRTY! The rest of the weekend, we just relaxed and hung out.

Nate was so mad that we wouldn't let him in the pen while we were wrestling the calves. He sat there with this face just festering mad for at least a minute or two... Then, I walked over to him, and he finally broke down and let out his cry. It was so sad it was kindof funny.
There was this moment though, during the day, that really impacted me. Before we got to the calves, some of the mommy cows came back up to the corral and were just standing as close as they could to their calves the gate/fence was seperating them. It was like they knew what was going to happen to their children - like they knew the pain their children were about to face. ANYWAYS, that night, I had this nightmare that we had to hold Aaron down and just cut off his hands (for his own good). I kissed him. I helped hold him down. We all kept commenting on what a good "patient" he was (the same way we were talking of the cows). He just looked at me - with sweet pleading eyes. I kept thinking in my head - "now, how will not having any hands be for his own good?" Well, I woke up feeling quite disturbed. I couldn't sleep after that. I know we weren't cruel to the cows - we give our own children shots for their own good. It wasn't the whole rodeo day that impacted me. I would do it again (and probably will). I think the disturbing image was seeing the moms come back to their babies... (Yes, now you all have proof that I am a little NUTS).

Scary! While riding the 4 wheelers, the BIG boys came upon this water moccasin. They pinned it with their machine, then cut off its head with hedge clippers... Still... made me want to keep my kids out of the tall grass for a while.

ANYWAYS... Cherry and Scott came out for a bit (but unfortunately, decided to leave and not sleep over). We did have a lot of fun with them though - the kids fished, and played on the slip-n-slide and we of course cooked dinner on the bbq.I think that covers it.

We eventually (and unfortunately) had to come home.

My kids have GOT to be the cutest sweetest things in the world. So often, I will find that one or more of them have moved to a sibling's bed to cuddle. It warms my heart to see my kids take such great care of each other. Whenever one is afraid, another one will welcome them into their beds to comfort them and cuddle them to sleep. I went up to take Nate potty before I went to bed, but he wasn't in his bed. He was in Charity's. This is what I saw:
They were both so sweaty, but they were still cuddling! I am lucky to have such tender children!

Finally, today (June 4th) is the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!! The kids and I are SO READY FOR SUMMER! I miss them and I just can't wait to spend some quality day time with them! This is the last time they have to ride off early in the morning (well, at least until August).
This is the last time I will watch them ride off like this - hearing them say "BYE! I love you!" over and over to me and Nate all the way down the alley.