Mani-Pedi's with My Daddy-O

My dad invited all of the ladies in my family to come and get mani-pedis the Saturday after the 4th of July. We had such a blast! There were ten of us there and we all came out with big smiles and pretty fingers and toes. THANKS A MILLION Daddy-O!

Benjamin's First Big Campout

Benjamin is so lucky to have very diligent scout leaders (thanks to Jess Evans and Wes Boyd). They love to take the boys camping. Josh was unable to make this campout but, from all accounts, Benjamin did very well. They went to Mt. Charleston, ate steak, hiked 5 miles,and came home dog tired. Z, Jaden, Joseph and Ben went as scouts and Andrew B. came with his dad.

4th of July 2011

We had the best Fourth of July this year! It ended up being mostly just my family (plus a couple of high-spirited cousin's and their families), so it was smaller but SO FUN!

During the day, we had lunch together, plus a salsa and bake-off competition going on. People swam (the weather was absolutely PERFECT), ate, and laughed a lot.

Our usual Olympic-style night started with a HILARIOUS "Best in Show/Dog Show" Opening Ceremony. Benjamin got to participate as the All-American Bulldog. My brother Mark had us falling off our chairs in laughter with his Chihuahua impersonation.
REALLY good entertainment!




And then the traditional games began! Thanks to my cousin Becky for organizing such a fun event! So many people participated in the games, so even though there were fewer people than usual, we still had ourselves some good competition.

As the sun set, we had a snake pit followed by tank firework races. We had sparklers and light-up toys to dance around the pool with. Then everyone brought chairs to my parent's front yard to enjoy some fireworks. It was a wonderful fourth. God Bless America!

Summer Store

We have really been having a happy and productive summer. Thanks to a friend of mine, I got the idea to have the kids do chores and their other work (workbooks, practicing piano, reading, etc.). Each morning they wake up to new assignments on large craft sticks in plastic cups.

As they work, they earn "Chesnik Bucks". Once a week we hold a "Summer Store" where they can use their bucks to buy different items. It has been the first summer that I feel like the kids are really productive and happy and I don't have an additional work load for myself. It has been really great!

Silly Kids

Summer Days

And the livin' is easy...

Uncle Markie Ride Broke

My brother Mark often plays with the kids on Wednesday at my parent's house. He gives them rides and picks on them (which they LOVE). One day his back hurt, so Eli posted a sign on his legs which read "RIDE BROKEN: It really is, don't even try!".

The "Train Store" Follows Me Home

My kids have loved going to a local educational shop called "The Learning Store". They call it "The Train Store" because of the awesome Thomas the Train set they have set up there. When I heard that they were closing, I was so sad that the kids wouldn't get to play with it anymore. I asked them what they were going to do with it and they said they needed to call corporate. After a few days, I called back and they said they would sell it. The kids were shocked when I unloaded it from the van. It is such a fun set for a great price. Woo-hoo!

Auntie Kelli Plays Alien

The kids had a grand time one day outside with their Auntie Kelli. They got all dressed up, danced, sang and played "Alien".

Day at the Park

We finally had a Saturday to just play about a month ago. We hiked around the new trail at Sunset Park and then ended at the new play area. The kids really enjoyed the strange play equipment. Then we had Olive Garden for lunch and a long nap time afterwards. A perfect day!

Mother-Daughter Date with Eli

Eli and I had heaps of fun at the Mother-Daughter Date for Activity Days. One of the leaders, Summer Palmberg, had gone all out with a super-fun cherry themed party. Eli loved drawing a bowl of ice cream with a cherry on top, playing an ice cream game, and eating a cherry out of a bowl full of whipped cream. It was so nice to just have fun with my Eli! I sure love that girl!

Ben Earns his Faith in God

Benjamin recently earned his "Faith In God"--a religious award for goal setting over the course of 3-4 years. He has been working on this diligently for 4 years and we are proud of what he has learned and who he is becoming. Way to go Ben!

Jalie Hurts Her Thumb

Jalie made her first (and hopefully ONLY) visit to the ER a couple of months ago. She was playing with her siblings right before bedtime and ran into the house, slamming the sliding glass door closed behind her in an effort to get away from them. Unfortunately, she slammed the door on her thumb and sliced the top significantly, including part of her nail. I quickly realized it was going to need stitches. We called my good father-in-law to come to the rescue to babysit the other kids and we were off.

A nurse quickly assessed Jalie and then took us back. After waiting for over an hour (with Jalie nearly passing out and needing oxygen in the meantime and Josh declaring it "The night from H-E-double hockey sticks" due to both her injury and the television show on-- "High School Musical 3"), the doctor came and looked at the wound and confirmed that she would need stitches and at least part of the nail removed. We had to wait another 30 minutes before the came to wrap her up in a papoose-type thing. Jalie was very calm by then and had even started watching a little television. Until they gave her four shots in her hand. She cried so hard and couldn't move an inch. It really broke my heart. After about 10 minutes, they began the surgery. She kept trying to look at her hand and would then get freaked out, so Josh and I really worked to distract her. By the time they wrapped her hand up (three stitches later), she just wanted to be held and loved. Poor baby.

11 days later, she had her stitches removed. Her thumb skin was still flapped open (gross!), but the doctor said it was fine because it was healing from the inside out. Josh carefully washed and re-wrapped her hand a couple of times a day for the next several weeks. Thankfully, she is fully healed and her nail is almost entirely normal now.

Jakob's Kindergarten Graduation

Jakob graduated kindergarten! His class had the cutest presentation ever! They sang sweet ABC songs and "First Grade, First Grade" to the tune "New York, New York". Other than having a banged-up nose (compliments of a kick a day before from his older sister), he was the most darling little guy up there! You could see how much his teacher adored him. Congrats Jakob! Get ready for the big leagues!

Ben and Eli's Final Choir Performance

Benjamin and Eliana really LOVED choir this year. Ben was also part of the Instrument Ensemble. Their last performance this year was super cute! The kids were especially excited about the song, "All About the Big Bad Wolf". They both have angelic voices and we were so proud!

Straight A Students!

Congratulations to Benjamin and Eliana for not only earning straight A's for the last trimester, but also for the entire year! I'm one proud moma!

11 Year Old Scout Camp

Benjamin got to go to a stake 11-year old overnighter. Josh came along as well. They had a great time! The got to canoe and go in a mine. Benjamin is the patrol leader of his group, so he also helped to make an "Anoconda" flag for their camp.

Best Date Ever

Josh took me on the best date for Mother's Day weekend this year! First he brought home beautiful flowers and Ethel M's Chocolates. We ate at Lupo's and went to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay Hotel. The food was FANTASTIC and we loved touching sting rays and watching the amazing jellyfish!

Girl's Night

While the boy's went to Fathers and Sons, us ladies decided to have ourselves some FUN! Kelli joined us as we skittered off to Grimauldi's for the best pizza in the world. Then we went to Sally's Beauty supply to grab some goop for facials. Kelli decided she wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese and that $13 worth of play was on her. That lasted us about an hour! Impressive! Then we shopped at the $1 store and went home for facials (the best and most silly part of the whole night) and ice cream with hot fudge. SOOOOOOOOO much better than camping!

Fathers and Sons 2011

The boys went to Fathers and Sons at Mt. Charleston this past weekend. They had such a great time! They traveled and camped with the Whipple boys. Everyone came home tired and happy!

Happy Birthday Jakob!!!

Jakob is such a special boy to our family! We just adore him! He is simply the sweetest, most serious (but still quite giggly) and all-together best natured child I have ever met. He always wants to do what is right. We are so lucky! Jakob just celebrated his 6th birthday in May.

He enjoyed a weekend full of fun activities. He chose to eat at Sweet Tomatoes and then go to the Galleria Mall for their 4 piddly rides. It was such a funny night to find out what Jakob most liked to do! Eat salad and go on the calmest, silliest rides ever in a mall?!? LOL!The only thing he DID NOT like about that night was when we put all of the kids in the hurricane demo machine there. He made it to about 60 miles per hour before he bailed out in tears. I would post the video, but it seems to take forever to load. And it makes Josh and I look like horrible parents, laughing at our children freaking out.

Jakob got a new bike that he loves and yet another Imaginex toy. That company has made a fortune from us. We had all of the family over for a combined May birthday party. Josh and my brother Tom made a DELICIOUS dutch oven meal. YUM! Then the kids enjoyed making s'mores in the fire pit on one of the windiest days this year. All for the birthday boy! Happy Birthday Jakob!!!!

Jakob, The Graduate

Jakob is finishing up his kindergarten year. I am so proud of all that he has learned and the little man that he is becoming. We love our Jakob!!!