Ford Model T's

My dad is rebuilding a home for a couple that restores Model T's. He has 7 of them. When he heard that we were coming by to look at the house, he pulled out 2 of his cars. They were awesome! Here is Owen and Sam.









Here are the two that he took out. One is a "truck" and has a small bed in the back.












He was a very nice man and let us sit in the car. the kids thought it was great. Nathan thought is was better.













Notice the space, or lack of space Nathan has. it was quite funny to watch him get into this thing.

He looks so cute in it. Sorry you missed out Jeff.

Trip to the beach

We made a quick trip to Cali. this past weekend. It was so much fun. Got to hang out with my parents and my brother. We went to Balboa beach and had a great time. The weather was great!.
There are not as many pics as I would like, but that is because I was in the water most of the time.





Contrary to what Nathan thought, he had a great time also. The waves were great. The kids had fun running from them, and Nathan and I played goalie, catching them as the were pulled back.
We got some pretty big waves, a few over 6 feet tall. I finally went out and road a couple in. LOVED IT. After a big one swept Nathan off his feet, he decided to go out and take a few in himself. His first time body surfing, and he loved it. The one picture I wish I had was a wave came up behind Nathan and just swallowed him up. I was a little scared at first, but he was just fine, a few scratches on the legs. We will go to the beach more often next summer!

thought this was a great picture!

A project.

I made new curtains for our Living/Dining room.

I Think they turned out really well. The valence is all part of the same material. I did not remember my measurements very well and got to much, to I thought I would make a valance.

The night I was making these Owen was having a hard time going to bed. When I went into the room to take the pictures, I caught him sneaking down the stairs. When he saw me he said, "WOW! mommy they are so pretty, you did a good job. Thanks you!". I probably don't need to tell you that I didn't get to mad at him for being out of bed again.

my new pair of shoes?

I love to bargain shop, and I found these really cute shoes at an awesome price! I was in need of a pair of brown shoes for church, so I couldn't resist. However, the kids have worn them more then I have. Owen is dancing in them here. he is having trouble keeping them on his feet.

Bree put on my tinnies while she was waiting her turn for the new shoes.

Ella made up a game. She called it the, " dress up, shoe show". Owen is wearing Ella's Sunday shoes, they almost fit him.

Ella's in first grade!

I know that this is a little late...seeing how Ella is in her 3rd week of school. But I am no good at up dating on time. We joined a car pool this year with some families from our stake. So Ella gets picked up and taken to school, and I take her and a little boy home from school. I was a little sad that I didn't take her to school on the first day, but that is how she wanted it. I only got a little teary eyed!

The really sad part of the day is Ella had an accident 3 nights before school stared. She went to school a little embarrassed about her face. Luckily kids heal fast and it doesn't look as bad as it did.

Not even 2 minutes after Ella left, Bree and Owen were ready to go outside and play in the water. They play well, for some of the day.

Owen turned three

Owen Is now 3. I can't believe it.

They grow up so fast. He is so big. And I don't just mean, he looks 18. He weighs 40lbs, wears size 4-5T. His shoe size is 11. (all of this is bigger than Bree who is 4)

I have to constantly remind myself that he is doing age appropriate things, and boy things to top that. His vocabulary is still building. There is less screaming involved, but we still have a hard time understanding some of the things that he says.

He loves to play school with Bree. He is also big on climbing and jumping. Toys are not a big thing to him. He has a excellent imagination. Most of the playing is done with just his hands. He has many hand wars in the car. Or they play hid and seek from each other. I love my Little man, he is a great blessing in my life, and although my life would be a lot quieter, it would not be as fun or rewarding with out Owen.

Summer Camping Trip

My family tries to get together every year and go camping during the 4th Of July. This year some of us made it. I am not sure why but we never do our group picture until the last day or a few days in. I vote we do it the first day next year! We Camped at this site 5 years ago, and took pictures of the kids that were there at the time. (times have changed) So here are some of the grand kids in order of oldest to youngest. (only the Chapin, Blackhurst, and Williams family is in this pic)

Grandma and Grandpa the Great were able to camp with us!!! I was so grateful. I remember so may camping trips with them and I think it is great that my children will share those memories with me. The Great Grandparents had their own camp site where they could have some quite time, Lucky them. It worked out great and the kids loved having them almost as much as I did.

Often I would loos Nathan and wounder where he went to. I would find him at my grandparents camp site, picking my grandpas brain. I am grateful that Nathan gets along so well with my family and I love how he goes to my parents and grandparents for guidance. Can you believe my grandpa turns 80 this year! We were able to hold our own small Church meeting on Sunday and have a few lessons, and sing a few songs. It was great to have my Grandfather conduct, and to hear my Grandmothers testimony. I will never forget that Sabbath day.

Again, I am not sure why we do these pictures on the last day we are there. Really! I am sure I looked much better the first day. I know I should have done a slide show, but the last one I did, didn't work so well, so there are a few blogs dedicated to our camping trip. Now you know why it has taken me so long to update. And there is still more, but I will have to get to them another day.

more camping

The kids were always there to help out. The little ones are Helping my sister while she is taking down their tent. They are pounding the stakes into the ground with rocks that are nearby.

We celebrated Ella's 6th Birthday while in the San Bernidino Mountains. Ella loves camping and being out side. Our camp site was across the way from the site where we celebrated Ella's first birthday. It was a lot of fun thinking back 5 years and seeing how much she has grown, along with how much my whole family has grown.

Owen tried very hard to play in the water. Lucky for me when he figured out that if he used all his wight, the handle would drop, water would come out, but then he would slip, fall on him bum, and the water would turn off. This took up a lot of his time.

While there over the 4th of July, that also meant my moms birthday. A tradition that we have always done, even if she didn't like it. Along with celebrating her special day we celebrated our country. We hung decorations and told stories. It was a lot of fun.

Rock painting has become tradition with our kids now. It is not bad enough that Nathan, being a geologist, collects rocks, now my kids do. However Owen is falling more in his dads footsteps. He painted rocks faster then we could clean them off, so when he said he wanted the rock by papa's feet, we decided that it should take him a while to paint that one. We did bring it home, and it is in our front garden area. However that is nothing compared to the "intrusive, granite, dike" rock Nathan put in the back of our can to take home. (I am learning)

Entertaining themselves

It never fails. When we go camping I always think that I need to bring toys for the kids. But I talk myself out of it and this is why. Here is Bree swinging from a low tree branch. She was not the first to do it, and even when she did get on, it took her a while to swing on it. She is our careful one. But once she is comfortable, she looses all fear.

Once Owen got on he was going! He is the Fearless one.

We think it was Ella and Will who started the whole thing. As you can tell Ella has no problem. After All the other kids came over to have a turn, Ella found a different branch that was up higher so she didn't have to wait so long for her turn. (resourceful) The kids had a ton of fun, and were very dirty every night.

Our Family Hike

While camping our little family went for a hike. The scenery was beautiful, and smelled wonderful. It was great to walk and see the wonderful things that God has created for us. The trees were amazing, and the kids loved to chase the lizards! here
















This was my favorite tree. Look closely and notice how the trunk wraps around itself.

Here is a hallowed out tree. It was the first one we saw. The kids were a little concerned about going inside it. But all worked out.

More things we did this summer

We had the pleasure of having family from Texas
visit us for a few weeks, so we had a couple of play days
in our back yard. It was warm, but the misters
were going, and the kids had a lot of fun playing.

Talmage and Bree became good friends.
I found it interesting how the kids paired off.
Talmage is turning 7 this year, and Bree just turned 4,
But they played really well.

Ella and Grant had a blast together.
Most of the time, they were in a room coloring.
I guess you could say they are the creative ones.
They are just a few months a part, but I was surprised to
see that they did not pair off from oldest to youngest.
Then there are the 3 little ones, who just wondered about, and clung to the mommies.
I didn't get a picture of Sandra, for some reason, but here is Owen and Mhari.
It was a lot of fun to hang out with family and spend lots of noisy crazy days together! The kids miss their cousins, and want to go to Texas to visit them. (we will see) My sister in law and I had the chance to do some sewing and make some matching dresses for the girls, and of course girl talk.

Fury Boys

So I am as good at updating my blog as I am at cutting my boys' hair. Nathan and Owen had a long break between there hair cuts. Nathans hair just sticks up everywhere, while Owens gets very curly.

Here is Owens after shot. He does okay getting his hair cut. Lots of wiggling, but that is to be expected.

This is not the best shot of Nathan, But at least you can see his face now.

What we have been up to.

This might not have been the best day to take a picture to show our new reward system...seeing how there are more sad faces on the table then happy ones. But our children now earn a happy face for each good thing they do. Example, helping mommy unload the dishwasher or sharing really well, having a good quite time... and on and on. I a trying to give them for things that are above and beyond cleaning up afterthemselves, or just playing well. Trying to motivate a little extra from them. In turn they get a sad face for each time they throw a toy, or anyting that will land them in time out. At the end of the day they cancle out there faces to see what is left.

With those happy faces they can "buy" something from the 3 different Treasure baskets. ( I love the dallor store) Some items cost 3 happy faces, some are 5 or 7. Ella has learned to save up happy faces to get something from the 7 basket. It is a sad night when someone does not get something, but we have had treasures shared or smilley faces given to help someone get a treasure.

Here is Owen and Bree having fun the the crowns that they got, and got to decorate also. They had a lot of fun with them.

This was just to cute to pass up. Our kids do not like to sleep in their beds. Don't know why. This night they decided that the upstairs hall way should be the best spot to sleep. Crazies.

Happy 6th Birthday ELLA

E- Eager to learn
L- Loving
L- Loyal
A- Adventurous


For Ella's birthday I thought I would recap this past year. Not long after Ella turned 5 she started school. Ella was very excited to meet new people and learn. The achieved both of these things. On her first day of school she made a friend, from a different class, and kept that friend throughout the whole year. Ella made lots of friends, mostly boys, and even a few 1st grade friends. She is also reading at a first grade level, she caries a book everywhere with her. She is also doing first grade math. She got a packet of Math to take home for the summer to keep her going and to introduce new things for next year, she finished the 100 page packet in one week!(Gets those smarts from her daddy) Ella loves spelling! (she didn't get that from me) She loves to write notes to family and friends, and can spell words that I have to think hard about.

Ella found her first crush this year also. For a long time she said she was going to marry Leo, from the Little Einsteins....Not any more. Ella had lots of boy friends, but none were talked about like Davey. They were inseperable at the Zoo. She hopes he is in her next class! We do not!!

Ella has really grown up this year. She is my big helper, and likes to be the other mother in the house. Along with bossing her siblings around and trying to put them in time out, she is also helpful in the kitchen and cleaning the bathroom. Here she is helping her cousin take a little nap when he was not feeling well.

Becoming more independent was also on her agenda this year. No more help in the pool. She just jumps right in. Ella is a very determined big girl. I can't help picking out cloths anymore, she wants to do her own hair, including what length it is.

And here is the proof for that. She was so good about letting me doing her hair. She looks so grown up. She has allot of things she wants to do this year. Of course they include learning more and making more friends. She also wants to sew a dress for herself, make a dinner all by herself. I would like her to finish memorizing the Articles of Faith. (She has the first 5 down)

Sunday Photos

We took some quick pics before we left for church. Owen was done first so we didn't get them all done but we got some good ones. This was Nathan's idea, which I am glad, I wanted to do this for his Fathers Day gift, but didn't know how with out him wondering why.

Here are the loves of my life.

My handsome Men.

Daddy's girl

The moms of the house.
(Ella has been trying to take over on being the one to boss people around)