Oh What Do You Do In The Summer Time?

                                                           THE SALON

                                                       THE BEAUTICIAN

                                                           THE CLIENT
Poor Emily next door was the victim of Maria and her school scissors. Ah summer... what will it bring next?

      My favorite place to be in the summer. I feel like I am on the page in the book Summer where they stand under the waterfall.

                                            It was a little cold for Maria.

                            

Vera loves these purple glasses, wears them everywhere. Not really the best look for her.

                                                                

10 Years with Lydia Sue!

             June 8th, right out of the womb! Lid had tons of black hair and never slept. She just looked around the room quietly with wide eyes.

        1st Birthday! We family over for some Sunday cake and ice-cream. Lid wore my favorite dress and cleaned up in the hose after. 

       2nd Birthday. Couldn't find a picture from that day, but it was a good one! We took lid to buy a fish that she named Elmo (what she called the movie Nemo, her favorite).

     Lucky 3rd Birthday at Disneyland! It was actually pretty magical. Lid thought the princesses were real.

      4th Birthday, another dreamy one in sunny California! We had a great day swimming topped off with a killer party thrown by Grandma and Aunt Arleen poolside with a Care Bear cake. Daddy also had an awesome cast. 

       5th Birthday included a fashion show at home with dress-ups, jewelry and make-up and Grandmas money cupcakes.

     This is my favorite picture, but my computer skills are weak. How do you rotate??? 6th Birthday spent the way it should; swammin with her best pal Bug and sippin sodas.

      Most birthdays start with gifts on the basket in the morning followed by a PB donut. 7th Birthday Daddy and I took Lid to dinner and then to the mall for a makeover!

       8th Birthday at the Lion House! This was a great day of playing pioneers and taking cool pictures on Temple Square. 

            Whoa, Lid, easy on the cream filled donut! 9th Birthday Lid had another backyard fashion party where Ang the hairstylist came. A freezing dinner at Pizza Factory and a suprise trip to California from Aunt Arleen the next day with me and Vera.

        Here we are at number 10! We are SO glad that you are in our family. You are kind, fun, funny, helpful, patient, happy, and the best oldest child anyone could ask for. We love you Lydia!

Crazy May

                           What a fun surprise! Butter hidden in the messy drawer!

                                        The evidence proved it was Maria.

                      
                                Lid finally won her goldfish at the Extravaganza.

                                                        Yeah boy!

        Buggy breakin' it down at the school talent show with his pals Sergio and Esteven. 

                                                      
                                                           Ding-bats

                                
               Remember how I didn't curl your hair and you lost your belt and hairbow? At                  least Grandma brought the flowers. 
                                            

                                 Maria was asked by Dayna to be her Flower Girl!
                                            We've got some work to do...

Easters

The sugar high of Easter has just begun...

What would we do without Grandma's Easter cake, huh guys? 

Whenever Vera hears a loud noise she drops everything to make this face. She also just learned how to say Buggy! over and over and over....

Swees-dog playing with her kiddies.

Buggy's special day! It was such a beautiful, perfect day, sandwiched between the restoration of the church and Easter. I will never forget your talk Bug about baptism and bearing your testimony in French. Also when you got teary eyed when Uncle Bud gave his talk on the Holy Ghost. My favorite part was Daddy's blessing he gave you. He loves you so much Bug! Many people told me after that they could feel the Spirit so strong during your baptism. 

And of course the Molly's party after was the bomb, especially with Bake, Surface and Owee-dee! You took off afterward to the Wilk in a borrowed outfit and we didn't see you again until 7 that night. Party animal. 

Ah Max. He was pretending he was the bad guy in Lydia's dance hat. 

What??? Yeah kids, your dad and I just went out for the night and hung out with Maroon 5 while you were playing patty cake.

Ma hair went a little flat after all that moshin. 

Laundry Day

Where I found Vera a couple of days ago...  Vera is all of a sudden talking. I love it!

Honey being a flower girl. Man she is a cutie! Honey's favorite thing to do? Scream, "Why did you do that!" with her fists clenched at her side. She lost it the other night while watching our wedding video because she was so mad that daddy married me and not her. She also freaks out when she is not in a picture or home video and I tell her it is because she was in Heaven. It ends with her in tears yelling, "Why did you send me to Heaven!" with her fists yet again clenched at her side.

Buggy's 8th birthday conference weekend breakfast!

Lid and I talked tonight about how the school year is coming to an end. Just yesterday it was the first day of school huh guys?

A shout out to our heros Aunt Cindy and Uncle Norman! Notice the lipstick Aunt Cindy is about to apply to Vera. 

Wow. Just came across this pic. It really doesn't do the Maria hiding in the garage haircut justice. Only those who saw it in person really know. There is also a sideburn to go with those bangs...

No Tardies!

For the first time in our 5 years at Elementary school there was a big fat zero for tardies! This has NEVER been a goal of mine, only Buggy. Every morning we all have to hear the countdown to Mr. Pratt's announcements. "It's 8:27 Lid! You still have to brush your teeth? Oh Lydia!" Congratulations Bug, it's what you have always dreamed. 

Ahh, the green smoothie uni-brow that Max will walk around all day with, the orange jacket that hangs off of him and the "do it myself" mohawk. This picture is classic Max. 

Daddy's homemade basketball court got us through the winter.

Another good samaritan act from our neighboors the Gimeneses. Max shows up at their doorstep with an order of 20 flyers for his football game. Too bad he passed 3 out then said he would pass the rest out tomorrow. 

 And lastly, memories of our sweet pediatrition who passed away only four days after getting a staff infection from work. He was the best, huh guys? He laughed when I called everyone of you guys the wrong name and gender in the hospital. He didn't seem to mind when you asked for hundreds of stickers and they ended up on the cupboards in the exam room only to be torn off and leave a nice, fuzzy white remnant of a sticker. Or when smarties were all over the floor, a diapered baby had escaped and was running through the halls and of course when I would cry at every appointment for some reason or another. He called to check on each of you guys whenever you had a problem with something. He loved saying poop.  Our last visit to his office Max had a complete meltdown during his kindergarten shots. Dr. Nielsen looked at me like he had never seen a kid cry so hard in his life and I just laughed. We are grateful to have known him!

Happy 55th Mom!

              I love you Mom and am so grateful for everything you have done for me. From my first birthday to Sunday dinners you have always been by my side. 

           I am amazed at the life you have had and who you have become. You have a spark that people are drawn to. 

          I am grateful for our family in California and the bond we have with them. Families are so important to you and I am glad you have taught all of us that.

                                          You are beautiful inside and out!

           Here you are encouraging me on like you always do, "I don't know how you do it Lindsay! You have such a good attitude, you are great!"

                          Your traditions and love of holidays make life magical.

                       Sunday dinners are the best. We all look forward to delicious food, sodas, crazy kids playing barbies and wegos, good talks and of course AFV. Dolly loves it the most, even though he doesn't look like it here...

                                               Uncle Butt loves you too.

                                            Love you Mom, Happy Birthday.