Family Home Evening

So we are going to do some interesting family home evenings the next three weeks. We are doing so many fun things this summer. It is hard to do FHE too, so we are combining it with something else. Greg is taking Ali and Shad to see the Lord of the Rings in Fishers. They love it. I know. I know. Lord of the Rings? The Lord of the Rings is very important part of our family. I think Greg one time told me the top three important books were the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and then the Hobbit. It is very important to him for our children to learn Tolkien. And I think it is funny, so I go along with it.

So when Greg leaves with the older two I take Enoch to get a "treat." It was going to be ice cream, but when we got to McDonald's to get our 49 cent cones ( what a deal!), he was so disappointed not to be getting french fries. So the next week I asked him if he wanted french fries or ice cream. He picked french fries. :0 Funny boy.

Zoe is going to be with us for 2 weeks of the summer. Here she was with us for Family Home Evening. One week our lesson was on Fathers and our Heavenly Father. The Next week it was on

Glen Lake 2009

So I am writing this recap of this vacation almost 2 years after the fact. I might not remember everything just right but I wanted to move pictures here because the whole reason why I started this blog was that we keep "loosing" pictures for several reason.

This is Shadrach, Ali, counsin Zoe, and Greg playing in Glen lake in front of the house we rented. We found out later that this water was really infested with "water bugs." Greg was covered with them and Ali, Shad, and Zoe has some too.

Shadrach is on uncle Frank's shoulders after the Empire Bluffs hike. Poor uncle Frank. He was really excited about going on vacation with us because this is where he went as a boy with Greg. BUT he didn't factor in what it was going to be like to be on vacation with 4 children under that age of 4. Ali on the stairs of Empire Bluffs.

Shadrach and I at Empire Bluffs.

Ali and Shadrach have buried themselves in the sand at part of the Scenic Drive.

I am holding Enoch at the Scenic Drive

This is me and Zoe, Shadrach and Enoch at the Scenic Drive.

Cousins! Ali and Zoe posing during the Hike on Empire Bluffs. This picture reminds me of the fact that I kept running out of clothes for Ali. I tired to pack "light." but I didn't realize that the kids would get their clothes wet in the lake all of the time and soon be through all of their clothes in one day. So Ali's out fit this day was just the only thing that was dry.

I love this picture of Greg. I love the boys matching shirts. I love Ali's smile. I love the blue in the background and the sand.

Enoch walking on on the Scenic Drive.

Ali, cousin Zoe, and Shadrach playing on our dock.

Ali and Shadrach playing out by Glen Lake.

Ali collecting rocks at Lake Michigan. I love this because of all the pink. Her pink shoes, undies, and dress was not planned. It just happened and I think she is so cute trying to collect all of the rocks in her dress.

Before we left home. Everyone was really excited. They always forget it is around 8 hours in the car until we get there. I am trying to remember who threw up this year.... I think Ali did on the way back home but that might have been it.

This year Garry, Kathy (Greg's Parents), Uncle Frank, cousin Zoe, and all of our family stayed in the same house. It was a huge, nice house and very expensive compared to other places that we have stayed. It had a huge basement/gameroom in it. The kitchen was a very, very nice retro kitchen. It was fun to use.

Cousin Zoe came for the day

Presidency day was a fun day. Zoe came to play. Ali had school but Shad did not. This is a big group pile up they thought was fun.

They all decided to march around the house. I thought about keeping Ali home from school but didn't. She got to play with Zoe for an hour before school and then over 2 hours after school. I think I made a good choice. Shadrach and Zoe had fun playing together the rest of the time.

Dance Party. We always have "dance parties" when people come over. It doesn't make a mess, and it wears them out. :)

Cousin Jack turns 1!!

The man of the hour, Jack, and Grandma. He woke up from his nap with a party going on in his house.

All of the cousin's minus Enoch.

Noah, shadrach, Eliza, Hannah, Alora, Jack, and Ali.

If you were wondering, my kids came straight from dance class. I brought them clothes to change into, but they didn't want to change.

Ali finding a troll during the scavenger hunt.


Noah and Hannah with her troll.



Uncle Bruce and all of the cousin's listening to the next clue.

The coloring contest.

We had so much fun, but we couldn't stay for the whole thing. I had to leave and go tutor (I always have to leave to tutor it seems).

Brown County 2010

I broke Greg's camera on our trip to Brown County. I only broke the screen though so I could still take pictures. Now, Greg doesn't want me to take the camera around anymore so that is why I haven't been blogging so much. I think maybe I will ask for a camera for Christmas. This is my family all gathered together and a pizza party/cookout at one of the shelters in Brown County.
This is a Picture of Alora roasting a hot dog covered in Bacon. I didn't have one, but it sounded GOOOD!~

Enoch riding the ponies. The pony rides were great. My kids really looked forward to them.

Waiting......Waiting... for my turn....... Waiting.......

I guess I took a lot of pictures at the pony rides. I wasn't sure how broken my camera was so I didn't want to waste time taking pictures if they didn't work. I hope I will get more pictures of the family event later.

Nana's House!!!

Ali and Zoe best of cousins. They have some icing on their lips from cake. Nana got a new beautiful deck that we all enjoyed eating a steak dinner on. I love the Sunday when we go and see family. (1)My kids are normally amused and play happily (2) I don't have to cook (3) I don't have to do dishes (4) my house stays clean. (5) Plus I feel like we are keeping the Sabbath day holy by visiting family. Nana, Greg, and Nikki singing happy birthday to Shad and Zoe.

Shadrach got a splinter in his finger and screamed BLOODY MURDER!!! when he was told that they were going to take it out. It only took 5 seconds to take out but the 5 min. it took to find tweezers was the loudest yelling you ever heard. We thought we could stop the screaming with a chocolate Popsicle, but nothing would work.

Having that much fun with family always makes us want to move closier. Maybe someday.

Great Grandama's Birthday 96!!!

Enoch and Noah playing together at my Grandma's 96 birthday party. We went on a walk half way through to get some wiggles out. Shadrach, Hannah and Enoch. Ali started to come but then decided to head back. Then when we got back Alora was concerned that she didn't know where Ali was. It is very unlike Ali to run off. She would never do this. But after a few min. I still hadn't seen her. Some people started to look. I told myself she was fine, but I still couldn't find her. After 5 min. We realized she was just in the bathroom. She often takes her time in the bathroom.

This is my grandma and most of her Great-Grand Children. All of my siblings and there kids are here. Enoch, shadrach, Eliza, Jack, Alora, Olivia, Ali, Noah, and Hannah.

Shadrach off in his own world but still in the kitchen of my Grandma's retirement home visitors room. I love it how he can escape in his imagination.

My brother Bruce and his wife and their son Baby Jack.

Shad's Belated Birthday

We were on vacation during Shadrach's birthday. We had a little party for him up in Michigan with my parents, but we gave him a little more of a party when we got home. His big present was this marble machine. His favorite thing in the whole world is the bouncing balls on the fourth floor of the Children's Museum. This was the closest thing would could get to that. It took Greg 2 and 1/2 hours to build both of these contraptions.

They played with them four several hours, but they play with it so much that several different parts broke.

Here is Shadrach and hi Birthday Cake. We had the Elders over that night too.

Ali and Shadrach being best Friends. Ali was the mean dragon ( note the face) and Shadrach was the viking rider.

Gramms Came from Texas! and some Sunday business

Ali and Gramms. Gramms is Greg's Grandma. When only get to see her a few times a year because she lives so far away. And unfortunately we were gone in Michigan for a lot of the time she was in Indiana. We got to spend an evening with her though. The kids were not awful, but they were worn out from a fun day of running around. The were pretty tried by the time Gramms showed up.

Enoch was ready for bed, but gave us all one last smile before going up. We cooked some different kinds of hot dogs over the grill. Summer always means cooking on the grill.

All was very excited about Gramms coming and made several cards for her. I think Gramms only ended up with two of the cards because Ali's cousins Hannah and Noah came over and Ali passed out some of the cards to them. I forgot to get pictures of when Hannah and Noah were there.

Lunch. So I have problems. I am really really really worried about Ali going to Kindergarten. I just don't want to let her go. I love her. I want to be with her. I don't want someone else to teach her all day. BUT for some crazy reason, I get calmed down when I think about planning healthy lunches for her. Like some how if I can make her a healthy lunch, she will be ok with out. Weird huh? So I have been practicing different lunch to pack for Ali. This is one of them.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets. Made from chicken breast and bread crumbs. Then I just bake them. The kids loved them. Shad helped me make them. ( I know I am crazy)

I brought the Lego's out after a long time of them being in the closet. The kids loved playing with them. They played for an hour.

Sunday: The boys waiting for the peanut butter cookies to be done. The longest 8 min. of their life.

Rolling the cookies into balls. I always try to do some fun stuff on Sunday because sometimes they can get long.

Ali is stirring the cookies. Everyone takes turn stirring and put in an ingredient.