Jones Family Memories

The Cops Have Our Number

2012-01-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

My family is so wonderful. Since I live so close to work there are frequent days when Michelle and the boys will meet me on the way home from work and we get to walk the rest of the way home together. It is a wonderful thing that we've been doing occasionally over the past couple of weeks during this mild January weather.

Well, on Wednesday my boys wanted to run and meet me on the way home from work but Michelle was in the middle of things and not able to jump up and run. So she let David, Michael and Aleky leave to meet me as long as they would stick together. As I'm leaving from work I see David running up the street with Michael a long way behind. We meet up and head toward the house. We finally catch up to Aleky who had been left behind and only made it as far as Center St. in front of our hometeacher's house, just after crossing at the light.

Aleky turns around and runs back to the light at 900 E and starts to run into the STREET! I yell at him and he stops, turns around and comes back to the corner. Fortunately the car making a turn onto 900 E saw him in plenty of time and didn't run Aleky over. Obviously, that didn't make me very happy. The cop on Center St crosses through the intersection, turns around and tries to catch up with Aleky who, after crossing 900 E with me, took off running to the house. The cop stops in the middle of the road, can't catch Aleky but follows him to the house. A second cop stops and notices the rest of us and stops to talk to us.

Apparently someone had phoned in to the cops that a little boy was hanging out at the corner of 900 E and Center St. and they had come to investigate. It was a little embarrassing to have the two cops stop because of Aleky. But at least we have some good neighbors who are watching out for him, right?

Well, today the boys were playing in the park just outside our gate. At least David, Donovan and Michael were just outside the gate. Aleky and Quinten were exploring more of the park. Michelle was watching the boys but couldn't see Quinten from the house and asked David to bring Quinten back because we can't watch him if he gets too far away. After retrieving Quinten from the south side of the park the boys came in and locked the gate. They went downstairs to play.

A short time later there's a knock at the door. When Michael answers the door he shouts, "it's a police man". Apparently another concerned neighbor didn't feel that Quinten had enough supervision and called the police. They came to find out who was watching the boys. Since they were all inside the house there wasn't much for them to do. As the first cop was leaving a second cop call pulled up but noting that there was no situation here they both left.

On the one hand I'm glad to know that we have concerned neighbors who are watching out for our boys. On the other hand, the boys should be allowed a chance to play in the public park just outside our backyard. I guess you can't blame the newly wed mothers in the neighborhood for being concerned but calling the police may not be the best way to handle the situation. However, we find it interesting that the police drove straight to our door. Hmmm....

Waltzing Matilda Dinner Improvisation

2012-01-25T21:39:00.001-07:00

Donovan starting learning "Waltzing Matlida" at school and was singing it all afternoon, at least the chorus was repeated frequently. At dinner the song morphed into a cacophony of sound that was captured on video.

(video)

Pack Meeting

2012-01-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

David has his monthly cub scout pack meeting. We went to support David in his scouting. We arrived a little late but we got there in time to participate in the "snow shovel" race and to see David get awarded his "marbles" belt loop. David was also able to lead everyone in the "motorcycle" cheer. Afterward we had hot chocolate and donuts as refreshments.

(video)

Aleky Sleeps During Shopping Trip

2012-01-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

Our boys were extra good this weekend and we wanted to give them a little reward to say "thank you" for the pleasant day. But one thing led to another and the reward had to be postponed. However, today was the day and we took the boys to Macey's to get them ice cream cones. The boys thought it was great and they happily munched on their ice cream while we tried to get some quick shopping done.

Apparently our quick shopping trip wasn't fast enough. As were are speeding through the freezer section we notice that Aleky is out cold, literally. Not only was he sleeping but he still had a beautiful ice cream mark around his lips! It was just too cute to pass up.

We still tried to hurry with our shopping. We managed to finish, check out and get home in time to be only 15 minutes late to David's pack meeting. We tried...there just isn't enough time in the day!

Going to See the Lights on Temple Square

2011-12-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

One of the goals we had for this year was to visit Temple Square and see all the Christmas lights. We didn't go last year and thought it would be a good family outing. However, with all of the rush of Christmas we hadn't made it, yet.
With Christmas over and our boys still home from school we decided it was now or never. So we grabbed the boys, packed the coats and took off to Salt Lake City. Since it was more spur of the moment, we figured we would grab a bite to eat with one of the numerous restaurant coupons we had in hand. The trip turned out great!

The last time we went to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights it was very crowded and we were concerned about keeping the family together in such a crowd. But one of the benefits of going during the week is that the crowds tend to be much smaller. We were able to walk around most of the grounds as a family, not just a bunch of ducks in a row.

The boys loved to see the lights. We stopped to see most of the significant statues and monuments on the grounds for small "teaching moments". At one point we lost track of Quinten who had wandered off but David was quick to find him. The second half of the grounds visit went quickly due to the late hour and we still wanted to at least see everything. So we walked past the numerous nativity scenes, around the manger scene in the pond, past the Assembly Hall and with a token glance at the full nativity scene by the Tabernacle we completed our visit and headed to dinner.

For dinner we stopped at Village Inn. We had a coupon that would get a kids meal free with the purchase of an adult entree. When we asked if they would honor the coupon the manager came out and offered us an even better deal. I don't think I could explain it again and it took the manager at least 3 tries to help us figure out what the deal was. In the end we paid for 2 entrees and a couple of drinks but got more than enough food for everyone! Whatever that deal was it turned out to be a great deal for us!

We didn't get home until nearly 10 pm despite our early departure from Provo but it was an excellent adventure and a great memory for our family.

(Posted 1/23/12)

Historic Site: Bullion Beck Mining Headframe

2011-11-28T22:26:00.001-07:00

As we were driving through Eureka today we noticed this strange looking wood structure. Michelle stares at it and asked, "What is that?" I tried to act intelligent and gave her a quick answer but then I had to admit that I really didn't know what it was. Since we were going to be passing by this place again Michelle suggested that we stop and investigate.

It turns out that this place was actually quite important at one time. This wooden structure was the point of entry for a substantial mine. All the people, donkey and mining carts were hoisted into and out of the mine on this frame. The mine went down around 3,000 feet. Today, this is all that is left of the mining operation that lasted from the late 1890's to the early 1960's

Who knew? Good thing we stopped to check it out. This stop turned into an educational experience for all of us.

Coolest Mommy / Bum War

2011-11-27T16:56:00.001-07:00

David was upset that Quinten had come in and messed up their Uno game by kicking the cards all over the floor. Since there isn't much that can be done David gave up on the game and went outside to jump on the trampoline. A few minutes later I notice that Michelle was outside jumping on the trampoline. I grabbed my camera in time to catch them in a "bum war".

I was just impressed that she would go outside in the nearly freezing temperatures to jump on the trampoline with David. In my mind I think Michelle is the "coolest" mommy ever!

Gidean First Foods

2011-11-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

Gidean is over 4 months old and the doctor indicated that we could start feeding him other foods. So when he was hungry so we thought we would try feeding him some alternative foods for the first time. Since this was the first "solid" food he's ever eaten we thought we'd try some bottled baby food from the store. Gidean did not appreciate the fine cuisine. Next we offered him some of our bottled pears that the boys eat nearly every day for lunch. Again he balked at the delicacy. Finally we resorted to the traditional baby cereal that every child has eaten as a staple food in their diet. Let's just say he didn't like any of the 3 options he was offered. Not sure where we go from here.

(video)

Thanksgiving at Grandma's

2011-11-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Day!

I had to work this morning so Michelle and the boys headed up to Grandma Petersen's house yesterday. After all, why hang out at our house when I can't even be there but the cousins will be at Grandma's house? So the boys were so excited they helped to pack the suburban and get things ready for the trip.

After work I drove up to Grantsville to join the festivities. Uncle Dan and Aunt Monica were there along with their daughter Shilo and her boyfriend Andrew. The feast wasn't quite ready so we had a chance to visit.

One of the activities that had transpired was the making of Indian headdresses. Each kid got the headband to decorate. Then they added an appropriate number of feathers. And finally, each kid chose their special Indian name.

Once dinner was ready we lined up and went to town. This dinner was very good; all those who helped prepare the food did an excellent job on the cooking and preparation.

Michelle's candied yams were so good that my boys ate their food and Devon went back for seconds.

Uncle Kyle volunteered for Gidean duty during dinner time. You can tell that Uncle Kyle is very experienced now that he's had 5 other nephews to practice on.

After dinner Shilo and Andrew curled up for a nap.

And the men gathered to check out hunting pictures on the computer.

It was a very enjoyable trip with incredible food and awesome company. Unfortunately, I had to return home so that I could be at work bright and early on Friday.

Kaylynn in Town

2011-11-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

Aunt Kaylynn was in town today and got to stop by and visit with us. Although she lives down in Southern California she was able to come up to Utah. Among her many stops she was able to make a few hours in her schedule before she had to leave on Monday.

Little Brenda is growing fast. Even though Brenda was born within a week of Gidean, Brenda is growing faster than Gidean. She's still adorable and I'm sure these cousins will be the best of friends.

Gidean Laughs (when Tickled)

2011-11-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

Gidean is developing a contagious laugh and we've been trying to capture that laugh on camera. Despite our best efforts his laugh has largely escaped digital media. But today we were able to capture some classic laughing as Michelle tickled him on our bed. Finally, our diligent efforts have paid off.

(video)
(You can't tell me his laugh doesn't bring a smile to your face!)

Blacklight Golfing at Trafalga

2011-11-11T23:29:00.001-07:00

This afternoon our older boys had the opportunity to go bowling with the after-school program. They have worked hard during the week and today was an extra special event for the kids. Aleky was feeling bad that he wasn't going to be able to participate in the games. It didn't help that Michael was expressing particular enthusiasm at his fortunate opportunity to go with his brothers.

This being the case, I didn't want Aleky to feel completely left out so I promised him the chance to do something fun as well. I would take him up to Trafalga in Orem to go miniature golfing indoors, on the blacklight course. That was on my lunch break but he definitely remembered when I got home from work. So Michelle and I loaded up the younger 3 children and off we went.

Aleky had a lot of fun and couldn't hardly stand how long it took his parent to get the ball in the hole. He was done in micro-seconds and wanted to be off to the next hole. Even in the blacklight, with Aleky heading off two or three holes ahead, we were able to complete the course together. Quinten is still getting the hang of the game.

The older boys walked home from school because we weren't done with our game. It probably would have gone faster if we were not keeping score for Michelle and I. In the end there was only a single stroke difference.

Afterwards, we headed home via Papa Murphy's Pizza and ended up with a nice family size pizza. We all had a fun afternoon playing games. As it turns out, the boys didn't get to finish their bowling game; they had 3 frames to go when time ran out and they had to return to the school. It was probably better that way because they couldn't have any winners or losers, just happy kids.

(video)

Time for a Haircut

2011-11-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

Quinten's hair is starting to get pretty long. I think it is time for a haircut!

Tickle Wars: Mom vs Boys

2011-10-15T21:52:00.000-06:00

The boys were supposed to be getting ready for bed when I hear this commotion and came to investigate. I was slightly surprised at the scene which lay before me! There were my boys attacking their poor defenseless mother. Actually, I discovered that she's not defenseless and she launched a significant counter-offensive in this tickle war leaving the boys on the verge of tears before going to bed.

If you watch the video you'll notice that Michael is absent. He was not edited out. He was simple a neutral bystander in this confrontation (he finally got his chance to play the Leapster and wasn't going to sacrifice his time for an opportunity to join a losing cause).

(video)

There is a strong possibility of an imminent attack and our sources tell us that we should be prepared!

Kangaroo Zoo is Family Fun

2011-10-07T22:39:00.000-06:00

Michelle wanted to take our family to the Kangaroo Zoo. It is one of those places with the super sized inflatable toys. We've taken our boys to places where these big slides are part of the party but never to an entire arena full of inflatable fun. Our boys went crazy, non-stop running. Even for our boys that was pretty impressive.

The boys were getting all the sliding their little hearts could handle but it was great to see when the older brothers would help the younger brothers to enjoy the larger slides. David was especially good to watch out and help his younger brother Quinten to have fun on the various slides.

(video)

We had a lot of fun but were only able to capture a little bit of it on film. But it is enough of a taste of the action to remember just how much fun we had. We would love to go back and have another day of fun at the Kangaroo Zoo.

(Posted 1/23/12)

David Goes to General Conference

2011-10-02T19:48:00.000-06:00

My boys have done a fantastic job of watching conference this weekend. David and Donovan watched all 4 regular sessions of conference. Michael and Aleky made it through 3 1/2 sessions, which isn't bad for that age group. I was excited to take David to his first live session of conference now that he's 8 years old, the minimum age for attendance at this semi-annual event.

David has been complaining about "having to go" to conference. But once we were on our way he was humming a different tune. From the moment we hit Salt Lake City he was non-stop jabbering about everything he saw. It was great to see his excitement finally bubbling forth.

We had seats on the balcony but they were right in the middle of the conference center so it was a perfect position. David was admiring everything from the TV cameras and monitors to the organ and the general authorities seated on the stand. I finally had to remind him that conference was like church and we had to be reverent while the Apostles were talking.

David took a page of notes in his journal from the things that the general authorities said. He was very proud of having so much to record in his journal. I'm very proud of him. He asked me, as the closing song was being sung, "Daddy, thank you for bringing me to conference. Can we come back for next conference?" I'm pretty sure we can work something out for a kid who is this excited about attending conference.

(pictures from my camera phone)

Labor Day 2011

2011-09-05T21:53:00.000-06:00

I have had a wonderful day today with my family. We went camping this weekend and had a marvelous time with Grandma and Grandpa Petersen and Uncle Kyle up near Hourglass lake. We decided to come home early and spend today unpacking and preparing for the coming week without making Michelle have to do all of the work.

This morning Donovan woke us up at 7:45 am! Holy Cow...I haven't been able to sleep in that late in a long time. We got up and simply had some cold cereal so we could get going for the day. We had our scripture reading after breakfast, a little break in tradition but not completely disruptive to the harmony of our home. After breakfast we finished getting dressed, teeth brushed, hair combed, etc.

We had a brief family council and talked about helping to do chores because we had just had a fun vacation/camping trip to the mountains with lots of fun activities. We all pitched in and started with putting camping gear away and sorting a huge pile of laundry. Once the laundry was sorted and the first load in the washer we hit some of the other chores around the house. David mowed the lawn, Donovan washed windows and a few other chores. Michael, Aleky and Quinten were done helping with chores and were content to play.

I started loading pictures to this blog and deleting unneeded files to clear space for the camping trip photos and videos that we took this weekend. While this activity is time consuming I don't have a lot to show for it yet, but it's coming. (For those of you who follow this blog I would recommend an RSS feed or you'll miss most of the post that will be coming!) Donovan played on the computer and David and Michael were exited to watch.

We took a break from the computer to have a family movie with carmel popcorn. David read "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" and we promised to watched the movie together. Michelle and I made the popcorn and the arranged the living room into a theater. We enjoyed the movie together.

Michelle surprised me with a cheese ball for my birthday which she must have made while I was down working on the computer. She slipped out during the movie with Gidean and never returned! Once again she surprised me with one of my favorite cakes! She managed to get two great tasty morsels created without me knowing, until the very end. What a wonderful sweetheart to do that for me.

Now the kids are in bed I thought I would get something posted to show for all the time spent on the computer today. Again, make sure you have an RSS feed if you're interested in the various adventures of our family spanning much of this summer!

Reroofing Our House (Day 5)

2011-08-29T11:00:00.000-06:00

Complete at last!!! Today we finished up the last few minor details including the wishing well. The dumpster was hauled off too. We can finally sleep peacefully when it rains. We still need to collect our rain collectors from the attic since they will no longer be needed! Hurray!

We want to than the Bonneville 5th Ward for all of your help this week to complete this badly needed and overdue home repair. There is no way we could have done this without you. THANK YOU!

(posted 10/31/11)

Reroofing Our House (Day 4)

2011-08-26T21:03:00.000-06:00

We are finally nearing the end of the project! Laying down the shingles is the quickest part of the process. We start today with the front nearing completion and the back partially done.

These are the dedicated and stalwart neighbors who were there to the bitter end. The little details sure take a lot of thought and effort to complete. However, using the nail guns can be fun...and addicting. We had fun rotating and shooting the nails as we got the shingles down.

(posted 10/31/11)

Reroofing Our House (Day 3)

2011-08-25T20:59:00.000-06:00

We started off the day with the paper on the front of the house and all of the back to go. At least the shingles were already here so we didn't have to wait to get started. Since this was the third day of the project we did have a super start but there were a few faithful saints who gathered to keep things moving forward.

The relief society took care of water and refreshments. They had some awesome sandwiches for lunch. During the heat of the day we have everyone come off the roof. It was just too hot to ask anyone to work up there.

While the rain kept threatening, the prayers of the faithful kept all but a few drops from landing on our house. It was as if Heavenly Father was letting us know he would not destroy our house by rain.

(posted 10/31/11)

Reroofing Our House (Day 2)

2011-08-24T20:09:00.000-06:00

Today started with another beautiful blue sky and a bare roof, at least in the front. We have the front sheeted and the back has just a little bit of clean up and shingle removal left before we can get it sheeted.

We haven't had the number of workers today like we had yesterday. Since we're not removing shingles it has worked out okay. Our shingles and other roofing supplies showed up before we were expecting them. (When we went to order the shingles we were told that they would not be delivered before Wednesday afternoon and they wouldn't be delivered until they were paid in full.) To our surprise, the shingle delivery truck showed up at 11:00 am and started dropping shingles and supplies up on the partially sheeted roof!

Needless to say, I was a little disappointed that things hadn't worked out quite like I had anticipated. In fact, I hadn't paid for them on purpose, so they wouldn't be delivered just yet. Oh well, I guess we just do the best we can.

With the roof cleared in back we were able to start sheeting the back side of the roof. We did run into some problems as we were trying to figure out how to work around the working swamp cooler. Our idea was to remove the swamp cooler in the morning while it was cool, sheet around it and the replace it before it got too hot. It sounds reasonable especially since we still haven't cleaned out the five layers of shingles it's attached too. However, we haven't made it that far today so we'll figure it out tomorrow.

Reroofing Our House (Day 1)

2011-08-23T22:00:00.000-06:00

We are lucky enough to have been chosen as our ward's service project for this year. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing but we certainly can use the help. Our roof has been leaking ever since we bought our home. This spring was exceptionally wet, setting and breaking records. I think our hometeacher felt bad when he discovered that during these times of excessive rain our roof turned into an opened faucet inside our house. In order to stem the waterfall we had large buckets strategically positioned to catch these flowing torrents of rain.

Upon discovering our plight, our hometeacher took the news to the Bishop and the wheels were set in motion. Essentially, the ward agreed to provide the manpower, expertise and tools and we provide the materials. With a little help from our experienced High Priests, we were able to find a pretty good deal on roofing supplies. In fact, Brother Andersen helped us estimate the size of our roof and how much we needed in supplies so we could just go shopping for the needed items.

Here we are, Day 1! We have the old white leaky roof and the first workers are already on the scene. We have the dumpster positioned for shingle collection and we're ready to go. Brother Andersen showed up at 8:00 am to supervise this first stage of the process, stripping the old shingles off the roof.

We started in the North East corner of the house, the gable over our bedroom. We were not trying to save shingles but we started carefully in the corner to try and determine just how many layers of shingles were on the roof. We had received roof bids earlier this summer and one contractor offered to to a "roof over" job. But, as everyone knows, you can't have more than three layers of shingles on your roof and I was pretty sure we had at least three layers already.

As more workers showed up we tried to count the layers as we went. At this point we're pretty confident that there were at least FIVE layers of shingles. How could this be, you may ask...? There were three layers of shingles. But under those three layers we found two more layers. It appears that after the first two layers of asphalt shingles had been laid, someone laid tar paper and a new drip edge and started the first of three layer additional layers. So, to the casual observer, there were only three layers. But in stripping the roof we clearly went through 5 layers of shingles.

Five layers poses a real problem to the work. First, it was taking us longer than expected to get the shingles off. Second, our dumpster was only supposed to fit up to two layers of shingles for a roof our size. Third, not related to shingles, we were working in a record breaking heat wave! Our ward must really love us to go through the efforts during a heat wave!

With everyone working so hard our kids were left to fend for themselves. Fortunately school has started (half-days) so David and Donovan are distracted by their education. But the younger children were supposed to stay in the backyard, or (even better) in the basement. Obviously, Quinten decided to play a supervisory roll at one point this afternoon.

Although it has been nothing but clear blue skies, it was decided that we start getting the roof resheeted. The roof was originally done with 1x6 slats, most likely for wood shake shingles. However, the sheeting has never been upgraded, part of the contributing problem with the roof leaks. Once the front of the house was cleared we immediately started the sheeting process.

A small crew worked in front and the rest worked in back clearing the rest of the shingles off the roof. We had removed all of the rain gutters from the front of the house but the back rain gutter is a seamless gutter. Because of its length it had not been removed and we noticed this little problem about the time the shingles were starting to pour off the roof. We immediately went to work with four guys to support the rain gutter (three to hold, one to release/remove). The rain gutter came down quickly and we were back in business removing five layers of old shingles.

This is the mess we were able to avoid by throwing the shingles directly into the dumpster in the front. Carrying the shingles to the dumpster from the back wasn't a realistic option.

At the end of the day we nearly had the entire roof cleared! That was a lot of hard, hot work but we made some amazing progress.

We just have the North West corner of the house, over the boys bedroom, left to clear. We still have the sheeting to complete before we can start putting the new shingles on the roof. Tomorrow we should be able to get the roof sheeted and papered in preparation to start shingles on Thursday.

Uncle Kyle Graduates

2011-08-12T21:00:00.000-06:00

We're proud to say the Uncle Kyle has graduated from BYU. We're especially excited for Uncle Kyle because he has been a frequent dinner guest in our home these past few years. Our boys have looked forward to those dinners with Uncle Kyle. He even has a place at the head of the table reserved just for him. Now that he is graduated and has a real job we won't get to have him around for dinners anymore.

Congratulations Uncle Kyle! We're proud of your accomplishment and wish you the best as you move forward with life. And we'll miss having you around as our frequent dinner guest.

Chores

2011-07-14T09:50:00.000-06:00

Donovan is getting better at doing chores. Now, instead of just washing the window from the inside, he wants to wash the windows on the outside. This just happens to be a classic picture of Donovan washing the window in his swimsuit. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch the little dance that went with the window washing. He was standing on the window ledge doing his little jig. If he does it again I'll have my camera ready.

Baby Boy Jones is Here!

2011-07-09T12:00:00.000-06:00

We're excited to announce the arrival of Baby Boy Jones! We don't have a name yet but he is 7 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches long. Mom and baby are doing fine. Michelle had another quick delivery with only 3 hours of labor, almost like clockwork.

Baby had some stuff in his lungs and the respiratory therapist was called in to help clear the lungs. It took some rubbing, thumping and sucking to get him clear but now he's doing great.

Michelle finally gets her chance to hold her precious little bundle of joy. We were hoping that upon seeing this little cherub and name would become readily obvious; it hasn't happened yet.

Baby Boy Jones' first bath. Getting him all clean and presentable.

My turn with my new son.

The boys get to meet their new brother. They are very excited to finally be able to see this little boy. Amelia and Eleanor were helping to watch the boys while we were at the hospital. It only seemed fitting that they should come to the hospital with the boys.

David and baby.

Donovan and baby.

Michael and baby.

Aleky and baby.

Quinten and baby (with help from Mommy).

Eleanor and baby.

Here is our first complete family picture.

All the Jones boys.

There was a photographer taking professional pictures of the new babies. The pictures should be posted online for a few weeks. The boys thought is was amazing work, watching the photographer work her magic.

We were concerned that Quinten would be upset and losing his "baby" status to this new arrival but so far he seem to be taking the news very well. So far he is taking very good care of his baby brother and being quite protective of him; we'll see what happens when we get home.

We're excited to have our sixth son and hope to have his name very soon.

(finally posted 9/7/11)

Reading Before Bedtime

2011-07-01T20:00:00.000-06:00

We are trying to be better about reading to our boys. Some days get away from us before we know it. But not today! With such beautiful weather, instead of reading inside we moved out to the picnic table. We even read a couple of extra articles from the Friend because everything was going so well.

Good night boys...sweet dreams!

(finally posted 9/6/11)

Foam Swords

2011-06-27T17:00:00.000-06:00

David came home from Cub Scout Day Camp with a cool foam noodle sword. Michelle liked the idea so much that she create a whole set of swords for the family. This is a video of their first use.

(video)

(Posted 1/23/12)

What a Productive Day

2011-06-25T07:12:00.002-06:00

Yesterday started off pretty normal as I headed off to work at 6:30 am. In fact, the day was going pretty normal until Michelle sent me a text message telling my that Grandma and Grandpa Petersen were coming down to help us with work around the house. I had just signed up to work a double when I received this text message so I quickly called back and removed my self from the work schedule. That's when the day went into overdrive.

Michelle had already been busy chopping down the sucker branches and cleaning up the lilac bushes in the back yard. I went up on the roof and fixed the swamp cooler pads so that it wouldn't leak into our house. Next was work on the new bicycles we found at the DI. I still need a tire for Michael's bike but we'll try to find one off another bike at DI.

Michelle was prepared with a list of tasks and jobs for us to accomplish during this work spree. After fixing the bikes I checked the list for the next job. The Petersens arrived and went straight to work. Grandma Petersen started with (finishing) painting the kitchen while Grandpa Petersen started on the vehicle maintenance. We replaced the gas filter on the suburban and the oil filter and a windshield wiper blade on the Geo. Next we did a quick adjustment on the lawnmower, planned a small electrical upgrade for the basement and evaluated needs for several other projects. Of course we had to make the obligatory trip to the store to get needed parts for the afore mentioned tasks. Michelle keep the family running while Grandma finished the painting in the kitchen. We had a dinner break for spaghetti, green beans and orange jello.

Grandma and Grandpa Petersen had to head back home before it got too late but we were able to take advantage of the extra help to get a lot of small tasks completed. After they left I was still able to get in a small exercise session. After a quick shower we were able to go to bed feeling very good about the tasks we were able to accomplish yesterday.

Grandma and Grandpa Petersen, thank you so much for your help!

Fun Summer Day

2011-06-22T21:37:00.001-06:00

This has been quite the day!

This morning I didn't have to go to work so I was able to be home for our morning scripture reading and family prayer. I love being able to participate with the boys as they read from the Book of Mormon. It brings such a wonderful spirit into our home and things just go much better.

After scriptures and family prayer Michelle prepared a hot breakfast of oatmeal cereal. Then the boys finished their morning ADLs and David and Donovan get ready for school. We picked up Braxton and Brinley and I took them all to summer school for the morning.

The rest of the family ran some errands and did some shopping at the DI. First we dropped of some unneeded items and then swung around to see if we could spot any deals. We were lucky today because we found a small bicycle that appears to be just the right size for Aleky (who has been extremely jealous since we found a bicycle for Michael just a few days ago).

We raced home and managed to meet David and Donovan just coming home from summer school and we were able to go in and have some lunch. I decided that the day might get a little carried away so I took the opportunity to get a little exercise in before I ate my sandwich (that makes two days this week that I have exercised; up from 0 times in the previous few months!). Before i could make it downstairs to exercise the boys all began pleading with me to take them to 7-peaks water park. You can't really blame them since the temperature is rising and we haven't made it once this year. So I told them that if they got their chores done I would take them to the water park.

When I finally came up to eat lunch the boys were busily engaged in chores around the house. David mowed the front and backyard lawns; Donovan cleaned the kitchen sinks and washed windows; Michael was cleaning door knobs and spreading mowed grass in the garden; Aleky was helping spread grass too; and all the boys had helped collect and sort the laundry. The boys had also written in their gratitude journals. I didn't have any more excuses...it was time to take them to the water park.

We got our swimsuits on and started with the sunscreen. I was a little apprehensive about taking the boys since Michelle didn't want to go with us (due to the increasingly uncomfortable feeling of being 9 months pregnant). But taking 4 active little boys to a crowed water park was still a little unsettling. Fortunately I got back-up. Amelia and Eleanor were able to join us and Aleky just had to wait for them to show up to take him; I took the three older boys and I left Quinten home asleep.

The boys had a blast and the lines were far too long for them to adequately enjoy all of the attractions. David was fearless, Donovan followed and Michael tried to back out. We worked on the buddy system so the boys had to stick together but it stretched their mental acuity to the limits! We rode a half dozen slides and then hit the lazy river.

Things were going pretty good. Donovan could bob up and down in the river most of the way. There are a few drop-offs that caught him by surprise the first time around and he discovered at least 3 or 4 ways to prevent drowning in such circumstances. David was trying to race Donovan around the river. Michael was holding on to me for dear life.

As Michael and I floated around the lazy river, dodging tubes and swimmers, we came upon David sitting on the side of the river crying. He was holding his bloody foot. Somehow he had managed to slice his foot open while running in the river and was sitting on the side of the river in pain and agony.

I wasn't quite sure how to proceed. I couldn't leave Michael in the river, Donovan had already floated away and was long gone, and there was no life guard in sight to get a band-aid of even directions to the first aid station. So Michael held on to my neck as I carried David out of the water and in the general direction of help (once out of the water Michael had to walk). Fortunately a couple of the park guests could see our predicament and pointed us in the right direction.

It was at the first aid station that Amelia, Eleanor and Aleky caught up to us. Since I was still missing Donovan I sent Amelia on a search and recover mission while I kept the rest of the little ones. The EMT/First Aid guy bandaged David's foot and we gave them a quick report of what had happened. That was it, no glory or glamour. Just a large purple wrapped bandage on his foot.

Amelia found Donovan clinging to the side trying to get out at the next exit to the lazy river. I sent Michael with Eleanor and Aleky to the kiddy pool where he would be happier. David and Donovan were not done playing so they went back to the lazy river for more racing fun. Eventually we got all of the boys in the kiddy pool were we could keep an eye on them and we stayed at the park for a couple of hours.

Of course the boys were disappointed when it was time to go. When we got home we discovered that Michelle had arranged a dinner party (cook out/BBQ)! I had to run to the store to get a few missing ingredients and then chop the wood to get the fire started. We were eating with the Anderson because Richard didn't have to go to work (had the night off) and we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to visit with them.

The boys loved the fire (as always) and burned just about everything they could get to the fire pit. We had hamburgers and hot dogs, potato chips, fruit salad, bean salad, fruit juice and roasted marshmallows for dessert. We had to slowly extract the boys from the fun so they could bathe and clean themselves from the day, but it was a process that didn't even start until about 8:30 pm. Needless to say, the boys were finally in bed by 9:30 pm and went right to sleep.

Once the boys were in bed and the Andersons had gone home we quickly cleaned up the kitchen and headed to the shower so we could clean up from the day. After our showers we watched our Netflix DVD on the TV series Quantum Leap (Netflix didn't stream the first few episodes so we requested the DVD).

I had an absolutely wonderful day with my family. The funny part about this day was that virtually none of it was actually planned; it just kind of happened. Some of our best planned days haven't worked out quite so well but today worked out great. I spent time with my family, had a blast, got some work done around the house and even found a great treasure at the DI. It's almost a shame that I have to go back to work because I could get used to doing something like this every day.

Pack Meeting at Bridal Veil Falls

2011-06-21T20:00:00.000-06:00

We had David's pack meeting tonight and the pack decided to have their pack meeting up near Bridal Veil Falls. We almost forgot about cub scout but managed to make it just in time to going the pack and their families as they started hiking up to the falls. My boys head out at the head of the pack. Michelle and I play catch-up with the babies.

We arrive to discover the boys already having a blast in the pool at the bottom of the falls. Donovan and Michael have taken off their shoes and are walking across the log bridge to get to the other side and to get closer to the falls. David is already half way up the falls with some of his friends.

We figured that this was the quickest way to transport Quinten and the best way to make sure he didn't wander off without our knowledge. He was okay with the ride up and back but didn't like being confined with so much fun right at hand.

Donovan and Michael try to follow David up the falls but they hit the first big climb/drop and decide it best to turn back to more familiar territory.

David forges ahead and ends up at the mid-point of the falls and the top of the walking trail. Obviously too far away from vocal interventions, David enjoys the freedom of throwing rocks down the falls! (I thought we had taught him better.)

David finally makes it back down from the falls (barefoot). We make it back to the ceremony part of the pack meeting late because we had to wait for David to descend. That worked out okay; David didn't have any awards at this pack meeting.

Our family enjoyed the outing to Bridal Veil Falls. All our boys returned safely and no one was injured by falling/thrown rocks. All's well that ends well.

(Finally posted 9/6/11)

New Chores

2011-06-21T17:00:00.000-06:00

We changed up our chore requirements a little to encourage our boys to want to help more around the house. In order for the boys to play the Wii or any computer games they have to do 3 chores, write in their gratitude journal, and read for at least 10 minutes. However, we also made a change that the boys had to do minimum level of work (based on their age; each kid must earn their age in chore money).

David, wanting to minimize the amount of work involved, has an entrepreneurial spirit and found a new chore that pays more than the others. He can water all of the flowers in the front yard for $0.10. Not only that but he's allowed in the front yard (without a chaperon)! He thinks that's pretty cool. He's been very diligent in keeping up with his new chore.

(Finally posted 9/6/11)

Cleaning the House is Fun to Do

2011-06-16T06:04:00.004-06:00

The house was a disaster! There were dirty dishes piled in the sink, laundry strewn about the house, toys scattered to the four winds, etc. Not only that but with kids running through the house to use the bathroom after playing in the swimming pool, wood chips, grass and dirt the house was beginning to look just a little messy and it was beginning to wear on Michelle. The rest of us boys were taking things in stride; probably not the best sign.

Anyway, since I had stolen an entire afternoon from Michelle with her ultrasound and birthday date I felt like I should help repair the damage that time had inflicted on us. So I didn't work the extra shift that we had planned and we put the entire family to work. I did the dishes while Michelle sorted laundry. The boys had to pick up the toys in their room, front room, toy room and back yard. Then we converged on the kitchen and the boys got their first lesson in hand scrubbing the floor clean.

The boys thought this was the best part of the clean-up process. With the wet soapy water the floor turned into a skating rink. All it took was a little momentum and they could almost slide across the floor. We're working on getting them to wring out the rags before trying scrub the dirt from the floor. But they had a blast and the floor is clean at last!

Happy Birthday Michelle

2011-06-15T21:15:00.005-06:00

These flowers came from our dear friend Amelia. And they certainly brightened Michelle's day! Thank you Amelia!

I took Michelle out on a date for her birthday. She didn't really plan on doing much since there were several things that were going on (like cub scouts for David) and we were going to celebrate here birthday this weekend when we could do so as a family.

Last week I had arranged for my sister Cheyenne to babysit the boys so we could escape for a few hours but Michelle had no knowledge of these plans. I wanted to surprise Michelle. However, I've learned that I don't do surprised very well and that women like anticipation over complete surprise. So I dropped Michelle a subtle hint by facebook.

She never got the message!!! In fact, Amelia was the one to spill the beans when she brought over the flowers and asked what we had planned for tonight. When I came home for my lunch break and took the opportunity to elaborate just a little bit more so that the excitement and anticipation could build.

Normally this would have worked like magic but I had a few obstacle to overcome before our magnificent date could even begin. First, Michelle's ultrasound had been rescheduled to today (everything checks out normal, in every respect and measurement). The appointment ran late and Cheyenne was waiting at the house for us to return. David's cub scouts; he had to attend since he passed off several more requirements this week and needed to get them recorded. And then being pregnant doesn't put anyone I know of in good spirits (the baby does but not being pregnant).

Michelle was excited to go when we finally got out of the house around 6:30 pm (which was only 90 minutes behind my planned schedule). We headed off knowing our children were in good hands and we could have some time to ourselves. We enjoyed a nice quite steak dinner at the Outback Steak House. There were only a few other customers there so we had excellent service and were out of there in a jiffy. We made it to the 7:55 showing of X-men: First Class and ran into some old friends from the ballroom dance team (watching the same movie). After the movie we headed home.

It wasn't the most fancy date ever but it was a break from the boys. That was the biggest present of all! We still have a small celebration this weekend but I was able to surprise Michelle with a simple birthday date and some time to ourselves.

I love you sweetheart, Happy Birthday!

Miniature Golfing at Trafalga

2011-06-13T20:56:00.002-06:00

Today was a beautiful spring day and the boys were anxious to get out of the house. Michelle had a doctor's appointment so I got to take the boys miniature golfing. The 4 oldest boys came with me and Michelle took Quinten with her.

Since it was nice outside the boys unanimously choose to do an outside course and the majority chose to go to the north course. (I guess next time we'll go south.) The boys were off and running and not really interested in miniature golf lessons. They knew that the ball goes in the hole and you want to put the ball into any cool thing along the way because that is better. I did manage to get a tip or two across but I don't know if they were really paying attention.

In the end it doesn't really matter. We had a blast. The boys were temporarily distracted by the cute teenage girls in the group in front of us but mostly they just slowed us down. The boys can't wait for the next round of golf.

First Campfire Cook-out of the Year

2011-06-11T21:38:00.000-06:00

In a way it's kind of sad that we are just barely having our first campfire of this year. In years past we've had campfires in March but this year we have started in June! Oh well, we do what we can.

The boys were so excited to have a campfire and roast hot dogs. All five of them we're on site to help get wood ready, split logs, get newspaper for kindling and fire up the matches. Even though we've had this wood for a while now it was still quite difficult to get burning. (We haven't had such a smokey fire in quite some time.)

But all's well that ends well. The wood burnt down to some good roasting coals. The boys did a great job roasting their own hot dogs (except for Aleky who gave a valiant effort and then let me take over).

It was perfect weather and we enjoyed our dinner on the patio. After eating the required amount of food (they didn't necessarily eat all of their dinner) the boys roasted marshmallows. Aleky is still perfecting his technique but at least he did it all by himself.

Quinten finally started getting tired and just wanted to go to bed. Even though the sun was still up it was an hour past his bedtime and he was done for the evening. The other boys, however, thought it was absolutely fabulous that they were able to stay up. The night was extended by showers to wash away the smoke smell. So the boys didn't get to bed until after 9:00 pm! But that's summer for ya.

Tomato Tree Production Commencing

2011-06-10T21:43:00.002-06:00

Tonight we worked together in the garden. The tomatoes exploded out of the top of the walls of water and needed space to grow. Last year we had phenomenal success growing tomato trees using a trellis fencing system. So we've decided to try that method again and see if we have repeated success. The three older boys were charged with holding the tomato plants once the walls of water were removed (as the tomato plants lacked the strength to hold themselves up) and until Michelle could get the plants tied to the trellis we had created.

The boys could hardly stand still that long but after a lengthy 5 minutes all of the boys were relieved of duty and were off playing in the water (slide and wading pool). Michelle finished tying and pruning the tomato plants to give them the maximum growth potential. We'll see how well we do this year.

While the boys cleaned up the yard from their home water park play day Michelle methodically continues to prune the tomato plants.

Michelle finished before the boys could completely clean up the yard. As you can tell by the shadows, it was nearly 7:30 pm before we starting thinking about dinner! The boys started getting pretty ornery but we had them all in bed before 9:30 with showers and bathes. Ok, not a world record but it's summer, right?!

Dewinterizing the Swamp Cooler

2011-06-06T20:45:00.004-06:00

After a prolonged and quite rainy spring there have been definite signs that summer may soon be here. While is the first week in June it has actually been hot enough to want the air conditioning as a working option. So the older boys got a lesson in swamp cooler management tonight.

David and Donovan got to climb up on the roof to help me get the swamp cooler running. They could hardly contain their excitement and had to be reminded repeatedly that they had to wait for me to be on the roof before they scrambled up there (we didn't want them having too much fun on their own).

The boys were big helper doing just about everything that needed to be done with a little coaching from dad.

Before long we'll have these boys trained and then watch out world!

We now have a functioning swamp cooler! Thanks for your help boys.

Angels in the Flower Beds

2011-06-02T11:06:00.004-06:00

This morning we had a wonderful surprise. While I was at work, and before the rest of the household woke up, we had a visit from some angels. They weeded the flowerbeds in our front yard and planted some beautiful flowers. When Michelle discovered these flowers it brought a smile to her face that lasted the whole day.

In her own words:

"I had some Angels working overtime in my front yard!!! I woke up to freshly planted and weeded flower beds. :) I can't stop smiling :) Best morning ever, and perfect timing too. I can't thank you enough Angels!!!"

We have not discovered who these angel were. However, one angel was caught red-handed (or should I say muddy gloved?). David woke up and was shocked when he discovered the angels in action. When questioned about these circumstances he was only able to reveal one of the angels. The other angels have remained anonymous but there actions have certainly blessed our lives.

Thank you!

Family Night by Provo River

2011-05-31T06:09:00.004-06:00

It's Memorial Day, a national holiday, but I had to go to work. So Michelle and I wanted to do something with the boys when I got home. The fact that it was raining and hailing meant that our boys had been stuck in the house all day and we needed to get them out (the tomato plants appeared to have survived the hail). But when I got home I was tired and had a headache. Michelle felt similar and we had to pool our energetic resources to come up with a plan.

We decided to run over to Maceys grocery store for their soft-serve twist ice cream cones. After that we were going to visit the mall's playground for some fun. And with 5 minutes notice to the boys we were in the car and on our way.

The ice cream was great and we have plans to go back for more (later). As we left the store we drove down State Street in Orem looking for a sporting goods store that a friend of ours had told us about. The boys had so much pent up energy that they were nearly uncontrollable and certainly embarrassing in both stores! (We love our boys but sometimes...!)

As we walked out of the store and the store clerk "yells" at our kids so that they don't run and play in State Street we changed our minds about the mall and decide that an outdoor venue is needed for our children (thankfully it had stopped raining by then). So we headed for the mountains.

We stopped at the first park we came to and decided to let our boys throw rocks in the river, one of their all-time favorite activities. As we approached the river we noticed that it is much higher and fuller than normal. Because of the increased flow of water I didn't want my boys getting to close.

(Of course, we still let them climb on the bridge...go figure!)

After throwing lots of rocks and a few tree branches in the river we spent our last few minutes of our family night at the little playground. Our boys ran all over the place and were climbing on everything. The last of the pent up energy being released before we had to go home and go to bed.

As we were driving home we asked the boys what their favorite part of the activity was. "Throwing rocks", "Pooh Sticks", and "The slide" and sounded from the back of the suburban. Finally, "Everything!" summed up the family feelings as we headed home for the night.

At The Playground With The Bunkers

2011-05-28T21:42:00.006-06:00

The warmer weather means that it's time to get together with our friends and it's time to investigate the various parks in our neighborhood. Today we went to visit the Bunkers. Since our families are so well matched it is always a blast, sometimes more than us parents can handle. The kids went wild and were all over the playground. They didn't stop until it was time to go home.

So the boys didn't have all the fun. I had to jump in too. But since I had the camera there is no photographic evidence of the ruckus and mayhem that ensued. Suffice it to say that we had fun running all over the playground. And I needed a rest by the time we were done.

Ice Cream at Maceys

2011-05-28T21:40:00.002-06:00

We've past the deli counter who knows how many times and seen who knows how many people eating ice cream as they wander the isles of the store but we've never actually stopped to check it out. Well, today that changed. We decided to stop and check out the options. The little ice cream cones are only $0.49 each! So we got one for each of the 4 older boys. Quinten got to share with mommy.

These cones are so much bigger than McDonald's and they taste better too. This is something we'll have to do again.

Annual Dance Festival

2011-05-27T13:01:00.008-06:00

This morning we went to support David and Donovan in their annual dance festival at Wasatch Elementary School. Donovan, in particular, has been so excited to participate in this event and has been counting down the days for the past month! We're so excited for him and he did a wonderful job, as did David, in this years dance festival.

Wrestling With Dad

2011-05-21T21:27:00.003-06:00

Wrestling dad has become a family favorite. The boys believe that any time they have an attitudinal advantage they have some prime directive to jump on me. This is especially true around prayer time were I am often humbled by the occasion.

Amazingly, the boys are starting to learn teamwork. Once they figure that out I'm really in trouble. At least we're all having fun, right!?

Car Wash

2011-05-21T21:22:00.002-06:00

My boys wanted to surprise me with a clean car when I got home from work. They did a great job! Thanks boys!!!

Ward Missionary Fair

2011-04-30T17:52:00.003-06:00

Our ward had a missionary fair. There were about a half dozen activities that helped families to be aware of missionary work and preparing to be a missionary.

The best activity, meaning the one that the boys learned the most, was this clothing station. The boys learned how to hang up their clothes properly (in case they serve in an area without dryers).

We also learned how to properly iron a white shirt. I'll have to admit that I was learning a few things at this station. (Would have been helpful a few years ago when I was actually serving my mission. But better late than never!)

The boys also got missionary savings banks so that they can start saving for their missions. We went home and immediately started the boys on a missionary savings program. The boys are paying 10% for tithing and are now paying 10% to their missionary savings banks. If we start now we might be able to afford the cost of all our family missions!

(finally posted 6/18/11)

Pine Wood Derby

2011-04-19T17:59:00.001-06:00

David is excited about being a new cub scout. He's already getting his first taste of the annual pine wood derby races. While he's excited about the races and being in cub scouts he's still trying to get the hang of it. His first pine wood derby got about 20 minutes of expert time and he was done. Check out how his first car compares to the competition...

To his credit, it was all done by him and not by daddy. Well, actually the weights for the car were added by me but the design, shape and paint were all David.

Even though he didn't win the race he had a lot of fun racing his car over and over. After the official race was over he, along with several other scouts, raced their cars just for fun.

Next year should be more exciting now that we know what to expect and have a few more ideas to work with.

(finally posted 9/9/11)

David Gets Baptized

2011-04-09T20:38:00.002-06:00

I'm not gonna lie; I'm very excited that David made the decision to get baptized. Today was the big day and he did such a good job. David said he was nervous and scared but you couldn't tell. He acted so confident and happy that he was finally going to be baptized, a day he has been looking forward to for quite some time. We were blessed to have quite a few people in attendance including both sets of grandparents, some aunts, uncles and cousins, his primary teachers and the stake patriarch (to list a few).

The baptismal program was mostly family but David listened attentively to each speaker. After the baptism our 4 oldest boys did a musical number (The Fourth Article of Faith). He was then confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Spirit was very strong and there were a few choked testimonies and a few tears too. David even bore his testimony after the confirmation.

At the end of the service David went and thanked as many people for coming as he could, giving hugs to most of them. He was such a little man and it made my heart leap for joy. I am so proud of David for making this decision and taking such an important step in his life.

Fruit Salad

2011-04-07T21:01:00.004-06:00

The boys were such big helpers tonight. Michelle wanted to make a fruit salad for dinner; and she felt that the boys were big enough to be helping around the house. So they were put to work. Michael and Aleky provided a steady stream of large fruit pieces while David and Donovan were in charge of cutting the fruit down to size. (Daddy helped get the large fruit pieces prepared, peeled, washed, etc.) Good job boys!

Journal Writing

2011-04-03T21:07:00.002-06:00

Michelle had a brilliant idea of putting some journals together for our boys. Since they are still young she thought that a page with a "picture area" at the top of the page and lines at the bottom was a perfect compromise in journaling. The boys could draw a picture, write about the day, or both. David and Donovan have just gone to town with the idea and they seem to have plenty to say every night (for the past 3 nights). Michael and Aleky are still warming up to the idea, although Michael may be a budding artist; Michael has done some great pictures so far.

Our idea was to let the boys start keeping track of something they did for someone else during the day. That idea has become a little broader to include something that was important or significant to them during the day. Aleky only draws pictures of Jesus. Michael does a lot of self portraits. Donovan has been documenting the chores he's been doing around the house. David has shared a few different ideas at home and at school.

For now, I'm just happy that they are putting effort into writing. We'll work on the other stuff later.

Hair Got Splatted

2011-04-02T21:13:00.002-06:00

Michael's hair got splatted! They boys came up with this term over a year ago and it has stuck in our family. One's hair is splatted when it is unkempt and needs to be combed (for any reason). It is especially obvious when one's hair is sticking up or any other direction. Michael had an especially good hair style going on before conference on Saturday so we had to take a picture.

Happy Birthday Uncle Kyle

2011-03-30T21:48:00.000-06:00

We wanted to do something nice for Uncle Kyle on his birthday. So Michelle made a cheesecake and some chocolate rice crispy treats. Uncle Kyle loved those items but wouldn't comment on the amazing Jones chorus.

(posted 10/31/11)

Quinten Gets A Haircut

2011-03-23T21:22:00.000-06:00

Quinten finally reached that significant milestone in his life, his first haircut. This boy doesn't have thick, dark hair so we've waited quite a while before making this step. But the time finally came. I'd say that he did remarkably well sitting in the chair while Michelle cut his hair.

And he turned out extremely handsome, if I do say so myself.

All Tuckered Out

2011-03-20T21:16:00.001-06:00

Poor Quinten! He didn't get a very good nap today and was getting especially awnry while we were trying to get dinner ready. Finally I'd had enough of the screaming and crying, along with the temper tantrums and fussing, so I put him in his room. The immediate peace and relative quiet was heaven-sent. But it didn't take long before we began to realize that it was a little too quiet. I went to check on my little man to make sure he was okay and discovered my little bundle of joy curled up in the laundry basket. I guess it's time to get him to bed.

Happy Birthday Michael

2011-03-19T21:00:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Michael's birthday with some cake, ice cream and presents. We didn't invite any friends over this year in order to keep things low key and simple (raising 5 boys can be a lot of work!). Michelle made a nice sheet cake which was more than enough cake for everyone.

Michael was pleased to be the center of attention today. He picked out the ice cream that he wanted for his birthday.

But the best part of the day was getting to open his presents. We're excited that he's excited.

Happy Birthday Michael! You're growing up so fast and we're so proud of you.

(Posted 10/31/11)

Miniature Golfing at Trafalga

2011-03-19T18:16:00.002-06:00

This year we decided to invest some money in the "Pass of all Passes". This is the season pass to 7-peaks water park but it has been combined with a few other local attractions. Trafalga happens to be one of those attractions and we decided to take the family and go miniature golfing. Because it is cold outside we decided to try their indoor (blacklight) course. When the weather warms up we'll be sure to visit the 2 outdoor courses too.

We haven't been miniature golfing very often so we did our best to give the boys a quick lesson in how to hold the golf club and not hit the other nice people with your ball. We were mostly successful and didn't loose any balls (although there were some close calls).

By the 18th hole the boys were getting the hang of it.

Even Aleky was doing pretty good. We didn't keep score because the boys required too many swings but they had fun and that's what counts.

Provo City's Science-Palooza

2011-03-12T18:02:00.007-07:00

We made it to Provo's annual Science-Palooza this year. The boys had a ton of fun since they already had an idea of what to expect. These guys just jumped right in.

Here they are learning about blood, what makes up blood and how important it is for the human body.

David is trying his hand at panning for gold. It takes a few tries but he finally scores his golden keepsake.

Quinten stays contained in his stroller for his own protection and so we can keep track of him with so many distractions running around. He did good for most of the activity but was ancy to get out by the end of the day.

The boys tried their hand at catching carbon dioxide bubbles. They discovered that the glove was the key to success.

A little black light art lighten things up, and not just on paper either.

The video is a brief synopsis of the science palooza and some of the other activities that were there.

Hex Bug in the Lego Maze

2011-03-06T21:03:00.002-07:00

David got a "hex bug" for his birthday and the family was excited to help him test out his new little toy. So we brought the legos into the kitchen and built a little maze on the table for the bug to explore. Everyone contributed (except Quinten, he just tried to pull the maze down to the floor for closer examination) and helped to create the maze. We included bridges and turns to make the bug feel right at home. The boys loved it and could have kept playing if it wasn't already bedtime.

Donovan's School Program

2011-03-04T16:25:00.003-07:00

Donovan joined his kindergarden classmates to share what they have been learning in their singing/choir class this year. While lacking a certain synchronicity in action they exuded enthusiasm. What more could a parent ask for? Good job Donovan!

Geo Trax Fun

2011-02-26T21:40:00.003-07:00

Grandma Petersen was sending some Geo Trax to the cousins, or so we found out. But when Uncle Kyle dropped them off at our house we thought we had hit the jackpot. The boys immediately set to work to build an awesome trax course and they had all sorts of fun. It's pretty amazing what you can do with all these trax!

Fortunately, Michelle had identified the new stuff from our stuff and wrote down the inventory list. So when it was time to surrender this awesome addition we were able to figure it out pretty quickly. It was sad to see them go but we had fun while it lasted.

(posted 5/30/11)

Quinten Gets Spotted

2011-02-20T10:49:00.003-07:00

Quinten broke out in a rash yesterday and it seems to have gotten worse today. We thought it might have been related to his immunizations that he received recently but apparently it has been long enough that these symptoms are not related. I guess we'll try an antihistamine and see if that helps. If not, it looks like a doctor's visit to me.

Sorry buddy, no church for you today.

Aleky is also feeling sick today. I feel extra bad about him missing church because he has to give a talk in primary. The bad part is that this time we were actually prepared with a talk (as opposed to the last several talk assignments that we let slip through the cracks). Donovan stepped up and said he would give the talk in Aleky's place. What a brother!

Tonight's Dinner Is...

2011-02-19T20:36:00.002-07:00

Michelle is always very conscious about making sure we eat well balanced meals. But tonight, well tonight we had some different priorities. A well balanced dinner was not so high on our priority list. And when the pizza didn't turn out so well the boys got chocolate toast, all except Quinten who still had to eat his banana. Our boys thought it was a fabulous dinner and we didn't have a single complaint.

Girls in our House

2011-02-18T16:32:00.003-07:00

The last couple of days have been very different. We've had the pitter patter of little GIRL feet in our home. It has been fun to have three of our neighbor's little girls visit our home. Somehow the TV has been a part of each visit (and it has been so cute to see all the little ones gathered around, together). Fortunately the TV has only been a small part of each visit. Mostly they just run around and have fun.

Visit to the Dinosaur Museum

2011-02-11T22:36:00.011-07:00

The other day we received an open invitation from my cousin Jessica that she would love to go with us to the Dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point. I think she was just a little surprised when we called her up 2 days later and said we wanted to take her up on that offer. They didn't have previous plans so they agreed to meet us there.

While most of the museum was dedicated to dinosaurs, there was a opening exhibit that we were able to visit first. The exhibit was hands on and talked about light (including the physics behind light, light rays, reflection & refraction, etc.). I don't know if the boys are experts on light but they had fun checking out each station in the exhibit.

But the fun really began with the big dinosaurs. They boys could hardly control their excitement as they raced around the museum.

Having their cousins along made it that much more fun. Here they built a dinosaur from the various heads, legs and tails that were hanging on the wall. Who knew this dinosaur would turn and eat them!

We spent a significant amount of time learning about errosion in this hands-on exhibit. The kids built dams and canals, hills and valleys and then watched them get washed away. I'll admit I had a little fun myself at this exhibit.

Here the boys learned all about digging up dinosaur bones. They had fun getting in lots of practice, using paint brushes to carefully excavate these ancient bones from the sand.

This was a shocking exhibit, especially coming around the corner and not expecting it! Definitely a big fish.

Another dinosaur dining experience.

It's no wonder why the dinosaurs were eating our kids. They weighed in at a whopping 300 hundred pounds! Not bad for 6 energetic boys.

We had a lot of fun at the museum and want to go back. We loved it so much we started calculating costs of a year family pass. We didn't buy the pass but we are certainly glad that we could have a fun family outing with our Wycherly cousins.

Double Ear Infection

2011-02-07T22:34:00.000-07:00

Quinten went in for his 1 year check-up today (he's only 1 month overdue; that's not too bad, is it?). He has been fussy lately and he keeps grabbing his ear so we wondered if he was getting an ear infection since we hadn't noticed any new teeth recently.

Michelle takes Quinten in and has one of the longest well check-up visits ever. She told me later that the doctor was working with a medical student/PA who was brand new and was being shown the ropes. So the PA would do the first exam and report to the doctor. The doctor would then recheck to verify the PA's findings.

The PA completely missed the blazing obvious double ear infection in my son and the doctor took the time to explain and diagram what was going on so they wouldn't miss it in the future. That's great but not when we want our son treated promptly. At least they found out what was wrong.

So Quinten is on his very first round of antibiotics and finished another round of immunizations (3 shots). All in all, he hasn't had a very good day. At least he's on the road to recovery and should start feeling better soon.

Boy Barracks Project Announced in East Provo

2011-02-06T13:05:00.002-07:00

A boys barracks has been announced in east Provo as the Jones family eagerly anticipates the arrival of baby boy #6. The arrival of the new child has been known for some weeks now but there was a lot of speculation as to the gender of the new arrival. The speculation was laid to rest on Thursday when Dr. Young made the announcement.

"I thought it was going to be a girl!" said a surprised Michelle upon learning that she was going to be the proud mother of yet another stripling warrior. "This pregnancy has felt completely different from my other pregnancies. I haven't been as sick, I've had energy and I haven't felt 'big' with this one," Michelle said.

"I was hoping for a little princess," Khayyam told the press, "but somehow I kinda knew that we would have another boy."

Both parents expressed some disappointment that a little baby girl does not seem to be in their future but they are excited about the adventures they'll have with six sons. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as this story unfolds.

Donovans Birthday

2011-02-05T17:14:00.001-07:00

We wanted to have a little celebration for Donovan's birthday. Since he was just in the hospital we had to wait to have his birthday party. One thing led to another and we ended up just having a family celebration. But we did get his rocket ship birthday cake! However, his lung are still recovering (you'll notice he has some trouble blowing the candle out on his cake).

Chances are pretty good that we'll have a boys "half-birthday party" when the weather warms up, sometime this summer. Then we'll have all of the friends over for fun and games.

Quinten Climbing Down the Stairs

2011-02-02T19:18:00.005-07:00

Quinten decided that it was time he learned how to crawl down the stairs. After all, that's where all the action seems to happen. The boys are playing and then they're gone...downstairs. So today he crawled down the stairs. My little boy is growing up.

Family Outing to Chuck E Cheese

2011-01-31T09:14:00.001-07:00

We are so excited to have Donovan home from the hospital in time to celebrate his birthday. Because he's still recovering we decided to postpone his birthday party for a couple of weeks. But we still wanted to do something so that he would feel special and know that we didn't forget his birthday. So we decided to take the family to Chuck E. Cheese for some games and entertainment.

We ate dinner earlier than usual and we let him eat on the special "red" plate. After dinner we opened a few presents we had received from family (in anticipation of his birthday). Of course he had fun opening the gifts.

After opening the gifts we headed out to Chuck E Cheese. Because our boys participated in the reading program at the library this past summer we had some coupons for tokens at Chuck E Cheese. So we loaded up on a cupful of tokens and headed in to play some games. The boys had a blast playing the different games. I don't know if the fun came from the game or just seeing all of the tickets pop out afterwards. Either way, the kids were having a blast. Donovan beat me head to head on the air hockey game 10-9. David ended up with about 50 tickets which got him a nice little treat. The other 3 boys totaled over 70 tickets so each boy was able to get something fun.

From there we headed over to Sonic to get a soft-serve ice cream cone. The boys thought they were in heaven! They ate their ice cream cones on the way home. When we returned home the boys hurried to get ready for bed because Michelle was going to read them one of the new books that Donovan had received for his birthday. After the story the boys went right to bed! In the end everyone got exactly what they wanted for Donovan's birthday.

Happy Birthday Donovan!

Cold water from our faucet!

2011-01-29T19:56:00.001-07:00

When I came home from work there were 2 faucets on the kitchen table. Michelle has been plotting to get faucets for some time now. I think that losing cold water from both our sinks was a motivating factor.

Our kitchen sink starting leaking water several months ago. We took the cold stem apart a couple of times and "fixed" the leak. That would last for less than a day before it would start leaking again. We finally turn the water off to the cold side (under the sink). Our kitchen cold water was from the hot side before the water heated up or from the bathroom.

A couple of weeks ago our bathroom sink started leaking on the cold water side. So I tried to replace the cold water stem only to somehow completely shut off all cold water. We're still not sure what happened but we lost all cold water except for a drip.

So for the past few days we've had to turn the cold water on (under the kitchen sink) anytime we wanted cold water. Michelle had enough and bought 2 new faucets fixtures. (We're done trying to fix these old faucets!)

When I came home from work Michelle had already started the replacement process on the kitchen sink. Once I got there Michelle allowed me to help. Over the next several hours we slowly worked through the process of completely replacing both fixtures.

In the end our sinks look great! And we now how cold water with the turn of a lever. A completely revoltionary concept. We're adapting to a whole new way of life, life with cold water.

I think the sinks look great.

Donovan's Family Birthday Party

2011-01-28T23:29:00.001-07:00

We wanted to do something fun for Donovan's birthday. We know that the boys had a blast the last time we went to Chuck E. Cheese. So we decided that we would go there as a family and have some more fun together. The boys had a blast. Each kid played a handful of games, collected the tickets and redeemed those tickets for prizes at the end. They are looking forward to the next time they can go to Chuck E. Cheese.

After all the fun we headed up to Sonic for some soft serve ice cream. Our boys arrived home happy and tired, and just a little bit sticky. What a great birthday party celebration.

Story Time

2011-01-27T20:48:00.001-07:00

Our boys love to listen to stories. Tonight the boys cuddled up to Michelle as she read them a bedtime story.

Donovan returns home from the hospital

2011-01-27T10:02:00.002-07:00

Donovan is finally home after spending a week in the hospital. Last weekend Donovan was not acting like himself and we could tell he was getting sick. We gave him his nebulizer treatments (albuterol) but it just didn't seem like it was doing anything for him. So on Tuesday Michelle took him in to see the doctor. His oxygen saturation was very low so he was admitted to the hospital immediately. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting that news while I was at work. I knew he was sick but I didn't realize he was doing so poorly.
With some coordination by Michelle I was able to take my dinner break and meet our hometeacher at the hospital to give Donovan a blessing. That visit had to be the fastest hospital visit I've ever done since I had to be back to work (including travel time) in just 30 minutes. I'm very glad we were able to administer to him because by Wednesday Donovan's condition worsened. His oxygen saturation (O2 sat) dropped below 80% even though he was on 6 liters of oxygen (L/min). His heart beat was racing at 180 bpm and his respirations were up to 70 rpm. The doctors we seriously considering life-flighting Donovan up to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City. I found all of this out while I was at work!
Fortunately Donovan began to stabalize at that point and the doctor was able to keep Donovan at Utah Valley Region Medical Center (UVRMC). His repirations dropped to 30 rpm, heart rate dropped to 120 bpm and his O2 was reduced to 3 L/m. Although he was getting more stable he was still in the hospital for another 5 days. We were very blessed that Michelle's mom was able to come down and stay with Donovan until Saturday and come back on Sunday night.

We discovered that Donovan had RSV, a virus that can makes kids very ill and hits the lungs pretty hard. In this case is caused a severe asthmatic attach which was keeping Donovan from getting the oxygen he needed. And because of the inflammation he began to develop pneumonia in the bottom of both lungs. In spite of his poor condition he was very polite to all the nurses and the doctors. In fact, all of the hospital staff had nothing but nice things to say about Donovan through out his stay.

Donovan finally came off the oxygen on Monday about noon. He was able to maintain his O2 sat at 90% for 8 hours so the doctor let him come home. We took Donovan to see our regular doctor on Tuesday and Donovan checked out as still doing ok, still healing. He was cleared for school yesterday and made a grand entrance to a cheering classroom! Apparently all of his friends at school had missed him during the past week. He is still on a several medications but he appears to really be on the mend.
This week has been real tough on our family but we are grateful for Donovan coming back home to us. We are grateful to Grandma Petersen for spending a week with Donovan in the hospital. And we are grateful for our ward friends who have helped with prayers, meals and babysitting through out this family trial. Most of all we are grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who has watched over all of us and blessed us greatly.
Welcome home Donovan!

Puzzles Everywhere

2011-01-15T18:55:00.002-07:00

I came home from work today and this is what I saw...

My boys have been hard at work putting together their favorite puzzles. They just didn't stop to clean up and put away the puzzles before starting on the next one. And David, Donovan and Michael were so content to work until all the puzzle were completed.

Boys

2011-01-14T21:04:00.003-07:00

David and Donovan have rediscovered the computer. The boys have been playing the Wii so much that they forgot about the computer downstairs. Now that time has passed, these computer games are cool again.

Quinten is helping to put away the clean dishes. He feels like he needs to help do his share of chores around the house.

Aleky is always willing to help put the dishes away, especially if he can sort the silverware.

Balloon Games

2011-01-10T17:24:00.002-07:00

These are moments to be cherished! My boys are having a blast playing with balloons. I have no idea what they are playing but they are doing it together and that's all that matters.

Sunday Morning

2011-01-09T17:17:00.002-07:00

We've just moved from our late church schedule to an 11:00 am church schedule. So what do young boys do between the time they wake up and the time they go to church? My boys play on the Leapster. We only have 1 so they have to share.

Once you set it down your turn is over and the next boy gets to play.

Aleky isn't into all of the electronic media yet, so he is content to hang out and get ready for church. He just needs to be careful not to get yogurt on his shirt.

Quinten's Birthday Party

2011-01-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

We had a little celebration for our young man. He just turned 1 year old! It doesn't seem like it's been a whole year since Quinten joined our family. But here he is, enjoying his birthday cake and learning all about opening presents, with special instruction by his older brothers.

Just Dance

2011-01-05T23:27:00.001-07:00

I got "Just Dance 2" for the Wii this Christmas. My boys saw me dancing and they wanted to give it a try. David was the first one but Donovan and Michael were not to be left behind. So I let them have a try.

If you ask me, I think they may be hiding some raw talent in there. We'll just have to work on refining it a bit over the next few years.

New Year's Eve at Grandma's House

2011-01-01T11:12:00.002-07:00

We ended up going to Grandma and Grandpa Petersen's home for our New Year's eve celebration. Originally we were going to make a trip up for a "Grandma's Christmas" but one thing led to another and it didn't quite work out like we expected. So turning lemons into lemonade, we had a New Year's celebration with Grandma and the cousins! I love it when we can get together with all of the little cousins, they always have a blast playing together.

We met at the bowling ally in Tooele for family bowling. Grandma got the babies and the bigger kids got to bowl.

David could not be separated from Devon so he joined their family and we got Cynthia in our family. The Petersens didn't share any of their kids. After that, the bowling balls went flying, some better directed than others. But we all had a good time.

Our family had a pretty close game but Aleky clearly came in 2nd place! He's getting pretty good throwing those huge balls down the lane.

After bowling we had a rendezvous at Grandma's house for dinner. After gathering everyone in for a blessing on the food the kids were sent downstairs to eat.

It wasn't completely unsupervised but they did have the run on the place. Really, it was all we could do to get a time out for the food. These kids were playing non-stop and having a blast playing with each other.

Going to bed wasn't any easier but we finally were able to calm to crowds and they went to bed just a couple hours after there regular bedtime. None of the adults stayed up to see the new year come in; we trusted that everything would happen just fine without any supervision.

We are very grateful to have such a wonderful family. We are looking forward to the next family gathering.

RECALL NOTICE

2010-08-05T21:14:00.002-06:00

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed "Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect. The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required. The number to call for repair in all areas
is: P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect is Jesus will replace it with:

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4 Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention!

- GOD

P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'!

Blogging Catch-up

2010-07-24T10:50:00.002-06:00

There comes a time in every blogger’s life when you finally have to catch up on all the missed blogs (and finish all the blogs that were started but never completed). So I’m getting around to that part. This Pioneer Day holiday I’ve been able to complete the following blogs, scattered over the past couple of years!:

Springville Playground
Date Night Noodles
Study for Finals
Garden Begins
Garden Begins 2
Happy Holiday
Christmas with Joneses
Snow in April

I'm not caught up yet but at least these posts fill in a few of the gaps and reduces my blog draft page to a single page. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze in some more time to finish the remaining posts. I still have this weeks posts to get posted. I guess this stuff just never ends. Oh the memories we make!!!

Visiting Party for the Gibbons

2010-07-21T21:13:00.007-06:00

We were excited to find out that the Gibbons family would be in town to visit around the Pioneer Day holiday. The headed out to Virginia last year for Shae to attend law school. It was sad to see them go and so we were excited to visit with them as they passed through town. When we invited them over it seemed natural to invite our neighbors, the Simmons, and our good friends, the Johnsons, at the same time to visit with the Gibbons as well.

Michelle jumps on the phone to see what schedules are like and if they could make it down. The Gibbons said they could come over on Wednesday or Thursday but we were going to be out of town on Thursday so we just told everyone that Wednesday was the day. Everyone could make it at some point so we called the Gibbons back to find out what time they would be in town. One thing lead to another and our little dinner or dessert get-together turned into a pot-luck dinner party!

Michelle loves parties so she called up a list of friends who also knew the Gibbons. We knew we couldn't get everyone but whatever we didn't get on the first go-around the Gibbons could visit individually later. As it turned out, we had a lot of people show up and it was a blast. Everyone seemed to know everyone and the kids just ran around the yard at mach 2.

We didn't have a lot of time to prepare for this party. We had gone hiking with some other family friends so we just cleaned up the yard (a little), made a salad and hamburger buns and patties and set up some chairs and tables. No one seemed to mind and everyone had seemed to have a good time. We are grateful that the Gibbons were back in town so we could have such a fun party. We want to wish the Gibbons the best of luck as they finish up their final year of law school.

Stewart Falls with the Bruschkes

2010-07-21T17:43:00.011-06:00

An unexpected email last week indicated that some dear family friends would be in town this week and wanted to get together to do something. With no set day, time or activity we weren't sure quite what to expect or how our friend's time would work out. So we took a shot in the dark and named 2 different days and 3 different activities hoping that at least one option would work. Luckily for us today was the day and hiking to Stewart Falls was the activity. This hike isn't too difficult and it's been a while since we've been there but we've been talking about it all summer. And the Brusches hadn't been there yet so it turned to be an excellent choice for an activity.

The Bruschkes were coming down from Park City so we decided to meet just past Aspen Grove at the parking lot (at the trail head). As soon as we got our group picture we headed up the trail. With 4 adults and 10 children ages 7 and under, we figured that everyone could keep up, moms and dads included. The older children naturally headed down the trail first and the little kids hung back with mom and dad.

The last time we had hiked this trail David had gotten so far ahead that we "lost" him and I had to run to find him. So we got smart and decided to bring walkie-talkies so we could at least maintain contact with him. The idea was good but the execution of this plan didn't go quite as we anticipated. I don't know if we have bad equipment or bad operators but we lost contact with David before we made it half-way up the trail. In fact, the rest of the older kids met us as they were walking back up the trail, they also having lost contact with David. We did finally find David, relaxing on the far side of the stream/waterfall, exactly where we didn't want him to be without supervision. As a result, David had to relinquish control of the walkie-talkie, and could past the first adult on the trail (which happened to be me, but that was better than having to wait for mom at the end of the group!). This was absolute torture for David but he needs to learn a lesson about staying together.

When the rest of us arrived at the falls we discovered about 2 dozen other hikers who had already arrived before us. That wasn't too bad, all was calm and relatively quiet. The boys immediately took to throwing rocks in the river and we needed to remind them to be careful and not launch rocks all the way across the river and hit people sitting down on the other side! Aleky had to be reminded multiple times.

While we were enjoying our lunch we noticed some guys coming down the trail at a full run, without shirts on. We assumed they were cross country runners because they were skinny as rails. Then the next group arrived...and another...and another...! Before we could finish eating the falls were swarming with cross country runners (we're guessing they were from a BYU summer camp). Some of these kids couldn't get their clothes off fast enough so they could run through the falls.

Seeing these kids run under the falls put ideas into my boys heads and before we knew what was happening we saw David entering the falls. The Bruschke's kids notice this right away and more ideas began entering young heads. In the end we had David, Donovan, Brett and myself pass under the water fall (through the chilling waters). Bailey approached the water fall but decided that she didn't have anything to prove and retreated.

Aleky didn't make the hike back. Michelle had sent me with the advanced hiking party before Aleky gave up so I was cruisin' with Quinten and the older kids (Spencer, Natalie, David, Donovan and Michael). As a result, Michelle had to pack Aleky out with the remains of lunch, sun screen and other hiking essentials she was already packing out. Fortunately Rachel assisted with packing Aleky out (who was sleeping most of the way!).

Having successfully completed the hike we decided to celebrate and headed to the Creamery on 9th for some ice cream. We had so much fun interacting with the Bruschkes on this little adventure and look forward to the next time we can do something together. The next time will probably be a California adventure of some sort but we'll wait and see.

Celebrating Independence Day

2010-07-06T10:57:00.003-06:00

Today we celebrated Independence Day. The first thing that our boys noticed this morning were lots of hot air balloons rising into the sky. You could see them from Michael’s bedroom window and over our neighbor’s house. However, the festivities started with all sorts of commotion as the police lined our street. Shortly after the police arrived there began a stream of people, first running and then walking. We can only assume it was the Freedom Run passing our house. The boys were so excited that our scripture reading this morning lacked a certain level of spirituality.

After we finished reading scripture the boys got dressed and quickly ate their breakfast (or didn’t eat at all as the case may be) because they were so excited to see what was going on outside! The pre-parade was passing our house and we first noticed it when Darth Vader and the various Jedi Knights and storm troopers were passing by our house. That was the final straw that broke the boys anticipation backs. It would be only minutes later that we would notice the back gate unlocked and open to the park and the 4 older boys were missing.

Imagine, for a moment, 4 boys running off into the social mayhem that we common call a parade! Luckily the boys had taken their wheeled toys to get a closer look and were coming back to the house when Michelle went to look for them at the back gate (I still had to get dressed first). The second attempt didn’t fare much better. While distracted getting the stroller and the jean blanket our boys escaped out the back gate again! This time we caught up to them on the sidewalk of Center St. (at least they stayed together).

We found a spot near the 700 E roundabout. Some older kids had set up blankets and then decided that they would take up seat in the median and left their blankets unattended. Hey, at least we got an unobstructed view of the parade! The pre-parade was still going when we arrived but then there was a significant lull before the real parade finally reached us. While we were waiting for the real parade to reach us Cheyenne and Autumn found us on the parade route! That was an unexpected surprise and we’re glad that they were able to join us. The boys were excited to see the various entries but we decided that all the entries fell into 3 categories: (marching) bands, political statements, or commercial advertisements (especially banks). The parade lasted about 2 hours.

Here are some of the better entries in this year’s parade:

After the parade Autumn and Cheyenne came over to the house to allow the crowd time to dissipate. So while they waited we all sat down to lunch. Abby had an enjoyable time playing with Michael and Aleky. Once the crowd finally thinned out my sisters were able to head home. We put Aleky and Quinten down for naps and we decided to take the 3 older boys to Grandpa Jones’ house and shoot his pellet gun.

The boys thought it was great fun to shoot the pellet gun. It’s a semi-automatic rifle and has about a dozen shots per clip. David was getting pretty accurate at hitting the pop cans across the garage. Donovan and Michael’s arms aren’t quite long enough to allow them accurate aiming so they didn’t get quite as much thrill (mostly because they were missing more shots than they were hitting).

After shooting the boys headed back in the house to play with the rest of Grandma’s toys. Michael started on the computer but David quite appropriated it for himself. Donovan and Michael spent the next couple of hours playing with the various cars, blocks and parking structure in the living room. They were disappointed when it was time to pack up the toys and head home for dinner. Before we left Grandma Jones suggested we take the movie “E.T.” for the boys to watch. So the boys started watching the movie as soon as we got home, while dinner was being prepared. After a short pause in the movie to allow time for eating, we finished watching the movie together.

David had a couple of funny quotes while watching the movie. First he said, “I don’t like this movie because the alien is getting the boy into trouble.” The second quote was, “I think this movie is going to make me cry because the alien died.” How wonderful to have such great kids in our family. It has been a wonderful family day. I probably haven’t gotten enough work done but I’ve had fun with my family. It has been a great Independence Day holiday.

Barrus Family Reunion 2010

2010-07-05T13:24:00.006-06:00

We had the wonderful privilege of attending the Barrus family reunion in Blackfoot, ID. Great-Grandpa Barrus' health is not what it used to be so, with some encouragement from Grandma Petersen, we decided to attend this event. So Friday morning we packed up the suburban and we headed for Idaho.

The boys were very excited about the trip, probably because it was going to be an opportunity to see their cousin Devin Boel. I don't think they knew much more about the trip or even cared. We stopped in Brigham City where we met the Boel children, Uncle Kyle and Grandma and Grandpa Petersen. Devin jumped in with us and the 3 girls jumped in with Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Kyle (Aunt Melissa decided to stay home with Lydia and her newborn, Aldin).

We finished the 4+ hour trip eagerly anticipating the tin foil dinners that we had prepared only to discover that the traditional camp fire was not lit! So a quick stop at McDonald's and that mishap was remedied. We arrived at the park and the kids disappeared as the adults pitched camp. The reunion was already underway with family stories, skits and such being presented.

The traditional camp fire was finally lit but we had already eaten so we just enjoyed an evening sitting by the fire, after putting the boys to bed around 10:00 pm. The night was very windy once we decided to settle down and sleep. Michelle was afraid the tent would blow away with us inside (probably like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz). But we survived, albeit very tired in the morning. The following video and pictures are just a few highlights of the our Saturday:

(Michelle and our family tree)

(family picture with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Barrus)

(The kids pause during family picture time)

(A visit a Barrus grave site)

(A visit to a Denney grave site)

(Independence Day celebrations with the Petersens)

(Michelle playing too)

(Our humble grand finale!)

Sprinkler Explosion

2010-07-01T22:42:00.001-06:00

So there I was, helping to clean up the kitchen after lunch and I happened to look out the window. I see Donovan and Michael attacking the (kids) wheel barrow which is covering the sprinkler. Has this happened before? I don’t know but I’ve never seen anything like it so I had to snap a few short video clips.

No matter what you have to say about Donovan you can’t deny he has got a creative streak bigger than the other boys combined! It’s just awesome.

Playing in the Rain

2010-06-30T19:48:00.003-06:00

Michelle and I were enjoying a peaceful summer afternoon in our backyard when a few sprinkles of rain fell from the heavens. We scooted over on the bench, more under the house and watched our boys play in the backyard. They were playing some version of tag with a tennis ball.

Before we knew it, those few sprinkles of rain turned into a downpour! But the game must go on. The boys continued to run and play, tagging each other with the ball and trying not to slip and slide on the wet ground. It was great fun. Unfortunately it didn't last very long but we did get a snapshot of the action.

Swimming Lessons

2010-06-27T10:52:00.002-06:00

A fortuitous turn of events allowed David and Donovan to take swimming lessons this year. With the help of Grandma Petersen, we got the boys signed up for their lessons at the Provo Rec Center. The boys have been counting down the days until their lessons began. Michelle took them to their first few lessons but was beside herself trying to watch the boys swim and still keep an eye on Michael and Aleky who were running all over the place. So I was voted in as back-up driver/babysitter and got the opportunity to take the 4 boys to the rec center.

I didn’t realize that you don’t show up early because you can’t do anything until the instructors arrive and are ready to begin.

But once it’s time to begin you better not be late because they’ll just start without you! David has made some got strides forward and a few strokes backwards as well but I’m not sure I would classify him as a swimmer after these 2 weeks of lessons. I’m just happy that Donovan can put his head under water now. But the actually swimming for both boys is going to take a lot more work.

Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend the Provo Rec Center to anyone thinking of swim lessons. There are several other options in the area and after talking with the other parents is was a pretty unanimous feeling, but what can you do at this point? At least the boys had fun. David and Donovan loved being in the pool regardless of outcomes. Michael and Aleky ran free in the balcony for 30 minutes each day thought it was awesome. I guess we’re all winner in that case!

(waiting to start)(David Swimming - by dividing buoy)(Donovan getting help)(Aleky plotting his escape)

Puzzle Mania

2010-06-20T17:53:00.001-06:00

Today the boys didn’t know quite what to do during “quite time.” But with Aleky sleeping the floor is deemed safe for puzzles. So the boys decided to go for it!

Father and Sons Campout

2010-06-20T10:41:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful campout up near Grantsville. We joined Grandpa Petersen and Uncle Kyle on their ward's fathers and sons campout. The boys had a great time being able to run around just about anywhere they wanted.

When we first arrived at camp Grandpa Petersen and Uncle Kyle had already set up the wall tent so we just had to move our stuff in. David found a lizard in the rocks around the fire pit and tried to get the lizard to voluntarily crawl onto his hand. It was less-successful.

The ward was providing dinner so we hurried along to get some grub. The boys at a little bit but apparently they weren't too impressed by the hot dogs and hamburgers that had been prepared. I felt good just getting them to eat a little bit before they were off to more exciting aspects of camping.

The boys congregating around the dart games. The magnetic dart game wasn't as appealing to everyone so my boys were able to squeeze their way into the gaming arena. The real darts had a constant line and it would take hours for them to finally get their chance to play.

After exhausting the various activities at the ward camp site we headed down the road for a little privacy and quiet while we did our campfire. We roasted a few marshmallows for smores before bedtime.

They boys were pretty tired by the time is was dark (after 10 pm) so they didn't fuss too much about getting ready for bed.

The boys must have really been tired because we were still able to sleep until after 7 am! What a relaxing camping trip this was.

After breakfast (which the ward provided and my boys didn't even touch; a mix of eggs, hash browns, bacon, and biscuit) we headed back to pack up camp and head home. When we arrived we discovered a new roommate. Apparently this was a first for everyone but it was fun to see this bird up close.

We had a wonderful time, beautiful weather, great campfire, fun games and just a good all-around experience for everyone!

Green Been Casserole

2010-06-15T17:43:00.001-06:00

2 cans (10 ¾ oz each) Campbells’ ® Cream of Mushroom Soup (regular or fat free)
½ cup milk
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
8 cups cooked cut green beans
1 can (6 oz.) French’s® French Fried Onions (2 2/3 cups)

1. Stir soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 1 1/3 cups onions (in 3 qt. casserole dish)
2. Bake at 350 F for 25 min or until hot. Stir.
3. Top with remaining onions. Bake for 5 min more.

Caramel Popcorn

2010-06-14T17:37:00.003-06:00

6 cups unsalted Popcorn (1/4 cup kernels)
¼ stick butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
1/8 cup light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda

1. Pop the popcorn. (Remove unpopped kernels for best results)
2. Cook butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly around edges. Continue to cook 2-5 minutes (2 minutes for chewy caramel popcorn and 5 minutes for more crunchy caramel popcorn).
3. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda until foamy.
4. Pour mixture over popcorn and mix thoroughly. Let cool.

This has become a favorite recipe for caramel popcorn! I have to admit to making this recipe the last couple of nights in a row! This recipe is enough for 2 people (like me) but you can certainly double the recipe if you are really into caramel popcorn!

Classic Skating

2010-06-11T22:35:00.005-06:00

We were blessed with a visit from Grandma Petersen today. When our original plans fell through we decided to take advantage of the extra support and we headed to the skating rink in Orem. They have a deal where you can skate for $1/person/hour! David had a free hour of skating so we decided to use his $1 to rent some skates and give him the opportunity to learn how to skate.

David was pretty excited to try on these new contraptions but it took quite a few minutes before he could maintain an upright position which caused him some consternation. But in the end he was finally getting the hang of it.

Donovan wanted to try roller skates too. He lasted about 5 minutes before he decided that the scooter was for him.

Michael and Aleky just had fun cruising around on their scooters. There weren't too many people around so they could go just about anywhere they wanted to go.

In the middle of their hour of skating/scootering the rink had a "jumping" contest. They had an inflateable balance thing and the kids counted how many consecutive jumps they could muster. The winner would get some wonderful prize (to be determined). Our boys gave it their best shot with both tries but didn't quite come out victorious but they had a blast trying.

Homework

2010-06-09T14:09:00.001-06:00

I may be the meanest dad ever but I made my kids do homework during their summer vacation! OK, so I only did it once so it's a good thing I took a picture to remember that we did actually do some homework and didn't just play the entire summer away!

P.S. The boys were excited to do their homework; maybe I should try it again!

Boy Sandwhich

2010-06-08T12:08:00.001-06:00

When left to themselves our boys will generally play very nicely with each other. We feel very blessed to have such good sibling relationships. And yes, they are having the time of their lives making boy sandwhiches!

To McDonald's For Ice Cream

2010-06-05T14:06:00.001-06:00

Our boys signed up for the summer reading program at the Provo library. Part of the incentive included ice cream at McDonald's. While the program gave them these treats for free, I made the boys read all the books they checked out that first week before they could enjoy their treat. They were certainly excited about going to McDonald's but I think it's more for the big toys there and not so much for the ice cream. Their interest in ice cream lasted about 5 good minutes (maybe) and then they were off, leaving me to finish the rest of their ice cream (goodness me!).

Caught in the Park

2010-06-01T14:10:00.000-06:00

Our boys have discovered how easy it is to get the key to the lock on the back gate and slip, almost unnoticed into the park for a little freedom. They are pretty good about looking out for each other and staying on this side of the street (800 E which separates the park in half). Today, our boys got caught in the park when the sprinklers turned on unexpectedly. David had to rescue Aleky from the sprinklers.

Springville Playground and Picnic

2010-05-28T15:11:00.010-06:00

My cousin Jessica told Michelle about this great park in Springville. It was a park where the path made a circle around the playground and you could sit in the middle and watch the boys cruise with their bikes or scooters without having to chase them! What a concept…

So Michelle found this park and took the boys there to play. They had such a good time that they have been asking to go back. If it was closer we would have been back sooner. But today was the day and I took my boys there to play and to have a picnic. The weather wasn’t cooperating because it was overcast and windy which lead to cooler conditions during this cooler spring. But the boys were too excited to notice. David and Donovan had their bikes and they spent hours circling the park, especially to ride down the “hill” and go extra fast. Michael and Aleky had their toys and they rode around the park numerous times.

The playground really didn’t see much of my boys and the path was the excitement for today. Everything was going great until Michael took the hill a little too fast and skinned his knee. After that he wasn’t interested in doing much of anything. He decided he wanted to wait in the car. When the rest of us didn’t follow he eventually came back to eat our picnic lunch. While we were eating the sun came out and that must have been a signal because the boys were off again (except Michael). Michael went back to the car and fell asleep.

With Michael not having fun I felt it was a good time to head home. So we rounded up the boys, put their toys in the back and came home. Once we unloaded the toys at home they boys headed straight through the yard, out the back gate and started riding the path in the park behind our house! The freedom of the bicycle cannot be denied. I’m just excited that David and Donovan can now go riding together.

Feeding the Ducks

2010-05-28T15:11:00.009-06:00

The boys have been asking (daily) to go feed the ducks. Several weeks ago, when it had first warmed up and the trees were all in bloom, Michelle took the boys down by the Novell building (in south Provo) and fed some ducks that live on the little stream there. It was a hit and the boys have been so excited to go back and feed the ducks again. So we decided that it was time to go back.

Michelle had some work that she needed to get done and figured that she would work much faster without the boys around so I got to take the boys on a father and sons outing. We headed right to the spot (I wasn’t sure where it was since I didn’t go on the first trip) and the boys were off. They found the ducks and came back to hurry me along (so they could get the bread for the ducks).

It was the cutest thing to watch my boys feeding the ducks. Every one of them was having a marvelous time and the ducks got full before we were out of bread (guess that means we can do it again). The boys were up and down the bank of that little stream, throwing bread to all of the ducks so no duck went hungry. Ahhh, the memories!

Donovan Learns To Ride His Bike

2010-05-28T15:10:00.003-06:00

Now that school is out there has been increasing pressure on me to get Donovan’s bike into working order so that he can learn to ride it with his brother David. So I spent some time this morning working on getting his bike operational. The hand brake doesn’t work right but the pedal brake is definitely functional so I figured he’d be okay.

Michelle was so excited that the bike was working that she didn’t hesitate to help Donovan with his first bike lesson. He picked things up pretty quickly. We went to the park behind our house and put him on the bike; we believe in “on the job” training. Next he was instructed to pedal and steer (simple and straight-forward instructions). It took about 3 trips up and down the park path before Donovan really had the hang of it. A few more trips and Donovan was able to start and stop on his own! So it took about 30 minutes for him to learn how to ride a bike! Good job Donovan!

Thanks for the bike riding lessons mommy!