Eight is Great!

Oh so very great!

Ryan actually turned 8 in June, and had a great birthday, but 8 years old is a very special time for us! 

The highlight of our summer was on July 9!  Ryan got to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Can you see his smile?  He was glowing that day.  He said he felt special, and I could totally tell!

His smile has never been so heavenly!

 We were so lucky!  So many family members got to come and share the day with us!  Sydney and my parents flew in from the East Coast, and my Aunt Gina {so great Aunt to Ryan} and Scott's sister's Nikki, Amy and Erica came from Arizona and So. California, my Great Aunt Jo {great great Aunt to Ryan} came from Scotts Valley, near Santa Cruz, CA, Scott's great Uncle Niel and Great Aunt Bobbi {great great to Ryan}, Naomi Motley {Granny/great Grandma}, Bob and Karen Motley {grandparents} and Marilyn Loveridge {Grandma Great to Ryan}, as well as dear friends from our ward the Wiersdorfs (all pictured).  Also attended, but not pictured were the Camblin families {Bill and Linda, Mark and Alyssa and kids, and Christina and kids}, Sister Haar and Connor {HT wife and son..and Ryan's big buddy at school}, Sister Ludlow {primary President}, Dillon Penney {his friend who got baptized at the same time!/pictured}!  Also from the ward were the Andersen's...trying to remember if I've missed anyone!  WOW!  How lucky we were to have such wonderful family and friends to be with us during such a great and special day!

Our family!  Sean and Kyle were having picture taking ADD that day!

Cousins...just missing Hudson and Georgia {and almost Reagen {sp?} who will be born in August}.

A pic of my cute parents:)

Some decorations I borrowed from a friend...we'd never had a big shin dig at our home before...and it was fun!  We had two kinds of chicken salad {a tomato/lemon variety and a grape variety}, yummo rolls, cold cuts, fruit, water bottles...and a Costco cheesecake and the super fancy tall chocolate Costco cake...all in all, it was a success!  The weather was gorgeous so people could hang out outside if they wanted, which worked perfect...I was so relieved because a week earlier it was hotter than blazes!

The Watsons had driven in the night before so it was pretty exciting to see them that day!

Since Ryan was baptised in a Stake Baptism and our family didn't have any participation in the program...I really wanted Ryan to have speakers whom he knew well so that he'd really want to listen.

So we had a family fireside the night before at our home.

It was a special night!  Grandma Becky talked about Faith.  She told stories of the faith of our Pioneer Ancestors...Philo Dibble who had great personal faith when he first learned about the Church and later after he was wounded in the gut, and was miraculously and quickly healed!

Grandpa Scott talked about Repentance.  He related that repentence is just like Cade learning to walk!  He tries to take steps ... and falls...but we are always there to pick him back up and give him a hug...just how Heavenly Father embraces us with his love when we make mistakes!  He wants us to come to Him.

Grandma Motley talked about steps we take to return to our Heavenly Father, baptism being one of those steps. And Grandpa Motley talked about the Holy Ghost.  He said it was our constant companion, like Missionary companions, or husband and wife companions, or buddies.  He talked about how Ryan knows and can feel that Grandpa Scott loves him {Ryan} even when Grandpa is far away in Virginia...and the Holy Ghost is like that...while we cannot see him, we can feel his love and know that he is with us.  It was so wonderful...such a special time for our family!  Absolutely perfect!

Ryan's Great Aunt Gina and Great Great Aunt Jo and Grandma Becky after the family fireside.

Sean and Camryn...enjoying Rootbeer floats afterwards...Camryn has a special love {obsession} with Sean...he's her imaginary friend when she is home!  I'm sad we didn't have m,ore time to spend with them so we could have made her dream come true...she had planned to msake cupcakes with Sean!  So cute!  We didn't get to it, how cute would that have been?!?!?

Grandpa, Amy and cute prego Erica with their rootbeer floats!

The boy of the hour!

Grandpa, Gina and Syd enjoying the beautiful evening!  Shaded evenings in our backyard are perfect...especially when it's not a super hot day...which it wasn't!

We just really lucked out on the weather, can you tell I was really grateful for that?

Ryan had a birthday too!  Back in June, we had the team party on his birthday...

 Then later we had a fun Kickball and flag football party!

We are so lucky to have Ryan in our family!

He is a greaat big brother!  Especially to Cade...he loves to hold him and talk to him and play with him!

He really wants to do the right thing and always has...always paying attention to the rules.

He listens and comprehends the scriptures so well!  He finished the Book of Mormon with us before his baptism {a challenge from Grandma Motley} and his knowledge afterwards of many stories impressed me!  I'm sure at his age, I couldn't remember all of that!

He loves Football and can't wait to play flag football!

He loves his Yankees hats! {so much that sometimes his punishments are no hat wearing...

and this devastates him!}

There's so much more...we love him so!

A 4th of July in Tahoe

I LOVE THE FOURTH OF JULY!!!

This year was fantastic...just like always!

We love being together and watching big fireworks or little ones in the street.

This year we started out with our Ward Pancake Breakfast.

Bro. Murray who served in the Vietnam war gave a great talk about serving and loving our country.

One of his stories talked about serving with a guy from a different part of the country...and they couldn't have been more different...yet they served together and became BEST friends and would do anything to help/save one another.  Though our country is large and vast and has so many different people and places, we all have a common interest in our country!  This taught him to love others, despite differences.  It was such a powerful, emotional message that he delivered!

Then we headed up to Lake Tahoe with my parents who came to town for our Fabulous July Festivities!

Eagle Falls...one month later...when more snow has begun melting..

Enjoying our picnic at the top of the falls!

Exploring during our picnic:)

Emerald Bay, before we walked to the bottom.

Emerald Bay, lake level...and FREEZING water!  The boys while they were trying to keep their clothes dry...

And after we decided getting wet was worth it!

Buddies.

Shorts still a bit wet.

Awesome seats on the beach of the Lake!  And a little object lesson about the Holy Ghost.

South Shore Lake Tahoe had an AWESOME firework show...if you could see it!

Eeek!!!  We were seated {with hundreds of other people} right behind a pier with buildings on it...and as the show began, the fireworks were shooting off seriously right out of our sight!

It was a MAD dash to grab out stuff...blankets, shoes, food, KIDS {when it is dark and there are hundreds of people dashing to see fireworks...it is really freaky to make sure all kids are not running off and sticking by an adult...it would have been SO easy to get separated in the MADNESS!} to get to a spot to see the one a year amazing Fireworks!  Despite the fact that I was precariously balanced on an uneven rock, holding both Ryan and Sean...who are 6 and 8 years old...and very heavy...we enjoyed the fireworks!  South Lake Tahoe really puts on a great show...with spectacular fireworks!

It is so fun to oooo and aaaah at the glittering sky!

And I loved having my big boys so close to me as they were LOVING the fireworks...I loved hearing their excitement and ooos and aaaahs!  Until Sean had to switch to Grandpa because my foot was trying to balance the three of us on an uneven rock and was crazy painful...

so despite not having the best scenario during one of my favorite parts of the year...

we had a great 4th of July! 

I LOVE my Country....

FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA!!!

{and all the amazing places between...we really have a gorgeous country!}

Hold on to your hats! Summer in San Fran is freezing!

"The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco." Mark Twain

Even though we were totally NOT prepared for going to San Francisco {we had not one sweatshirt for me and all my boys}...we did!  After picking up my parents and visiting Grandma Lee, we headed to Bubba Gumps on Pier 39 for dinner and then drove over the Golden Gate Bridge, stopping to walk onto the bridge.  We knew it'd be cold and windy, but we really wanted to do it...so we did!  My mom had two sweatshirts in her luggage for the two of us, and a windbreaker Sean borrowed.  Everyone else froze...and didn't complain!  The wind was so crazy!  The kids had to hold on to their hats!

And this was the beginning of our Amazing July!

Early Summer Days...

Summer is more than half over...and we've been busy.  Here's a quick look at some of our June fun.

Sean is a super happy guy because he's tall enough to ride what he wants at Discovery Kindgom. 

This ride is  The Cobra and is my favorite roller coaster...not very crazy.  Nice and fun!

Shouka's got skills!  She hit that ball with her tail!

So sweet!  My kids don't always cuddle...so I love it when they do!

The start of our summer was pretty fun!  We had some pool fun at Grandma and Grandpa's...including finding a duck sitting on a nest in a bush right by the pool!  See the edge of the pool? right by the rock...and the duck inside the bush?  She was sitting on 8 little eggs!  It was quite funny to wait and watch for those ducklings! 

 Don't worry!!!  Cade's head doesn't even go under water when they do this.

Sean took swim lessons and passed with flying colors.  We finished basebal, enjoyed Ryan and Scott's birthdays, Cade fell in love with playing in the pool with everyone, we went to get free books from our library every Wednesday {and read lots and lots and Sean won 2 prizes in the Friends of the Lincoln Library drawing...I promise that kid is the luckiest person ever!}...and we worked on lots of yard and house projects for our upcoming busy July!

Scott's Birthday treat!

And my new favorite Summer treat!  You don't even need to use the oven!

It is cold and creamy and heavenly!

Frozen Coconut Key Lime Tart

(original recipe by Lindsey Johnson)  at cafejohnsonia.com

Crust:
9 graham crackers (1 plastic sleeve)
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 Tbsp. brown sugar


Filling:
16 oz. (2 bars) 1/3 less fat cream cheese (also called Neufchâtel)
1 can cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)  {if you are having troubles finding it like me...I found it in the alcohol isle ~ though it contains no alcohol ~ can use for mixed drinks and it tastes AWESOME!!!}
1/2 cup heavy cream
juice from 12 key limes, about 1/2 cup (next time I think I'll use a bit less, maybe 1/3 cup...so the coconut shines a little more)
1/4 cup sugar

To make crust:
Process the graham crackers, brown sugar, and shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor until fine crumbs form. Remove crumbs to a small bowl and add the melted butter. Stir with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened with the butter.

I used a deep dish pie plate...line the bottom with parchment.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 to 15 minutes for a crisper crust, or chill the unbaked crust until ready to fill. {I did bake, but I don't think I will next time.}

To make filling:
Wipe out the bowl of the food processor and add all the ingredients, except the heavy cream. (No need to let the cream cheese soften for this.) Process until everything is incorporated, thick, and creamy. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and scrape the bowl of the food processor with a spatula.
Add the 1/2 cup heavy cream to the food processor and turn on for a few seconds until the cream has thickened. (Be careful not to over-process or it will turn to butter!)
Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Taste for sweetness. Pour into the prepared crust.
Freeze the tart for at least 3 hours or overnight. Let it sit for about 10 minutes {or longer depending on how long it's been freezing} before serving for easier slicing.

Sean is no longer a Kindergartner!

And it seems sort of fitting.  Most of the time it's hard to believe your kids are getting so big and so old.  However with Sean, that sorta isn't the case.  Sean has been 5 for about 3 years...well actually he's 6 now, but up til 5, he seemed about 5 for years!  He's always trying to do what Ryan's doing and won't settle for less!  We always laugh when we remember Ryan getting his first bike at 3 years old.  Sean, 13 1/2 months old was beside himself that the bike wasn't his and he wasn't riding it!  And when he finally got his turn he was so happy!  Most just barely 1 year old kids wouldn't care so much about an older sibling's new bike.  Anyhow, he's Graduated Kindergarten and is off to First Grade!

Sean's Kindergarten teacher and class were so great!

Really, I dearly love his teacher Mrs. Foote!  She cares so much for the kids, expects good behavior, teaches them very well, has great classroom behavior systems/rewards, sings with them, has catchy sayings and trained interactions to keep them engaged, and I could go on!  I truly love her so much!  Makes me want Kyle to hurry up and go to Kindergarten so we can have her in our lives for another year!

And we lucked out due to Marilyn's busy life and were able to stay in her time share in Lake Tahoe after the last day of school!  Does it look like this is a picture taken on June 4th?  Yes, we have sweatshirts and winter jackets on!  It was freezing and sprinkling rain on us, but it was still such a fun trip!  We had a blast exploring the waterfall at the top of Emerald Bay...more rocks to wander around on up there than I realized!  And yes, Sean is sort of in this picture.

We expected this waterfall to have crazy amounts of water, but it seemed like it had less water than when we were there 2 years ago same time...but realized with our crazy cold spring, the snow hasn't had a chance to melt yet!

And we enjoyed to pool lots!  The kids were in heaven in this heated pool.  Can't wait for more pool parties this summer!