Summer Activities

Summer has been much more fun-filled than I thought. I enjoy having the kids home and take opportunities to spend time with each child one on one. Biking, running, going to the park, library or the movies. Here's a few things we've been doing this summer.

First off, Mr. Boy.......I cannot imagine what our family would be like had we not decided to have another baby. Little Brody is so doted on by his siblings, and I just think everything he does is completely adorable....even down to his little baby tantrums! I just laugh when he's dumping out drawers and pouring water all over himself. I know we'll never have these experiences again :<> This week we took the kids to Oaks Amusement Park in Portland. Brody rode some kiddie rides with the girls. Some of them he loved.......like the cars.
Some of them he didn't love.....like the rollercoaster. I can't believe the attendant let him on. In fact she's the one that said he should ride with his sisters.

Brody was born the week after Griffin had soccer tryouts in 2007. I n many ways the "team baby". The parents go nuts over him, even some of the grandparents. At the games and tournaments, even indoor soccer, there is always ample amounts of people helping me chase him off of the field or feed him crackers and fruit. Which brings me to what Griffin has been up to this summer. Babysitting for me and soccer for Northstar United '96. We love this team. The boys have played competitive soccer now for 2 years and really gel as a team.

Last week the team had a fund raising event. Running laps. Griffin set a goal for 23 laps, 5 and 3/4 mile. I ran alongside him for support and to pace him. He was the only boy that never stopped to walk (only to grap a sip every mile) and ran until we were called off the track by coach. 33 laps. That's 8 and 1/4 mile and he never even broke a sweat! Plus he and I rode 12 miles that morning with Brody on the back of my bike. I see cross country in his future.
Last night we hosted a Northstar '96 past feed for the tournment we have this weekend in Beaverton. It was so much fun. I wowed everyone with yummy bread (candle party bread) and had lots of Pasta left over!
I was worried what the boys would do to keep themselves occupied, but between jumping, eating, and kicking the soccer ball around they were more than entertained. At the end of the evening we commented on how much we love the boys, parents and coaches of this team. I'm so happy Griffin is in an enviroment where he feels a part of something to great and encouraging. He loves soccer!
After I headed up our Stake's annual Pioneer Day 5k/10k run down on the Heritage Trail, the kids and I high tailed it out to Beaverton and surprised Griffin at his 2nd tournament game. Then I had a surprise when Luitenant Lake and his crew who were covering "near the area" pulled up in their rig and watched the game for 20 minutes.
Camdyn has really become my little responsible helper over the last few weeks. She does things now without rolling her eyes or pitching much attitude. Occasionally I'll get the "huffy breath" over folding laundry or picking up her room. She attended our Stake's Activity Day Camp at Camp Currie for 3 days and loved it.

After 3 days of careful nursing and bottle feeding (yes, I mixed up this birdie formula!) and making beds and little swings out of littlest pet shop toys, the baby bird passed away. It was actually really sad. I woke early to go for a run, and there he be....still as a stone lying in the little bed Camdyn had fashioned out of barbie pillows and blankets. She and Todd buried him in our backyard. I was weeding the other day and found his headstone which reads "Brody Lake Shinpaugh". (That would be out next door neighbor girls last name). Look at this little house she made for him. Sad!!! This was after he died. She just sat and stared at him. This is why I don't want pets!
Just this last week Camdyn and Kennedy went to Girl Scout Camp at the same Camp Currie from 8:30 to 3:00. We loved having them out of the house.....oh, I mean THEY loved getting out of the house. The theme was Once Upon a Time. Tickets were earned to buy things at the "camp store" and by the end of the week we've now got odd and end trinkets lying all over the place. It's great! When they aren't at camp, they're in suits/sprinklers, playing with friends, Brody or riding scooters.
We buddied up with the Jackson girls who we've known since birth. Nicole and I car-pooled and the girls clung to eachother getting out of my van that first day of camp.
Camdyn got Kennedy to brave the coaster with no hands! I think they rode this about 15-20 times that night.

Icecream and idiosyncrasies

It's been forever since T and I had a date night. I love spending time just with him. He's game for anything I plan and I usually make it a surprise until the last minute when I need his help loading up all the bikes. I had the best one all planned out. It included a show at the OMNIMAX theatre, then biking downtown across the bridge to get an icecream on the waterfront. My OMSI half price days don't include summer months AND I'm a gas conservationist. Sooo, we thought up something a little closer to home. 2 weeks ago T and I bought new bikes for riding around with the kids. I LOVE them. Mine was a mere 10% the cost of my Ellsworth road bike. Yikes! But Ellie (we name our bikes in my family) rides like butter and I love it! I let Brody come along with us. He loves to ride on the back of my bike. We rode up to rent a movie, then enjoyed the nice evening breeze as we biked up to Sonic.......
We ate yummytimes ice cream.....We came up with a few things that "bug" us. I asked T to guess what mine were. He said "when people don't get your dessert order right". That wasn't exactly what I was after....but that does bug me. I came up with a list. His was just "people" :> One time I remember him coming home from work and saying "Ya know what, I think I'm thoroughly bugged by people". Dealing with the public in that setting day in and day out will do that to a man.
Put kiddies to bed and watched Vantage Point. Jack was in it. I won't say more than that as to not give anything away. It was a pretty good flick. One bad word, and lots of shooting. Not for the kids :>

Don't we all have those little things that bother us? I came up with a few.

1. Kids germy bottoms from the bathrooms at school, or worse the outhouse at camp! You know they don't use seat protectors!
2. Kids who don't wash hands before dinner or after playing at a public park or even being at school.
3. Dirty feet in clean sheets.
4. Stains I miss before clothing gets into the dryer.
5. Dirty fridges.
6. Narcisistic people. Definition, Narcisism: undue dwelling on one's own self or attainments.
7. Kids slamming doors or shouting when Brody is sleeping, or even when he isn't.
8. Fuzzy teeth.
9. Kids at a potluck/BBQ who dish up mounds of food when there's not enough for everyone present anyway, and parents who aren't observant to this.
10. A plate of overbaked/hard home made cookies. (I'm a cookie snob).
11. The phrase "I'm hungry" or "I don't want that for dinner".

Now I do realize none of these things are of any importance in the grand scheme of life. And it's all these little things that make me appreciate the flip side to every one of them.....like a delicious plate of homemade cookies or clean little bodies in fresh sheets.
Doesn't anyone share atleast ONE of these with me?

Blueberry Pie

The Northwest is abundant this time of year with all kinds of berries. Blackberries are the kids' favorite, but they stain our hands for days and have so many brambles we come away with scratches. Last week my friend Julie invited the girls and I along with some other gals and their girls from the ward to pick blueberries. We loved it! No stickers, easy to reach and nice grassy pathways for Brody to meander along while we picked. We picked 13 pounds in under an hour. They were so delicious! We munched on them fresh all day. I made 2 of my most favorite pies in the whole widest world out of them that night and yummy blueberry bran muffins on Sunday morning. The Morgan Girls
The Crofts Clan

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie
(Makes two pies)

Crust:

Break apart 2 pkgs of HoneyMaid Grahams (keeping some in chunks)
3/4 CUBE of butter
1/4 cup sugar
Spray bottom of pie crust and bake for about 6 min. @ 350
Let cool

Filling:

8 oz. light cream cheese (whip with mixer) then add

1 cup powdered sugar

fold in 1 small tub of lite COOLWHIP then fold

3 cups blueberries (some smashed with your hands and some whole)

Place in cooled crust and garnish with plenty of whole berries on top.

Freeze to set then thaw on counter for 20-30 min. before serving.

Todd's Custom Painting

Todd has come a long way in the "handy man" department from when we first married 14 years ago. He's always loved doing the yard and keeping things tidy on the inside. In the last few years he built our fence, placed crown moulding, chair rail and beadboard on the interior. Repainted several rooms, built storage shelves and is currently on task building a custom King size bed for a friend of mine. So when it came to painting our home of 8 years he thought he'd take a whack at it. Now, after day 6 in this 90 degree weather, he's not regretting it, but does have a deeper appreciation for what Brandon Hill does.....or any painter day in and day out.
Painting the house itself did take 2 days and 2 coats, but it's the trim work that is taking forever! This picture is trim work in progress. Climbing up ladders and spraying the pitch of the roof was the least of his worries. He had the time and we did save a lot of money. It looks much better and he did a great job! I wonder if we'll be in THIS house another 8 years?

Never let a moment pass you by

You know those days where you feel a prompting to do something for someone? Tell someone you love them? Take an extra moment to give a hug or write a note of love or praise? I am challenging myself and anyone else, to never go to bed wondering if the people you love KNOW how much you love them, right any wrongs and live each day to the fullest.

Wednesday morning Todd received a call from his mother that his cousin David Landt was struck on his motorcycle in Orem, Utah. A semi truck pulling a piece of excavating equipment going 45 mph ran a red light. He was killed. David was 34, married with 3 beautiful little girls. This accident took place only a few miles from home. In fact his brother drove through the scene unknowingly on his own way to work.

All of this parallel's the accident that took the life of Todd's brother Derek. FIve years ago, on his bike, struck by a Suburban going 55 mph, not paying attention to the road. Just few miles from home, 27 years old and in the prime of his life.

These two sisters (Todd's mother Beverly and her sister Cheryl) now share something that has to be any mother's worst nightmare. Losing a child. Todd flew out today to attend the funeral of the Lant family who came to the Lake family's aid when Derek was taken in his own tragic way.

It's so easy to get caught up in the most trivial things in life: Wanting a bigger house. Feeling the need to lose weight. Buying a boat. Dressing kids in name brand clothes. Keeping up with the Jones' in many other ways...... WHO CARES! But alas life does go on. It's easy to gain perspective in time such as these, but even easier to lose it in the times we currently live in.

I hope my sisters and parents know how much I love them. I know my kids do. In fact I was just telling my mom that anymore I would rather spend any fun "going out" time with Todd, the kids or my family. I LOVE that they are getting to the age of becoming more than just my children but my friends as well. Just this week Griffin and I have gone on several night rides up to Target, just he and I (sometimes with Brody). I remember how close I was with my parents....Going out with them on a Friday night was more fun than hanging out with my friends.
My heart goes out to the Lants, the Lakes, the Searles, Grandma Mary and the Griffin kids and anyone else who has lost of loved one tragically or painfully. What a blessing it is to know that through HIM we have the power to be with all of those we have loved and lost again.

Moses Orthodontics

Since I did a little documentary recently on Todd's workplace I thought I'd share a few pics of my own...... During the summer months I help out a few days a week.

Here a few of my daily duties: taking/pouring impressions, and various lab work. Placing braces, doing adjustments, and bandings. Taking x-rays, documenting initial/final photos and models. Plus some general housekeeping. The girls know I am a clean freak with any spare time :>
(Below) Melissa, Stacey and Melissa

10 Reasons I LOVE my job!

#1. The staff!!! Teresa, Tonya, Jen, Melissa, Kelsi and Melissa. I love working with, talking to, and getting to know each one of them more day by day.

#2. Dr. Moses. He is so professional and patient with me as I continually learn.

#3. The flexibility of my summer schedule. In at 9:15, out at 4:00 Mon. and Wed.

#4. The office is less than 3 miles from home. Close enough to go eat lunch with the kids.

#5. The break it gives me coming TO work. It gets me out AND I love it!

#6. Already knowing more than half the patients (either from church or the gym!)

#7. Enabling Griffin to earn money babysitting for me on the days Todd works.

#8. My excellent "clinical instructors"...Tonya, Melissa and Dr. Moses.

#9. Let's face it teeth that are fuzzy, crooked, and bumpy....not near as beautiful as straight, white and shiny.

#10. With Todd just out of braces and 4 kids moving up the ranks this is a great field to work in!

This is always a nice photo opportunity. I do it on patients, so why not myself. Did anyone NOT know that I've never had braces? I'm one of the lucky few. So obviously my kids got Todd and my mom's genes.

Dr. Moses and his lovely wife (and my friend) Allie.

Teresa, Jen, Tonya and myself.

Cupcake Queen

My Friend Lori hosted the cutest party I have been to in a long time! She is so amazing and creative. I love it when people go the extra effort to put something together....it's truely a talent. She sent out darling invitations to a Cupcake Exchange. We each were to bake 4 dozen cupcakes from scratch, decorate, display and dressing up was optional. Lori (on the right), made her cupcake apron and had fabulous wrapped gifts to give away.
We all had secret ballots for voting on best tasting, best display, best attire, and cupcake Queen. Lori's won best tasting (above) I wanted to spoon the frosting! Another girl and I tied for 2nd with my almond poppyseed cupcakes and cream cheese frosting and I got an awesome scrapbook tote and princess crown.
These are the other cupcakes that came in 2nd, Martha's coconut cupcakes.
My Paris theme display took 1st place...I din't know how elaborate the displays should be so I just grabbed stuff from around the house.
The last award was for cupcake Queen and I won! Lori had a bag with her cupcake apron inside....I was so excited. She also gave me a diamond tiara to crown me with. We all took home samplings of the dozen different kinds there that evening. My kids eyes were big as saucers when I came home with 2 cookies sheets lined with different cupcakes. Cammy and Kenna wore the tiara and princess crown for 2 days. That's about the same time to it took for my family to go through all the delicious little cakes, our neighbors helped out in that area as well!