Flowers!

OK. Since I am in the bragging mode, I thought I would show you my flowers. This is a kind of weird angle, but I am so happy that I haven't killed them yet. These are my window box flowers. We have 4 boxes along the back of the house and for the most part, they are flourishing!! Now, some of you might remember last year when we moved in, I killed the flowers that were planted, and then I replanted a month later and killed them also! I was a little worried to plant more this year, but have been very diligent about watering them!!! This is coming from a person who has only kept one inside plant alive, and that is because it is in the kids room and I pour their left over water (from bedtime drinks) into it. Yep. I am loving these flowers!

My Garden!

So tonight I was watering the garden, like I do every night. It is a very peaceful time for me. It gives me a chance to be by myself for a few minutes a day while Jeff reads to the kids and gets them in bed. Well, tonight I was looking around under the plants because today we found a baby pumpkin, and look what I found in the cucumber patch!


Yes! Our very first garden produce!! I probably picked it to early, but it was delicious!


Here is a picture of our grape arbor. Last fall I picked all of them and it only made 4 quarts of grape juice, but that's OK. It still looks beautiful!


The cucumber patch. We have 5 grow boxes in our little garden.


Our tomatoes! We only planted 12 tomato plants!! I know, we are crazy, but we love tomatoes!


This box has squash, zucchini, lettuce and bell peppers. It used to have peas, but we planted them to late.

We also have pumpkins, cantaloupe, watermelon, corn, beans, and carrots!!! Very fun!

More 4th of July

Evie on the 4th. She is getting to be such a big girl. She didn't want to sit in the front of the stroller, and kept running away from us.


I think she has grass in her mouth in this one!


Sara and Robbie coming off a blow up slide.

The 4th of July

Our neighborhood has a tradition of a 3rd of July parade, carnival and BBQ. It was a big deal! The kids had so much fun decorating their bikes, and riding in the parade. I waddled around and took pictures and tried to not move my back to much!


Robbie was thrilled to be riding by the police car!


Sara in the parade, and Jeff is back there pushing Evie. There were even horses trailing at the end. Very fun!


Sandy City puts on a big party for the 4th. This rock climbing wall was fun for the kids, and they had blow up toys, and kids crafts going on. Very fun.


Sara wanted to try even in a dress!

What have we been doing??!!!!

Sara finished Kindergarten!!! This is Sara and her teacher Ms. Riches on the last day of school! I can't believe my baby is already done with kindergarten!


We went to Stake Lagoon Day, and had a great time! I was so surprised at how much things had changed since the last time I was there. The best part was that Sara was tall enough to go on all the rides, and wanted to go on them too!! Jeff and I had tons of fun trading off and going on the "big" rides with her.


Robbie was kind of sad he couldn't go on the big rides, but still had fun on every ride in kiddy land. It was a fun day!


I went to girls camp! This is a picture of some of the girls during our skit! We had a lot fun! I had forgotten how much I loved girls camp.


I was in charge of all the food for the week, and the big event was the Thursday night dinner when the bishopric and their wives came up to join us. All the stake leaders went back to their home wards, so we fed a crowd of 50!! We served cafe rio salads (very authentic! I made all the meat, rice and salad dressing at home before we got there) It was a huge success! This is a picture of the leaders serving the food. The highlight was the shouting "extra meat" and "free meal" as people walked by. Very funny and fun! I am glad that I got to go to camp, and I am glad it is over! Talk about a lot of work!!!!

I don't have a picture of anything these last few weeks, because I put my back out right after camp, and I have been down and out for 2 and 1/2 weeks!!! I strained it lifting a very very heavy cooler at camp, and then it went out the next Monday when I was lifting Evie. YUCK!!! I have been to a Chiropractor, and a spine Dr. and things are getting a little better. Everyone seems to think it will just take time. The big thing is that I can't sit. In fact, this is the longest I have sat since I put it out! Hopefully I will be back to normal soon!!

Sara's wedding

Sara and Neil outside of the temple.

At the Reception. It was such a beautiful setting. A club house at a golf course.

Sara and the kids

Sara and Lindsey hanging out eating the "kid food"!

Robbie and Tyler had fun together!

Snowing in May!!!!

What!!! I can't believe this weather!!! We are tired, tired, tired of the snow around here.

Soccer

I haven't blogged in a while! We have been so busy here. After I got back from Canada for my Grandma's funeral, I started crazily working on my new callings (primary counselor, and camp assistant). We also started soccer (4 games a week)! Life is fun.

Grandma Joyce

Grandma Joyce passed away Wednesday Apr. 2, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. I can't believe how fast it went. She was diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic cancer on Easter Sunday. Almost all of her posterity came to see her during those 10 days. We are so grateful for her influence in our lives. Below is a tribute that my sister Sara wrote and put on her blog.

Claudia Joyce Smith was born on May 4th 1928 in Glenwood Alberta Canada, to Grover and Pearl Thomas. As a young woman she loved to dance and even in her old age she would pull us into her kitchen, crank up the music and get us to dance with her:) She was married and divorced twice and had five children. She then met a wonderful man, Brian Smith in her later years. Joyce and Brian were married in 1985 and had many wonderful years together before Brian passed away in 1997. Grandma made many wonderful memories in her later years, including trips to Spain, Israel, and Oahu and Maui Hawaii. She loved to see and try new things and was always up for an adventure. She was always an active member of the church, even when life was hard and others may have given up. Even at 79 years old she fulfilled her calling as Achievement Day leader and always had really fun things for the girls to do. She loved the Lord and her savior Jesus Christ. She was such an example of unconditional and Christlike love. She always made time to sit and talk with you and make you feel like you were the most important person on earth. She was a wonderful cook and fabulous hostess, I hope that I have gained even a little bit of her talent in this area. I have been so blessed live so close to her for the past few years. We all love you and will really miss you grandma!

Sweeney Easter Egg Hunt and Grandma Joyce

We went down to Alpine on Saturday morning to attend the annual Sweeney Easter egg hunt. This has been a tradition for Grandma Joyce and her posterity for many many years. This year uncle Scott showed us a picture of he and my mom and Aunt Becky on a Easter egg hunt when they were little kids. We had a lot of fun seeing everyone. Looking back this was a very poignant morning, because this morning my mom called and told me that Grandma Joyce has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. We don't know much yet, but they were at the emergency room until 5 a.m. for unexplained pain. I have been so sad all day. I am so glad we saw the family yesterday. She has a great posterity, and we love her!!!!


A bunch of Grandma Joyce's Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren at Uncle Scott's in Alpine.


Robbie searching for eggs on "Easter egg hill".


Sara showing me what an interesting egg she found!


Jeff letting Evie hold a plastic egg...she is enthralled!


Evie needed nap by now, but she had fun, I promise!