Fun in September

My 32nd Birthday was fun. We first played a hour of tennis, then picked up the kids at the neighbors (thank you Rawling's) and went to Red Robin for my free birthday burger. Dustin had the burger and I had a salad. Jackson shared my salad and McCall and Andrew shared a kids meal, spaghetti. Next to Red Robin is Krispy Kremes which we stopped by for a free glazed donut (that is why I had the salad). Afterwards, we went to the Eagle River and let the kids throw rocks then had a short family night lesson on nature, which Dustin gave. He talked about things in the boyscout handbook.


When I was out for the night daddy had a little awards ceremony with the boys. They set up an obstacle course which included a slide, a chair, a stool, and a baseball bat. They had to slide down the side, go under the chair, hop over the stool, and then spin their body around in a circle with their forehead touching the baseball bat. They were so excited about their awards! Andrew is really big on winning and getting trophy's. He asked me once if we could make him a trophy and give it to him. Dustin brought home some old trophy's he had won when he was young and Andrew drug those around the house for days and put one by his bed when he slept.

The boys occasionally want to play in the sink and today I let them do it together! Crazy! It wasn't too wet.

HOT AIR BALLOON

I came outside to get the mail at 8:45 in the morning and there was a hot air balloon directly above my head. I only saw it because the neighbor girls were staring in the air. I looked up and the basket was over my head. I ran and called the boys to come outside. Then by the time I got the camera the balloon was already past our house.
The balloon was close enough that I was having a conversation with the people in the basket!


The kids thought that was the coolest thing. McCall was most excited. Jackson was wondering why there was fire in it.

Art In The Park

We took the kids to Art in The Park downtown and spent the whole time in the kid tent. They had so many activities for the kids to get hands on.






McCall drew on some cardboard flower sunglasses and on her face and shirt. Then she was constantly trying to get into the boys paints as they were creating their masterpieces.





There were several easel stations set up were the kids could create their own masterpiece. Andrew and Jackson picked out their own paint colors and got right to work.

Their pieces started out so colorful and then in the end just ended with a big grey blob. We neglected getting them their water cups to wash out paint brushes in between strokes.

The marble art was the coolest and their artwork is still hanging in the house.

Summary of August Events

FIRST EVER HILTON FAMILY REUNION
Quaker Hills Family Camp

McCall posed for a long time on this rock that was next to the zip line. She loves to be outside and explore! I often find her flat on her stomach examining a bug crawling around. I have even caught her picking up an ant and putting it in her mouth!

ZIP LINE

Both boys tried the zip line! Of course Jackson tried it first before Andrew would have anything to do with it. Even little Raimie did it! After their first attempt we couldn't keep them off of it. Even Joel who is afraid of heights gave it a try!

The kids had a blast just hanging out on the water's edge. Andrew and Austin would pull canoes around all day. Jackson, McCall, and Rozie played in the sand. The older kids would disappear and be off across the street playing in the community game room.

The Cabin we stayed in was huge. It had endless bunk beds. We had two rooms. One we put the kids, it had two bunks, and the other was ours right next door with one bunk. All the bunks had a queen for the bottom bunk. Each level had a hers and his bathroom. We had a pegs and jokers tournament. And the kids played a new game called St. Pertersburgh. Dustin got in on that one and I had to pull him away to be my pegs partner.

THOSE WHO MEMORIZED SCRIPTURE AT SUNDAY DEVOTIONAL
The theme of the reunion was based off of a Scripture in the Book of Mormon. Mosiah 18:21

And he commanded them that there should be no acontention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.

We had a challenge to memorize this scripture through out the weekend and those who did received an award. Jackson memorized "love one towards another". Andrew went a little further and memorized "having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another." He was very anxious about having to say it in front of everyone. He really didn't want to do it but he really wanted the prize (sucker and funny glasses).

On a Saturday morning dad let the kids put the hose on the tramp which created a waterfall underneath. The kids could not resist playing in it. They had a blast according to Dustin, I was at our rental restoring the floorboard that the unwanted cat had peed through. But, Dustin was good enough to cover up the evidence by bathing the kids before I got home.

I took the kids to the water fountain at the base of the Lucky Peak Dam. We went with the McKalister's and everyone had a great time. They played in the sand and made a big hole with a little path that flowed into the hole. They would fill up their buckets and fill the path with water and watch it fill up the hole.

Andrew wanted to get some clothes to put McCall in so he brings this dress-up outfit down and wants me to put it on her. Andrew likes to see McCall look girly!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Andrew and his first day of school. He was really excited to wear his new shoes and he had to wear his new Speed Racer shirt.

FIRST BUS RIDE HOME

Getting off the bus after a long 30 minute ride home (the school is just across the street less than a mile away). He said I liked School but it was too long. He also had a kid that was flicking his ear on the bus ride home. Day two more flicking. Day three flicking and hitting Scott in the head with a backpack. Scott is his next door neighbor that he gets on the bus with. I finally had to talk to the boys dad. The dad was a little lame and didn't help much. He said he would talk to his son and then the next day he said that he asked the bus driver and the driver said that there wasn't a problem. The kids dad laughed at me after telling me this and walked away! Who new I would be dealing with incompetent parents this early in my experience with a child in elementary school!

July Fun

Often I bath all three kids at once. For one, McCall tries to get in every time I bath the boys and if I don't let her in she will find every toy and make sure it gets in the tub with them. Sometimes it's not even toys it could be their clothes she find on the ground.

Cousin Kylie came down and stayed with us for a few days while she was in a basketball tounament. The boys loved having her around. Andrew thought of hooking the wagons together so that all of them could have a ride and Kylie was nice enough to be the guide.

Andrew got a new pair of sunglasses and after getting so many comments on how cool they were he decided he wanted to wear them all the time. I bought out Jackson's old pair and a pair for McCall and got his COOL picture!

Every once and a while Andrew gets in the mood to be in a band. This is when all of my pots and pans come out of the cupboard and I make them set up out side. He gives everyone their assign instrument and then they are making beautiful sound!

The Funny Things She Does

When McCall has little friends over to play she likes to pull their hair, take their babies away, and steal their toys. Or sometimes she will just jump infront of them then fall on the floor and laugh. They never think it is very funny. But she sure does.


Mom left for the evening and Dad took over. He covered up the evidence by having all three kids bathed before I returned home. They were all three covered in bark.


McCall can be a girly girl. She loves to put on pretty dresses.

McCall loves to put on Jackson's shoes and Andrew's socks

She can even be caught wearing Jackson's underpants!

If Jackson's shoes aren't in site she'll put on mine!

If there is any type of box, crate, or bin it will be dumped out so that McCall can site in it.

Summer fun

We took the family on a one night camping trip to Idaho City with the Mennear family. We didn't arrive to the campsite until late that night. We grabed some food on the way out of town and the dinners we had prepared we ate for lunch the next day. We cooked a great breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and sausage. We took turns on the dirt bikes. Dan and Dustin got a ride in the first day before dusk and Dustin and I took a ride after breakfast. Carrie even tried out my bike and only dumped it once! For lunch we ate the foiled dinners intended for dinner.

They tasted great!
sliced potatoes
sliced carrots
ground beef
mixed in cream of mushroom soup and lipton onion soup mix

Carrie tries out my bike! She had a 15 minute lesson from Dan and they were off. I think she did pretty good. She didn't like turning it and tipped it once. Thanks guys for a fun adventure!

The Blad 4th of July Reunion

July 4th we had our Blad family reunion at our house. We did lots of activities like floating the Boise River, 4-wheeling at Tripod Meadows, swim in the subdivion's pool, date night with all adauls to play glow-in-the-dark miniture golf, spend evening at Eagle Island Park to watch fire works, and went to Idaho City to 4-wheel and dirt bike. Also each night we played games and one night played hand and foot for the championship game, which by the way Dustin and I won! We have the hand and foot trophy set up in the living room! Try and take it from us at Christmas!

Grandma and Grandpa Blad

Eagle Island Park

Grandma brought all kinds of things for the kids to play with. She had a cool glow in the dark ball attached to a string that the kids wore around their necks and glow in the dark sticks which we made funny hats and necklaces out of.



Dustin and I decided we would host the Blad reunion at our house this year! We took them exploring around the foothills on dirt bikes and 4-wheelers. We floated down rivers and lost expensive sunglasses! Both Ryan and Shawn lost their best sunglasses on the river trip. They rolled in their tube and when they came back up, no sunglasses! Shawns were even perscription sunglasses.





Dustin's youngest Brother Ben and Laura have one child,
McKayla. They brought up their own 4-wheeler and even took McKayla for a ride. They have a backpack for her and she goes with them on almost all their 4-wheeling trips!






This is Dustin's sister Dannene and family. They have two kids and one on the way (we found out in August) Cashton and Bronson.







After the river trip we ate some watermelon at the park with all the kids. Grandpa got to stay back with the little kids (McCall, Bronson, and Lucas) while we journeyed down the river for 2 hours.




McCall enjoyed the wrine and all! She gets right in there with the boys and loves to be outside exploring. She would have loved the rafting trip but she got to take a nap instead. She hung out in the shade of a big tree with grandpma Blad.

This is our attemp at taking a shot off all grandkids present. It was a huge challange but we did it!
We took the clan to Tripod Meadows all day Wednesday. They kids played in a little stream and the adults took turns riding in the hills. Eveyone loved how beautiful the trails were.



McCall and McKayla - The only two girls grandkids on the Blad side!