Owl Update

Our Owlets have all but moved on.  This one was just outside our backdoor on a low branch watching the kids kick a ball around, we don't know how long it was there before it screeched and was noticed.  Doesn't it look so grown up? It has been a blast watching the whole process with the kids.  While kicking the ball, they were trying to see if the owl would turn it's head all the way around in a complete circle, not quite, but it looked like it a few times.

 

Family is SO great!!!

 

Can I just say, I love having family around!  It's nice to have my in-laws who live next door and cousins less than a mile away.  It is also nice to have family that we get to travel to go see.   I didn't always think of having family SO close as a blessing.  I was independent and ready to start OUR traditions and be US!  But,  over the years I have humbled myself and come to recognize the support and love that family gives.  I am so grateful for all of my family and that the Lord has blessed me with such amazing family members!!

 

This last week we celebrated Coulson's 6th birthday!

He had a smashin fun party with a bunch of wild friends!!!

 

He was really nice and thanked everyone for their presents but you could really tell when we like one because his face would light-up and he'd jump up and give that person a hug.

Quinn is the new Junior Cadet Utah State Horseshoe Pitching Champion!!!

Grandpa Ohms pitches horshoes and next year the world horseshoe tournament will be held in St. George so we have been practicing and going to some horseshoe tournaments.  He is improving and so is Ellyn. She took second place.  One more reason to spend time with family...at the horseshoe courts.

 

This week was also Seth's birthday....I won't tell you how old he is.

Sometimes, they argue and fight (not very often)  but this proves that they love each other. They not only share a room, sometimes they even squish in the same bed!!  aahhhh, peace!

VENTING!!

Tonight as we were going over to grandpa and grandma's house for dinner (they live next door) Coulson asked if he could go back to our house to get something he forgot.  I told him that was fine just shut the door when he came out.  Well, just as we were all sitting down to dinner he came running in  followed by our dog Scout.  I guess that is what he forgot!  But, since he knows we don't bring the dog over for dinner I took him home and he got "scolded" mainly because that wasn't the only crazy thing he had done today.  Earlier, keep in mind this is Sunday, I found him playing in our kiddie pool NAKED and the other ward is driving by as they just got out of church, plus he decided our 5 week old kitten needed to go swimming in the water too!!!!  I guess it's partly my fault since I didn't put the pool away yesterday when they were done swimming in it.

Well, this gets even better.  After going back over to grandpa's house and eating dinner, our two youngest and their cousin Kayla, who are notorious trouble makers when they get together, turned the garden hose on in the chicken coop...flooding it...and then gathered all the eggs the chickens had laid that day (3 dozen)  and threw them all over the place.  On the chickens, on the walls, on the ground, I'm sure it was lots of fun, but they are all regretting it now.  While all this was going on and Coulson was repeatedly getting in trouble his Aunt Jenny asked him; "Is your mom mean?"

And what he said melted my heart.  "No, my mama is the best mama ever."  I LOVE this kid and all our kids "too much," but when he was born I was holding him in my arms at the hospital  I felt like I was going to need MORE love for him.  And it is SSOOO true.  He is full of energy, pranks, mischief and lives to hide and jump out to scare people, or hide just long enough that you start to wonder if he has been kidnapped.  I love him MORE because he makes us all laugh and keeps things interesting around our house and if I didn't have more love for him then I would probably have given up by now.  Or have torn all my hair out.

Iron County Fair 2012

We LOVE the fair.  You could say we are sorta "freaks" about the fair.  And when we go to the fair, at least the carnival part, we see a lot of "freaks."  Okay that is kinda rude, but people do really weird things to their skin, hair and clothing that we don't usually see anywhere else except the fair.  I guess you could say that we lead a sheltered country life.  But, it sure does make for great people watching which is a favorite pastime of mine, I can't help it, everyone in this world is so unique and interesting.

Our first fair event:  Horseshoe pitching.  Everyone but Adi got involved.  I was so amazed that the kids stuck with it for 3 hours!!   Even Coulson!  He took last place yet in my mind he took 1st;  for not giving up.

It was long and it was hot....

But, after the pitching we got to go inside the exhibit building and see if what ribbons we won for our crops this year.  Ellyn got a blue ribbon on her flower arrangement which fueled her desire for making more pretty flower arrangements.  She usually has me take pictures of the ones she does, maybe I will post them sometime.

Then, WOOHOO!!! She won a sweepstakes ribbon on her cabbage!   Way to go Ellyn!

 Everyone was happy for her!

 Later that night we went to the rodeo and had good old fashioned healthy fair food.  Funnel cake, french fries, fried chicken, chinese food, chocolate chip cookies, and  kettle corn. Then stayed for the fireworks afterwards.

Monday morning we were up early and headed to Parowan for the Iron County Fair 5k race.  Quinn and Seth ran together again and did super.  I know that I would never have voluntarily run 3.2 miles when I was 8 years old.  After the race we stayed for the very long, but very interesting parade.  It is our favorite parade of the year.  This year even Mitt Romney had a float.  It sure is a fun weekend, but, now I need a rest!!!

Camping at Kents Lake for a week

We LOVE the mountains, and really like camping. So, whenever we go we have an overload of pictures. Enjoy! Grandma Grace and Grandpa Dale came, as well as Uncle Nater, Kimber and Crystal for a little while.

Coulson is so lucky.  He got his head split open by his little sister, so the doctors at the Instacare put a staple in it.  Now he has something to brag about.  Quinn also lost a finger nail this week when he smashed his finger while piling up rocks to build a fort.  No wonder the doctors office staff often wonder if I beat my children.  No, they just REALLY  know how to play.

Oh what do you do in the Summer time???

We'll call this Matthew's before picture:

Now After:

RaeAnne, Miya and Ellyn had fun dressing HIM up like a girl.

 Our kids were fortunate enough to spend 10 days with their cousins from Washington, and others that live a little closer to home.  We had SO much fun,  *Saw "Brave" Which gets two thumbs up from our whole family *went 4-wheeling *went to the aquatic center *celebrated birthdays *had way too many late nights that included sleepovers *and other things I've probably forgotten to mention.

 Miya, Ellyn, RaeAnne



Michael, Coulson, Jayson, Quinn

all the kids thought they needed matching outfits

So Cute!

Kayla, Adilaide, Leiya

RaeAnne, Miya, Ellyn

Seth had a visit from a couple that he taught on his mission.  They came all the way from Salvador Brazil to visit temples and missionaries.  Antonio and Heleni were so wonderful and happy to be at our humble home.  Seth had a great time practicing his portuguese, and I enjoyed hearing him in that capacity, and getting to know them.  The language barrier presented a problem but Seth's brother Gabe helped me know how to talk with them better so they could understand what I said.



 Bridget,Carol,Heleni,Antonio, Dennis, Seth

It was a Monday night, so Heleni gave our family home evening lesson which turned out amazing.

Coachpitch time

 Ellyn

 Quinn

Tball Coulson,  he'd rather be hiking, or looking for bugs in the grass, or finding dino eggs....