The best Birthday EVER

So for my birthday Mom and I went to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the Red Rocks amphitheater in Denver.
This is one of those times that I mentioned that I just don't think I'm ready to blog about, but I will say that it along with the day I got married and the birth of my three children, it was one of the sweetest experiences of my life.

It's funny if you know why...

So Beautiful and so amazingly Green!!! the picture doesn't even do it justice

And then we found out that Pres. Monson was there... so amazing!

I'm so glad when Grandma comes....

Mom was able to come and visit again this summer, after finishing radiation and months and months of chemo she was a little more the worse for wear but the girls (and I) loved to just snuggle and watch movies and Little House on the Prarie...

Read books together....

and sit in the beautiful sunshine....

A day with the Sixes (like that's rare, ha ha ha ha)

One of the things I love most about living in Loveland is that we live only a couple of miles from a beautiful lake. Every summer they truck in extra sand so they can be sure that there is a big beautiful sandy beach for the kids to play on.

Ha ha ha... This is right after "Australia" came out on video... we thought the part where Hugh Jackman dumps the bucket of water on his head is funny (translation for me... "hot" ha ha) so here's Jacob pretending to be Hugh (not that he ever saw the movie but this picture is way more cute than the picture of Shannon trying to do it LOL)

Here's Shannon trying OH so hard to be Wolverine.... Oh good times lol

Sand castles, dams, bridges, waterways... all a must :)

Father's Day!!!

My Silly Girl!!! We were getting ready to make our Father's Day craft and Ashlie (still potty training) needed to go... so we had to bring her "toidie" out into the kitchen so she wouldn't miss anything, I love you Ash!

The kids... all ready to bestow their gifts on their daddy


"High Five!"

They each made their Daddy a wallet and a pint size rock model of themselves wearing t-shirts that say "My Dad'dy' Rocks!"

The kids helped me make Lawn Mower cupcakes... man they look good!

We love you so much Todd!!! You are the best Daddy in the whole world, and I love you every day for the amazing Dad you are!

Relay For Life

I did my second Relay for Life in June, the first since Mom was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, these are the luminarias we made for Mom with pictures and phrases sent from all of her kids and grandkids....
The kids came with Todd to support me and have fun at Relay, they always have fun things for the kids to do,
The Luminaria Ceremony, they play sappy cry music that makes you bawl your eyes out as they scroll the names of those who are being walked in honor of... or in memory of....

All of us with our cry faces right after the ceremony was over. I did okay until Mom's name came up on the screen, then everything that her name being up there meant hit me like a ton of bricks and knocked the wind right out of me. Thankfully you are never alone at Relay and I was instantly swept up and supported by amazing and loving friends. I love you guys!!!

"I CAN!!!!" - Steve comes! - and we hike!

"I Can!!!" ("I SAIL... ... I just let the boat do all the work") ... well kind of. The grocery store had raspberries and strawberries on sale DIRT cheap so Annette and I decided to be brave and try our hand at freezer jam. It was sooo easy and so very very tasty, we had fun!

At the beginning of the month my brother-in-law Steve rode up to Colorado (from Phoenix) with his brother Wayne on their motorcycles. I LOVE Wilson's and it was so much fun to see them pulling up on their "matching" bikes in their matching riding outfits, they let all the kids sit on the bikes (they were SO excited) we had a blast staying up that night talking and laughing and then kicked them out (ha ha jk) the next morning. You guys are welcome ANY time!!!!

We did some more hiking in June, we took this picture after we hiked around a lake just outside Rocky Mountain National Park. After we were done we decided to drive all the way across the park and got some ice cream in Grand Lake one of our most favorite small towns in Colorado. We even saw a Moose that day but I don't think we have any pictures... BUMMER