Today Drew found a snake in our neighborhood on the street. So he picked it up and brought it home! This is soooo Drew! He isn't afraid of anything!
He wrapped it around Luke's neck. It started strangling him! Psyche!!! Not really...
After everyone had a turn to hold it, Drew let it down to slither in our yard for a while. The kids could see he had just eaten something because he had a big lump in his body and was really slow and lethargic.
He was a really pretty snake, if there could ever really be a pretty one, and the kids all got a kick out of it for a while. Then we let it go on the hill on the other side of our fence. Luke asked if we could keep it and I told him we had enough pets! Ha! Ha!
We went to the river house for Memorial Weekend! We are in the Water Wheel Trailer Park. There used to be a Water Wheel the Indians used at the river here years ago, hence the name. One day an 80 year old Indian came into the park and talked to Jeff about it. He had grown up here as a boy and wanted to see it again. It is about 20 minutes outside of Blythe, Ca.
Blythe is a funny little town. Here is the Courtesy Coffee Shop that has been for sale since we started coming here three years ago. They make the BEST pancakes ever! We all order them!
This funny little restaurant is called, "Steaks and Cakes". We went there once and Drew wanted a steak, but they were all out of steaks and didn't have any cakes! We always laugh when we pass by it now!
This is the Horny Toad Saloon! Funny place all decorated up! There's not a lot here in Blythe. I think that's why we like it here. Very simple.
Heidi gets wet at the river and turns all ringlets! You can hardly see which part of her is what!
The kids love to play Apples To Apples.
Parker, Arizona is about 40 minutes from our place. We like to drive into this little town also and eat at Crossroads Cafe. They have the BEST Chili Cheese Fries and Biscuits and Gravy ever! Real down home cookin'.
Our family chowing down! The mural on the wall behind is of Parker and the Colorado River.
Do your kids fight over feet placement in the car??? This is Drew and Holly on a typical drive, kicking and pushing for their spot in the car!
We love to go into the Jerky Store in Parker. This building looks just like a caboose. The train station is right across the street! Very cute!
Holly likes to shoot cans with the BB gun!
There was a beehive on a tree by the beach in our park. They had it marked off.
This was Drew's last time to the river before leaving for his mission! He won't be back for 2 years!
Here we are coming back to our place after eating at Crossroads! Dancing in the car!
Shera chose a Japanese Restaurant called, Shabu Shabu (Swish Swish) for dinner tonight for her 9th Birthday Dinner. You get to cook your own meat, noodles and vegetables in a pot in front of you. The owner is "Hot Mama". She did a trick with a soda can. It was pretty funny!
We sang "Happy Birthday" to Shera and they put a candle in a Mochi Ball for her! We love them!
Shera got a cute cupcake balloon!
She got webkinz, littlest pet shop toys, earrings and a battery powered motorcycle!
Shera started blowing out her candles at home and then stopped in the middle of it! What in the world??? She changed her mind for her wish! LOL Finally, we got to eat the Texas Sheet Cake!
A month ago, Holly was in a mock DUI accident. The city of Mission Viejo and MVHS put together a documentary on how important it is to not drink and drive. Holly is in the red dress. This was filmed at MVHS and at Mission Hospital.
For Family Night this week our family went to Disneyland! We call it "The Big D". That is a leftover code word from when the kids were little. Of course, now that Luke is older and spells words out loud for his pass time, they all know what it means!
Luke and Shera went on Tarzan's Tree House while Holly and Noel got leather bracelets personalized.
We went on Jeff's favorite ride, The Haunted Mansion. We always talk about wanting to visit New Orleans when we are here! Someday!
Luke and Shera got their own seats for the Thunder Mountain ride. I turned around and got some funny pics of them!
We had about 10 minutes before the park closed so we all booked it to Indiana Jones and just barely made it! There was only one group let in line after us and then it closed! We were almost to the ride when it broke down! We waited for about an hour total, but finally got on! Next time you go, ask them to show you the Eeyore Parking Sign in the movie room while in line! The ride was built where the eeyore parking used to be. There is also a hidden Mickey on the wall in the same room too!
NO EARTHQUAKES!!! After the 4.7 earthquake, the kids went crazy running around screaming! They were so excited and yet so nervous! Luke slept with the girls on their floor that night! The next morning I noticed this sign on the back door! I think Luke really meant it! :)
She went with one of her best friends, Austin De Soto.
She matched her nail polish with her dress and beautiful corsage. She did a french tip nail with a glittered silver line under the tip.
Austin washed and waxed his shiny red car just for the dance! It looked real spiffy!
Their group met at the high school and everyone boarded a bus. It took them to balboa and there they got on Kristen Des Combes family's yacht.
They had a wonderful dinner and took lots of photos. They went to Long Beach and disembarked to the Aquarium. They all danced the night away and then took the bus back to the school and then went to the after party.
The Aquarium was open for the students to enjoy also. Holly said it was such a fun night! Hooray for Junior Proms! Do you remember yours???
Shera had her birthday party on Friday at our home and invited a few of her best girlfriends from church and school to come. The theme was a puppy pajama party! All the girls wore their pajamas and brought their favorite stuffed puppy dog with them!
When they came in they each got a "Pups Rock" bracelet and they picked a webkinz puppy to take home later.
They made puppy ears by cutting felt patterns and stapling them onto a headband. Then they picked their favorite ribbon color for the bows! They turned out so cute!
We tried to find a kitty pinata, but we couldn't. So we got a puppy pinata instead. The kids went two times through the line. The third time we let them hit it twice without a blindfold. The pinata was decapitated and lost all its limbs, then finally it got killed by Luke!
Then everybody went to the backyard and roasted "Hot Dogs" in the firepit. They had chips and sodas outside. It was a nice warm afternoon, so they played on the trampoline for a while too!
Next, the girls came in and Shera opened her gifts. She had some fun puppy themed gifts as well! Here is a blanket our friends, Annie and Carly, made for her! Green is her favorite color and she loved the puppy paw prints! Shera immediately wrapped it around her body and held onto that blanket all night long!
We had a puppy cake and cupcakes too! Then they all went down to the theater in the basement and watched "Hotel For Dogs". It was a really cute movie, but it does make you cry. Shera came up with her eyes red and swollen. Shera loved her puppy pajama party! It was a really fun theme for her 9th birthday!
Drew went to the temple for the first time today and received his endowment. We had a 3:00pm session at the Newport Beach Temple.
Here we are in front of the temple when we left that afternoon.
Drew decided to have Jeff, me and himself go together.
Here he is looking at the angel Moroni. It was a wonderful day and Drew loved the temple. And this was a payback day for Jeff and me, to see our son so excited to go to the temple and to serve a full time mission!
I had such a wonderful Mother's Day on Sunday. These are the days I will truly treasure up in my mind's memory box! I had breakfast in bed that Jeff and the kids made with eggs, sausage, hash browns and apple juice! After church, I got a wonderful salad made by the kids and Jeff and then I was given so many beautiful gifts of homemade cards, little books and even a new hand mixer I was in desperate need of.
Holly snapped this photo and I love how Luke is looking up at me - he really loves me!
We had a nice dinner later that evening with my mother and brother, Dean, and his family. Here is Andrea, Drew, Michele, Blake, and Drago.
Shera came to me before dinner was even served and said she had a tummy ache. I asked her what she'd eaten already. "I ate 4 pieces of bread and 7 Shirley Temples." I didn't realize that there was a Shirley Temple refill pitcher! Oh, boy! Needless to say, she hardly ate any dinner!
Here's my big brother, Dean, my mom and me together.
My mom got me and my sister-in-law, Deanne, these beautiful Baccarat Chrystal butterflies! We get them every year from her and now have quite a nice collection started. I keep them in my bedroom on the shelves of my secretary so I see them everyday. They are all in different colors and I think they are just lovely! Thanks mom and I love you!
Noel won Castille Elementary Student of the Year from the Kiwanis Club. She's here with Peter Vidmar - 2x Olympic Gold & 1x Olympic Silver Medal winner.
Today Drew found a snake in our neighborhood on the street. So he picked it up and brought it home! This is soooo Drew!
He wrapped it around Luke's neck. It started strangling him! Psyche!!! Not really...
After everyone had a turn to hold it, Drew let it down to slither in our yard for a while. The kids could see he had just eaten something because he had a big lump in his body and was really slow and lethargic.
He was a really pretty snake, if there could ever really be a pretty one, and the kids all got a kick out of it for a while. Then we let it go on the hill on the other side of our fence. Luke asked if we could keep it and I told him we had enough pets! Ha! Ha!
