Good times..good times

Goodbye Strawberry, Hello Swift

2012-01-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

We officially have another teen in our home...yikes 3 at a time. You can say we have many emotional ups and downs in our home! Our sweet baby Jane has now entered the teen years. So sad. Most of you remember Jane's obsession with Strawberry Shortcake. Starting at about age 4 her life revolved around her and her sweet smelling gang. Birthdays, Christmas gifts and Halloween costumes always revolved around that freckle faced doll. Now that she is 13 Strawberry Shortcake has been put away for safe keeping and a real life girl has taken her place. Jane's side of the room is now filled with pictures, Cd's, perfumes, bags, necklaces and t-shirt's of Taylor Swift. She had the chance to go to her concert this past summer and since then it has been all about her. For her 13th (Taylor's favorite #) Jane decided to have a Taylor Swift themed party. She and her friends....the 13 of them watched the concert on DVD, jumped on the trampoline and just had a good time.

she still loved her at 11 years old:(

Jane really wanted a cake shaped like a guitar so while I was the soccer mom Nate stayed home all day working on this fabulous cake...... I told him he should quit his day job:)

I found these perfect cupcake toppers on Etsy..they were a hit!

Jane is lucky to have such a great group of friends....such thoughtful cards and gifts. They all know Jane so well.

On her actual birthday we had a fun girls day shopping with Grandma Bluth

It will be interesting to see what comes next....

A little dizzy from December

2011-12-29T16:25:00.000-08:00

What a December we had! I know it is always a busy month but for some reason this year seemed EXTRA busy....here is some of what we were up to!

To start, basketball season officially started for Jake.....6 days a week!! Our life will be filled with practices and games the next couple months! We wish him luck!

Jake's teammate who is 6ft 7!

The month started off with a trip to the LA Temple and to Diddy Reese with the Zeediks. This is a tradition we hope to keep going every year!

Next, we had the most fabulous "Back to Bethlehem" ward party. This one was extra special because it was on a ward members property. We had week old baby goats, bon fires, candle making and story telling. The last 20 minutes they played out the nativity with a miniature pony/donkey and a host of angels/ young women in a tree house above the manger scene. It is a memory that no one there will soon forget. It was such a great way to start the season.

2 of the 3 wise men

candle making

After the ward party we rushed over to get a Christmas tree....it was very hard to find a night to fit that in!

Something that added to the craziness of the month was that our stake put on a play called Finding Christmas. It was a huge production that was advertised throughout the community. It had 5 shows and tons of participants and volunteers. Jane and Aubrey were lucky enough to be in it. Jane was in a cute little elf dance and Aubrey was in the youth choir. I was on the hair and makeup committee that was quite fun. We have heard that the response was amazing and that many members and MANY non members attended.

For Christmas this year we decided to head to Utah and spend it with Nathan's family. We always have such a great time with everyone there. We went to the lights at Temple Square, hit the BYU Bookstore and mall and had dinner at Sundance. I even surprised Nate with a night away at the Sundance Resort...good times.

Every year Grandma Sue has a day called "Grandma's Baking Day." My kids each year see the pictures and are a little sad that they don't get to participate in this fun day. This year because we were coming they waited so that the Caif. cousins could be there. What a fun and crazy day! Gingerbread houses, cookies, crafts and more. I am sure you can imagine the amount of sprinkles on the floor. What a fun tradition Grandma has!

Can't forget the Christmas Eve jammies!

Christmas day was so fun with everyone. The only bummer was that the stomach flu was going around and Jake spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day throwing up. Poor guy:)

On our last day we hit Sundance one more time and the kids spent some more time with their longtime friends the Nelsons! (pics to come)

Thanks to all of you who made our December so memorable! We had such a great time and felt so much love from you all!

We came home to a Christmas tree that was still very much alive and 70 degree weather! We even spent today at the beach! We sure went from one extreme to another! Happy New Year!!

Scenes from a fabulous Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:58:00.000-08:00

We had a great meal and great company at our house this year! We were just missing Chris and Megs family who were in Utah and Wendy's kids who were with their dad. It was a quiet year! We are so thankful for all our family and all our many blessings! Love to all the rest of our family....see you at Christmas!!

another yummy bird done on the barbecue!

I LOVE these birds!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Halloween and a birthday

2011-11-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

Nate and I celebrated birthdays in Palm Springs with our dear friends the Zeediks. Nate and Mark planned a little overnight getaway. We had such a great time with such great friends! We started in Palm Springs where the weather was about 104. The next day we made a stop at the Redlands temple and then headed down to Santa Monica where the temperature dropped to 60! This is what I love so much about Calif. You can be in the desert and then in 2 hours be at the beach! Good times:)

Redlands temple

Another year older.....Jane made a sign for me that said "Your not 40 yet!" sigh......I am 39 and holding:)

For a friends party Nate and I dressed up as Flo from the Progressive Ins commercials and Nate was Mayhem(click to watch) from Allstate...funniest commercials!

For the ward Trunk or Treat Jane didn't want to go alone as a Hot Dog on a Stick worker so I decided to join her!

Our "Scary" trunk.....

Halloween night.....a Celtics fan and yes that is Jake as a ghost.....being his usual weird self! Aubs didn't trick or treat this year so no cute pics of her:( check out her blog here for pics.....

She's a Beaut!

2011-10-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

The kids bathroom remodel is mostly done! There are a few little things left to do but overall it is great! These picutres do not do it justice but it will give you an idea of the transformation. So hurry and book your next trip to stay with us!

Still trying to decide on paint color.....

Love the shampoo holder!

awesome river rock bottom!

little shoes.....big dream

2011-09-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Most of you who know Jake know that he has a love of basketball. Not only does he love to play the sport but he loves all that goes along with it. Meaning....the shoes, the shoes, the shoes. This kid LOVES his basketball shoes. He loves the smell of a new pair. He even goes so far as to keep a magic eraser close at hand to wipe off any marks. His hope and dream one day is to own his own shoe store. He spends plenty of time researching and looking at all the shoes online. He is more knowledgeable the ANYONE at Footlocker:) Nate and I didn't realize what we started when he got his first pair of Air Jordans at 2. If he had the choice, every gift he receives and any money he makes goes towards shoes. The other night he was describing to me how he wanted to display his shoes in his room on the wall. Who displays their shoes on their wall??? Well, when he came home from school I surprised him by putting together a display. I tried to do what he described but of course I was needing this to be cheap. He was pretty excited and now has plans to buy more shoes and add more cubes......uh oh. It is nothing special but I am sure tonite as he lays in bed with the little dimmer light shinning down on his shoes he will dream about the shoe store he will one day have.

Demo has begun!

2011-09-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

When we moved into our fixer upper house 61/2 years ago we had BIG plans. Before we moved in we did some major home improvements like new windows, floors and paint inside and out. Kitchen, bathrooms and roof were going to have to wait. Well, the wait is over for a least ONE bathroom. Having three full bathrooms is great except when you find out how much a bathroom remodel costs. Ouch. We have begun the demo, which we did ourselves to save money. Fun, Fun! Thanks to a great husband who suffered injures to the feet and legs and breathed in who knows what for 2 days while demoing this 35 year old bath! To all those who have stayed at our home and have had the pleasure of using the lovely bathroom upstairs, this is for you! Next time you come you will have a beautiful place to get yourself ready for the day! Yay! I will keep you posted on the progress......

can't be good for the lungs!

New river rock bottom

A fun and Swift first day!

2011-08-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

First day of school 2011!! All went well and Aubs survived her first day of High School! Another year of driving to 3 schools.....yay for me:)

Highschoolers! (9th & 11th)

Junior High (7th)

Elementary (3rd)

Not only did Jane have the 1st day of school today but she also went to her first concert! She is a HUGE Taylor Swift fan and was lucky enough to get a ticket to go!

Aubs getting her ready to go!

a very excited Jane:)

last lytle getaway

2011-08-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

We deceided to do one last little getaway before school starts this week:( WHAT a bummer. We headed down to Newport for the night and met up with all the cousins the next day. Every summer growing up my family would pack up and head for a week to a beach house in Newport. What great memories we have of those weeks with our cousins and friends. It is such a fun place! Because it is so darn expensive now adays to rent a beach house we try every summer to go down there and spend the day doing the things that we love. Eating at the Crab Cooker is top of the list! After luch we spent a lot of time on the beach. Later we headed over to Balboa Island on the Auto Ferry. We ended the night letting the kids spend a few quarters in the arcade at the Fun Zone.

It was a great end to a great summer.

Jane's Corndogs! She really wants this cement bench.

On the ferry over to Balboa!

Little guy, Big day

2011-07-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Avery had his big day....he was baptized! Thank you to ALL the family and friends who took the time to share this day with him. He felt so loved. Jane played the piano and Aubrey gave a talk. We loved hearing Avery's two cousins from Utah play their violins. Avery couldn't have been happier and we couldn't have been happier for him:) We love you Avery, you are such an example to all!

Grandma and Grandpa Lytle

Grandpa and Grandma Bluth

Utah Cousins!

The After Party:)

it's great to be 8

2011-06-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

Avery turned 8 today! He enjoyed his last day at cub camp and then him and I were off to see Cars 2. After the movie we met grandma and grandpa and Debbie for dinner at Bandits! He was all smiles all day!

Averys cousin is NOT a Celtics fan:)

The 30 ft. 'EGG DROP" at scout camp....looking to see if it survived:)

His egg survived by being wrapped in miracle foam, sheepskin and packed in marshmallow!

We Love you Avery!

Bike, beach and a birthday girl!

2011-06-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Aubrey June! Aubrey is 14 today:( She wanted a new bike WITH a basket. Riding around the neighborhood is one of her favorite pastimes. Nate, Jane and her rode their bikes to the donut shop and then we hit the beach. It was a beautiful day! We love you Junebug.....

Aubrey and neighborhood friend:)

Revenge and a cute cub

2011-06-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

I am not too sure what Jake did at youth Conference to deserve this payback.....

I will forever be finding green dots.....

Avery got to go to cub camp this year! He is quite excited to start scouts, unlike his big brother. For about a year now he has been looking forward to getting his "costume." I have stopped correcting him.....too cute. Today when we picked him up he told me he had "faced his fears" by climbing to the top of the climbing wall.

Next stop....High School!

2011-06-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

Seriously, time just goes too fast! Today Aubrey had her 8th Grade Promotion. Another Lytle off to High School. Crazy.

whose big kids are these???

A night of Stars

2011-06-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

Last night we took the 3 younger kids (Jake had more important things to do...ha) to the Hollywood Bowl. We had the pleasure of seeing Star Wars in Concert. We had a great time and Avery especially LOVED it. They showed scenes from all the Star Wars movies with a live orchestra and choir playing. The atmosphere there is so, so neat! We sat in the bleacher seats up top with a great view of the Hollywood sign and the Hollywood hills.

After we headed down to Hollywood and Highland and walked around the busy streets enjoying the sights! The kids loved the Walk of Fame and seeing all the hand and foot prints. It was a fun but late night!

another year, another recital

2011-06-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

Jane and Avery are both still taking piano lessons and really enjoying it! Their biggest complaint is our piano. We have a really neat old piano that a dear friend gave to us. Unfortunately it has a few non working keys and is too old to be tuned. One more thing to put on the expensive Lytle "wish list"....it will have to go below bathrooms and a roof! They love recital time when they get to play on this "grand" Grand Piano! They both did a great job. Avery entertained us with the theme song from Star Wars and Jane played Once Upon A Dream from Sleeping Beauty.

Happy Birthday Mr. Jake....sixteen is sure SWEET!

2011-05-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks for 16 years full of laughs! We love you!

Watch out city of TO...Jake is on the road!

2011-05-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well if this isn't one of the scariest things for a parent! Jake has his "learners permit"....he is officially allowed to drive with an adult. This is going to require a lot of driving from him and a lot of patience from Dad and Mom! The more practice the better right?? He turns 16 in 2 weeks but we have decided to wait till closer to 17 for the license. Wish us ALL luck!

He had his first lesson today with "Cool Driving School".....it's all about being cool, especially when you are driving around a mini van.

"I want nothing to do with that RODENT!"

2011-05-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

Those were the words out of Dad's mouth when we brought "Buddy" our bunny home.....

funny how things change:) Looks like Dad has a new best friend.

Back to Life....Back to reality

2011-04-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

The sweet life of no seminary and no homework has come to an end. Back to school tomorrow after a fun filled spring break! We spent time with out of town friends, went to the beach, purchased a hammock that gave hours of entertainment....

went to Knott's with all the cousins..hadn't been there since high school....Very Fun!

Nate couldn't come so I was the single mom with my brothers and their wives

Today, the last day of break we purchased a cute little bunny! We spent the day downtown at Santee Alley....what a place! Who would have thought we would come home with a baby bunny!

He is the reason we have the bunny......little beggar. I caved:) Hopefully I don't regret it. How could I resist that face....not Jake's, the bunnies:)

Day 5- final day of our Hawaiian Adventure

2011-03-27T00:31:00.000-07:00

We started off our last day in paradise with rain. We were ok with it because we had plans to kayak up the Wailua river and hike through the jungle to a waterfall. Sadly our tour was cancelled due to an overflowing river! Soooo.....we talked to the locals and were told that if we headed to the west side, the desert side we might escape the rain.......

remember to click pics to enlarge

our 1st stop was Salt Pond Beach Park. Beautiful, but windy and we kept getting occasional cloud bursts. We decided to keep heading west as far as possible.....this is what we found.

We drove 5 miles on a road meant for 4 wheelers that eventually opened up to this!!!

Can you say PARADISE!!!!! (Polihale State Park)

No wind, no rain and HOT sun! The best part was that ONLY the locals were there. We stumbled upon something great! There was no road left to travel, we went from one side of the isle to the other. Very cool.

After the beach we stopped in a couple towns and then headed to Dukes restaurant in Lihue. What a great spot with great views.

We watched a cruise ship leaving the harbor.

Perfect ending to a perfect week in Kauai! Thanks to our dear friends Bryan and Sara for inviting us to spend the week with them! We had so much fun and MANY laughs! We love you!

We are all feeling a little full after finishing off a Hula Pie!

Day 4 Hawaiian Adventure

2011-03-25T23:28:00.000-07:00

Day 4 rained....alot:(

In the morning dad and I checked out the area and found a pretty beach.

For lunch we headed down to Hanalei and ate with chicken all around our feet. There are wild chicken and roosters EVERYWHERE! Pretty funny to see roosters walking down the middle of the street.

We hope the weather will be better tomorrow for our Kayaking trip up the Wailua River! The rain and changing weather makes the island experience even more fun!

Day 3 of Mom and Dads Hawaiian adventure

2011-03-25T00:45:00.000-07:00

DAY 3

Today we shopped Kilauea while the boys sat on the "Guy's Bench",

we checked out a few local beaches....one of them was the rich peoples beach at the St. Regis Resort:)

ate lunch and watched BYU lose at a fun restaurant in Hanalei

ordered a cold coconut from a fruit stand (notice weird local guy)

Me and Sara and me and my coconut!

Yummy coconut milk! Miss you!

Day 2 Hawaiian adventure

2011-03-24T01:16:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up to this......

then we hiked to a private beach that dad found...does he ever stay on the trail??

we snorkled for the first time, saw the spouted horn, had lunch and relaxed at Poipu Beach...we even made a stop at Costco and Walmart (weird I know, we just had to see what they had!)

shaved ice was a must! We are trying to decide what to do tomorrow! Be good for Grandpa! I promise, we really we do miss you........see you soon!

For our kids.......day 1 of our Hawaiian adventure

2011-03-24T00:59:00.000-07:00

Nate and I have taken off for a week with our freinds to beautiful Kauai! Keeping the kids posted on what we are up to......

Very STRENUOUS but BEAUTIFUL hike up the Kalalau Trail.

Man vs Wild (aka dad)

300 ft waterfall. It was worth the 8 miles and MUD filled shoes for this!

Tunnels beach.....need I say more?

SO you think you can't go sledding in Calif?????

2011-01-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

We beg to differ........

The J's (Jake and Jane) had plans so Nate and I took the A's (Aubs and Avery) to the beach. It was a BEAUTIFUL Day! 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. I wish there was NEVER school.

Our Sweet Baby Jane turns 12!

2011-01-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

Jane birthday is tomorrow and she celebrated last night by having a few friends over!

playing Just Dance 2 on the Wii....very fun!

They ate, played some night games, and told stories outside. It was a fun night! I loved watching all these cute girls interact. Jane is blessed to have so many good friends to choose from. Happy Birthday sweet Jane! Around here birthdays are bitter sweet......they grow up just too darn fast:(

Scenes from a Merry day

2010-12-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve 2010.....

Avery's note and treats for Santa

CHIRSTMAS DAY!!

This is a blanket I made for Jake with all his sports jerseys since 1st grade.....

Another great year, another great Christmas spent with family! We are so blessed. Love to all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!

2010-12-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

Today we are home doing our Christmas Eve preparations and enjoying a break from all the rain! We are baking pies, cleaning and Nate is busy making a Yule log. Nate and Jane go to a little French cafe every Saturday called Chocolatine. They were taking orders for Yule logs, or Bush de Noel. Nate decided to make his own.....can't wait to try it!

I am loving baking pies with these cute little pie birds! "Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye, 4 and 20 black birds baked in a pie"??? remember that nursery rhyme?? How dang cute are these??

Merry Christmas to everyone! Have a great Eve and a great day tomorrow! Love and miss you all!

A Merry Day!

2010-12-03T17:05:00.000-08:00

This last March our family participated in the Disneyland "Give a day, Get a day program". Because we gave a day of service we got 6 free tickets to Disneyland! We waited until now to use our tickets because we didn't want to miss 'Christmastime' at Disneyland. The weather was PERFECT and the lines were SHORT:) The two things you hope most for! We had such a good time and made another family memory. It was a fun way to start off the holiday season!

I asked Avery if he would go on Space Mountain again and his response was"maybe when I'm 8"

All about teeth

2010-11-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

I guess we prefer our children to have straight teeth over new bathrooms......gotta love the monthly ortho bill!! (notice Jakes "fangs".... this poor boy is going to be in braces till hes a daddy himself:)

On the other hand....Avery got 10 "perfect brusher" dental visits so he has earned a ticket to Disneyland! Way cool.

Just another Sunday Morning.....

2010-11-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

NAUGHTY....guess the time change didn't keep the scoundrels away:)

NICE........see, they do love each other.

BEAUTIFUL......lovely autumn Calif. morning.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

Just returned home from our ward Trunk or Treat! Because Halloween is a Sunday this year this was the kids chance to collect as much candy as possible! Good times!

great pumpkin done by the missionaries!

ward friends!

crazy kids.....one in particular!

Gotta love Halloween!

2010-10-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

can I really be 38??

WOW, 38, I remember when my mom was 38.....that is weird. Yesterday was a great day thanks to Nate and the kids! Nate and I headed down to Ikea and then out to lunch. Later that night we went to

dinner with the kids and my mom and dad. Great way to start off the downhill slope to 40! Yikes!

THE CRAZY

PARTY PLANNERS

confetti, horns, balloons & these 5...what more could I ask for????

me and my dad

mama and me

my well behaved children....

One last hurrah before dumb school starts!

2010-08-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

Nate and I decided that we needed one final hurrah before school starts next week! A family favorite of ours is the fun Danish town of Solvang....a quick little drive up the coast. We spent the night and had fun swimming, shopping and of course eating.....who can resist the pastries?? On the way home we stopped in Santa Barbara for lunch at Wahoos....another favorite. Ventura Main street was our final stop! Good times....I am sad and not looking forward to being back on a tight schedule!! Good bye

summer freedoms!

While we ate a cute little danish man played the accordion....a memory was made.

School shoes???

Jake chowing on aebleskivers

It's about stinking time!!

2010-08-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

Avery lost his first tooth!! This darn tooth has been loose for about 3 months! He has been wiggling it like crazy and waiting patiently. The Lytle boys tend to be very slow when it comes to teeth falling out. Jake is 15 and still has quite a few baby teeth! He will probably be wearing braces on his wedding day. Hope the tooth fairy brings something good!

Not my doing....

2010-08-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Seriously, who lets their kid do this??? Answer: My husband. Isn't it every boys dream to have a mohawk once in their life?? It is ALL getting shaved off before Sunday..........

week two is thru.....

2010-07-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

We are home and sad. We had such a great time in Utah that nobody was happy to wake up in their own bed this morning........we started the week off by dropping Jake off for the week at BYU for EFY. He had such an amazing time and wishes he was still there.....

Here is what we did week two:

Kennecot Copper Mine....really quite amazing!

we saw the newest Utah temple

we visited our first home and then showed the kids theirs

Jake should be next to Aubrey

went to the Dinosaur museum at T-giving Point with Lyric and Gregory

saw the Christensen's and their handsome boys

spent MANY hours on the tramp out back

After picking up Jake at BYU we ended the week at a Pioneer celebration at Nate's brothers neighborhood. Zip line, water slide and fireworks made for a super fun day!

We had to take our yearly tramp pictures with the Nelson's.....everyone is growing up!

We got to spend so much time with family and friends....it is always so sad to say goodbye! Thanks to all of you that made this such a wonderful, memorable two weeks! Until next year.......

Thank you to these 3 for being the best hosts ever! We love you!

Fun in Utah

2010-07-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Week one has been full of family and fun! We are having such a great time visiting all our family in Utah

this week! Here are the highlights so far:

Dinner in Vegas with the Hunt clan to celebrate Dave's bday.

Rollerblading/walk/run up Bridal Veil Falls!

Hiking up to Timp Caves

Hard hike but so worth it!

All girl, all day sewing!

here are the girls showing off their cute skirts and headbands

Playing on the tramp out back. Uncle Nate started this wet activity........
he is just trouble.

Visiting the Olympic museum and watching the

ski jumpers practice.

I have to say the biggest highlight was going down to the Assembly Hall to watch the taping of Music and the Spoken Word......awesome.

Nathan's friend from High School, Ryan Murphy is one of two conductors of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, he was lucky enough to meet up with him and some others from his Connecticut years.

There were a few others that were at the taping that morning.....a bus full of sailors and Glen Beck! Very cool. The Choir sang a song especially for them.

This is just a few of the highlights this past week.....we also, took family photos, saw a movie, went to BYU and Sundance, had dinner with the Christensen's, played out back with the Nelson's, went to the Farmers market in Salt Lake and made many trips to Walmart. We have had such a great time and look forward to week two!

Sewing can be so fun.....

2010-07-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

well, at least my girls think so! I am not a fan. Due to that my girls had a day with an amazing and talented friend in my ward. After deciding what each of them wanted to make she took them to Joanns to get the supplies. They spent one evening and then most of the next day sewing away. She taught them so much and they had tons of fun! Aubrey made a dress for her cousin and Jane made a cute bag. Thank you Laurie for being so excited and willing to make this fun memory with my girls!

It's my birthday and.......

2010-06-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

I AM IRON MAN.....

Today we celebrated Avery's bday! He was quite excited to receive the full Iron Man get up. We celebrated by seeing Toy Story 3 with friends and family. Another year older and another birthday done! You are a good boy Avery, we love you!

Jake loved this.....

two teens!!

2010-06-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

We officially have two teens in our home now......weird! Aubs turned 13 today. Last night she had a few friends over and had a "campout" in the backyard. Yes, I had to set up that darn tent again. I am getting really good at it. Nate has been gone so I have been a single mom for a few days. The girls had smores, played games and had really loud "tent talk" till about 2:00am. We spent today getting nails done, grabing lunch, shopping and haircuts. I even convinced her to get her eyebrows waxed!! She is a true teen now! WE love you Aubrey June!
A budding photographer!
Picking our her bday cupcakes! We will have a real cake when dad gets home....

off and running.....

2010-06-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

How could I have ever thought summer was going to be relaxing....I mean I do not have to make lunches, no early mornings, no homework. Who was I kidding.....after our fun but exhausting camping trip Jake and I headed off to Youth conference for the weekend. I had the privilege of being a chaperone. TONS of fun, but for those of you that have done this know that sleeping is not an option. After two nights and three days I was one tired chaperone. During the conference we had the opportunity to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and help build a house. In the end I could not keep my eyes open but my heart was very full.

My awesome "family" for the weekend!

check camping off the list!

2010-06-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

Our first summer activity is complete! Camping! Yes, the Lytle's went camping. Jane has been begging to go camping, real camping, not the kind that takes place in the backyard. This past week we packed up and headed down to a great campground by the beach for one night. Anyone can handle one night, right??? We had foil dinners and smores. Jane said it exceeded ALL her expectations! Next time we will shoot for two nights. It is all about baby steps for us.Jane and I visited this dang cute store often

Aubs isn't a huge camper but she was a good sport! She got a lot of reading in!
Nate is so resourceful out in the wild....

This is just proof that Jake was with us being his weird self..

Welcome summer!

2010-06-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

Last night Nate started up the fire out back and we were all lucky enough to be thoroughly entertained by Jake. I do not know what was up with him......could it be that school is out?? it could be because he turned 15 a few weeks ago....or it could be because he got a new "summer cut"?? Whatever his reason was for acting so weird it was worth every minute.

I saved the best for last...

Don't you wish he was yours???

3rd one.....over and out!

2010-06-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

Another little Lytle has finished elementary school......so sad. Janie is off to junior high with Aubrey. I am glad they will have each other. Jane is very sentimental and gets quite attached to things. Leaving her elementary school has not been easy, she loved all her years at our neighborhood school! Good luck next year!

A Green Dinner in honor of.....

2010-06-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

Game 3 of the NBA finals!

Go CELTICS! You may be asking yourself why we are Celtics fans when we live in LA?? I grew up watching the Lakers with my dad...what's that saying? "You are what you marry." Oh wait! I think it's "you are what you eat." Anyway, I married a DIE HARD Boston fan. Soooo, because of that, all of us are DIE HARD Celtics and Red Sox fans. This obsession has caused Jake a few problems over the years...he is not one to keep his feelings and bragging rights to himself. All I can say is let's hope they win!!

UPDATE: Darn Celtics......grumpy people at our house tonite

My 2 piano players.....

2010-05-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

We had our yearly piano recital this past weekend. Jane's 3rd and Avery's 1st. They both did a great job! We heard "Color's of the Wind" (Jane) and "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam/Mother Dear"(Avery).
So far they both love piano thanks to their amazing teacher!

Jane is lucky enough to have a few good friends that also take from the same teacher.....can't wait to hear them in a few years!

FHE in the bathroom

2010-03-09T15:03:00.001-08:00

So I bet not many of you have ever had FHE in the bathroom.....
The past few weeks the kids have been complaining that their toilet upstairs has not been working to its potential. Meaning it was not flushing everything it is meant to flush. Nate and I decided before calling a plumber we would try to fix it ourselves while at the same time have a teaching moment with the kids. Jane started us off with a prayer blessing that dad would not get mad and that he would be able to fix the toilet. All six of us sat on the floor, shower, and counter top while waiting patiently (yea right) for instructions from dad on what tool he needed next. We tried to divert our eyes from the nice plumbers crack he displayed. Sadly, the part he replaced was not the problem. We then came to terms that a plumber would have to be called.

$90.00 later here is what he found. Darn pencil. It had been wrapping itself up with the TP that came down creating a nice little clog. Who puts a pencil in the toilet????? We finished the night off with ice cream and hot fudge. A FHE to remember.

SURPRISE!

2010-03-09T14:57:00.001-08:00

So, Jake's 1st season of playing high school basketball has ended........one less thing to do. He had a great time and has hopefully learned a few things from the experience. We are proud of him and hope to see him working extra hard to make the team next year! At the end of the season the cheerleaders kidnap the team and take them all to breakfast.......did I mention they first dress them up like girls??? Jake was not too happy to miss out on his one day to sleep in ......good times! Gotta love that shirt!

Talent 2010......

2010-03-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

This year for the school talent show Avery showcased his piano skills.....he's been playing for 6 months. We heard a wonderful rendition of "Hey Diddle Diddle" and "Ten Little Indians". He did our family proud. Jane participated with a lot of the 5th grade class in a disco dance to "Night Fever". We are just full of talent in our home.....good times, good times.

Thank you Pres. Washington and Lincoln......

2010-02-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

We very much enjoyed celebrating your birthdays today!

How jealous are you???

In the neighborhood...

2010-01-23T16:25:00.000-08:00

In the neighborhood today we enjoyed this view.....

After a week of non stop POURING rain the clouds lifted and this was the view! SNOW! See we have winter here.

Also today in the neighborhood Jane went to an Chinese-themed birthday party......she quite enjoyed dressing up AND having her picture taken

I just LOVE my neighborhood.

Happy Birthday Jane!

2010-01-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

Jane turned 11 today.......REALLY can't believe it! We started the day off with a trip to the donut store and then we were off to see Mary Poppins in LA! LOVED IT! The day ended with dinner out with mom and dad and then home for cake with some special friends! All in all I think her day was great!

Touch N Brush was a hit.........(Aunt Megs idea)

fun with cousins!

of course we had Strawberry Shortcake for dessert.....

What a garden in January can do.......

2010-01-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

Due to the unusually warm weather our garden is still flourishing!! Salad and hamburgers tonight!

2010-01-02T11:58:00.001-08:00

SATURDAY TO-DO LIST:

*take down all signs of Christmas, very sad

*remove the love notes to Jake off the sidewalk
*wash the cars

*and lastly, remove toilet paper from the front trees (yes, again) This once tedious task is now quite fun since Nate has discovered you can set the TP on fire and watch it burn (much easier then using rakes and broom sticks)

Goodbye 09.......

2010-01-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

What timing!! Right in the middle of cartwheels!

Another beautiful day!

Merry Christmas Nate!

2009-12-25T08:27:00.001-08:00

Ready for a Christmas morning run! Gotta have his new running glasses, sweatshirt and Road ID bracelet!
I was spoiled....Love you.

favorite Christams morning expressions....

2009-12-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

For grandma and grandpa

2009-12-25T08:19:00.001-08:00

Thank you grandma and grandpa! You had 4 very happy and thankful grandkids this morning! We love you!

seriously, who gets so excited over an Office Max gift card.....

The calm before the storm...

2009-12-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

Twas the night before Christmas

2009-12-24T21:35:00.001-08:00

Tonight was spent with a few of our family here at our home. Great night, great food and great company! The kids had fun with their little cousins! There was a little bit of piano playing, puzzle making and wii gaming. We missed those that we not here! Sleep well everyone, hopefully sugar plums will dance in your heads. I know they will in mine, I am exhausted!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

me and my sis
uncle Nate and Addie under the tree

Aubs wasn't too thrilled about the matching pj's.....
All ready for bed!

The week BEFORE christmas...

2009-12-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

We had a great week getting ready for Christmas! It entailed a few trips to the mall, a really neat night in "Bethlehem", dinner at Titos, followed by the temple lights, followed by dessert at Diddy Reese (both activities with our dear friends the Zeediks, gotta love them and their dang cute kids) and to top it off we made sugar cookies! I think we got everything in before the big day, bring on Christmas!

Afternoon nap time

2009-12-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

Apparently our new table is good for more than just eating at...........

Just the place I would curl up for a nap.

Mmm mmm, leftovers!

2009-11-29T13:22:00.000-08:00

Is there anything better than Thanksgiving leftovers on a Sunday afternoon?Check out those legs!

A day of Thanksgiving.....

2009-11-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

What I am most thankful for TODAY....

*a new kitchen table to set

*a husband who does ALL the cooking.......everyone should try barbque turkey, best ever
*the bright idea we had to rent a jump house to keep all the cousins busy, was worth every cent

*all these people
*a sick, sweet Avery who had to stay upstairs ALL day while his cousins played away because he was sick.....he didn't complain once but wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving from the top of the stairs. He even asked if the food was yummy. Broke my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T07:52:00.001-08:00

Avery and his pre-Thanksgiving feast.

Enjoy your day!

I did it!

2009-11-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

Today was an absolutley BEAUTIFUL day to run my first 1/2 marathon. I mean if you are going to run one it is nice if it can be 67 degrees and right on the beach! All three of us that went succeeded. It was long and I have to admit there were a couple of times I wanted to cry. At the end when I saw Nate and my kids I got a little teary and considered stopping right there. But no, I had to finish! With a time of 2 hours and 4 min I was very proud. Better than I expected since there were a few unexpected hills. All in all I am glad is it over! I have sore feet and legs and a sunburned face. What an experience! Will I do it again??? You bet!

Me and my running BFF's
The stats!! (click to enlarge)

My supporters.....HUGE to have them there!

By the way, Santa Barbara DOES have cheesey hotels....

Off to the RACES........I mean race.

2009-11-06T12:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I am off to Santa Barbara to run my first 1/2 marathon! Yikes! I have been training for a few months and the day has finally arrived. I am excited but also nervous. I certainly picked a beautiful place to run 13 miles, it is right along the beach! Tonight myself and two friends that are also running are staying at a cheesy hotel ( how bad can it be if it is in SB???) We are going to do some shopping and have a carb filled dinner. Anyway, wish me luck! I will post tomorrow and let you know how it all turned out! http://www.newspress.com/halfmarathon/

Halloween dinner!! How could we not go here......

2009-10-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

9:45 pm and Halloween at our home is official OVER! I am beat and now trying to figure out a way to get secretly get rid of ALL this candy!! We had fun taking the girls to In-N-Out for dinner. The workers there really got a kick out of them! We had them clear tables and hand out stickers to other customers. Very fun! Avery wore his Ironman mask and was hot in this unusually warm California Halloween night! Aubs had fun going out with friends and the 14 year old of the house has decided Halloween is not all it is cracked up to be! Goodbye Halloween, we will anticipate your arrival next year.......well, at least the kids will.
The separating of the candy....didn't we all do this???

Halloween Eve

2009-10-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today has been filled with TOO MANY Halloween activities! The day started off with the school parade, next the school carnival and then off to the ward Trunk or Treat.....I am Halloweened(sp?) out!! Oh yeah, let's not forget the YM /YW Halloween party earlier this week. When will this madness end??? Here is a preview of this years Halloween costumes! Notice the 14 year old of the house is missing.........so sad.Seriously, could they be any cuter??
I can see the future now.....

Pretty little witch
Ironman at the school carnival

Happy Day for Me!

2009-10-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today was my bday and I had such a great day! Nate and I did lunch with my parents and then did a little shopping...got some cute new boots! Also I have been dying for new bedding in my room! Finally I got it! Next we were off to dinner with the kids and then home for a yummy cake! Thanks to my hubby and everyone else for all the kind notes and calls! It really was a special day!

Before (yuck)
After (better, but not complete!)

2009-10-27T13:57:00.001-07:00

Playing catch up! We finally got a new camera! Yea! Here are some updates on what has been going on the past few weeks!

4 More DAYS!

2009-10-27T09:53:00.001-07:00

The countdown to Halloween has begun! Last night we headed over to the local pumpkin patch for FHE. All the cousins came and lots of fun was had. Who needs Disneyland when you have the pumpkin patch in T.O.!!

A walk in Wildwood

2009-10-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoons we usually take a family hike over in Wildwood. This particular Sunday Jane and Nate were the only two up for it.

Conference Sunday

2009-10-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love conference Sunday?? Not having to rush around and get everyone looking their best. I love the special breakfast....this year it was Ginger Pumpkin Waffles (YUM!) My kids literally roll themselves out of bed and keep rolling till they hit the rug in front of the T.V. This year we had a special visit from the newest conductor of the Mo Tab choir........

Jane found this suit in Avery's closet....it is a perfect fit. Weird. We teased her all morning reminding her that we were told she was going to be a boy. I am glad she came out a girl. She is much cuter as a girl.

Saturday is a special day, it's the day we.....

2009-10-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Play soccer! Our Saturdays for the past few weeks have been spent on the soccer fields! Some fun, some not so fun. The not so fun are the days when it has been over 90 degrees. Where O where is fall??? Avery has surprised us with how aggressive he is on the field. Our sweet Avery can be quite the monster on the field! Jane is high energy and never seems to get tired. It is such a fun sport to watch.

Why my husband says this is the "MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!"

2009-09-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

Long awaited football season is finally here! Keep up the good work Cougars and Patriots! We have happy fans in our home tonight!

2009-08-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

So......when I woke up this morning our house looked like this.......

Here at the Lytle home this is becoming a regular occurrence!

I am getting tired of getting up, going out in my pjs and ripping TP out of my trees! Do people TP because they like you or because they don't like you???? I really hope it is because they like you, otherwise we Lytle's have a lot of enemies! We live on a corner that A LOT of people pass on their morning walks. I get all the comments when I am out there cleaning up....."they got you again did they?", & "WOW! They got you good this time"! Two days ago we had TP, rice, forks, and tortillas all over the yard. The crows are loving the rice! I guess this is just part of having teenagers! Let's just say I am going to make a Costco run and buy a supply of TP so that I can personally get some of these kiddos that I love back! Oh, we know who you are......

Too bad I can't reuse this, it would supply our house for a year!

2009-08-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Bob left us today........how we will miss him.

August '08

What our family will miss and remember most about Bob-

Monday nights at Ameci's/Toppers Restaurant (6 years)

His smile and laugh

His oxygen tank and the funny noise it made

His generosity

His wise wisdom (the man has an answer for everything!)

The Heath bars in his pocket

His yummy desserts, some especially made for Nate

His great sense of humor

His weekly notifications of where the best sales are

The friend he was to my mom and dad

His incredibly strong testimony

His example of how a husband should treat his wife

His dedication to attending and working at the temple EVERY week

His amazing POSITIVE attitude and outlook on life and death

His example of what a Christlike person should be

There are sad little Lytle's at our house tonight. We love you Bob and Debbie!

"Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full." D&C 101:36

Home, safe and CLEAN

2009-08-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it through the week! This past Sunday was a relaxing day spent taking about the previous week with family and friends. It was nice to all be together again! Jake had an amazing and successful week at Yosemite! Talk about growing up alot in one week. They ended up hiking 42 miles and climbed to the top of Half Dome. What a challenge to have accomplished! We are so very proud of him for stepping out of his comfort zone and doing this! It was not so fun cleaning out his oh so smelly pack!

At the TOP!

Aubrey and I had such a FUN week at girls camp. Many, many fun memories were made. We we 'down in the dirt' and loving it. It was fun to flashback to my girls camp days. The same songs are sung and the same pranks pulled, good times...... I hope I can go again next year. (I never thought I would say that)
So fun to have Aubrey and my niece Hanna there!My amazing ward girls and leaders!

Looking forward to next Sunday

2009-08-02T22:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, for the 1st time since becoming a mom my family will be dispersed in different directions for a WHOLE week. Weird. Jake, our non-camper is off to Yosemite to hike many miles and scale Half Dome. Yikes! Not too happy about going but will have an awesome experience. Aubrey and I are off to YW stake girls camp. I have not been to camp since I was in YW. This is her first year so she is a little nervous due to the unknown. Jane and Avery are packed up and ready to spend a week at grandmas, they are of course thrilled. Nate has a few business trips scheduled. I don't think I like this being apart thing. I know it is all part of life and as a parents we need to encourage them to participate in these life experiences. I kinda wish I could just keep them in a bubble. I am looking forward to next Sunday when we can relax and take a walk together.

Another year GONE!

2009-08-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it has been a year since my first post.......Nate's B-day is here again! Nate started the day off with a run and then a stop at Stan's donuts with the girls and Avery! We then headed down to the coast for another yummy lunch at the famous Neptunes Net (we decided this would be our new bday tradition) Next we were off to Zuma for a beautiful day of boogie boarding and swimming. Happy Birthday Nate! You are a SUPERSTAR! (family joke)Do you think we like Boston?
Only living near LA do you get a stunt show at the beach.......this was the GI Joe helicopter promoting the movie
Beach Bums!
Dinner with grandma and grandpa!
Jake can only dream that maybe one day......this was at a local car show.

How many licks will it take???

2009-07-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

Remember the EVERLASTING jawbreaker suckers I bought????

Two weeks later and they are still around, that is except for Aubrey's. She decided to take a hammer to hers on the first day because she couldn't wait to get to the gum in the middle! As you can see, Avery has thoroughly enjoyed every lick of his. How does one possibly get so much on their face??? Will they every be gone???

EFY Bound!

2009-07-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

This morning we dropped Jake and his friend off at EFY! What a fun filled week they are going to have. I have such great memories of my EFY days. It is such a great program that really gives you a spiritual boost. I am sure they will come home with many new friends and fun stories to share!

After dropping off the boys the other 3 and me decided to spend some time in SB. Love it up there! They weather was a perfect 74 degrees. We had a great time walking around and even splurged on some huge jawbreaker suckers. How nice of a mom am I???? As we were walking on the boardwalk every child looked at mine with envy in their eyes! I am sure I will regret my purchase when they are asking for them at 7:00am tomorrow! Chances are they will get thrown away before they ever finish them! All in all it was a great day!

Good luck to Jake and hopes for him to have an amazing time. Avery had a hard time saying goodbye!

Happy 4th!

2009-07-04T22:36:00.001-07:00

We had such a great day celebrating the 4th today! We started the day off by heading to the Regan Presidential Library for many festivities!
We even had the pleasure of meeting and hearing from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Later we swam and had a yummy barbecue at grandma's house.

For the fireworks we stayed in town and had a great time watching them with cousins. The kids and Nate and I had such a fun day! We missed being in Utah and being with our family there! Happy 4th to EVERYONE!

Another day, ANOTHER birthday!

2009-06-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Avery's 6th Birthday! We had a Jolly Jump with many "Jolly Jumpers!" I am birthday-ed out! We had superheros everywhere!
Avery is such a fun and easy going little guy. He cracks us up with the funny things he says. He is very much into learning how to play basketball like his big brother. He, like Aubrey was born with a little head of dark hair. At about 5 months we cut it and started using gel to spike it up. For 6 years he has had the same style. He is know for his spikes! I really missed him when he went off to school, he was my little buddy that went with me everywhere. Avery keeps up with his older siblings and even considers Jake's friends as "his friends". We ALL love him so much and enjoy his little person each day! Happy Birthday Avery!!
This is a definite Kodak moment...... Nate eating at McDonalds?? He ONLY went because it was Avery's choice for his Bday dinner with mom and dad!

What a way to spend your special day!

2009-06-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

Ms. Aubrey June is 12! Today we celebrated by taking her and some friends down to the beach for the day. A great day was had by all!

The water was AMAZING!

Aubrey entered this world with a head full of dark hair, redish skin and a very loud scream. That loud scream continued on for about 6 months. Some of you remember taking turns holding her and trying ANYTHING to stop her from crying. Eventually those days of colic passed and she turned into this funny, sweet, adorable little girl. At about two she started talking and her little voice sounded just like a tellietubbie. Now that she is 12 she is still that funny, sweet, adorable little girl. She is VERY thoughtful and VERY helpful. She can clean a kitchen and fold a load of laundry as fast as any mom. She is always leaving little notes around and thinking about others. She is quite the daddy's girl and LOVES to cuddle anyone that will sit next to her. We love our Aubs and are so thankful for her in our lives!

THE TREK 2009.....

2009-06-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

click on photos to enlarge
Were you thinking Star Trek??
FAR FROM IT!!
This year for youth conference our stake put together a Pioneer Trek! Yes, handcarts and all! What a neat experience..... I think......me and some other TO2 ladies had the pleasure of going up and serving lunch to all of our wonderful stake youth. All I can say is my hat or bonnet goes off to those that are staying the whole 3 days. I only had to endure 2 hours in the shade asking the kids if they wanted white or wheat bread. I am exhausted! I so could not have been a pioneer! Tomorrow they are going to do an 11 mile trek in not so cool weather wearing not so cool clothes. Let's hope they "endure" and really get a feeling for what our ancestors went through. This is Jake's first youth conference, let's just say he didn't look too happy when I ran into him today. His bed and shower will be waiting Sat. night!

Most of us probably got to do this or something similar as a youth......did YOU love it???

A sad day for mom....

2009-06-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

My baby graduated Kindergarten today. I am sad. REAL school begins in the 1st grade. The days are gone of cute songs, easy homework and long hugs before heading into class. (this excludes Jane, she still needs the long hug to start her day!) The beginnings of learning to read and write goes way too fast. By 1st grade they are reading and writing and saying all their words correctly. There is nothing more amusing then deciphering stories and letters written by a 5 year old.

example: My brt day we wnt to the bech and the mole.

translation: My birthday we went to the beach and the mall.

Avery loves to write stories so we have many little treasures to save.

I am sad today but will be better tomorrow when we don't have to jump up and get everyone out the door by 8:00am! That will be nice. August 27th I will be sad again because everyone will be a year older. Time goes too fast. I need to slow down and cherish each day.

A Sunday afternoon treat!

2009-06-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

Remember the berries from my last post???? Look what became of them! Blackberry Apple Cobbler! Nate was the baker and it was DELICIOUS! I wish you could have a taste........... I wonder what he will cook up with our strawberries! Here is the recipe if anyone just has to have a piece!

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

2 cups blackberries

1 cup diced apples

1/2 cup sugar

Cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingred to creamed mixture alternately with the milk; beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine blackberries, apples, and 1/2 cup sugar. Put fruit mixture in a buttered 9 in round cake pan. Pour batter over the fruit. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 for 45 to 50 min. Serves 6-8.

Can't wait for summer, tomorrow kicks off our last week of school! Yippee!!

Check out these beauties....

2009-05-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

Are these gonna make a yummy pie or what??!! Summer is almost here!

True love...

2009-05-27T14:05:00.001-07:00

Janie sure loves her Grandma Sue......as do we all! Could her face show it anymore??

Oh my, it can't be!

2009-05-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

Do I really have a 14 year old??? Crazy how time has flown! We celebrated Jake's 14th Bday this past week. Jake was the first grand baby on both sides. As you can imagine he was quite loved and SPOILED!! Everyone, (especially his uncles) wanted to be around the blond haired blue eyed little Jake. He was and is such a joy in our lives. His true love is basketball, he would play every moment of the day if we let him. When he was two he would fly through the living room and slam dunk into his Little Tykes basketball hoop. He is a die hard Boston Celtics and Red Sox fan. He gets a lot of heat from his friends here in LA! Jake is very social and has many friends inside and outside of the church. He is a great example to all with his good standards and morals. I dropped him off at his first stake dance last weekend.....what memories that brought back for me! Thank you to everyone who has played such an important role in his life! He was lucky enough on his bday to have family visiting with us and both grandparents around. We are very proud of him and are excited to start a new chapter in his life, high school.....oh my, am I really old enough to have a child in high school? We love you Jake!!!!

Jake got to spend part of his day a Build A Bear celebrating his cousin Ava's Birthday! Jake, Ava and Nathan's brother Seth all have bdays the same day!

No need to be pretty.......

2009-04-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

My 5 year old and I talked about marriage today, this is how it went....

Avery: "Mom, do I have to marry a mormon girl??"

Me: " Well, I hope that you do so that you can be married in the temple."

Avery: "What happens if I am not married in the temple??"

Me: (I went on to explain eternal families, etc. to him)

then I said....

" Maybe after your mission you will go to BYU and find a

pretty girl to be your wife."

Avery: " She doesn't have to be pretty."

Me: "You don't want your wife to be pretty???"

Avery: "DAD'S WASN'T."

Me: "You get that I am dad's wife right?"

Avery: "Mom, I have seen pictures and you were weird looking.

Thanks Avery, I am sure anyone who's seen pictures would agree. It was the 90's, give me a break.

Easter weekend

2009-04-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

What a great week and weekend we had with friends and family! We started the week off by focusing each night on the last week of Christ's life. We even had our own "Last Supper" that included lamb, humus, dates, unlevened bread and honeycomb. This will be a new yearly tradition for our family. Next we had a visit from our dear friends, the Singers! We had such a fun time! Our kids are already missing them! We then ended on Sunday with church and a beautiful day at the park with family. How thankful we are for our Savior's love and all he sacrificed for us.

My boys ripped off their church clothes before we could get a family picture! Bummer...

Anxiously awaiting egg hunters.......

Instead of the kids track meet today we.....

2009-04-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

went for a hike at the beach! Sometimes you just need a break from all the sports activities! We saw dolphins, seals and two baby humpback whales!
We finished off with lunch at the famous beach front restaurant Neptunes Net. Track meet all day or beach??? As you can see, not a hard choice!

A laugh for those "die hard" fans.......

2009-04-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

My cousin had these posted on her blog and I just had to share....

The Luck of the Irish!

2009-03-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

Our own little Leprechaun! Avery was quite excited at school today when he found out Leprechauns had been in his classroom! Toys all over and little green handprints were the proof! He even came home with some GOLD he found at recess! I got in the mood by putting a corned beef in the crock pot this morning...... it sure is great to have dinner done by 8:00am. If I had been smart I would have whipped out a box of Lucky Charms instead of making eggs this morning.

A few years ago Aubrey was quizzing me on St. Pats day and what it was, etc.......she asked if we knew anyone that was Irish. I told her that her Uncle Chris (my sisters husband) was Irish and that they REALLY celebrated the holiday with a lot of family traditions. She paused thinking for a minute and then responded with her finger pointed in the air "I thought he looked like a Leprechaun"! It must be his redish brown hair, rosy cheeks and occasional facial hair that tipped her off...........
I laughed pretty hard....good thing my bro in law is a good sport!

When I grow up.......

2009-03-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

This is a conversation between two 5 year olds (one of them being mine) that our Primary Pres., while working in the school library overheard yesterday........

Friend- "Avery what do you want to be when you grow up??"
Avery- " I am going to be a missionary."
Friend- " a what?"
Avery - "a missionary"
Friend-" What the heck is a missionary?"
Avery- "It is when you go and tell people about Heavenly Father and Jesus and the Holy Ghost. Then, you give them a Book of
Mormon."
Friend- (pause) "I think I am just going to be a police man."

Great job Avery! You always worry when someone comes to you and tells you they need to tell you something funny your child said. This time, it brought tears to my eyes!