Happy Birthday, Tanner and McKenna!

We celebrated two very special birthdays this month:

Tanner is now 16. What a nice young man he has turned out to be. Tanner is pretty close to perfect: a good student, very helpful, star athlete, talented musician, worthy priesthood holder and an important part of our family. I appreciate that Tanner still counts me as a friend and will hang out with me when I show up at his school events. I have really enjoyed teaching him how to drive and teasing him about who his first date is going to be once he gets his license. One memory I will especially treasure this year is dancing the waltz with him at dance festival practices. Watch out girls - he is a pretty good dancer! 

Tanner wasn't even home for his birthday - he was on choir tour, but he got a nice camera to take along to document his trip and was with good friends who made it a point to make his birthday special. Tanner will never forget his men's vocal ensemble (state champions, by the way) singing a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday!" on the school bus along with the other award winning choirs of Union High School. When he got home that night we had his favorite dinner, chicken triangles, par broiled potatoes, carrots and Caesar salad ready for him followed by my homemade mud pie. He stayed awake just long enough to open a few presents from all his adoring family then slept the rest of the weekend.

McKenna just turned 9.  It was so fun to take her out shopping for the perfect birthday outfit.  Yes, she had a specific thing in mind and we walked the whole mall trying to find it.  She hasn't let growing up in a house full of boys spoil the joys life holds for girls.   McKenna has picked up the best from her brothers.  She is a good student, a budding musician, a devoted friend and an anmial on the soccer field. 

For her birthday party we took her soccer friends to Build-A-Bear Workshop.  They had a great time creating their own cuddly friends with individual personalities. 

While we were at the mall with friends, Dad was taking care of McKenna's birthday dinner at home.

Happy Birthday,  Tanner & McKenna!

Spring Break 2010

It never fails...spring break in Washington is always full of rain! We have learned how to work around it.  This year we started Spring Break up in Mossyrock at the Heywood Hideaway. Who ever thought that 6 people trapped up in a cabin away from civilization could survive each other for 4 days with nothing to do, but we did and had a great time doing it.

We relaxed by watching movies, reading and taking naps.

We went to the local parks to play and hike.

We ate a lot of good food!

And no family time is complete without some down and dirty games of NERTZ!

When we came back to town it was still raining.  We had Emily come and stay with us for part of the week, did some shopping, some birthday picturing, scatter balling in the church gym and ended the break with General Conferencing and Easter Celebrating.  Good family times to remember!