Summer Night Games

When we were in utah a couple of weeks ago my kids had a BLAST playing night games with their cousins.

Kick the can, ghost in the grave yard, sardines ect... Ever since we got home they have been begging me to let them play. I've been hesitant because we live on such a busy street, so...

We invited all of the neighborhood kids over at 8:00 for icecream and then about 8:45

we headed over to the school to play games.

This was their base for ghost in the graveyard.

What a great group of friends. They had a blast and I had fun watching them.

Yay for summer!!!

chore charts

I have had a lot of fun with the scrapbook challenge Amy gave on our scrapbook blog.

Click here if you want to see more.

This is a project I just finished.

It was a lot of fun and the kids are a little more excited about getting their jobs done now.

I bought these big magnets with pockets on them at the dollar tree a while ago.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, but I knew I wanted them.

I covered the magnet in cute scrapbook paper.

Then I punched out circles and put different jobs on them.

{B} can't read so I did hers with little pictures on them.

The boys had to earn their own money to go to Cub Scout Day Camp

and my boys have been wanting to earn money of their own ever since.

I don't agree with giving allowance or paying kids to do their part around the house.

However I do want them to learn the importance of hard work and appreciate the money they earn.

All the green circles have extra jobs on them that they can earn money for.

The red and blue jobs have to be done before they can do extra jobs or have free time.

Each morning I will change out the jobs to what needs to get done that day.

I find I am constantly coming up with new ways to make chores fun.

So far they are excited and I couldn't be happier.

Happy Fathers Day

Teach your children the gospel...Use words if you have to"

I just love that quote. I think one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is a righteous example. To not just tell them what to do but to show them. Ry is very good at that. He is always willing to jump in and give service to others. He doesn't ever have anything un-kind to say about others, even people who have wronged him-he has a way of keeping calm and is very good and just letting it go (something I need to learn, he's great at calming me down) He is a very loyal, and has taught our kids the importance of hard work and doing your best. My kids want to be JUST LIKE DAD. It is so funny how from such a very small age they would mimic things Ry would do.

I know as they see their dad study and use his scriptures the learn first hand how important it is to him and helps them to have a greater desire to learn for themselves. I love when Ry does our FHE lessons. They seem to sink in more when it comes from Dad. (I think they get sick of hearing from me some times) :)

thank you hon for being such a wonderful example and amazing Father.

WE LOVE AND ADORE YOU!!!

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also Happy Fathers Day to the greatest father a girl could ever have! My dad has ALWAYS been there for me and is such a great hands on Grandpa. The kids love him to pieces and he has been such a huge spiritual giant to me through out my life. Words can not express the love I have for my daddy!!!

Ry's father is also very dear to our hearts. He is always the first to step up and help if there is a problem and he is very wise. We both really value his opinion and appreciate his input and support in whatever we do. I'm so blessed to have such Wonderful Fathers in my life. We love you all!

Basketball Camp

WOW...what a busy summer this has become.

{K} started basketball camp and has been learning some great skills and moves.

I really REALLY like his coach. It's Coach Burcar who is the Mesa High BasketBall coach and he is GOOD!!!

It's been a lot of fun to watch and I'm excited to get {K} signed up with a team next season.

I am so impressed with his determination and desire to try his best.

I've already seen a huge improvement and its only been 3 days.

Keep it up buddy!

crock pot breakfast casserole

One thing you can count on when our family gets together is that there will be food. Lots and LOTS of yummy food. For the morning of our "sisters" day we had this really good and simple crock pot breakfast casserole. Along with fruit and dip. We made 3 different casseroles. 1 bacon, 1 sausage and 1 ham. I liked the sausage one the best but they were all wonderful. I'm thinking I am going to make it for Fathers Day on Sunday. My Aunt Mary gave us the recipe when I asked for them. I posted it on my crock pot blog click here if you want this easy and super delicious recipe. (I'm still looking for recipes so if you have any you don't mind sharing then email them to me at debbmoody@cox.net) I've got quite a few that I need to make and post on the blog.

the extended vacation

My cute niece graduated in May and a sweet dear high school friend got married just days apart so we though why not go on a quick little vacation to start the summer off right and support the two special days. It eneded up being A LOT loooonger than we had planned, but it was still a lot of fun.

I got to take Summers graduation pictures and put together this little announcement for her. She is well known in her high school as Summer the Amazing McDermott, and they even announced it that way at graduation. She is just that AMAZING!!! I am in awe of her and her beauty and the very kind super friendly personality she has.

It's always so much fun when all of my sisters and I get together. It's also very rare, with so many of us scattered all over the country, but we all made it. Even Kathy from Alaska. I love my sisters very much, they are my best friends and just so much fun to be with. We decided to make a super saturday type day of it. My sister Carrie taught us how to make cute bead watches. She was very generous with all of her supplies and we all ended up with a couple of very cute bands. Thanks Carrie.

I taught some techniques for making cards and we all created a TON of cards. It was so much fun and the cards all turned out darling.

We of course had pedi and mani-cures.

Christy showed how to make her to die for salsa. Mmm...it was soooo good.

Even little {B} could not get enough of it, Yum-I'm so craving it righ now!

(thanks Christy for putting it all together, it was AWESOME!)

We were able to go spend time with our very best friends. Amy and I were able to go to a really REALLY cool store called The Wood Connection. Seriously it was sooooo much fun. I can not wait to make all my projects from the wood I bought there. Wish we would have had time to make them together, but thank goodness for our scrapblog, where we can post them when they are done. She already did her 4th of July star click here to check it out.

We were very excited to get to be able to make it to Grandma Moody's Birthday celebration. {K} decorated the gift bag for her. It was darling. It had a pic. of him with his grandma and a b-day cake with a banner hanging in the background (very detailed) then it said you + me = Birthday fun! Seriously so cute, wish I still had it. :) We made her some of our famous oreo truffles to enjoy. It seemed to be a hit, she emailed me for the recipe. I've never been able to make them for her because they don't mail well so I was excited to finally have her try them.

playing with the cute little cousins.

then of course it's not a true family Sunday evening without the board games

this WAS supposed to be a real quick trip, but on our way to back to St. George the ac went out in our car. When we took it to the mechanic we found out that the engine block was cracked and they had to special order it and it took FOREVER to come. Although it was expensive and a bit stressful I was very glad to be with famiy and not stranded in some tiny little town off the freeway. My sweet sisters let me join them at work. They own a house cleaning buisness. It was hard work, but I appreciate the extra cash and have never had that much fun cleaning. They are a lot of fun and the company even paid for lunches. It was great.

we got to do lots of swimming

and enjoyed super yummy food

we also got to celebrate Summers birthday. Emily thought the candle looked yummy and took a BIG bite out of it. ha ha.

I'm glad we were able to go and see a lot of family. We had a great time even if it did cost us a lot of money. It makes me glad that we have an emergency car fund, but it's always a little depressing to actually use it. :) The boys missed the first two weeks of swim team and {B} swim lessons, but it was all worth it. It's nice to be home though and now we are ready to get into the swing of things with our summer schedule and activities.

first day of summer vacation.

Today was the last day of school for the boys. So to keep to our end of year tradition {B} helped me decorate a banner that we hung up in the front door while the kids were gone.


Here she is explaining to me about how they are all done with school and they have to run through the banner to officailly start our summer full of fun.



the boys were excited to find the banner



{B} of course wanted to be in on all the action.


We of course had to re-tape it so they all could have a turn.



I'm so excited for summer with the kids. Can't wait for swimming, late nights, lots of ice cream cones and all the other fun things that summer brings.