Summer Days

Pink Lemonade Never Looked So Inviting

Amazing butterfly balloon animals

James and the giant sword

Kitten balloon Animals

Anne, Grace, James, and Abigail pose for pictures after 4 weeks of everyday swim lessons.

Abigail is one of our friends from Kindergarten.  We were glad to have her join lessons with us.

Johnson County Fair days and our annual tractor driving photo.

This year Grace enter the county fair's "Ugly Cake" contest.  Her overall concept was a dirty diaper and she was thrilled to get a fair ribbon.  Next year all the kids want to enter their own cakes...I can't wait to see that mess!

Our homemade water slide/spray park

Edwin made a hammock for his camping trip (more details in an upcoming post).

Adorable Little Thumbsucker! 

Hot, Hot July

Edwin's been doing the most blogging lately, and well....I'm back in the driver's seat.  Here's a few things from this week.

Sunday we blessed Baby John.  Edwin gave the blessing while Bishop and President Anderson stood in the circle with him. 

For the 4th we spent the morning at the parade with a few families in our ward.

It was terribly hot and Grace spent much of the parade in the shade with John and me.

Edwin kept the kids in the shade with the umbrella the entire time and Anne was the only one to stay next to the road for the entire 2 hours.

Notice James's new flip flops.  Flip flops are a tale tale sign of growing up.

Edwin hung his Washington D.C. flag for the first time.  The kids all cheered.

Edwin and I spent the rest of the day making a gallon of blueberry syrup.  Part way through the process I vowed I would never embark on this project again.  However, we had blueberry syrup on our pancakes today and well.....I just might do this again!  Thanks Edwin for manning the stove!

Ah, it's good to be blogging again. I've got lots to post from the summer so stay tuned.

In memory of Grandma Butler

 I have a lot of different memories of Grandma Butler. Many of them are in her living room just sitting for a chat.

 We used to stop by to visit for an hour or so every Sunday after church. The grownups would sit around in the living room and talk while the kids would pile on the king bed in the back and watch TV or a movie.

 At Christmas or Thanksgiving we used to go to Grandma's and Grandpa's for a big feast. Some would sit around the kitchen table and others would use TV trays in the living room.

 Grandma often had a funny story or loved to hear other people's stories. Sometimes when Grandpa would say something she didn't approve of she would holler something at him in Finnish.

 When I was younger I used to think Grandma was grumpy all the time because of her usual facial expression. When I was a teenager I finally realized that she was one of the most loving, caring and friendly people I've ever known. All I had to do was go up and give her a big hug and a kiss.

 She would do all she could to help other people. She also loved flowers and animals. One summer I was working with Uncle Allan and he was raising some chicks. When we went away for the week Grandma would take them in her house to care for them. Uncle Allan told me that she has always been a big softie for cute little creatures.

 I love this picture of Grandma and Anne. Jen and I think Anne looks so much like Grandma with her blue eyes and light colored hair. They even have a similar expression on their faces. We will always think of you Grandma when we look at Anne.

Grandma, we love you and will miss you, but know you're in a better place.

Happy Birthday Anne.

Anne turned 5!!  Life is beautiful, colorful, and simply delightful with her around.  She's enamored with butterflies these days.  Her patience and diligence are well rewarded each evening as she observes her jar full of fluttering wings.  One of the traits we love about Anne is her pure delight as she celebrates with other people in their accomplishments and success.  This little sister enjoys learning from her big sister and following in her footsteps.  She also enjoys watching her little brothers grow and experience life.  She is tender and kind and willing to help anyone in need.

Her big blue eyes and carefully guarded tears make our hearts melt.  Mild tempered and quick to laugh she is a great companion to have for any occasion.  She is simply a treasure to have and we love watching her grow and develop her own talents.

Happy Birthday Sweet Anne.

Kindergarten graduation

Grace and Anne both adore this fabulous Kindergarten teacher.  Ms. J was an answer to prayer for us.  She was a wonderful match for what Grace needed this year to learn and grow.

Grace with her two best buddies Abigail and Elizabeth.

I adore these graduation hats....much more interesting than the plain colored ones you typically find. 

Grace's hat is rainbowed and depicts a scene from the characters of Narnia.

I admit I got a little teary eyed watching the kids sing their song, "Each of us is a flower, growing in life's garden."  Seeing Grace singing in a large crowded room, smiling, and completely happy was more than I could bare.  She has developed such confidence and she has been adapting well in school. 

She is truly happy attending school.