SCATTER SUNSHINE

Well, its true, she was CLIMBING before she was WALKING, but now "Oh Boy!" She is doing BOTH! Pookie started climbing everything over the summer. She used to sneak into the bathroom to play in the toilet (Yuck!), but over the summer she started shutting the toilet lid so she could climb on top of it. Then she would climb the toilet tank to get to the bathroom counter where she would gleefully turn on the sink and play in the water. She climbed to the top of the bunk bed daily until we removed the ladder. She was so busy climbing that I wondered if she would find the time to walk. She is walking now and making big messes as she goes. She is surprisingly light on her feet as I chase her down the hall!

Pookie Turned One!!! 4th of July at the Beach. It was so beautiful and fun! The kids playing in the hot tub at our hotel. The family waiting for fireworks at Huntington Beach. It was freezing cold! And this is how we huddled together to block the wind. The fireworks reflecting on the ocean were totally worth the long wait! Bobo Turns 6!!!

It was Smoochie's first dance recital and she was a little apprehensive at the rehearsal, but by the night of recital, she was ready to go... she danced and danced and danced some more. And surprisingly, for those of you who know her well, there WASN'T any "booty shaking!" As always, Honey danced with beauty and grace! Bobo and Pookie also get a shout-out for sitting quietly for 3 hours of recital.

We usually have a garden every spring, but this year, with encouragement from our Bishop, we stepped it up a knotch. Jayson built 2 more grow boxes and the kids had a blast planting the seeds. We planted tomatoes, zucchini, squash, bell peppers, cilantro, strawberries, lettuce, pumpkins, watermelons, beans, basil and cucumbers. Amazingly enough they all grew. We have had tons of zucchini and squash for weeks and our tomato plants are now covered in red ripe tomatoes. Yummy!

A few months ago, I got the idea I wanted to run a 5k. When I found out about the 1st annual 5k at the Phoenix Zoo, I thought it would be nice to do it with my parents and siblings. They were all sweet enough to let me talk them into it and so we signed up as the team, Cheetahs in Training. Last Saturday was the race and it was a lot of fun. The kids really got into it and Bobo was convinced that he was going to win the race. He ended up getting so winded at 1/2 a mile that Jayson had to stop and make him rest before he could go any further. Jayson was an angel and sacrificed his run to stop and help the kids so that I could meet my goal. I couldn't have done it without you Babe! My goal was... to NOT STOP jogging for the whole 3 miles. And Yeah!!! I did it. I have no idea how long it took me because I forgot to start my timer in the chaos of the beginning, but who cares.... I didn't stop the whole 3 miles! I was so relieved. I think everyone had a nice enough time to commit to...

Bobo's T-ball season has come and gone. He really enjoyed learning about the game of Baseball, practicing hitting, throwing and catching. He especially loved the opportunity to be catcher in one game, because and I quote "that catcher dress-up is awesome!" Who doesn't like wearing full pads and a face mask? His wind-up was always entertaining and with flourish! He had a great team and a wonderful coach. At the end of the season, he enjoyed going to Chase Field with Jayson and running around the D-backs field before a home game. They had a great time watching the game together and came home with Justin Upton BobbleHeads to commemorate it!