all for love

Papa and Lee Lee and Mikey braved the heat and humidity to come visit their favorite little Houstonians. Trevor and Spencer definitely felt special - we all did! - to have visitors in July. :) It may have really paid off for Mikey in gaining ground on the quest to be the favorite uncle! And I'm so grateful for the quality time that Papa and Lee Lee gave to the boys.

We started off a little slow... Trev and Spence were hit with a little fever. We just laid low and enjoyed a little time together.

 But we made up for lost time quickly by taking the boys to Chuck E Cheese. Can you see where Trevor got his skee ball skills??

Chuck E Cheese has serious power over these boys - this was their 3rd time going and Trevor asks me pretty much daily when we are going again. We've decided that when Spencer is potty trained, this will be a perfect reward.

 Mostly while they were here we just hung around the house. Papa worked and Lee Lee and I entertained the boys, and took them swimming a couple of times. Spencer showed off the ABC train to Papa.

 If Mikey is not the favorite Uncle, at least he can claim that he is the funniest - Trevor even thinks the way he dresses is funny. Don't we all! :)

 I guess we wore Papa out!

 We went to the Houston Symphony for the 4th of July celebration. It's always a fun thing to hang out with the family, eat some snacks and listen to the beautiful music. The little boys are getting more brave when it comes to the cannons, too. I can't get enough of this little boy's dimples!



Trevor has a serious Angry Birds addiction. This is him opening a new level. We don't have such fancy cell phones, so when these guys left so did the Angry Birds. When asked which he would miss more, Grandma or Angry Birds, which do you think he said???

 Trevor couldn't wait to play ball with Papa and showed off some of his sweet moves.

 We ended their visit with a trip to San Antonio. I am so glad we went! It was cool to see the Alamo and Riverwalk at night and I would love to go back and eat out (without children, of course!) one night at one of the amazing restaurants along there.

 Next up - Sea World! We arrived shortly after it opened and played ALL DAY. We still didn't make it to all the attractions! Trev was especially impressed with the Shampoo roller coaster - his first coaster ever. It's no contest, however. Michael was by far the most excited of anyone to be at Sea World and ride the roller coasters! We had a fun, but long, day at Sea World and can't wait to go back!

Thanks for such an awesome visit, Mom and Dad! We Love You! And can't wait to see you soon. Please come visit during a time when Houston is actually enjoyable and we will really show you a good time! ;)

I have more pictures of this trip in Picasa if anyone cares to see.

Jr Dolphin

Trevor had his end of season party for swimming lessons - donuts, juice, a medal, and hanging out. He made some good progress in his swimming and loved the "coaches" who helped him. They were so nice to him and made him feel special. And I'm pretty sure he had his first crush on one of them. It was cute.

riding bikes

hangin with the boys

We hung out with Danelle's boys on Thursday and had lots of fun. Chase couldn't resist an afternoon snooze... on the stairs *at Carin's or Trevor's shoulder. He's not picky. The picture of him peacefully asleep on the stairs doesn't put into perspective the fact that the 4 other cousins were running up and down the stairs laughing and yelling all the while!

pictures!

I'm happily taking pictures with my new camera and love having something worth sharing!

Sisters' Project Day aka Cousins Day

Monday - the most awesome day of the week! Now synonymous with SPD (for me) and Cousins Day (for Trev and Spence). SPD, Jillian Michaels and Our Best Bites have really changed my life. I only wish that Jillian had more effect on my body than OBB delicious recipes have!

We started small... organized shelves, cupboards, refridgerators, closets, pantries, and toy rooms. Reached new heights in sewing and cooking ablilities with quilt blocks, bread baking, jam making, and trying dozens of new recipes. (I'd like to know how many pounds of chicken, butter, sugar and flour we have used during the past 9 months!) But SPD really ramped up with the addition of Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred. Jillian showed us the way - to "phone it in" was no longer an option. So, bring out the muscle... and the power tools. Some of the amazing projects proudly completed:

Shelving unit assembly

Shelf Reliance system assembly

Furniture Refinishing

Landscape Management

It has been a good run. Mondays will not be the same without it. Hopefully during summer we can come up with a modified plan to keep us going until School starts up again in the fall.

I regret to say I don't have before and after shots of our projects, but maybe that will be a goal for next year. I did take some pictures this week, but they are no good - my camera is broken, so I'm getting by with no ability to actually see what I'm taking a picture of. 

Giving Thanks

President Monson - Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude

“Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love."

“Do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive?"

“Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful, if we but pause and contemplate our blessings.”

“May we ever reflect our gratitude for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He taught us how to pray. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. His life is a legacy of love. Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.”