Small blessings

A few events have happened in the past month that have been on my mind so I thought I better get them in writing. The first one is our family visit to the dentist. Now, going to the dentist is a typical, everyday occcurance but it is something that I usually dread. Not the sound of the drills, or the thought of pain but the work of getting the younger ones to even open their mouths and let the dentist look in. Also, their is the inevitable fact that at least one of them will have to come back for some other work to be done. I haven't been happy with our previous dentist but at least they had all the entertainment to entice the children to want to go. We decided to go a cheaper route with our insurance knowing that someone will need orthodontics in the near furture and wanted better coverage on that. Lance found a dentist out of the blue and made our appointments. Lance and the boys went first and they had a good experienced and really liked this new office. So, I took the girls and I couldn't believe how well that appointment went. All three girls walked in and sat and did what they needed to do. Yes, even my 4 year old. I didn't have to do any calming, bribing or restraining! And, on top of that, no one had to go back for any more work! I couldn't believe it! It was one of the best days ever! I know this might seem strange but to me this event was huge!
The next miracle happened last week as I was taking my four youngest to their co-op classes. We were driving along the busy freeway when my front left tire blew. I quickly pulled off, thank heavens, without losing any control. I was, however, stuck on a busy overpass with semi trucks passing on a regular basis. I immediately called Lance to come rescue us. As we were waiting, a nice police woman pulled off behind me and offered to wait there to keep us safe. Lance arrived and spent the next 30 minutes taking the blown tire off and putting the spare on while on the shoulder of this overpass. I was a little nervous watching do this while so close to the lanes of traffic but he managed it well and we made back and now we have 2 new tires!

Jason's 13-Yikes!

I officially have a teenager in the house. It has made me feel like my aging process has accelerated. I am not old enough! He certainly is showing all the signs of being a teen! And I still think he is fabulous and love him to pieces!

Camping in Southern Calfornia

We had a fantastic time camping by the ocean. The weather was perfect and the water was warm. The beach was beautiful and it was great to be with so many members of our family.

Summer fun at Grandpa Gordon's

We played at Grandpa Gordons and the river was the perfect spot to gather!

Utah Fun

We had a great time in Utah but it was not nearly long enough. It was good to connect with cousins that we don't get to see very often and to meet our newest one, Ryan. We played at Morgan and Brady's house on the big blow-up water slide and that was entertainment for all!

Forts

We have had an emphasis on creating forts at our house during the last few months. Jason, Devon and friends have spent hours digging a rather deep and large hole in the back yard and have created a fun fort that is used for their war games. The children have also turned the living room and their bedrooms into forts of various sizes. As long as they clean it up, I love the fact that they are having fun and using their creativity as well as being entertained!

Happy 4th of July

Here are some pictures of our 4th of July. It was really a low key day. We went to the church for the Flag Ceremony. Jason was part of the flag ceremony and Lance sang in the men's chorus. We had red, white and blue pancakes and the children played games and with friends for most of the morning. In the evening we sat out on the driveway and did our sparklers and watched the big fireworks in the sky from the mall.