Max's birthday

Max couldn't wait for his birthday this year. He had a very specific wishlist, including Daddy's lasagna. So JB made it the day before, and stuck a candle in it.

 

Look at James's little face as he wobbles standing up by the table to take a peek! Max ate leftovers for days, including a plate for breakfast in bed on his birthday.

 

He got a new suit from Nonna, just in time to wear to a wedding the night before his birthday (I'll post about it soon).

 

Handsome suited boys.

 

Besides the food and suit, Max's other specific wish was for a RipStik. He practiced and practiced on neighbors' boards, and went with me to check out one I found for sale online. Then he had to wait til his birthday to use it, though I sometimes heard him sneaking a quick try in the laundry room where  it was waiting.

 

Here he is first thing birthday morning.

I tried to make a cake that looked like a RipStik for the birthday dinner at Nonna and Pappa's house. He loved it. Cake Boss I am not, but it was fun to try.

 

 

Birthday kisses for our firstborn.

Max is such a great 9 year old boy. Helpful, funny, compassionate, anxious about his younger brothers' welfare and safety, sometimes a little TOO bossy over Benny but still a great friend to him.

I love how he reads out loud from the top bunk to Benny and Andrew after I say good night.

He is super cute with baby James.

He is particular about food, and could eat the same few foods over and over: toast he makes himself with cheese or lunch meat on top, grilled cheese dipped in ketchup, daddy's lasagna, cheeseburgers and pizza.

He is particular about his hair. He wants to style the front like daddy, and hates buzz cuts now.

He is starting to listen a lot more to what JB and I say as we talk to each other. He lurks to listen, or inches his head up in the car to overhear us. He reads the newspaper every day and asks big questions about what he reads and hears.

He loves to watch sports with daddy, reclining on the other couch.

He sleeps in his underwear in the summer time (prompting 3 year old Andrew to want to do the same), and it just makes me giggle to see his long body lounging around the house.

His feet are just about the same size as mine. I have a feeling he will be taller than me very soon. And he's only 9! Do you think I can put a brick on his head to stop him from growing? My heart is full as I reflect on my firstborn boy.

My birthday

I recently had a birthday, shout hooray. JB and I went out to celebrate with a coupon to Rodizio Grill (cue the jealous groanings of my siblings).

We also brought along this guy, who, let's face it, comes along on all of our dates. He thinks DADDY is the third wheel.

I was sung to in true Brazilian fashion.

My birthday card. I laughed and laughed at my Duck Dynasty boys. Inside was the nicest note that made me cry a little.

Then that night I had tickets from work to the Days of 47 Rodeo. We were in the corner by the chutes.

We don't know all the rules of roping and bucking and cowboy-ing, but we had a good time.

Here is proof that Andrew can fall asleep anywhere, even a loud rodeo.

High Adventure

Last week, Bishop Richards went on a Boy Scouts High Adventure trip in the high Uintah mountains. He was gone for four days and three nights with no cell service. But despite my work-in-the-news-paranoia that someone would be lost or injured, everyone came back just fine.

There's snow in them thar hills.

This is the crowd of scouts and leaders. He has a lot of shots of each of them fishing, hiking, fire-making, etc, but those are more for the church bulletin board and their parents. I've already heard from a few parents of first time scouts how glad they were for JB's help.

This is JB's second counselor in the bishopbric. They went camping together in another group a few weeks ago, higher up in the mountains.

JB learned from that camping trip to be more prepared. It may be 100 degrees in the valley, but higher up, it's brrrrrrr degrees at night time.

On the long hike out, maybe a mile from the end, JB's boot lost it. Thankfully this didn't happen on the first day!

The four sons and I slept at in-laws at night, so they would be watched over when I went to work in the early A-M.  I had time off for JB's last camping trip, and I have time off for an upcoming trip, so I'm very grateful for my in-laws' help. My mother-in-law says baby James really only tolerated her and Max only, until I came home at lunch time.

Cub Country

My first cub scout had his first cub scout camp recently. It was a two-day, day camp up one of our canyons. 

His brothers didn't know what to do without him. They are used to having him around all day now over the summer.

JB went with Max the second day.

He tried shooting arrows (stop, just stop. This is so sweet).

He hung from ropes.

He did a tight rope walking thing (look at that smile).

And in the end, he bought this sling shot from the overpriced, much-hyped, entice-the-boys-to-riot cub country store.

By the time my fourth boy goes to cub country I'm sure we'll be quite experienced (and dare I say weary), but right now the newness is very exciting.

Air Show

Last weekend, my parents and youngest sister Sarah were here from Missouri for a few days.

 

(Sarah with Rachel, the sister closest to her in age.)

JB was camping for part of the time, so I turned cook and made dinner for the siblings who live in Utah to come on over and eat one of our old growing-up classics. Hamburger broccoli pie. Don't knock it til you try it. 

Here, Max joins my brother Joe and his wife Susan in their funny-face picture tradition.

 

The next day, we went to see an annual air show at Hill Air Force Base.

 

We walked through several very large planes that my dad knows all about, including a C-17 cargo plane just like the one I flew to Haiti in four years ago with the Utah National Guard.

When we came down the stairs of one incredible jet, baby James had had enough of waiting with Grandma D.

We sat on a blanket among the crowd near the air field to watch the air show.

It was incredible. Truly incredible.

Next time we go, I am bringing more food, more water, more shade, more everything. We didn't see the Thunderbirds end the event, because my boys were hot, hungry, and had "crooked necks" from looking up. So we beat the crowds out of the base and went home to air conditioned-naps and the World Cup. Overall, a fun day!

The Fourth of July

This morning we had our annual neighborhood bike/scooter/stroller parade down the main road in our neighborhood.

 

At this point, baby James was getting hot and impatient waiting for it to start.

Our bigger boys on their bikes went up a ways ahead of us. I heard something about "Meet you at the end by the cotton candy!" And they did.

For dinner, JB smoked some ribs. Mmm-m-mmm. Baby James is a fan.

 

If only all baby food came on a stick.

Here he's singing, "And I'm proud to be an AmeriCAN!"

Happy Fourth of July!

Red Castle Lake

Last week, JB went camping for a few days in the high high Uintahs. It's a place called Red Castle Lake, and there ain't no cell service. But plenty of outdoorsy hikey male-bondy firecampy stuff.

 

He went with his two bishopbric counselors, some of their brothers and friends.

 

The bishopbric on the 11 mile hike in to the campsite.

 

Beautiful view. With snow still on the ground. It made for a coooollllld two nights of outdoor sleeping.

We were glad to see him again when he came back. Soon, he's off camping again with the boy scouts.