zoo trip

It was early out today so, I took the kids to the zoo. My camera battery died so, I only got 3 pictures. We all had a great time & I think the monkeys were by far the most entertaining.

My boys checking out the tiger^

Uncle Jonnys here

Laun's younger brother Jonathan has moved in with us & Marlee is happy to have another person around to hold her. The kids are so excited & Jonny should be too because I am an onion free cook:)

Isn't she too little for pig tails?

my book worms

fyi- I was not driving while taking this picture; we were at a red light on the way home from the library & this is what I saw when I looked back.

food & company are always a good combo...

Porter was so excited about the 1st tomato from our garden:


We've also been enjoying lots of beets:



My parents were here earlier this week & we had a great time visiting. My Dad had a conference in Tucson & my Mom came along. We were happy to have them both.
One night we had Hao (grad student from China) join us for dinner. Hao & my Dad enjoyed speaking chinese to each other. My boys think it is so cool that their Grandpa speaks Chinese.

Marlee loves her Grandma & enjoyed being read to.

My Dad's birthday was on wednesday & he chose steak for dinner:

We had steak & shrimp w/ baked potatoes, mushrooms, corn on the cob, salad, & bread. It was all delicious thanks to Launs excellent grilling.

For dessert Dad chose chocolate cake w/ chocolate frosting & vanilla ice cream:

Here is Marlee snuggling w/ my mom-it is cute how much she loves her Grandma.

We always love spending time with my parents. My Mom is such a help w/ the house work & kids. She even did some mending for me. She is a saint & I love spending time w/ her. We were happy to celebrate my Dad's b-day w/ him. And the boys love when Grandpa tells them stories. I am so blessed to have such wonderful parents & we were sad to see them go.

What we've been up to

Marlee likes to play w/ the remote, even though she is not suppose to.



she also likes her new dog Sage



Here she is w/ Mark (one of the boys I babysit)- I think this photo talks for itself.

She likes chilaxin' in her high chair

the roses are in bloom

I'm surronded by cute people :)

We took a family walk & Marlee loved being on her Daddy's shoulders.

We picked up our dog & stopped by the Beeson house

Aunt Nae Nae helped Marlee ride on the scooter.

Marlee loves climbing into the walker by herself. She is also walking every where like crazy & is crawling a lot less. She is still a little unsure on her feet sometimes. I know she didn't really become a walker till 15 months but, it still seems so soon, she is growing up so fast. She learned how to play peek-a-boo, is a big tease, loves to blow kisses & likes to say hi & bye. We are so grateful to love on her everyday.

We have been enjoying the great weather

The boys weren't huge fans of dinner this night but, Marlee was so, she helped them clear their plates.

We planted some flowers & did some yard work.

The babies (Mark & Kevin-twins I babysit, plus Marlee) like to pull out the dishes & make noise.

Marlee loves hanging out w/ her big brothers

Marlee has the sweetest hair do's

The boys enjoyed eating dinner outside. Port kicked it on the freezer & Clay's in one of his fav spots, the olive tree.

Porter is doing great in school & has really improved his hand writing & math skills.

Clayton is an excellent reader & does a good job taking care of our animals.

A good name for these two boys is frenemies- they are either the best of friends or enemies & love to fight about anything. I heard that made up word recently & thought that fit these 2 perfectly. They bring so much happiness into our lives & are such hansdome & bright boys.

We love our kiddos!

look who's arrived...

This is our new dog Sage & she is a weimaraner. She is a year & a half old & a family from

Show Low gave her to us. She is full of energy & very sweet.

Phoenix for the weekend

Saturday-
We went to the temple & out for breakfast w/ Jeff & Lucy early in the morning.

We enjoyed my mom's cooking, relaxed, watched a movie w/ my parents, & played games.
My Dad, Laun, & the boys went to Cerretas for some chocolate & to Pratts to check out the animals.


Sunday-

We went to my cousin Sam's homecoming & got to see some family & friends.
We had dinner at my parents house w/ Ted's family & the Johnstons. It was kind of a crazy week for our family so, it was nice to get away for the weekend.