Finally-- a real update!!

Wow, it's been so long since I've updated this thing!! (Does anybody even check it anymore??) I really have thought a lot about it and even tried a few times-- there are 6 different posts in my draft file that have never been posted. I blame it on my camera. Apparently my new camera seems to take most pictures in a file size that is too large for the photo program I use to post pictures with. So it wouldn't post half of the pictures I put in the slideshows. So before I could post any pictures I had to search for a program that would accept my pictures and then I had to figure out how to use it. Since I have so much spare time on my hands this was quite the task. :) In fact, I'm still working on perfecting it. But before too much more time went by I decided that I needed to at least post something. I know there is no way I can really do an update-- too much has happened. So I will make a list highlighting some of our activities and share a picture or two with little commentary since I know it's just the pictures you want to see anyway. :)

Some of the things we have done include:

• fishing- the big boys each caught two fish,
  
  
• attended a Utah Jazz basketball game,
  
  
• visited Mt Vernon- multiple times,
  
  
• visited the National Zoo and saw a real panda bear,
  
  (Kylie made friends with a Meerkat.)
  
  
  
• visited a national wetlands and saw lots of animals-the snake was the all time favorite,
  
  
• visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum,
  
  
• visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History-- the boys each got to hold a caterpillar and we all got to walk through the Butteryfly Garden,
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• visited the Pentagon-- no cameras allowed so no pictures,
• summer long swimming lessons for everyone-- Brian is totally swimming on his own, Andrew is close to swimming on his own, Timothy is getting better all the time, Philip hated it and cried unless he was with his Auntie, and Kylie was a little fish and loved it;
  
  
  
  
  
  
• visited Palmyra, New York and saw all the church history sites there including getting to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant,
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• celebrated the 4th of July-- we watched the National fireworks from the lawn of the Pentagon.
  
  
  
• visited family and friends in Idaho (sorry no pictures of the karaoke, I was too busy singing),
  
  
  
• Brian's baptism,
  
  (The musical number was done by "The Loveland Boys." They did very well and were so handsome.)
  
  
• Brian became a Cub Scout and earned his Bobcat,
  
  
• the first day of school,
  
  
  (Timothy started preschool too.)
  
  

• attended a high school football game,--they gave out cardboard megaphones that the kids had tons of fun playing with,
  
  
• hosted several visitors including both mine and Derek's parents, my sister, Derek's sister, and a family friend-- we had tons of fun showing them many of the local sites,

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When I'm not trying to figure out how to post the pictures from my camera, I'm looking for the camera. The children (mostly the babies) are always running off with it. Therefore I end up with lots of pictures like these that I have to sift through too:





I just couldn't resist. I have to post some of the cute photos of the babies. They are just too cute:

Even being surrounded by all the boys she is ALL girl-- I just

found her all dressed up like this one day.

Kylie's first piggy-tails

Philip thinking he's helping Daddy move the refrigerator in.

Proof that Philip is following in Timothy's footsteps.

I have photos just like this of T.

The babies love to play together and are great at sharing.

I think they really do have a special relationship.

They are so fun to watch together.

It just wouldn't seem like a real post if I didn't end it with Timothy. :)

Climbing in the bushes.

One of the worst episodes of "Mystery Trouble" from the summer.

(Most I don't take time to take pictures of. I'm too busy cleaning them up.

Just as an FYI though, 5 pounds of flour spread all over your kitchen and then danced in by three small children is a huge mess!! But the flour by itself is still easier to clean up then the little area where they mixed it with a cube of butter.)

He had a little too much fun with the scissors and the trampoline net.

Well that's it for now. I know, you are wondering, "What about Halloween?" Well, the camera is lost again and until I find it there are no Halloween photos. I promise I will post them-- hopefully sooner than later. :)

THE END!