Sneak Preview

Look at my magazine star! I received this "Playground Magazine" yesterday in the mail and couldn't stiffle my laugh of delight at seeing Jace on the fourth page advertising a "Sneak Preview" for the next upcoming magazine.

An editor from Idaho came to our playground one quiet afternoon when most of the kids were inside (mine were napping) and asked Jace and 2 of his friends for their Mom's permission (or signature, to be exact) to be in this magazine advertising different types of playgrounds. She snapped away photos as the 3 friends did what they usually do at the playground.

So if you get "Playground Magazine", you can see Jace and his friends in the July issue. Way to model that slide, Jace!

Birthday Treat

For Jace's birthday, he asked if he could go to Red Lobster. Jared told him that it is kind of expensive for our whole family to go, and he wasn't sure if we'd be able to do it. However, Jace received a hefty birthday check in the mail from his Grandad, and told his dad (after learning that he had enough) that he would take us out. Isn't that sweet?

Jace picked out his lobster and also ordered a side of his fav, King Crab legs! I couldn't believe he ate it all, including the lobster eyeballs! He said they were good.

Thanks for the dinner, Jace!

Bear Lake 2008

The drive to Bear Lake was gorgeous. We took the Monte Cristo route. The mountains were covered with white aspen trees, pine trees, and yellow, blue, and white wildflowers. There were still little piles of snow at the top of the mountain. Here is a stop we made - pile of boys!

Once there, Kyle dives into the fun of Bear Lake.

Jace has a plan... by the end of our vacation, there was another set of boy-made "rivers" and "lakes" right here.

This is so splashin' fun!

Good food...

Tons of sand for making "cloopie towers"...

Giggles and Smore's with the best of cousins around the campfire...

Water, water, water...

Horshoes... by the way, if you can't see Jared's horshoe he threw, I circled it.

... and a birthday, what more can you ask for? (This is a dutch oven Pineapple Upside-Down Cake - Mmm!)

Kyle has an idea...

Going, going...

...Gone.

Jace and his cousins... You guys aren't tired yet, are you?!

Lance loves Kyle

Hey big brother, whatcha doin'? Whatcha doin'? Okay, we'll do that, too.

Lance and Kyle share a laugh

You haven't seen, or tasted, the fun of Bear Lake if you haven't had one of their shakes (I was going to say, "Raspberry Shakes, but the raspberries are shipped in, and ever since I learned that, I have not been able to bring myself to order a "Bear Lake Raspberry Shake", knowing that. This year, my pregnant tastes took over, and I invented a shake - Banana Blueberry Cheesecake. It may sound wierd, but this particular flavor completely satisfied my craving for a yummy shake. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa Martin!

Kyle's got the "open wide" down. Grandma's trying to keep up - How was that mouth again, Kyle? Oh, yup, that's the one!

We went to a Campfire Program our last evening here, and they asked for all the cub scouts to come up and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Up went Jace and 2 of his cousins. The man in the long red pajamas told a story about "Old Ephraim", the last grizzly bear in Utah. The boys were lost in the story. Here, they are having a "Roar Like a Bear" contest.

Dr. Martin in the Works

Doesn't this future Dr. Martin look great for his first day of rotations at the hospital? I think he looks quite tolerant, since I did stop him just before leaving early this morning to get this fabulous picture :)

His first day of Internal Medicine went well. It was a lot of orientation. Tomorrow he will get to begin working with patients. He would say that's the best part about it, but I say the best deal here is that this hospital feeds all the students, residents, and doctors during a meeting, everyday. Can't complain much here! (Hopefully, I can keep this attitude when he's gone for, what is it? 2 straight days?)

Bring on the 3rd year!

Flowers for Evan

We headed home from Bear Lake and planned to visit Evan's grave on our way home. On the drive, we saw these beautiful flowers on the mountainside and had to stop. Aren't they gorgeous?

Dad cuts the flowers to fit the vase

Jace decorates with petals

(I had to throw this one in)

Lance does the Macarina.

Hey, I think Evan would have loved to see us all dancing.

Where do they get these ideas?

Are those binoculars working okay for ya, guys?

Is it possible?

Did three (or 4) little pigs inspire this nice construction job?

FLASHBACK:

Live it up, boys! It's your last chance!

I Felt like a Mom today...

When I stop to think about it, I am shocked at where I am in life. When I take a minute to step back and realize that I am, indeed, married, and furthermore, have children, I have a hard time comprehending it. I feel like these last 9+ years have flown by with events like crazy. To think of myself as a Mom that is supposed to be responsible and such is sometimes beside me.

But today, when I was at Jace's first Pack Meeting, I felt like a Real Mom. Jace earned his Bobcat and got to pin the "Mom's Pin" on me. Doesn't he look like a young man? I can't believe he turns eight in 2 weeks!

It seems like only yesterday that Jace had chubby cheeks like this:

How time flies....

A Sample (or history lesson) of Rome

The streets of Rome. Jared is sitting on the top level of the bus. How fun is that? He also used his self-portrait capturing talents so that I could see "that [he] was really there".

The famous Colloseum ruins (there is a story about this. Should I tell it? It's kind of embarrassing... Okay. I live in my own small little secure world and really need to think outside the box and find out what's really out there. One of the souvineers Jared brought back for me was a picture of this amazing huge building. I said, "Wow, that's cool. What is it?"

Jared was a little shocked, but not too, since he's lived with me and become aware of many of my moments of ignorance over the last, can you believe it will be 10 years in Dec.?

He mentioned to me, "where the Gladiators performed? Where the early Christians were slaughtered?" Nothing rang the bell for me. I wasn't exactly a straight "A" student in History.) So now I present to you, "Le Colosseo di Roma".

Jared (I think he looks like a missionary) at St. Peter's. By the way, now he can tell you that he doesn't speak Italian, in Italian.

He got some studying done while waiting for the Pope to come out. Boards are only weeks away!

There's the Pope! Jared had a pretty good seat. Twice a week they have these assemblies where the Pope addresses the tourists and groups that go to visit the Vatican.

Jared posing with the Vatican

Jared and the friends and family of the Dr. that he did research with last summer. Can you believe this doctor and his wife have 7 boys and 0 girls? It's not too late to change your votes!

This is Jared doing what he came here to do, present his research on the drug, "Clomid". Doesn't he look great? I'm so proud of him!