Josh's Birthday

Josh turned 11 while we were in Tennessee so we had a small family party. He wanted a fruit pizza so that is what he got. We couldn't find any strawberries in TN guess they don't sell them there, heehee, so we put some of the blackberries on it with, Mandarin oranges, bananas, and kiwi, it was YUMMY! Man how time flies they grow up so fast. Crazy Uncle Jeff has to ruin the picture, love ya Jeff.

Trip to Tennessee

Just warning you now that there is a lot of pictures. We were gone a week to Tennessee for my nephew Tanner's baptism and we did a lot of things, but I tried to just do a few pictures of each thing. It was fun being with my sisters, and their families and my parents. I sure do miss being with them.
On our way to TN we stopped at Independence, MO and visited the church sites. This is the temple site where Joseph Smith stood and announced the spot for the temple to be built.
We visited the Memphis temple, it is one of the small temples, but like all the temples, BEAUTIFUL!!
















Ed signing the Elvis Presley wall in Graceland, TN























We went to a place called Mud Island in Memphis it is really a peninsula as there is one road onto it. It is an imitation of the Mississippi river and shows down to where it empties into the ocean, the kids had fun following the small river and then playing in the big waterfall area at the end, was nice to cool off in a hot, humid day.



Alycia loved picking blackberries and got really excited when they were really big ones. All the cousins had fun picking we got a bucket full then went home and made lots of blackberry jam, YUMMY!!
Zach loved getting into Aunt Raelyn's cupboards, but then he found one just perfect for him an EMPTY one he loved climbing in and playing peekaboo with someone, what a cute kid if I do say so myself.

For Tanner and Shea's birthday we went roller skating, it was fun to see the kids getting better on their skates, Alycia decided two skates were hard, so she took one off and did it that way, too cute.





On our way home we stopped at St. Louis at the Arch, WOW that thing is big.

CURIOUS ZACH

Alycia with Ed doing the driveway.

Our garden this year, we are starting to get produce, we are growing onions, peas, green beans (galore), tomatoes, bell peppers, green chiles, jalopeanos, habenero (for Ed), potaotes, cabbage, canteloupe, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, we had strawberries, spinach, radishes, and asparagus but they are done. We are having so much fun the kids love to go out and pick with me. Glad it is warm so the plants can grow seemed like it took forever, a littel behind schedule, but we'll take what we can get. We also have some watermelon growing up by the deck they are volunteer, we will let them grow like we did last year.





Ed and Josh on quad trying to smooth out the 5 tons of sand we had dropped off.


Zach is a curious one. Found him in the laundry room in the shoe bucket, oh the places they find. His favorite thing is the pots and pans, loves making noise especially when I am on the phone, heehee.

Aaron is 9

Aaron's birthday, He loved his karaoke machine, he is the singer in the family. We had a small party at home.














Zach on Aaron's birthday, loved the cake all over his face thought it was so cute.





Went to the lake for Aaron's birthday, that's what he wanted to do so we walked over and had a good time.

Zach

Zach Playing in the water at the lake by our house.

"ZACH IN THE BOX", he loves boxes, what kid doesn't even my 10 year old does.

Caught Zach playing the piano ths morning thought it was so cute, look at that smile.

Baseball

After Tyler's last game his coach had brought waterballoons, and they had a water fight, was fun that he just stood there letting each player take a turn at getting him wet, he was a great coach.

This is what Zach does during his brothers
games, he finds whatever is interesting and
plays with it, and he loves to wander around
and eat rocks.



This is what Alycia does during the baseball games, she finds a girl her age and starts to play, she says all girls are her friends and will talk to anyone, kind of scary, but she makes friends fast and then is OFF!





Josh Pitching, his team only lost one game.

Aaron running to second base.Tyler not paying attention.

I had three boys in baseball this year, seems like when one wants to do it they all want too, so I spent most nights at the ball fields. If I was really lucky I would only have games 3 days a week but some weeks it was all five days and when you have more then one game a night that makes it really fun and really late. We packed up the chairs, popcorn, sodas, dinner if it was going to be a late night, sunblock, bug spray (wes nile virus season), and off we went to the ball field. It is over now and I have more time, and now less trips into town that I have to make, which is nice with the gas the way it is. Tyler loved T-ball but mostly just kicked the dirt around. Glad I am not the only one constantly telling him to listen or pay attention, his coaches were constantly calling his name. Aaron was in coach pitch and is getting better at batting and catching the ball. Josh is now in REAL baseball and loves playing, he eats, sleeps and breathes baseball. He got to pitch a few games, and be catcher a lot and played 1st base. He loved that they could steal bases, and he got really good at it, even stole home. But in all truth had a great season and now glad it is DONE!

Steamboat Springs

Closeup of the falls , loved them.

Our family in front of Fish Creek
Falls in Steamboat Colorado, we love
this fall and visit it each time we go
to Steamboat, so BREATHTAKING!

Ed dipping Zachary's feet into the
creek that we hiked to it was called
Mad Creek.

Ed holding Zach while helping Alycia drive,
and Tyler, Aaron, and Josh enjoying the ride
on the Pontoon boat in Steamboat, Co.

Kids enjoying swimming in the hot tub, yes that
is a hot tub and the smaller of the two there.

Let's Blog!

So I've decided to join the blogging world. Seems like it is easier then just e-mailing people what we are doing. Not sure how to do this, but will learn as I go I guess.

Not sure where to start so I will tell you a little bit about us most of it I am sure you know. Ed and I have been married 12 years in August, we met at NAU in flagstaff, AZ. Ed works for Fed Ex Ground as a Terminal Manager. I (Bonnie) am a homemaker and stay busy with our five beautiful children. Joshua is (10) will be 11 in July, and will be in the 6th grade and enjoys cub scouts, piano, bike riding, and sports mostly Baseball. Aaron is (9) and will be in the 4th grade, he enjoys reading, playing webkinz, baseball, cub scouts, piano and singing he is always singing. Tyler is (6) and will be in the 1st grade. He loves the outdoors weather it be climbing trees, gardening, or playing with worms, toads and whatever else he finds (I fear the older he gets the worse the things he will bring to me will be). He also loves to ride his bike he is so excited that he has learned how this past month, he wants to go on a bike ride daily. Alycia is (4) and is the princess of our house. She loves her dolls and kitchen, and all her toys. If you ask her her favorite color she won't just give you one answer as she has 3 favorite colors it is cute. Anytime someone asks her her name she can't just say Alycia, she has to say Alycia May Halliday, which is also cute. Zachary is (1) he is in the fun stage of getting into everything, very curious. He is also very patient as my other kids would throw fits till they got what they wanted.

We took a family vacation to Steamboat the end of May and had a blast, just a week with the seven of us and no plans just to do whatever we liked. We hiked a lot which we miss as Nebraska has NO mountains. We saw waterfalls which are my favorite. we swam, rented bikes, and rented a boat. It was a very relaxing time, and wish we could go back. The place we stayed was so nice made me feel rich, it was a gold crown on our timeshare, it had 2 bedrooms, plus a living room with a kitchen. The pool and hot tubs were awesome and we also enjoyed the steam room and sauna, and Ed and I visited the gym every morning, which I needed very much. It was awesome, but as all good things they have to end, DARN IT!! We loved being together as a family and bonding and laughing and all that. Josh was so excited, one night we went to a really nice restaurant and he got a swordfish, he loves seafood, and he had just done a report in school on the swordfish so this was a treat. What a great way to start the Summer. hope all your summers are going well.