Lori Pori What's the Story?

Aggrevation with Gumdrops

2012-01-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

As a little girl, I loved New Year's Eve. My family always played the game of Aggrevation with gum drops. I've talked about it for years but had not done it with my kids. This year, I decided to go buy the game.

We had quite a bit of fun, and the kids loved "eating" their opponents' pieces.

Beautiful!

2012-01-05T09:54:00.000-08:00

While leaving a shopping center on December 30, there was the most beautiful sunset I've seen in a while. I snapped a picture of it, but it doesn't quite capture it's beauty.

It's Been a Long Time!

2012-01-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

On our way home from the La Brea Tar Pits as we neared Universal City, I mentioned to John how much I missed having Poquito Mas near our house. (That location closed a couple of years ago.) John suggested we go to the one on our way home, so we did.

It was divine!

Fun at the La Brea Tar Pits

2012-01-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

John and I went to the La Brea Tar Pits for the first time last week with some good friends of ours. It was a gorgeous day, and we had so much fun being outdoors!

Running down hills...

Climbing on Statues...

And climbing to the top of the amphitheater to pose...
It was a great day!

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - New High Scores

2012-01-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite rides at Disneyland is Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. The kids love one-upping each other by beating each other's high scores. I think these are the best we've ever had.

Late Christmas Tree This Year

2011-12-31T12:45:00.000-08:00

With all the work that was done on our house after Thanksgiving, we put off getting our Christmas tree until it was finished, which meant we went on Christmas eve.

We cut our tree at a local tree farm most years, and we continued the tradition. Although this year, David and Michael took control of the cutting of the tree.

The stumps on the lot make great places to do the "crane."

Nguyen Family Christmas Letter

2011-12-31T12:32:00.000-08:00

We sent out our Christmas cards and annual Christmas letter very late this year (after Christmas). I didn't send as many cards this year and cut the list a bit short, so I'm sorry if you didn't receive a card from us.

We hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas focusing on the Savior.

Sleepy Hollow

2011-12-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

John, Michael, AJ, and I went with two other families to look at the Christmas lights in a neighborhood in Torrance, Sleepy Hollow. It was amazing to see all the creative ways to use lights for Christmas. I didn't take many pictures, but our friends took this one of us.

(AJ and Michael were more interested in drinking the hot chocolate than in getting a good picture, but that's boys for you!)

Christmas Lights!

2011-12-28T10:14:00.000-08:00

John is passing the torch and teaching Michael to put up our Christmas lights. :)

John's Birthday!

2011-12-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

We celebrated John's birthday in the middle of all our construction. We love him and are so grateful for him.

Happy Birthday, John!

Lowe's Kid's Workshop

2011-12-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

John and the boys enjoy going to the Lowe's Kid's Workshop together. This December, they had a special 3 week project building a train set. Here are a few photos.

Ward Christmas Party

2011-12-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

Our ward had a wonderful Christmas party a couple of weeks ago with the Primary children acting out the Christmas story. Unfortunately, we only got one shot of AJ where you can see his face. Here it is.

Disneyland 2011

2011-12-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

We took a little trip to Disneyland a couple of weeks ago (thanks to a dear friend who used her employee pass to get us in for free!). It was a great day...

Except for the trouble with local law enforcement....

Los Angeles Temple Lights 2011

2011-12-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

We continued our family tradition of visiting the Los Angeles Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Santa Monica Boulevard to see the Christmas lights. We had a great time looking at the beautiful lights and spending time with some friends.

Mostly Done!

2011-12-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

Except for a few minor things, the house is done! Our house was in disarray for almost a month, but now it looks lovely with all new flooring and baseboards. Here are a few pictures.

Dry Rot

2011-12-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

Two words homeowners do not want to hear: Dry Rot.

Our contractor found dry rot under the toilet in the kids' bathroom. The wax ring on the toilet failed. Not a fun thing, but we are very grateful that our contractor pointed it out and fixed it for a very reasonable price.

Progress

2011-12-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

Here are my floors today. Soon the tile work will be done, then onto new baseboards and carpet!

(And, yes, I know my toilet is in the hall. It will go back where it belongs soon enough.)

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and More Pumpkins

2011-12-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

At AJ's school Fall Festival, there were several pumpkins on display for a pumpkin carving contest. Some were so unique, I had to snap a few photos.

AJ's Building Again

2011-12-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

AJ loves creating things. He uses almost anything you can imagine: paper, cardboard, legos, tinker toys, and (this time) magnetix.

He liked this so much, he took these pictures himself, then he asked me to blog about it. So here it is. :)

It Feels Like We're Almost Done, But We're Not

2011-12-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

Here's how the house looks today. A lot of the tile is set, but what's not set will take longer. There are a lot of little cuts and odd angles. But our contractor promised he would be done before Christmas.

We'll see.

Slowly But Surely Sanity Returns

2011-12-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

Thursday night.

It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better...

2011-12-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

Here's how the house looked on Wednesday...

Let the Destruction Commence!

2011-12-02T16:40:00.001-08:00

Yes, I feel like pulling my hair out right now...

We are having all the flooring on the ground floor replaced. Here's what it looked like Tuesday after demo started.

Could There Be Anymore Junk Food?

2011-11-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

AJ's class had an "Orange" party for Halloween. Everything consumed was some shade of orange.

Halloween Costumes to Remember

2011-11-30T11:52:00.000-08:00

Here are the boys' Halloween costumes from this year.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

As we do every year, we carved pumpkins. The kids had a good time, but they made me clean out the inside of the pumpkin.

AJ's School Fall Festival, a.k.a. Halloween Party

2011-11-30T11:36:00.000-08:00

AJ's elementary school has a Fall Festival (a.k.a. Halloween Party) each October. Here are a couple of pictures.

AJ's First Webelos Pin

2011-11-30T11:29:00.000-08:00

AJ earned his "Readyman" pin at his October pack meeting. (This month, he earned his "Showman," but I forgot my camera.)

A Slew of Squash

2011-11-30T10:02:00.000-08:00

While at Lombardi Ranch in October, I took pictures of the plethora of pumpkins they have. Here are some of my favorites...

There's a Viking in the House!

2011-11-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

AJ was a viking for Halloween this year. We made this costume for Michael a few years ago and were happy to see it being put to good use this year.

Doesn't AJ make a great Viking?

Loads of Laughs at Lombardi Ranch, Part 2

2011-11-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pictures from our day at Lombardi Ranch.

Loads of Laughs at Lombardi Ranch, Part 1

2011-11-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

We went to Lombardi Ranch to check it out. We haven't been since the kids were much younger. I took a ton of photos! (I took so many, I will have to have more than one blog post.) Here are some from our arrival and attempt at the corn maze.

They had some really neat pumpkins. (More pictures to follow in a different post.)

The corn maze was much taller than we were!
And we kept getting lost!

But, we finally found our way out. :)

AJ's Super Standardized Scores

2011-11-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

AJ's school district honors kids who receive high standardized test scores by holding an evening "assembly" to celebrate their achievement. AJ did a great job last school year, so he was invited to participate.

A Surprise for John

2011-11-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

John started teaching at an online animation school this year. To liven it up a bit, he has themes for his Q&A sessions with his students. One of them was "crazy mustache day."

AJ and I were browsing at a fun toy store in the mall called "Puzzle Zoo" when we found "Self Adhesive Stylish Mustaches." We thought they were fun, so we bought them and gave them to John as a surprise gift. He wore three of them the night of his Q&A.

Pinewood Derby Video Fun

2011-09-30T11:48:00.001-07:00

I love my new camera! With it, I shot some HD video of the races. Here are four quick clips. Enjoy!

Race #1

Race #2

Race #3

Race #4

Last Pinewood Derby Ever!

2011-09-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

We've reached a new milestone in parenting. We've just completed our last Cub Scout Pinewood Derby car for our youngest son. We've put 4 boys through Scouts, and we're closing in on the end of Cub Scouting.

John and AJ made his car this year. They put all of John's experience (and everything he read on the Internet) into this car. AJ designed the car, cut it, painted it, drilled it, polished axles, and all the other good "secret" stuff people do to make a winning pinewood derby car.

Here are the results.

The night of the derby, everyone checked in their cars.

Then they raced. AJ's car won a couple of races, and he came in third overall. Everyone had a great time that evening. The leaders did an awesome job recognizing all the boys' hard work and made it a really fun night.

Mission Accomplished!

2011-09-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

AJ has been begging me to teach him to make ramen (on the stove) for the past couple of months. A week of so ago, I took a few minutes and walked him through it. Here's his first bowl of ramen he made himself.

Human Boots

2011-09-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

I guess that title could be really bad, but I promise it's not.

AJ loves to hang on John's arms, legs, etc., so that's not an uncommon occurrence. It was quite funny when Michael joined in the fun and together they became John's "human boots." Or as AJ calls them "Iron Boots."

Food Storage

2011-09-29T17:09:00.001-07:00

John and I feel like we really need to get our food storage in order. We've bought a few things recently, including stuff from Emergency Essentials last time I was in Utah (getting David ready for BYU). But we have felt that we need to do more. We just placed an order with Walton Feed (through a wonderful women in Lancaster), but I wanted to see how we were doing after all that food was added to our food storage.

I used Emergency Essential's Food Storage Analyzer today, and it was great! I could put in all the stuff I had, and it told me how I'm doing based on my family. It figured the amount of calories needed for each person, nutrients, etc. It really helped me feel better about where we are, but also to help direct my future efforts and know what I really need to buy.

If you want to check it out, click on the link below. It's quick, easy, and worth your time! Also, if you do, and you review it on your blog, Emergency Essentials will send you a free $10 gift card with no strings attached! What a great way to assess your preparedness and be paid to do so!

My New Sign

2011-09-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

I was at the church bookstore on Saturday and saw this sign. As I've been called a "mean mom" many times over the years, I decided to embrace the title and buy the sign. It's in my kitchen.

Michael's Moving Up

2011-09-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

Michael's been working hard as a Boy Scout and has earned a lot of Merit Badges, but until recently hadn't advanced much in Scouting. He was worried about the swimming test. But this year, he was determined to pass it. He practiced swimming a few times, and then realized he could pass it pretty easily.

Once that was done, he earned his First Class rank. He's also ready to earn his Star rank, but he must wait several months between ranks (I think it's 4 months).

Congratulations, Michael!

AJ Is Officially A Webelos Scout!

2011-09-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

At AJ's last cub scout pack meeting, he was awarded his Bear rank and 3 arrow points (one gold and two silver). He turned 10 while we were on vacation, so he is now "officially" a webelos scout. He's really enjoying his new den and can't wait for the Pinewood Derby next week.

At this pack meeting, they played water balloon battleship. It was a great success.

It's Not A Vacation Without Mini Golf!

2011-09-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

While in the Outer Banks, we went miniature golfing with some of our extended family. The mini golf places in OBX have some extreme themes. One had a dinosaur theme, but we went to this one that had an "Indiana Jones" type theme. Well maybe not that extreme, but it it was fun.

An Evening On The Beach

2011-09-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

One night on our vacation, most of the kids went out on the beach to play, hunt for crabs, and wear glow in the dark necklaces and bracelets. (AJ made his into a belt.)

Fishing in OBX

2011-09-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Fishing is a popular sport (if you can really call it a sport, because the fish don't know they're playing) in the Outer Banks. People hop in boats and try their hand at it. They hope to come home with some big fish.

We took the kids to see the fish. And we waited...

And waited...

Until the boats arrived.

Some had some large and unique fish.

Bodie Lighthouse

2011-09-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

While in the Outer Banks, NC, we visited the Bodie (pronounced "body") Lighthouse. It was a beautiful place, and the kids really enjoyed corralling their cousins.

This Makes Me Feel All Warm and Fuzzy

2011-09-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

When we visited the Bodie (Body) Lighthouse in the Outer Banks, there were several of these signs located along the paths and walkways. Doesn't that make you feel safe, so much so that you don't need to worry about where your children are walking?:)

Kitty Hawk Kites

2011-09-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

Right after the show at the Fudgery, we visited Kitty Hawk Kites (in the same shopping center across from Jockey's Ridge). While the kites are amazing, the kids were drawn to the area with a variety of interesting "juggling" toys. There was a very nice man who demonstrated all these items and taught the kids to use them. It was great!

The Fudgery

2011-09-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

Twenty-eight years ago, when I was a teenager, my father took our large family to the Fudgery while on vacation in the Outer Banks, NC, and we fell in love! Not only was the fudge delicious, but the show made what would have been a simple trip to a candy shop an unforgettable experience. Each time we visited the Outer Banks, we made sure to visit the Fudgery at least once.

For our "Outer Banks Beach Bash Extravaganza" this summer, I was looking forward to visiting the Fudgery and sharing the fun experience with my children.

My sister arranged with the Jockey's Ridge location to have a show in the evening on Tuesday, August 16, 2011. We arrived with our children in tow ready for an experience.

Outer Banks Beach Bash Extravaganza 2011, Part 2

2011-09-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from our beach trip to North Carolina. Several of my sisters said "no bathing suit pictures," so I only posted pictures that are flattering. :)

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

2011-08-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

To start our family reunion vacation, we went to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It was a very interesting day. It was quite smoky at the park, because there was a wildfire at the Great Dismal Swamp (yes, that is the real name). Felt like we hadn't left California, until I noticed the humidity. It was really, really humid, and it started to pour around 3:00 pm. We were soaked through, but we had a great time.

Here are a couple of pictures.

At the arcade, David won an X-Box 360 at the same time John won an iPod Touch. I guess we were quite lucky that day, despite the smoke and rain.

My Favorite Beach Picture

2011-08-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

John, the boys, and I accompanied Mandi, Junior, and their boys to the Bodie Lighthouse in the Outer Banks, NC. I took quite a few pictures, but this is probably my favorite of the entire vacation. I thought I'd share it.

John was kind enough to remove the digital date stamp for me in Photoshop.

All That Remains...

2011-08-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

My favorite roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg was the Big Bad Wolf. It was so much fun! It was wild, but not too wild. Daring, but not too daring. It was the perfect coaster.

Unfortunately, Busch Gardens decided to replace it. So rather than experiencing this at the park...

This is all that remains.

AJ's Birthday: 1st Video Shot With My New Camera

2011-08-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a video I recorded on my new camera at AJ's family birthday celebration.

AJ's 10th Birthday!

2011-08-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

AJ turned 10 a couple of weeks ago, and we officially have only double digit aged children. (Boy are we old!)

Here are a couple of pictures of the celebration.

Outer Banks Beach Bash Extravaganza 2011

2011-08-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

John, the kids, and I went to my family reunion last week. My entire family rented a huge beach house (right on the beach) in Nags Head, NC. More photos to come, but here's one from our last day.

Playing Around With My New Camera

2011-08-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

A Quick Trip to Utah

2011-08-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

I took the boys (David, Michael, and A.J.) to Utah for a quick trip in late July. We picked up all the things David needed for school and were able to do a few fun things, including a visit to the Bingham Copper Mine. When I was young, my family used to visit the mine when we visited our grandparents in Utah. I thought I'd continue the tradition.

I took this picture when I was showing my kids how big the trucks at the mine really are.

These pictures are from the LDS Church History Museum.

David snapped this picture as we entered St. George, Utah. I love the way the Temple looks against the red rocks.

Summer Beach Trip #2

2011-08-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

We took Beach Trip #2 with our friends, the Hicks family. David and AJ enjoyed the zip line. AJ and Michael played on the beach with the Hicks' children. I was able to talk to my dear friend, Kristina. It was a wonderful day!

Our First Eagle Scout!

2011-08-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

David passed his Board of Review and earned his Eagle Rank in Boy Scouts last month. He worked so hard over the past several years, topping it all off with his Eagle Scout Project to benefit Project Linus. (You can read more about it by clicking here.)

We are so proud of you!!

Audrey's Birthday Celebration

2011-08-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

A group of our friends got together to celebrate Audrey's birthday with a shaving cream/water balloon fight at a local park.

The kids had so much fun!

Summer Beach Trip #1

2011-08-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

We went to the beach a few times this summer. On our first trip, AJ discovered a love for "drizzle" sand castles and collecting shells with Mom. Here are some photos from our first trip.

Scout Camp 2011: Michael's Whitsett Adventures!

2011-08-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

Michael's Boy Scout Troop went to Whitsett for Boy Scout Camp this year. He had such a good time. Unfortunately, he only took 2 or 3 pictures, only one of which was of him eating a fish he caught.

Fortunately, Michael had a couple great leaders, one of whom took pictures. Here they are...

Cow Appreciation Day 2011 a.k.a. What We're Willing To Do For Free Food

2011-08-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

When we were on our vacation to San Diego last year, we went to Chick-Fil-A on what happened to be "Cow Appreciation Day." Basically, if you dress up like a cow, you get free food.

Well, we couldn't let it pass us by this year, so we all dressed up like "cows" using Chick-Fil-A's downloadable "costume," and headed over to Chick-Fil-A. Although we looked awfully silly, the food was awfully good!

4th of July Fun Friend Fest

2011-08-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

For the Fourth of July this year, we went to our local shopping mall to watch the fireworks and invited a few friends along for a picnic and games. Here are a few photos of the festivities.

Green Lantern, Twins?

2011-08-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

John has loved comic books for as long as I have known him. He was looking forward to seeing the Green Lantern movie, and Michael wanted to see it with him. They both wore their Green Lantern rings to the show.

Ready for Scout Camp!

2011-08-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Michael just before he left for Boy Scout Camp this year. He looks very handsome, doesn't he? He's getting really tall (5'8"+).

I had a couple of pictures from camp, but realized that I deleted them when I reformatted the card on the camera I sent with him.

**EDIT**
I found them and they are at the bottom of this email.

The Zoo: Again

2011-08-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

The kids and I enjoy visiting our local zoo, but the kids hate having their picture taken. Here are a few of my less feeble attempts.

AJ's Year End Pool Party

2011-08-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

AJ's elementary school class had a year end pool party at a class member's home. It was a really fun day. There was an awesome cake with the class picture on the front. I got a picture, but I'm not going to post it here, because it has everyone's name and the school's name.

President Uchtdorf

2011-08-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

John and I were privileged to attend a World Affairs Counsel dinner in May with President Dieter F. Uchtdorf as the keynote speaker. (Yes, I know I'm posting this a little late.) It was inspiring to hear him speak of building bridges and working together to better society.

The LDS newsroom wrote a short article about the event with links to excerpts from his address. You can find it here.

Here's a picture from the event. Both John and I were able to meet with him and shake his hand, but we weren't fast enough with the camera to catch it.

This is a video of his address. It was wonderful, and I highly recommend you take the time to view it.

Michael's Jr. High Award Ceremony

2011-08-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

Michael is a great young man and an awesome student. He was honored at the end of his eighth grade year for his hard work.

May 2011 Cub Scout Pack Meeting

2011-08-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from May's Pack Meeting...

Pioneer Trek 2011: Preparation

2011-08-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

When John and I went to the first "Ma and Pa" meeting, we learned there were quite a few things we needed to do to prepare for Trek. One was to make a family flag. I had some ideas, but just couldn't figure out exactly what we should have.

At a family dinner when my parents were in town, we were brainstorming (the day before we needed to give it to the Stake leaders) and David said, "If you want something simple, do something like wheat, that's simple, but has good symbolism."

I think he was joking, but I took his idea and ran with it. His wheat reference reminded me of Elder David A. Bednar's talk about gathering the sheaves into the storehouse (titled "Honorably Hold a Name and a Standing).

As a result, John made this. It's painted on a piece of rubber backed canvas with craft paint. I am so blessed to have such a talented husband!

Pioneer Trek 2011

2011-07-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

John and I were asked to serve as "Ma and Pa" on our Stake's Pioneer Trek Re-enactment Youth Conference in June. It was an incredible experience, and we will have a few posts about it.

Here are some pictures of the experience.

David's Graduation Announcement

2011-07-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

David: An Official High School Graduate!

2011-05-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

David graduated from high school on Monday night. Because his overall gpa was over 4.0, he wore a special gold graduation robe and received a medal. It was a really nice ceremony.

A.J.'s School Carnival

2011-05-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

A.J.'s school had a carnival last Saturday. Michael, A.J., John, my mom, and I attended. They had a lot of fun activities for the kids. It was a lot of fun.

Open House and Art Fair

2011-05-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

A.J.'s school had an open house and art fair last week. There were so many wonderful things to see demonstrating A.J.'s hard work this school year. Here are a few highlights.

More Prom Pictures

2011-05-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

We received the professional photographs from David's prom. Thought you'd enjoy!

Senior Awards Ceremony

2011-05-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

David, my once little (now taller than me) David, is graduating from high school on Monday. This week the school held a senior awards ceremony.

David was honored in several categories, including: AP Scholar with Honor, Exceptional Achievement in Math (one of 3 seniors honored), Golden State Seal Merit Diploma, and Outstanding Academic Excellence (David is ranked 30th out of his entire graduating class!).

We are so proud of you, David! You've worked hard, and it's paid off. Enjoy this summer before you go to the "Y" and work (and play) even harder!

Michael's First Church Dance

2011-05-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Michael has finally reached that ripe old age of 14. As such, he is able to go to church dances. David took him to his first one. I took a picture to commemorate the occasion.

Happy 18th Birthday, David!

2011-05-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was David's 18th birthday. Here are a few pictures from our family celebration.

A.J.'s Flip Book

2011-05-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

AJ is quite the artist. He made this flip book out of sticky notes, then he asked me to record him flipping through it so I could share it on the blog. Here is the video.

A.J.'s Chaparral

2011-05-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

AJ created a diorama for school of a chaparral. He did a fantastic job (much better than I ever did as a child).

Mormon Prom: Continued...

2011-05-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

At the Mormon Prom this year, they had a caricature artist. Here's the picture of David and his date.

Michael is 14!!

2011-05-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Michael turned 14 on May 5. We had a little family celebration.

Michael begged me to tell him what I got him for his birthday. He was upset, because I didn't buy him anything on his "list." I explained that his birthday list was a guideline, not a shopping list. :)

Right before Michael received his gift, we told him it was a combination birthday and finishing junior high gift.

He liked it.

Mormon Helping Hands 2011

2011-05-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

For the past few years, our family has volunteered on Mormon Helping Hands day in Southern California. This year, we weeded and put down mulch along a bike path in the city where we live.

The kids worked hard along with the other volunteers and we finished in less than 2 hours. (4 hours were scheduled to do the project.) Way to go, Volunteers!

Another Awards' Assembly

2011-05-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

AJ was honored at his school's last awards' assembly. We are so proud of him! He works so hard!

40's Not That Old, Is It?

2011-05-19T10:34:00.001-07:00

My husband and children often comment that I am not often portrayed on my blog. So here I am. Here are a couple of pictures from my 40th birthday.

A Picnic in the Park with Friends

2011-05-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed a lovely picnic in the park with some good friends.

You've got to take a few moments to watch this video. AJ wanted to show me how he could eat a cookie in one bite.

Let the Madness Begin

2011-05-19T10:01:00.001-07:00

We've had a family Easter Egg Hunt almost every year since we bought our first house. The kids had fun doing it again this year, although it was a bit late (and our grass was monstrously long!).

Here are a couple videos of the kids "hunting" for Easter eggs. I forgot that I can't rotate the video if I turn my camera to the side, so you have to turn your head to the side to view it. Sorry. :)

This one's not so bad, because I remembered not to turn the camera.

She Sits and She Waits

2011-05-19T09:48:00.001-07:00

Our cat, Mia, loves standing on the landing and looking over her "kingdom." In this case, it was the blankets for David's Eagle Project (which were stacked against the wall beneath the stairs).

Ward Easter Egg Hunt

2011-05-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Just before Easter, our ward (church congregation) had a breakfast/Easter egg hunt. Here are a few photos.

Night at the Museum: Take 3. a.k.a. Mormon Prom 2011, Finally the Parents are done with the pictures!

2011-04-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

Night at the Museum: Take 2. a.k.a. Mormon Prom 2011

2011-04-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

More photos (at a local park).

Night at the Museum: Take 1. a.k.a. Mormon Prom 2011

2011-04-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

AJ's Field Trip to the Gene Autry Museum

2011-04-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

I accompanied A.J. on his school field trip to the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage on Friday. We had a fun time learning about movie making (see AJ's "western" movie at the bottom of this post), the gold rush (including panning for gold), the plains Indians, and more.

I think one of AJ's favorite parts of the field trip was eating a fancy piece of chocolate cake in the cafeteria.

Panning for gold.

Success!

AJ's Western Scene...

Silly Cat

2011-04-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

Our cat, Mia, is a strange one. She has loved David's Eagle Scout project, because he made blankets which she could lay on (and on the scraps of fabric).

After his project last Saturday, David brought all the blankets in and lined the dining room wall (until we dropped them off today). Mia plopped herself down in the middle of the blankets. I hope none of the kids who receive a blanket we made is allergic to cats.

Today, after we loaded all the blankets in the car, Mia looked a bit depressed while gazing down at the dining room. (Of course, she wouldn't keep that pose while I took the picture, because she's afraid of the camera. This is the best I could get.)

Zoo Trip: Family

2011-04-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone has tired of me taking their pictures, so I only have one picture of the family from our Zoo trip (that I took). AJ took one of me, too.

Zoo Trip: Animals

2011-04-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

Whenever we visit the zoo, I like to take some pictures of the animals. I snapped quite a few on our trip during Spring Break. Here are some of my favorites.