T-Rav is 17!

I can't believe my first born is that old!  Happy Birthday T-Rav, we love you!

We really didn't do much, he didn't want a party or anything so we just had dinner as a family.  He wanted spaghetti, so that is what we had along with ice cream cones, no cake.  We got him a new phone for his birthday and he is pretty excited about it!

Here are 17 things about Travis you should know

1 -He is a good example to others

2 -He is patient

3 -He has a hilarious sense of humor

4 -He is respectful of others

5 -He hates getting his hair cut

6 -His favorite meal is pepperoni pizza

7 -He likes to dance (hence the nickname Beyonce)

8 -He loves high school

9 -He doesn't like to get his picture taken

10 -He is looking for a job

11 -He likes to swim but not competitively

12 -He wants to serve a mission

13 -He is an Eagle Scout

14 -He finally likes to drive

15 -He loves Mike and Ikes

16 -He doesn't like yard work

17 -He likes to play cards and World of Warcraft

In other news today, I went on a bike hike with my cub scouts and found out I was really out of shape (actually I already knew that).  I was glad there were a couple little scouts that needed to walk their bikes up the hill, because I needed to do that too!  Whew!!

Tenderfoot

We spent most of the day unpacking from our vacation, doing laundry, figuring out what food we need to re-stock on and stuff like that. We got back on our Tuesday Thursday cleaning schedule and re-potted (I'm pretty sure that is not grammatically correct) all of the plants.

Tyrel had his friend Tyler come and hang out during the day and we had a potluck dinner up the canyon for the scout Pack Night/Court of Honor.

Trevin has earned his Tenderfoot rank and I forgot to bring my camera. If anyone else in the ward got a picture of him, will you please send it to me?

He is following right along in the footsteps of his older brothers. Pretty soon, he will be an Eagle Scout.

Bear Lake - Last Day

This morning we had to get up, wash bedding, dust, sweep, mop, wash windows, pack, eat breakfast, load the cars, make final checks to make sure we weren't leaving anything, wash dishes, clean all the rooms, vacuum, clean toilets, and leave.  Whew!  Can you believe we did all of that in 1 1/2 hours?  The saying is true, many hands make light work.  Actually, I think mom was up pretty early getting a good start on some of that.

We headed down the canyon and then home.  It was a fun week but I'm excited to sleep in my own bed tonight.  I stopped with the boys at Carl's Jr for lunch on the way home.  They were all really talkative on the way home and it made the trip go quickly.  They all had fun but are excited to get back home too.

As we drove up to the house, there was someone working in the front yard.  Sean had arranged for my birthday present to get the front yard done (or at least started).  It is looking so good!  Thanks honey!  I love you.  It was a great surprise to come home to.  They have been working on it all week while we have been gone.

Now, I just need to sell about 600 scrapbook kits to pay for what is done so far, so if anyone needs any scrapbook kits, head here.  LOL

Bear Lake - Day 7

Today is my birthday.  Not that I'm counting anymore.  We all got up, had cereal for breakfast and went to Sacrament Meeting in Garden City.  We went to the 9:00 am meeting and it was packed.  The chapel, overflow, gym, stage, relief society, nursery and primary rooms were all packed!  I bet their budget allowance is good with that kind of attendance in the summer months. 

When we got back, we had roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, beans, salad, and rolls for dinner.  It tasted sooooo good.  The boys watched a couple movies and played a few games.  Quite a bit of reading and napping was going on. 

Heidi wanted to make a kit for my birthday for a freebie.  I didn't want to do a birthday themed kit, so we decided on a kit called At The Cabin.  It is so cute!  Watch my scrapping blog in a couple days to get it for free.

Greg and Sean left because they both have to work tomorrow and Brett and Andrea headed out a couple hours later.  I think we are all getting tired and ready to go home.  I'm ready for my own bed and some good toilet paper!

Bear Lake - Day 6

Brett and Andrea and Greg made us waffles this morning for breakfast.  We have had quite a variety of food this week.  I think we all probably gained a few pounds.

For lunch we had sloppy joes and chips and then headed to the beach again.  The boys were good and wore sun screen and their t-shirts.  Sean played 500 with them with a water frisbee and they had a blast.  I sat on shore with Kirk and Heidi and I wasn't so good.  I didn't put sunscreen on and I got burned on my arms pretty bad.  Not fun!

Sean, Tyrel and Tyler spent the afternoon on the 4wheelers and had a great time!

We picked up the cabin because Sister Redd was coming up for dinner.  She is the lady that owned the cabin we stayed at.  My parents knew her from their mission.

We had barbequed Tri-Tip, pork tenderloin, dutch oven potatoes, corn on the cob and rolls.  My mom made these yummy fruit bars with ice cream for dessert.  I need to get the recipe. 

We sat around talking most of the night.  My dad told his conversion story and Sister Redd's friend, Robin, told her conversion story also.  It was a good one!  Kind of fun to hear my dad's story again.

Bear Lake - Day 5

We got up bright and early at 5 am to head to the sunrise. Trevin rode with me. Tyler rode with Derick. Kaitlin rode with Heidi and Tyrel rode alone.

We got some awesome pictures! On the way back, the boys wanted to stop at the "track" and have us take their pictures on the jumps. We came back and had omelets and fruit for breakfast. Then we got the dishes done and the house cleaned up.

The boys spent the morning filling balloons and having a water balloon fight.  They had one and then filled up the balloons to bombard Uncle Greg once he and Sean got there in the afternoon.  Not such a good idea.

We had left overs for lunch.  It is amazing how we can eat for almost a week and the fridge is still stuffed full.  We aren't making any progress on cleaning it out it seems.
 
Brett, Andrea, and Jaron arrived a little bit after lunch and Sean and Greg got there a little bit after that.
 
For dinner, Brett and Andrea made pork chops, baked potatoes, and salad and Andrea made a yummy trifle for dessert.

Greg showed us a few new card games and Andrea and I (between the two of us) remembered how to play another game.  So, we had another fun night of cards.

Bear Lake - Day 4

The Nielsen's are in charge of food today. We had breakfast burritos, orange rolls, and grape juice for breakfast.

I feel like I'm saying the same things everyday. We eat, we play cards, we eat, we ride 4wheelers, we eat and then we eat some more. Then we sleep and start it all over again.

For lunch we had grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken noodle soup and then headed to the lake.
It was about 85 degrees at the lake but only 78 at the cabin, so quite a bit cooler up on the mountain. The kids played in the water, chased the seagulls and tried to build a sandcastle. Trevin and Tyrel got sunburned on their necks and shoulders a bit, but not too bad.

For dinner, we were in charge again. We did pizza and it was yummy! We had 7up cake and homemade ice cream for dessert. The ice cream recipe wasn't the best, but it was okay. We watched The Blind Side and then went to bed early because we wanted to get up to drive the 4wheelers to the ridge and watch the sun rise.  

Bear Lake - Day 3

The kids treated us to breakfast this morning. Trevin cooked the sausage. Travis cooked the pancakes. Tyrel cooked the scrambled eggs. Derick set the table and "made" the juice and just helped out. Tyler and Kaitlin cleaned up when we were done.

We played more cards and went on more 4wheeler rides this morning. Then the boys helped Grandpa build the fire pit.

For lunch we had hamburgers and hot dogs and then we rode down the canyon a ways to see Rick's Spring. It is a big cave and was kinda cool. The big boys got scared of a bat and Trevin got "stung" by some stinging nettle.

We drove back up part way and took a road that went to Tony's Lake and the boys skipped rocks for a while.

When we got back to the cabin, the 3 older boys went riding the 4wheelers to a track with some jumps they found when they were out exploring and the rest of us played Double Down and watched a movie.

For dinner we had tacos and burritos and then we all sat down to watch Forever Strong. Right near the end of the movie when the big game was about to start, Trevin brushed his arm and felt something on it. It was a bug and he brushed it a couple of times and it didn't come off. I jumped up to help and when I looked at it I knew it was a tick. Dang it, I should have taken a picture but we were all too panicked. We smeared it with some peanut butter and let it set for a minute then Grandpa wiped it off, but not before Trevin almost hyperventilated.

After the movie and the tick trauma, we played another game of Encore, which the BOYS won again. They listen to music too much I think. Or, they are really good at remembering random lyrics.

Bear Lake - Day 2

This morning we woke up to breakfast casserole from Kirk and Heidi's family.

We discovered that the boys froze on the deck. Travis is the only one that gave in and came inside. The rest of them stuck it out on their cots on the deck.

We kind of all just chilled most of the day going for a few 4wheeler rides, taking pictures of scenery and flowers, playing cards and visiting.

There was this funny chipmunk that ran down the side of the house, saw all of us on the deck, flipped over and played dead.  It was hilarious.  It's little heart was beating very rapidly, eyes were open, but he was on his back with his legs in the air.  It held very still for probably 2 or 3 minutes.  After we took pictures and went back to ignoring it, it ran off.

Bella (the Marchant's dog) ate a chipmunk and then puked it up later. It was disgusting.  Not sure if it was the same chipmunk as above or not, but I think it probably was.

Dumb Schmuck seems to be the card game of the week. The kids are having a ball playing it over and over.

The Marchant's made us grilled chicken sandwiches for lunch along with melons and chips and salsa. They were yummy!

For dinner we all made our own HOBO dinners and cooked them on the grill. They were yummy too.

We played Loaded Questions after dinner, then had family prayers and then played Don't Eat Pete.

The temperature up here is great. We miss Sean but we are having fun.

Bear Lake - Day 1

Late Monday morning we had the car packed and headed to Bear Lake. I was a little nervous about pulling the trailer with the 4wheelers by myself. Usually, Sean is the trailer puller, but he said I would be fine and not even notice it behind me.

We drove as far as Wal-Mart in Brigham City, had a bathroom break, and then headed up to Logan where we stopped at a pavillion at a Stake Center for lunch and then headed up Logan Canyon. It was a pretty drive and the canyon driving wasn't near as bad as the freeway driving with all the construction and super narrow lanes right alongside the cement barriers.

The cabin at Bear Lake is beautiful. It has a big kitchen/dining/living room area. There is also a laundry room, 2 bathrooms and 2 bedrooms on the main level.

The upstairs has 2 bedrooms, a loft, and a bathroom. The basement has a family room, a bathroom and two bedrooms. We are so grateful to Sister Redd from my mom and dad's mission that is letting us stay here for the week. Oh, and there is an awesome deck with a great view of the lake. I'm going to have to get up early one of these mornings to take some pictures of the sunrise.

We had my grandpa Richardson's recipe of Papa's Chili Con Carne for dinner along with melons and cucumbers. Kaitlin did a Family Home Evening Lesson about what is good on a sundae (Sunday). Travis, Trevin and Tyrel sang the Family Night Song for the opening song, and we all had sundae's for dessert then stayed up and visited for a while with Kirk and Heidi's friends that now live in Logan.

Afte that we had family prayer and then played a rousing game of Encore. The Boys team won (Travis, Tyrel, and Derick). We had one round where we had 31 songs and they had 32. It was one heck of a round.

The Men in My Life

Today we had an awesome lesson in Relief Society. Liz did a great job with a lesson about the Atonement and did a great job reminding us just how much our Heavenly Father loves us. It was a great lesson for Father's Day. A reminder of the greatest Father of us all.

We went down to Sean's parents for dinner and had a fun visit with the family.

I'm grateful for all the great men in my life. My husband and my boys, my father and father in law, my grandfathers and especially my Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ.
 

I Really Need A Shower

Well, this morning we were up, made breakfast, did housecleaning chores and then spent the day cleaning out coolers, packing, making lists, cooking, washing clothes, cooking, more packing, and more cooking.  Trevin got back from Scout camp so then I had to do more washing clothes.  He had fun!

Sean's family invited us down for Father's Day dinner tomorrow, so I had to make the stuff I had got for Sean for Father's Day today, so more cooking.  By the time we had dinner, I still hadn't showered and got ready for the day.

Tyrel decided he wanted to go on a date, so I went with my stinky clothes and no makeup because he just wantd to go for a 4 wheeler ride and I figured I'd get dusty and dirty again anyway.  The date was fun.  After we rode for a while, we came back and played Dumb Schmuck.  I was the dumb schmuck but all the games were really close.  We were going to play the best 2 out of 3, and I won that, so he said let's do the best 3 out of 5, which he ended up winning.  I should have stopped while I was ahead.  Then we played a couple games of Sequence, which I did win.

We are excited to go on our trip next week.  I hope I've got everything packed and ready.

Scout Camp for Trevin

Trevin headed to his first boy scout campout early this morning.  I can't believe how big he is getting.   It is just one night and the schedule looks like they are working on lots of rank advancement type things.  He was pretty excited to go.

Sean worked half a day and then we went to lunch and to the temple.  We were only able to get 16 sealings done because someone else had a bunch of names too but it was fun to have a date with him and get some of them completed.

When we got home we took Travis and Tyrel out for pizza then Travis and I went grocery shopping for our trip to Bear Lake this coming week while Tyrel mowed the lawn and Sean got the garden watered.  We are all so excited to go on our trip!  We have the 4wheelers ready, the menu planned and just need to get laundry done tomorrow so we can get everything packed.

Sean, Travis and Tyrel decided they wanted to sleep on the cots out back tonight, so I'm home alone, kinda, they are just in the back yard.  They looked so cute with all of them lined up for their campout.

Still cleaning!

Our Summer cleaning schedule is going so well!  We haven't missed a day yet.  We deep clean a room each Tuesday and Thursday.  Today, Tyrel chose the living room.  Travis moved all the furniture and vacuumed.  Tyrel cleaned the baseboards while Travis had it all pulled out, then cleaned the light switches and window sills.  Trevin dusted all the furniture and dusted the blinds.  I cleaned out and organized all the books, scriptures, journals, lesson manuals, Friends, Ensigns and New Eras that have accumulated in there since 2008.  Wow, we had some old ones.  Now we have a nice tidy "little" stack. 

Trevin spent most of his day packing for scout camp.  He leaves early tomorrow morning for it.

Travis spent most of his afternoon going around looking for jobs and filling out applications.  If anyone knows of something, let us know.  He is desperately looking for a job.

Sean and I were going to go to Ward temple night tonight, but by the time he got home from work, we wouldn't have made the session.  He promised to take me tomorrow after our lunch date though since he doesn't have anything scheduled for the afternoon.  I'm holding him to it!  I think we are going to try to get the rest of the sealings done.

So, since I was home, I did a speed scrap tonight and finished a layout of our cute little scout troop.  You can see it here if you want to.  I figured it was ok to post it since it doesn't show anyone's faces, if any of you mother's are not ok with it, let me know.

Hanging out with Family

Heidi's family came up and we hung out for a few hours today and then my parents took us all to see the new Karate Kid movie.  It was excellent!  Highly recommend.  I liked the original Karate kid movies in their day, but this was so much better in so many ways.  Only thing that I didn't love was the little 12 year old romance, little young for that I think.

I also got Trevin's paperwork all filled out for Scout camp and the bills paid. 

I'm grateful to be able to spend time with family.  We are all going to Bear Lake all next week and I'm so excited to just chill and play games and visit a lot!

Can I Disconnect my phone?

So, I get up this morning and find an email that all the links to all the kits at the store are missing?  Where did they go?  So frustrating.  People were buying kits and then not getting the downloads.  So the owner took the store down for about an hour and we all had to re-link everything, what a pain.  Plus, my phone kept ringing all morning long and for some reason, I couldn't talk and link at the same time.  I did get a vinyl job out of one of the calls though.  Not that I'm mad at any of you who called, I did enjoy chatting with you.

The boys and I cleaned my room this morning.  Real tough one......  They like to get these hard ones out of the way huh!?  The only really tough part was the job Travis drew, he ended up having to clean the ceiling fans.  That is something I don't do on a regular basis.  He figured we could just put them on high speed and it would all just fly off...........no such luck.  They look bright and shiny now though.  Trevin cleaned the doors/windows inside and out and vacuumed the floor.  Tyrel dusted all the furniture (which is actually quite a bit in that room) and cleaned the light switches.  I have this thing about having clean light switches.  I actually clean them every Saturday and more if I notice grungy fingerprints on them.  It is one of my pet peeves to not have clean light switches.  I cleaned the baseboards (Clorox wet wipes work really good for this chore I discovered) and picked up and put away the extra stuff (books, blankets) that had accumulated over the last week or so.  Tyrel also took down all the DVDs and Videos that had found their way up to my room from the theater room.  The boys like to watch videos up there since the video machine in the theater room is kaput!  Maybe they should take the machine from my room and hook it up down there, now there is a thought.

I did a speed scrap after that and then got the vinyl job completed.  Pretty busy day here at the homefront.

I'm grateful the boys are helping deep clean the house.  It gives them something to do a couple times a week and teaches them a valuable skill even though they seem to think they are teenagers and that is not a trait of a teenager.  Someday they will be grateful they know how to clean too.

Crazy Monday

Well if yesterday was lazy, today was crazy! 

I started on a new kit and it totally absorbed my day!  I got so caught up in it that I didn't pay attention to anything until Travis came up to me and said, "So, what's for dinner?"  I told him I hadn't really thought about it yet and then I looked at the clock and it was 5:38!  Oh my!  Thank goodness that you can cook frozen hamburger. 

I was all set to make stroganoff and found out we didn't have any cream of mushroom soup, so we ended up with tacos but as I was fixing them, my family slowly disappeared.  Sean wasn't back from work yet and Trevin had to go shopping with the scouts for his campout this weekend and Tyrel had to go help take flags down.  What is up with church activities on a Monday night?  I was set to not let them go, but Sean wasn't back from work yet so it didn't matter anyway.

Once we finally all ate (in shifts) and cleaned up dinner, we sat down for our Family Night lesson by Trevin and then Sean took us all out for ice cream cones since it was his night for treats.  I need to pay attention to the time better I guess..........

Lazy Sunday

Sunday's are usually kind of dull around here.  Nothing really happened other than we went to church, got our ward picture taken (that was a feat).  I'm glad brother Bell was in charge and not me............

After church I finished the book club book for next month and made yummy rotisserie chicken for dinner. It was so good!!!  I love that feature of our grill.

Me

Sean took this picture of me when we had our photo shoot in April and I finally decided to scrap it during a speed scrap today.  My friend Gerri showed me this cool faded denim action that takes out all the color and just leaves the denim and you can make it look either bright, normal or faded.  So cool!

We had massive rain showers today.  I couldn't believe it!  It was a downpour.  And it wasn't a warm spring rain either, it was stinkin' cold.  I so didn't look forward to having to go grocery shopping in the lovely weather, but Trevin went with me and we got it done.

After dinner we all made slushies and watched a movie.  Glad it warmed up a tad or we would have needed to make hot chocolate to have during the movie.  I love our slushie machine.  It is the best!

Scrapbook Weekend

I got up early this morning to get my dessert made for our ward party tonight then headed over to Provo to scrapbook with my friends.  I love getting together with them and I'm so grateful for the great friendship we have.  I got my part of a Track and Field kit done for the store and then I scrapped with it.  I got 2 layouts fully done and 2 more almost finished while I was there.

I had to leave around 4:30 to get home to finish my dessert and head to the ward party.  It was a fiesta party and they had pinatas and pin the tail on the burro for the kids.  Tyrel won our Sombrero centerpiece and they had Cafe Rio style fixings to make either salad or a burrito.  Fresh watermelon, grapes, pineapple, strawberries and various desserts.  So yummy!  When I got home I finished my other two layouts and posted them at this post here.  They were all from Trevin's Hershey Track Meet.

Book Club and House Cleaning.

The boys and I got some more cleaning done today. I love it when we all work together, we can get things done so much faster. We cleaned the hall, the entryway, and the stairs. Tyrel mopped all the areas. I vacuumed the stairs, cleaned the railing, and cleaned the baseboards going down the stairs. Travis and Trevin decided to work on their jobs together. They dusted the little table in the hall, the table in the entryway, cleaned all the baseboards in the hall and entryway, cleaned the windows on the front door inside and out, and cleaned the mirror in the entryway.

I went to book club tonight at Jeni's house. It was fun to sit and visit with my friends. I look forward to book club every month.

When I got home, Tyrel had a bunch of friends over watching a movie in the theater room. No clue who was down there, but my entry way was full of shoes when I walked in the door. I should have taken a picture because I love all the shoes in a pile at the front door.

Hike to the Grotto

I had to get up bright and early and take my car down to get new tires on it so that I could haul children for our scout activity today.  Glad that is done and I don't have to worry about taking it to Bear Lake for the family reunion in a couple weeks.

We had our first activity for my new calling - Den Leader.  I'm excited to be working with Kelly in this calling.

We met at my house with our 7 scouts plus Kelly's son who is almost a scout.  We had 3 missing scouts and hope they can make it next time.

We mixed up some trail mix and then headed up the canyon to the Grotto.  I had the chatty bunch in my car, but that was okay.  Kelly said she didn't hear a peep out of the one's in her car but they were watching a movie.  We hiked up to the Grotto and the boys played in the water and ate their trail mix.  All the way back down, they kept taking little excursions into little pools of water to play.  We picked up garbage on the way back down too so that they could earn their Utah County Trails Patch along with the other things we passed off.  I think they all had fun and sorry to the mom's if we brought them back dirty and muddy, but at least we all had a good time.

Travis and Tyrel got the new battery in the car and they went to the movie this afternoon and then to the Youth dance tonight.  After the dance they headed to their friends house and played until late.  I'm glad they have so many good friends close by that I don't have to worry about them getting into trouble.

When Travis got home at 9:30, he and I walked around the block a few times and had a good talk.  I love visiting with him and I love that he is open and willing to talk to his old mom.

Continual car problems

So, on top of new brakes and new tires for my car, and the batter in the Honda dying.  Sean's work truck radiator went out yesterday and he said he probably needed new brake pads on it also.  Lovely!

Travis and Tyrel decided to try to tackle the battery in the car themselves today without dad's help, but come to find out, we got the wrong size battery, so it didn't get finished.

I decided on Tuesday's and Thursday's we were going to deep clean a room in the house throughout the summer.  So, today the boys chose to clean my office.  I cleaned up and put away all the clutter and got lots of paperwork and stuff organized.  Trevin dusted all the furniture really well and also the computer monitors, printers, and fax machine.  Tyrel cleaned the blind, windowsill and window track.  Travis cleaned the baseboards and vacuumed when the rest of us were done.  It looks all sparkly and smells lemony fresh.

I made this layout today from our photo shoot in April and thought I would share it here.

60 Cent Cones

I forgot, this is another thing Trevin and I did last week while the boys were gone.  After one of the long room cleaning days, we headed to Arctic Circle because we saw that they were having 60 cent - quarter pound ice cream cones this month.  So, we had a cheap (inexpensive) date.  It was fun.  So, any of you needing a cheap date, this is a good one!

I went there again with Travis for our date today.  I'm thinking all 3 of them will think this is a good idea, so I'm sure I'll be heading there with Tyrel within the next week or so.

Trevin the Lawn Mower

I forgot that Trevin got his first lesson on lawn mowing while the older boys were gone to Youth Conference this past week.  Sean was patient working with him, he did a great job!  When I asked him how he did, he said he only missed a few spots.  LOL

Update - I almost forgot.  Today was testimony meeting at church and I just wanted to say how I was touched by Sister Osborn's testimony.  She was talking to the youth mainly, but I think her statement was something we all need to remember.  She said whenever we are discouraged to remember where those feelings come from.......they are NOT from our Heavenly Father or the Savior.  Good food for thought!

Ward Dairy Assignment

It was our Ward's turn for the dairy assignment again.  So bright and early this morning at 7:00 we headed to the church for doughnuts.  It didn't happen easily though.  No one wanted to get out of bed.  Then, Sean had promised Raymond a load of compost, so he and Tyrel headed down there to get Raymond's truck to put it in.  Since it is a single cab, we wouldn't all fit so we were going to have to take two cars.  My car was out of the question because of the tire situation.  I didn't dare drive it that far until I get the new tires on it.  We went to start Travis' car and the battery was dead.  One thing after another.  So, we drove my car to the church and decided to bum a ride with someone else.  Choices were limited because cars were full, or people were in trucks so there wasn't room for 3 of us.  The Bishop had room, but he was going to have to leave early to come back to a baptism.  Stanworth's had room for us but didn't know how long they would be staying because they had their babies with them.  So, my boys didn't think it was so bad if we had to leave early so we rode out and back with them.  It was fun conversation and Trevin loved getting to watch a movie during the drive.  Thanks Stanworth's  You are awesome!

We picked weeds, and then they had to edge around the curbing.  I think it hadn't been done in years because it was way overgrown.  We had to edge it twice and then get people with shovels on each side to break the roots with someone pulling it up at the same time.  What a chore.  We are glad we went though.

After that we came back and finished  cleaning house and laundry here.  It has been a full day.

Cleaning Trevin's Disaster

Man, I knew he was a pack rat, but didn't know he was so bad.  He promises he will keep it cleaner, so we shall see what happens.  We emptied 3 kitchen size garbage cans of junk (broken toys, candy wrappers, clothes and socks with holes in them) plus a shoe box full of garbage and the garbage can in his room full.  He filled his laundry hamper twice with dirty socks and clothes stuck in every which corner.  Everything is cleaned, organized, and in it's proper place now.  His clothes are even sorted in his dresser with socks and underwear in one drawer, pants in a drawer, pjs in a drawer, and shorts and sweats in a drawer.  All shirts are hanging in closet.  I think we found about 40 missing hangers too.

It took us 7 hours this week of both of us nonstop cleaning and sorting to get it all done.  Now he is sorting all the lego pieces into separate bins while he watches TV and then we will be done.  Whew, what a relief!  I'm really going to need to stay on top of it more and make sure he keeps it clean and organized. 

Travis and Tyrel should be home today, I'm excited to have them back home.

I had to take my car in yesterday because the brakes were making a horrible sound.  It needed new brake pads on the front and luckily I took it in before they wore the rotors out.  But, he showed my my front tires where the tread is separating from the tires, so I guess I need at least new front tires also.  I guess it is a blessing we don't need to make the truck payment because I'm sure it will take at least that much to get everything fixed on my car.  Oh well, at least we aren't making a truck payment in addition to the repair bill.

Still cleaning and a couple layouts

We are getting a little closer on Trevin's room, it is gonna take us another day though.  Hopefully we can get it done tomorrow.

I made these layouts of the boys playing badminton on Memorial Day. They all got sunburned they were out playing it for so long. I think they got about 6 hours of play time in for one day. I made the same layout as the bottom one of Tyrel for Travis and Trevin also, but won't bore you with the same layout, different child photos. LOL

So Lonely, So Sad, So Messy

Travis and Tyrel left for Youth Conference this morning.  It is so lonely and quiet around here with them both gone.  Trevin is really good at entertaining himself, so we don't hear much from him either.

Sean sold his truck today.  It was rough on him.  He is sad to see it go but it is nice not to have to worry about that payment anymore.  It was our only vehicle with a payment so now that is gone it should make life a little less stressful.

Trevin and I spent 2 hours cleaning his room this morning and it isn't done.  I'm pretty sure it will take us 2 hours a day for the rest of the week.  We are deep cleaning and sorting through all the toys and getting them all into the right bins.  It takes a lot of time since we have so many little Lego's, Knex, cars, ninja's, plus lots more.

We went out to dinner after we sold the truck then came home and Sean taught Trevin how to mow the lawn.  It was his first time and Trevin thinks he did pretty good.  He told me he missed a couple spots.  Then he and Sean went for a drive on the golf cart around the neighborhood while I watched So You Think You Can Dance.

In Memory of Bernice Montague

Sean's 2nd mom growing up (his best friend's mom) passed away last week.  We spent today at her funeral and paying respects to her and her family.  Bernice was a wonderful person and we will miss her.  She was always busy doing something with her hands, quilting, crocheting, tatting, canning, gardening, cooking.  She did quite a bit of the quilting work on both of our wedding quilts and I'm pretty sure she helped with some baby quilts my boys have also.  She crocheted the NIELSEN name for us when we got married and it is hanging with our family pictures in our living room and we have a few other things crocheted by her also. 

I'm glad she took the time to take Sean in and glad that her son Kelly was such a great friend to him.  I've heard he pretty much spent most waking hours at their house during his teenage years. 

I have a really funny picture of Sean with her and Raymond at Todd and Haylee's wedding.  I'll have to scan it and post it here when I get some time later today.  We love you and will miss you Bernice.

Pictures to follow