Celebrating the 4th!!

Get ready for picture overload!

Sorry, I couldn't help it!

We spent a WONDERFUL Holiday

weekend in Idaho Falls,

and of course documented it all.

Keep in mind there were 3 of us taking pictures,

so it isn't all my fault.

(believe me, I could have posted more.

I think Dad B alone took like 35o pictures !) We have decided IF is a great place to spend

the 4th of July.

Summers there are perfect.

Even when it is hot, you always have a breeze.

It really was the perfect weekend.

We started the day-

with the parade.

Moved on to fair rides!



These are some of my favorites.
They LOVED this obstacle course.
They LOVED the competition!
They were laughing so hard,
I think they could have done this all day
if it wasn't so much work!
I love the pictures of Lou below.

Gracie shared her 4th of July hairband....

We spent time at a fun park nearby.

Mckay may want to stop teaching Mitch all his moves.

It's backfiring on him!

Seriously, I think Idaho Falls

has the best firework show I have ever seen!

It is right along the river

and right by the temple!

Highly recommend coming to see them!

Amazing.

The next day no one was ready to leave!

The kids had to fit in every last thing they could.

We went to church, had a wonderful dinner,

fit in last pushes on the swing,

tree climbing and walks...

It is never enough!

This picture of Mac and Gracie

is also one of my favorites.

My little ones

have my big ones

wrapped around their fingers.

Happy Fourth of July!

Summer WORK and PLAY!

This year's planting was not the usual! Everyone helped with the veggie garden,

but Lou had another "vision".

This vision included raspberries-

many, many raspberries.

I came home one day to a driveway

full

of dirt and railroad ties.

The end result is quite amazing,

and well worth all of Lou's hard work...ha,ha

Especially, when we are all eating raspberries.

We eat them like candy around here!

Lou planted 70 raspberry starts.

Wow.

I had to take "planting" pictures, because the

"weeding"

pic's won't be quite as exciting!

-

(if you look closely in one of the photo's,

you can see Lou's beautiful

raspberry patch behind us.

More pic's to follow!)
-

As I mentioned,

we had a LOT of dirt in our driveway--

(for a few weeks.)

The kids LOVED it..

I thought it was a mess-

a fun mess, but a mess.

As I was pulling out one day

and saw Justin and Grace in the dirt pile,

again...

I said, " Oh, guys. I really don't want you in that!

You get your hands so dirty and it gets all in your hair.

This is really dirty dirt."

( not sure what I meant by that. Is some dirt not dirty?)

This picture shows what I came home to!

Their solution to dirty hands and hair.

By the look on my face, they knew I didn't buy it.

With some quick thinking....Justin very sweetly says,

"Mom, do you want to take a picture?

We look so cute!"

He knew if it was a picture moment,

I couldn't be mad.

One of my kids FAVORITE summer activities

is sleeping on the tramp.

These pictures were taken

BEFORE

the 1:30 a.m. sprinklers came on

and drenched them.

Whoops.

Dad is always there.

I remember as a child ,

knowing there was nothing

my dad couldn't do, or fix.

(I knew this, because it is true,

there is nothing my dad can't do or fix!)

A fathers love and strength

can give such a sense of security,

confidence and well being.

If dad is there,

everything will be, OK

The confidence and Trust

I see in my children's eyes when they look at their dad,

is one of the greatest blessings in my life.

They have no doubt

they will be taken care of,

they are loved, and that if dad is there-

everything will be, OK

This fathers Day

I am overwhelmed with gratitude

for the three fathers in my life.

My own,

Lou's -whom I am blessed to call my own,

and the father of my children.

*

Howard W. Hunter has said,

"True greatness is never a result

of a chance occurrence

or a one-time effort or achievement.

It requires the development of

character.

It requires a multitude of correct decisions

for the everyday choices

between good and evil."

*

How grateful I am

for the choices these three men have made

throughout their lives.

They live their lives in

"true greatness".

They lead, through daily examples of

loving the Lord and following the Savior.

*Happy Fathers Day to all Fathers*

We honor you.

And an especially heartfelt

Thank you and expression of deep love

for my three fathers.

Thank you,

for making everything,

OK

The other "Boise Buhrley's"!!

The Other "Boise Buhrley's"come back

HOME!!!

Well, at least for a couple of days... It's been almost a year since Matt, Amber and the kids moved to California,

(Matt is attending an Endo program there.)

Justin made the comment,

" I waited so, so long for them to come over and play.

It took sooooo long!"

We have really missed them.

As you can see,

they have such a great time together

and my kids simply adore them.

Eliza and Porter are so sweet

and we couldn't get enough of them.

Mckay spent time teaching Porter some new tricks!

(I told Matt it was payback!)

It was actually pretty harmless--

Some dancing and sayings like,

"Mckay is the best"

and

" Hi, my name is Porter and I'm a cool dude!"

When he wasn't glued to Mitch,

( i'm not sure there was a time he wasn't glued to Mitch??)

he was in full character--usually Buz Lightyear.

Like I said...

we couldn't get enough!

Lou and I always enjoy Matt and Amber.

They are so fun and easy to be with.

It was a super fun visit.

It felt like they should still

be living just around the corner!

Hopefully they will be soon!

Growing up...

It was so much fun to have Justin and Grace

in the same Pre-school class this year!

Every Tuesday I went with them on a "field trip".

Here are a few photos of our Tuesday fun through out the year.


The last day of school was a Luau...
and Justin's graduation!
Here comes Kindergarten!

Advancing to Kindergarten, also means...

the dreadful Kindergarten shots.

These pictures were taken after we got home.

I told them to look "sad" and this is what I got.

(doesn't look staged at all, does it!)

I wish I would have had the camera

at the Doctor's office.

I thought the nurse was going to bring everyone in

to see how Gracie was taking care of Justin.

She pulled up a stool right next to him

and held his hand while trying to comfort him.

Even more,

I wish I would have had a tape recorder

of the conversation between the two leaving the Doctor's office!

Justin kept telling Gracie over and over again,

when she gets her shots--

she is "going to cry to death,

just cry to death."

At first Gracie was being really brave,

This begin to slowly change with every

"cry to death."

Justin then says,

"Mom, I don't want to come

when Gracie gets her kindergarten shots.

Please mom, I'm not going to come."

This upset Gracie and I thought it was a little odd? Until he said,

" I just can't see it mom,

It is going to really, really hurt her!"

At this point Gracie is in tears imagining the pain she has to look forward to.

Justin comes up with a plan.

Gracie is not going to Kindergarten.

No Kindergarten,

No shots.

Oh, the perfect plan!

They now discuss the details--

Justin will go to school

and come home and teach Gracie!

They are both pleading for me to allow this to happen!

There are no more tears, no more anxiety--

just joy and relief that they have decided

Gracie will not be going to Kindergarten.

Later Justin comes to me-

very quietly and says,

"Mom, how am I going to do that?"

He has faced reality.

He knows Gracie is going to have to face the shots.

He is not telling her.

He is letting them both be in denial for another year.

side note...in Gracie's bedtime prayer's just last night,

she said "thank you for me not going to Kindergarten."

School's OUT for SUMMER!!!

Today was the last day of school...

it is officially SUMMER!

First stop-- our traditional trip to the library,

topped off with a McDonald's ice cream cone.

You have heard of a "rain dance" to bring rain? Well, the kids decided a "sun dance" was needed to bring in the sun! They had a boys against girls dance- off. Apparently, the boys felt they needed to have their shirts off to fully embrace the

summer sun and summer freedom!

I am the nicest mom ever, at least that is what I tell my kids. I told them they had the rest of the week off! We will wait and start our home summer school on Monday. Mitch said, "thanks mom!" until the rest of the kids looked at me like I was crazy. Then he realized he had the sneakiest mom ever.
Happy Summer everyone!!!

Mitch the BEAR!

Mitch received his "Bear" in Scouts last month!

Mitch has wonderful Scout Leaders-

that make it much easier for the parents!

I especially love the picture with Mitch hugging his dad.

I love Lou's relationship with the kids.

I also love the picture, with Mitch -

showing off his award and Justin showing off his..

Pretzel?

Ha, anything to be a little more like his big brother!

Mitch is such an amazing big brother.

He will play and play and play.

HE also makes it much easier for the parents!

The other day when Justin came in the house after playing with Mitch-

with a proud smile on his face, he said,

"Mitch really loves me."

Siblings can do what parents cannot.

Such an important bond I am so grateful for,

and is so worth working for!