Aaaaa...The Beach!!

We woke up to a beautiful day in Holland, and what better way to spend the day than at the beach! Sorry to all of you who don't have one nearby because it is absolutely breathtaking at times. Definitely better than spending the day cleaning the house. Sadly, the fun can last for only so long. We're home now which means the clean-up begins!

Butterflies Galore!!

Our family loves butterflies, but Kyler lives for butterfly season. He scouts out trees, bushes, and flowers everyday in hopes of finding them....or at least their little caterpillar offspring. His favorite butterfly to raise is the Monarch, and we are raising quite a few right now. Here are a few photos of the caterpillar in different life stages. It's really quite amazing to watch them develop from a minuscule egg, to a creeping caterpillar, and finally to a beautiful 4 or 5 inch Monarch butterfly.

Barbeques & Beaches

Father's Day this year started off with Kevin at work (as is the case most days), but he was able to slip away for an hour to come teach Elder's Quorum and get cookies the Relief Society. I'm pretty sure the cookies were a slightly stronger motivator than teaching was. Kevin's hour long visit also enabled Jordan to sing him his Father's Day song that was missed during Sacrament Meeting. Aaaaa, the sweet, operatic voice of a 6 year old.

Around 5 o'clock that night Kevin was able to come home where we put him to work barbecuing for all of us. I'm pretty sure my dad thought that was a backwards deal, but quite honestly you wouldn't want me cooking on a barbecue. Unless you like your burgers blackened and charred, I'd be better off sticking indoors with an oven by my side.

After a quick and easy meal we walked around the State Beach on hunt for caterpillars. Can I just say, it is AWESOME living next to Lake Michigan. Talk about nature at it's best. It is absolutely breathtaking! Our beach has bunches of milkweed, which is the only plant Monarch caterpillars eat. Kyler loves to scout them out every day in hopes of finding a couple. That evening, we ended up finding 3 baby Monarchs that we toted home to raise. We're up to 7 now, and I'm happy to report, all seem healthy and fine as of today. That was not the case with our last batch where all 11 died of a bacterial infection. Somebody really should buy me a pair of scrubs. I'm pretty sure I am now qualified for an honorary Monarch Nursing Certificate from whomever may offer one. Their bound to be found somewhere on this planet. Seriously, I've learned way too much about parasites and diseases of caterpillars lately. I am now in the know-how for checking all sorts of nasty infections these little insects can carry. Somebody at least say eeewwww for me! It is not always a pleasant (or sweet smelling) experience!

At least caterpillars are easy to clean and typically easy to care for. All they require is a small space and a leaf to eat. Can you imagine living on a diet of lettuce leaves all day and being completely content. Just munch, munch, munch for a few weeks, then when you are feeling too fat for your own good, create a chrysalis to hide out in for a couple of weeks, and BOOM, emerge a beautiful butterfly. What a life! Well, except for the fact that they have an incredibly short lifespan. The average butterfly only lives for 2-3 weeks after going through that major transformation. Oh well, caterpillars are the best my kids can hope for since mom has banned all other living creatures in her house. Man, I can be tough when it comes to that!

Have a pleasant day, and I hope you are able take a moment to notice some of Heavenly Father's beautiful creations around you.

Love,
Tami

"Cooking Mama"

I have a 3 year old who is borderline obsessed with cooking. It's so bad, he refers to himself as "Cooking Mama" after his favorite Nintendo DS game. The other night he decided he wanted to make us all spaghetti. No need to call DCFS on me...we made sure to turn the stove off while he cooked, but how funny is this kid. He even taste tests his creations as he goes. I must admit, the dinner was pretty tasty, so kudos to you kid...my future Chef Caleb!

Happy Daddy's Day!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all you dad's out there, but especially to my own hubby, Kevin. And of course to my dad and my father-in-law! My kids are perhaps the luckiest kids alive because they have an outstanding dad. They would be the first to tell you they think he is pretty cool! He manages to take all 3 fishing on his own (since mom can't stand it) and hasn't lost one yet (boys that is, not fish!!). That's a pretty major feat in and of itself. He's the one to take them on bike rides to search for caterpillars in dozens of Milkweed plants, and he'll throw them into Lake Michigan (which may sound like a punishment to some, but my oddballs happen to love 50 degree water...go figure.). He will also curl up with them on the bed to read stories, have "boys only" movie nights when mom is at an Enrichment meeting, and ease their fears during thunderstorms or on the first day of the new school year. He's pretty terrific, and we are all lucky to have him in our family! XOXOXO

Friends Forever

I have had such awesome friends in my life, and there are a few of you that I know check this out every so often. So here is my ode to each of you, and some of the reasons you continue to inspire me to reach higher and become a better person:

Libby: You were my very first phone call when I moved to New York at the age of 18. I had barely put my bags down when you called and invited me out to a Family Home Evening night. Not only that, you drove all the way to New Rochelle to pick me up and drive me back to the church. How incredible are you. You made my first moments in a whole new world bearable.

Mandy: You were one of my closest friends while I lived there. You knew how to make anyone feel good. You had a few rotten experiences in N.Y., but you never let it keep you down for long. I remember a time we were driving that massive Suburban somewhere and we stopped to put in a few dollars of gas. We started talking, and before we knew it, the gas gage said $50. (that was major money for a couple 18 year old girls who scraped their pennies together to buy frozen yogurt at TCBY) We had a freak out moment as we pooled our change together, but then we continued on with the day with a smile, and laughed about the moment later on.

Melissa: One of my closest friends in New York and beyond...you were even a part of my wedding. I hold incredible regard for you. I have so many memories of you, but some of my favorite were belting out Celine Dion songs as we drove to West Point at the top of our lungs, and I remember a little "party" we had at your New York house that your employers were not so happy about. Remember??? Good Times. I also love the couple of times I was able to visit you in Cedar City. The most memorable for me was a day Kevin & I came for a visit and Cydney stopped by. All 3 of us had baby boys about 5 months old, and all 3 were as bald as could be. I have a super cute picture of that.

Jacqui: You were my very best friend throughout those tumultuous high school days. We did EVERYTHING together. Truly, a fantastic person and friend for more than half of my life! Do you remember the walk to Sky View? Were we nuts or what? How many miles was that, and to top it off, we got kicked out right after we got there. Apparently, you had to be enrolled in the high school to visit the high school. No Logan High kids allowed that day! I also remember a lot of McDonald runs where we did nothing but order ice water because it was free. And of course there was our crazy 5 a.m. morning swims followed by Hardee's. before classes began. But one of the most memorable times was driving to L.A. just after graduation. What a blast that was. How is Kandis anyway?

Lisa: My Middle School bud. We did so many things together...We pushed the boundaries with our parents, and somehow still managed to come out alright. We had so much fun together going to Garcia's for diet cokes, watching Days downstairs, and talking on the phone. We were such girls...All we did was gab all day! We depended on each other for everything.

Janice: Life is always more fun when Janice is around. You always bring a smile to everybody face. I remember High School and College dances we would go to together. Remember "The Howl" You are always the life of any party, and someone who looks out for the underdog. You are a friend to all. What a great trait to have. Janice = charity. She radiates pure love.

There are so many others who have touched my life in ways I have probably never told them. To each of you, thanks. Friends have helped me achieve all that I have and you are all gifts in my eyes.

Motherhood

We are on day 5 of no school. There are moments when I am ready to call it a day. Summer school anyone?

Three boys can be SO loud. They can fight loud, play loud, run loud, talk loud, even sit loud...It's unreal sometimes how much noise they can make when they are enclosed in a house together. Although, I must admit, what a treat it is for me when the loudness is in the form of laughter and giggles. It is those moments I am in awe of having three fantastic kids.

When I am feeling I'm at the end of my rope, I think of a wonderful talk given by Russell Ballard last April. He talked of how there is no one perfect way to be a good mother. What matters most is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else. One other thought he shared was to remember that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction. Isn't that the truth? I had one of those moments yesterday when I looked out in the living room and Jordan had is arm wrapped around Caleb reading him a book. They were so content to be together. One of many shining moments I can treasure.

Family togetherness

This past May my mom and Grandma Ruthie came out for a visit during Holland's annual Tulip Time Festival. The family counted down the days, anxiously waiting for their visit. We had a great time going to Dutch Village, the John Ball Zoo, Meijer Flower Gardens, and walking the streets of downtown Holland. It was a real treat for me!

It's Official...Summer's Here!

Today is the first Monday for Kyler & Jordan where they didn't need to wake up and go to school. Kyler was stoked, and Jordan was disappointed. He doesn't think everyone needs a Summer Vacation. Luckily for him, he has a Nature Class this week to go to instead. Somehow I have to keep that boy busy all summer long. He'll be begging for lots of bike rides and hoping I'll play games with him for hours on end. Kyler, on the other hand will be content to play with a few friends, play tennis, and search for caterpillars. All I know is Labor day will be a welcome relief when it arrives and school will be back in session. Maybe I shouldn't wish for it to happen too fast. I could barely keep up with Kyler's 4th and 5th grade math this year. Boy..the mind grows old fast!

Blogs, Blogs, and More Blogs!!

I managed to delete my entire 1st blog...The whole thing was gone....I tell you I am NOT good with computers, so here goes round 2. My blog will probably stay very basic until I figure any cool tricks out., but I hope you will be patient with me, and check it out anyway!
Love,
Tami