Sunday, May 21, 2017

April Showers

April definitely was a month of "April Showers" which is bringing many "May Flowers."  Unfortunately, we also had a lot of snow storms in April, which almost killed all of our flowers.  Luckily they survived, and are making a comeback now.  The weather was all over the place.  We were sunny and in the 70's, then cold, snowing and below freezing again.  They sunny days sure got us excited for Spring/Summer and warm weather again.  We have been trying to work on our yard/lawn again and it's finally coming along.  Thankfully most of the flowers we planted last year came back, and are thriving now.  Here are some pics of our yard/lawn in progress:

Some tulips coming in.  They were here last year, but I wasn't sure if they'd come back since we put ground cover and mulch down over then, but luckily they did, and it made me very happy to see!

We made a garden box and planted a couple things: Strawberries, peppers and tomatoes.

My cute boys next to our tulips.

Silly boys both pulling faces :)

The tulips on our front porch coming in, along w/ our Dianthus and Day Lilies we planted last year.  I was so excited to see them come back, and they are more full than they were last year.  We even had some purple tulips up front on the side yard.  So pretty!

We decided to plant a pear tree since we all love pears so much!
Our garden coming along.

And then it snowed a couple days later!

Our poor little tulips were not happy about the snow.  Don't they look so sad?

Luckily the snow melted and the flowers came back.  Our Tulips and Lilac bush.

As it warmed up we decided to attack more of our "jungle" in the back.  Steve ripped out the ivy in the corner of our yard.  It was everywhere and climbing over to 2 of our neighbor's yards as well.  It was nice to finally get it out.  It sure makes the yard feel bigger with it gone.  We had another city "dump/garbage pick up" so we were able to get of a lot of it then.

Nyles helping to cut up the twigs that Steve pull out. 

 We had a family clean up day out in our yard one Saturday as well.  Steve worked on getting the rest of the ivy/weeds out, while I mowed the lawn, planted Irises and scrapped up the dead lawn.  Carter enjoyed being outside just jumping and playing.  Nyles helped where he could as well.

Carter loves being outside, and loves jumping.

Getting closer to planting our pear tree where we cleared out the ivy.

We cleaned up the area by the faucet and put in a hose rack, and put rocks and pavers around it.  
We also added new mulch around the flower beds.

 

Tulips I moved over to the side yard from up where the trees were cut down.  
Steve weeded, put ground cover and then new mulch down as well.

Still working around the pear tree.  Notice the dead grass.  We killed most of it in the front yard and some in the back yard.  Steve seeded the grass in the front, but we wanted to wait to see how it did before doing the back.


Steve likes to get down and close when he's working.  He's pulling out weeds and straw from the front yard (which was protecting our grass seed), which had blown to other areas. 

More pretty Tulips up front, white and red.  Notice the lovely straw in the flower bed.  
You can kindof see the grass growing behind it.

Our grass seed under the straw, our Tulips coming in and Dianthus flowers, our grass on the left we sodded last year after pulling out the bushes, and the pretty trees up front.

The grass up by the purple trees was pretty much dead also, so Steve decided to tear it out and sod it one day.  He raked it out, leveled it, then put in the new grass.  All before I got home from work one day.  Pretty productive day I'd say!

Getting the sod into place.

Nyles loves being outside and helping Steve w/ the yard.

Beautiful!  It was a surprise for me when I got back from work.  

Our yard is coming along a little at a time.

Monday, May 1, 2017

April 2017 Gratitude

April has come and gone.  Here are some highlight from the month and where we found some joy and things to be grateful for.  Also some funny pics.

Carter showing off his sippy cup skills.  "See mom I can do it all by myself."

Silly picture Steve made.

Nyles taking some "selfies."

And another....

Steve, Nyles and Carter playing roller-coaster. 

 
StevePennyNyles
4/1/2017Penny helped make planter box.General Conference, sunshine, mowed lawn, made planter box and planted veggies.My dragon pillow pet.
4/2/2017Penny's crepes for breakfast and family Easter dinner.Temples. More going to be built, which will make them accessible to even more people/members.Got to ride w/ Ryder, play w/ Conor, and Easter Egg Hunt.
4/3/2017Got rid of bird's nest on front of house.Coworkers helped me out when my password locked me out of computer.Played w/ neighbors and cousins.
4/4/2017On Demand.On Demand is awesome and convenient.Played w/ cousins and neighborhood kids. Spring Break!
4/5/2017Penny came home early, made crepes for dinner.Steve and all his hard work on the yard.Stacie brought corn dogs for lunch.
4/6/2017Went fishing w/ Nyles and Stacie/kids.Got wireless headsets at work. Steve made pork chops for dinner.Got to play w/ Conor then Ryder today.
4/7/2017Had tarps to save the lawn from the wind.Steve cleaned. Our HSA.Glad London and Conor came over.
4/8/2017Family outing.Spent the afternoon together in Heber, train ride, Cafe Rio.Got to see the Easter bunny on the train.
4/9/2017Got some sleep finally.General Conference is available on the app already. Able to watch again.Threw away yucky medicine.
4/10/2017Went w/ Penny to her work dinner.Got to go on a mini date w/ Steve-work dinner-got to look at dinosaur bones.Got to play w/ grandma.
4/11/2017Got sleep last night.Carter slept from 9-6, so did I.Got to play w/ neighbor kids, 4 square.
4/12/2017Went fishingSunshine.Played w/ Ryder.
4/13/2017Our new ladder. Easily took down LuDean's Christmas lights w/ it.Dishwashers.My helicopter.
4/14/2017Make it to Idaho safely.Finally arrived at my parent's, and safely.Got a boat from grandma.
4/15/2017Got to go fishing and caught lots.Got to visit w/ siblings and cousins-video call w/ Corinne/Jarom.Fishing and playing w/ cousins.
4/16/2017Grand has supplies to fix tires. Spent Easter w/ my parents and my dad's birthday. Knowledge that Christ lives and so can we.Got to go to church w/ Grandma and Grandpa on the farm.
4/17/2017Grass is growing.Had the day off.Helped dad get bushes out. Played w/ boat in the water/pool.
4/18/2017For Nyles' preschool.Bulk clean up days.Grandpa and Grandma came over.
4/19/2017For my loving wife.We can recycle every day.Dad ripped out the bushes.
4/20/2017The scriptures.Saw a beautiful rainbow after work.Got to play w/ dad a lot.
4/21/2017Got on and off the roof safely, and fishing w/ Rob.Went on Ferris wheel ride w/ Nyles for free. Steve put up the baseboards in the bathrooms.Played w/ kids in the neighborhood.
4/22/2017Went fishingWe worked on the yard together as a family.Yard is looking better.
4/23/2017The sacrament.Music/Hymns.Got to fly my kite.
4/24/2017Kite flew.Rain to water our lawn/seed.Worked on kite w/ dad.
4/25/2017Nyles and I had a good day together.Friends.Made my kite today.
4/26/2017Put the grass in park stripe.Steve and the relationship we have w/ one another. Steve put in the grass for me.Helped dad put the grass in.
4/27/2017Went to the temple.Reconnected w/ an old friend/roommate.Got to ride my bike.
4/28/2017The moisture we received.Able to go to the temple. Free Cafe Rio dinner.We survived the day.
4/29/2017Ron helped change the corolla's oil.Friends came over, Thomas and MinsonsGot to play w/ Calvin
4/30/2017Joann (mom)Priesthood powerWe did a family fire-drill today

Monday, April 17, 2017

March Adventures

Here are a few other adventures from the month of March.

Steve took Nyles fishing up at Echo canyon.  It took then a few tries to figure out what was biting, but they got it and ended up w/ a pretty big fish.  Nyles was pretty excited about catching the fish.

Beautiful day!

Nyles waiting patiently for the fish to bite.


Caught one!  
Nyles didn't want to touch it though, so he carried it on a stick back to the car.

Steve also went w/ Dave to check out the snow levels at the cabin on a different day.  Then while they were there they went ice fishing of course.

Snow levels coming into the gate at the cabin-the gate mostly covered in snow.

Dave setting up.

Steve enjoying life!

Steve went to the Aquarium w/ a few different people this past month.  His friend Eric Seamons and his family came down from Logon during his Spring Break.  They had a great time at the Aquarium, then came back to our place for lunch, and let the kids play in our yard for a while before leaving.  Nyles had a great time playing w/ other kids.  Carter slept after they got home.

Nyles playing Eric's 2 girls, Erin and Abby-his wife Becca also.

Looking at the penguins.

Now the turtles.

Pretending to drive the submarine.

Carter just hanging out.  Nyles playing some more.
  

Eating a ring pop while riding the frog.

Looking at his reflection.

Steve also went w/ his friend Josh Featherstone and his boys to the Aquarium.  Another day he also went w/ Dave Thomas and his 2 kids (Melissa was gone for a work event).  After going w/ Dave they came back to our place for lunch and let the kids play a while.

Nyles w/ Josh's son Lexinton.  Dave Thomas relaxing at our place.

Dave Thomas w/ his kids Piper (on his lap), and Calvin.  
Nyles getting some gold fish at the Aquarium play ground area.

Barbara also came down to visit Salt Lake and stayed w/ us for a few days.  It was a lot of fun to have her family over.  Nyles LOVED having his cousins come play, and especially stay the night at our house.  He was so excited to play w/ them!  Barb and Rich went out and did activities during the day, then came back to our place and hung out at night time.  The first day Steve went w/ them to the Aquarium.  

Barb and her family petting reptiles.

Barb, Abby, Ryan, Dallin and Nyles.

Looking at the sharks.

Now the penguins.

Watching 4-D movies in the Aquarium Theater.  They went a couple times for different short movies.
Mikey, Barb, Calley, Rich, Nyles, Abby, Brady, Ryan and Dallin.

Dallin, Ryan, Abby and Nyles.

Going across the rose bridge in the Amazon area.

That night Pauline and her family came over for dinner.  We were going to have a BBQ outside, but it was raining, so we had a BBQ inside :)  Rose wasn't feeling well so she didn't come.

Rich thinks Carter looks like Theodore from the Chipmunks.  
They do share some similar features ;)

Pauline holding Carter.  
Rich trying to keep the kids entertained w/ rolling a ball back and forth.
 

Chris and Mikey playing Nintendo Switch.

After dinner I put Carter to bed, then Pauline, Barb and I went to Fresh Market's grocery store just down the street from us, which was closing.  We got some good deals on baby food, canned pumpkin, and other things.  We brought back some ice cream for the kids as well.  After we got back, Pauline took her kids home, Nyles went to bed, and Barb put her younger kids to bed.  Steve then taught the rest how to play the game Munkchin.  Chris stayed to play, and he won!  Everyone who played said it was fun and wanted to play it again the next night.

Playing Munchkin.

                                                Mikey, Steve, Chris, Abby, Ryan and Rich.


The next night we made BBQ ribs for dinner.  Afterwards we played games again.  Barb and I played Candy Land w/ Calley, and Steve stayed Munchkin w/ the rest.

Munchkin crew the 2nd night.  Again everyone had a great time and enjoyed the game!

We had a lot of fun having Barb and her family over.  Nyles LOVED having all his cousins over and especially grew found of Abby.  He was really sad when they had to leave.  Luckily we went up for Easter a couple weeks later, so he got to see them again.  Until next time....