Meet Buff

Meet Buff. He is the newest member of our family. He was in need of a good home and fell in to ours. He is a handful but a lot of fun. The kids love him and I have someone who wakes me up for a morning run.

Lagoon

Carlos' work had it's annual Lagoon day...it rained the whole time. So we bounced back on a sunny day and had a blast. Sam was able to go on all the kiddie rides a more. He loves the thrill. The Airplane and the Train the most. He did try the Ladybug drop and wasnt' as thrilled as we dropped but must have liked it enough to go again. He also did the Flying Aces and a Rattle Snake rapids (he didn't know what he was getting into---we got soaked)Love the face...he was getting into the shooting!!!
Madi tried the Bat and loved it. She also went on the wild mouse a few times. Jake finally tried the Wicked, I did have to bribe him and we rode it the day it rained-shorter lines. As we shot out of the tunnel and went straight up screaming...the rain pelting us in the face...terrified I thought, "what did I do, is Jake going to be okay?" I tried to look at his face but that is pretty much impossible on a ride that has you defying gravity and turning in all directions. We finished and he said, "THAT WAS AWESOME!!!! Can we go again?" It was a downpour by then so I said no! But he did go again.
It was a fun day and I was happy to see there were plenty of rides for us to go on as a family.

End of School

School is out. The kids had a great year. Both Madison and Jake worked hard to meet the requirements for the Distinguished Cub award. I'm glad I don't have to get up at 7:45am (Not a minute earlier) to get everyone ready. I have 5 weeks to loosen the schedule and then one week to get them back on a regular sleeping time. YEAH SUMMER!!!

Madison

Madison turned 6 this last week and we can't believe how grown up she is. WE looked in her baby book at all her pictures and are amazed at how fast time has gone. She is becoming such a sweet and wonderful daughter and so full of energy and love. We had a mermaid party and played in the water, had a treasure hunt. A sandcastle cake and of course the gifts. Madison was so excited about her party and to have her friends over. She had a great day!!!

Jakes school program

Jake had culture day at his school put on by the 2nd grade. He (me) made a poster about where his ancestors come from so it was fun for us to be able to do Chile. He handed out treats with Manjar on them (it is like caramel and very yummy). His class also performed a dance from Greece that was fun to watch. There were 5 other culture dances from around the world that were entertaining to watch. Then they sang a couple songs about America and different languages around the world. Jake did a great job. WE are proud of him.

Spring Sports

Jacob has been playing soccer this summer and really enjoyed it. It is his last year on the small field. Next year he moves up to the big field with the 3rd and 4th graders. HE is growing too fast. HE and Carlos were also able to go to the new Rio Tinto Stadium and watch Real Salt Lake play. They had a lot of fun. Jake also started Tennis Lessons and is having fun playing with his friends. He is doing great.

Bo

Bo was our Dog. We got her from my aunt about 4 years ago. A sweet, over energetic retriever golden lab mix. She shedded like crazy, jumped up on everyone and would sometimes bark at the worst time. But she was kind and loving to our three children and didn't mind getting ridden like a horse or chased and put into the dog house in some weird child game. She loved to give licks and get scratched behind the ears...and she loved being with you.
Back in Nov I noticed a lump on her upper chest by her leg. Vet confirmed it was a tumor and that I could have it removed easily (but for a small fortune). Bo is 11 years old. So we decided to just let her live it out and once life wasn't as pleasant we would put her down. Today was that day.
The tumor had grown and was bleeding- I was informed by the vet that she is in pain- she had lost 30 pounds in the last 3 months which is equivelant to 100 lbs for a human. My choices were to either have it removed (again the the money factor) or put her down and stop the pain. UGh!!! What a decision to have to make. When you think about it, like I did back in November, it is easy to say "When the time comes..." But there in the doctors office my heart was saying "Do whatever you need to do to help this dog, she depends on you to take care of her! She is perfectly healthy and remove that tumor and she will be fine" But then my reality is "This is not a priority- there are other things this family needs right now." So, Me, I had to make the decision and look in to those eyes and tell her I'm sorry. IT seems so unfair that some things have to be decided on because of the price. She was a good dog... not the ideal- but I seems to always have the "unideal" but love them the same. To add to my misery, I don't think we have a single picture of her.