Cake Day

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• A couple of weeks ago Aunt Lizzy came to have a cake decorating day with Taylor Rose. Taylor decided she wanted to make her Dad out of fondant - complete with his "shiny" hair. They had a marvelous time. Thanks Lizzy for teaching Taylor all about the world of cake decorating, she loved it!

Cul-de-sac of FIRE!

On the 4th of July we hosted a neighborhood BBQ and fireworks display. The food was delicious, especially the numerous desserts, and the company was outstanding. ALL the boys released their inner "pyro" and put on a loud, smokey, and colorful firework celebration.

We have such great friends and were so happy to enjoy the evening with them!

Another visitor

About a week ago the kids came running in the house squealing over a moth.

Silly kids I thought.... this actually took my breath away.

Kick'n it Old School

I found the classic Jiffy Pop at Walmart a few weeks ago.

The kids loved popping it over the stove! Good times...

Unsportsmanlike!?

This weekend Bill shot a Magpie with his pellet gun. He was thrilled! (those birds are quite crafty) He left the carcass in the yard to entice new targets, but instead it attracted three 7 year old boys. I found Tate and his friends Carsten & Jaxson taking target practice on the defenseless prey. They felt victorious each time an arrow pierced the target, coming to me each time with details of exactly which part of the anatomy was hit. Tate claimed the greatest prize with part of the brain on his arrow! GROSS!

Soccer Camp

Tate had a great time at the Challenger Soccer Camp last week. He went Monday-Friday from 9-12. The instructors were young men from England who spend their summers traveling the United States teaching kids soccer. Tate would sometimes complain he couldn't understand them because of their accents. These pictures were taken on the last day which was World Cup Day. Tate obviously was on team England!

Hill Air Force Base Open House

Click on this picture & see the pilot

This past weekend we attended the HFB Open House. It was tremendous! You get to see, sit, and walk through the most amazing airplanes and helicopters. All sorts of airplanes were putting on incredible shows and death defying tricks. Our favorite was the Thunderbirds Show. It makes me so nervous as they fly so close together and pass each other. The traffic getting home was not fun, but was made a little better with a stop at Red Lobster (the kids favorite) for dinner. We are so grateful to all of those who sacrifice so much to keep us safe and free!

Dance Festival '09

Nice Jazz Hands

Keeping the beat

Taylor and Tate danced with great enthusiasm at this years Dance Festival. The 5th grade performed to Cotton Eye Joe and the 1st grade performed to a High School Musical song.

It was great fun!

A little visitor

A couple of weeks ago this bright little fellow and his wife were hanging around our house. They kept trying to come in through the window but when we left the door open they didn't seem too interested. They stayed for about 3 days and then continued their journey. We still aren't sure what kind of birds they were. They were a little smaller than a robin and had a beautiful song. We will be watching for them next year!

Jet-Setter

A carved ceiling in the Louvre

Sacred Heart Cathedral

CLASSIC

TOURISTS!

Those naughty English...

One of many beautiful English gardens

Bridge along the Princess Diana Memorial Walk

Authentic English phone booth

So Bill flew straight from La Jolla to London on Sunday and I joined him on Tuesday for a quick European tour. We stayed in London for 2 days and Paris for 2 days. It was beautiful, mesmerizing, and delicious. It was the first time I had traveled abroad (besides cruising) and I loved it. The plane rides were long but the jet lag wasn't too bad. I can't wait for our next adventure!