Cambrie's 12th Birthday

We can't believe Cambrie is 12 years old. We had a great time celebrating with family. All she wanted was an Ipod. She asked everyone for money to help purchase it. She also received a beautiful jewelry set from Kyle and Hillary. She loves it! When I asked her what she wanted for her special birthday breakfast she said she wanted Toaster Strudles and Eggo Waffles with strawberries and whip cream. Really??? I was thinking I would be getting up early to cook a big bacon and egg breakfast. Not for her I guess. The other kids were way excited about her pick. We are spreading out her birthday celebration by going to dinner later this week and then going to the Bountiful temple to do baptisms for the dead on Saturday. Rob and I are so excited to do this with her.

Some thoughts about Cambrie:
*She is such a beautiful girl both inside and out. She is very modest in her clothing and wants to live the standards of the church.
*She is thoughtful of others and their feelings.
*She loves soccer and is a great athlete.
*She is a great friend and wants to be friends with everyone.
*She loves her dog Sebastian and takes very good care of him.
*She is a great student. She loves school and we hardly ever have to worry about her with her schoolwork.
*She loves to play the piano and is becoming a great pianist. (Thanks Molly!)

Cambrie we are so blessed to have you as our daughter! You have always been a very easy child to raise. You are a very special person! We love you very much! Happy Birthday!

Camping in the Uintahs

We got home from Oregon on Thursday and unpacked and then packed back up to go camping in the Uintahs on Friday with Kim's side of the family. We haven't been camping for a few years and had forgotten how much fun it was! We rode four wheelers and got nice and dirty, ate great food, swam in the pool, built forts and massive campfires, and just enjoyed each other and the beautiful outdoors. We have decided to make it an annual event. Thanks Craguns!!! We are looking forward to next year!

Wildlife Safari

This is the neatest place! We took an hour drive north of Eugene to go through the Wildlife Safari. The kids loved it! You drive through the park looking at different free roaming animals. Some come right up to your car. We saw a giraffe challenge a car behind us. It was crazy to watch and we were just grateful it wasn't us. Each of the kids took a turn sitting on Rob's lap and driving the van. It was so much fun! We then went into the other part of the park were they had a petting zoo and we also took a fun train ride with the kids. It was a great day!

Quality time together!

Uncle Keven invited Parker over to watch Harry Potter with him. Parker felt very special to have one on one time with his uncle. Thanks Keven!



It was great to see Great Grandma Helen daily! She even gave Parker and Mykenna a lesson on the organ. We love you Grandma! We will have to do the sing a long next trip. :)



Hanging out at Grandpa and Grandma's watching a movie. This was a common occurrence during the trip.



Aunt Lauri is so great! She put together a nature scavenger hunt for Avery and Mykenna. They had a great time finding everything together!

Fish Hatchery

We took an afternoon trip to the neatest fish hatchery by Oakridge, Oregon. The sturgeon were huge! They ranged from 30 to 50 years old and some were over 5 feet long. The kids had a great time feeding the fish, playing miniature golf and see all the stuffed animals. It was a great afternoon!

Driftwood Shores

Another highlight of our trip to Oregon is going to Driftwood Shores. It is a hotel right on the beach. We had a great time swimming in the pool, playing on the beach, watching the sun set, and just enjoying each others company. It was amazing!

Enchanted Forest

It isn't a trip to Oregon unless we go to Enchanted Forest. It was so much fun to go with Grandma Leslie, the Hopkins, and the Wilkinsons. The kids had so much fun with their cousins. One of the highlights is to always attend the play. This year they were doing "Hanzel and Gretel". The kids were constantly laughing. What a great day!

Rose Garden in Eugene

They have a gorgeous rose garden in Eugene so we went with Great Grandma Helen, Grandpa and Grandma Lake.

Oregon or Bust!

It has been a year and a half since we have seen family in Oregon so we packed up and hit the road. It takes about 13 - 14 hours to make the trip so we stop in Ontario, Oregon and get a hotel and do some swimming. We got in late so we got up the next morning and swam for a few hours and then hit the road again. The traveling went well. We took Sebastian with us and only had one incident with him. Just outside of Bend he decided to pee on Cambrie and the van seat. We learned our lesson and allowed for a few more pit stops along the way.

Scout Camp

Rob was able to go with Parker to scout camp this summer. They had a great two days!

Crafting with the kids

The kids had fun doing some crafts this summer!

Last Day of School!!!

Today was the last day of school and I have mixed feelings about this. So grateful for the great year we have had. The kids all had great teachers and did very well. Sad because we did have such a great year and hoping we can continue it into the next. The kids were all placed with the teachers they wanted for next year or at least who I wanted. :) No, they really are excited for the teachers they will have and the students/friends that will be in the class with them. I can't believe Cambrie will be in 6th grade. We have been told many times that time flies by, but I am now seeing how true that statement is. Just a little side note... Cambrie was also selected to be on the student council next year at South Weber Elementary. So proud of her and her accomplishments. Parker had a great year with Mrs. Sheffield! He worked hard and learned a lot. She holds a special place in our hearts. Mykenna also had a great year and is so ready to move into 1st grade. Mrs. Peters has prepared her well. We are so grateful for all of our children's teachers and for the great year they have had. On too summer fun!!!!

Strikers Last Soccer Tournament

Wow... what a great soccer tournament Cambrie's soccer team had this weekend. Cambrie missed Friday's game because she was sick. We were hoping keeping her home from school would give her the needed rest so that she would be able to play that night, but she was still feeling pretty lousy. We heard the team did awesome and beat a great team! Saturday she was feeling a little better and wanted to play. Luckily they didn't have to play as strong of a team and she was able to sub out and rest periodically throughout the game. On Monday we came up against the team we played for our division championship game. We won our division and knew they would be playing their best. It was such an intense game. (Yes... again I have become that crazy soccer mom!) Cambrie was teamed up against their strongest player and it stressed me out the entire game. Jaden scored our two goals from kick offs at the mid field line. The first goal was the very first kick off of the game. It bounced right over the keepers head. It was great! The score was two to two at the end of the game so we had to play two five minute over time periods. The score remained the same so we went to a shoot out. Seven members of each team alternated taking penalty kicks and the team with the most goals won. Cambrie was the first to kick and she went for the high kick above the keepers head, but went a little too high and it hit the bar. She was disappointed in herself, but she had a great game. It came down to the last kick to determine the winner, due to some saves by the keepers and other missed kicks. We ended up losing the game, but we are so proud of the girls! Cambrie is done for the season and will practice throughout the summer and start again in the fall. Way to go STRIKERS!!!!

Good Helpers!

We were out doing yard work this weekend and Parker asked if he could mow the back yard. We of course love it when are kids voluntarily ask to help so we took him up on the offer. Much to our surprise he ended up finishing most of it on his own. (This is really amazing! I myself hate to mow the backyard because it is so large.)He would even take the bag off and empty it by himself. Granted there were a few strips that had to be cut after wards, but he did a great job! Cael saw his big brother doing this and had to get in on the action. It was cute to see them out there pushing this lawnmower back and forth and enjoying it!

Mykenna's Kindergarten Program

Mykenna had her Kindergarten program today. She has been so excited to share all the new songs she has learned throughout the year. They were so cute in their Hawaiian themed outfits singing these cute songs. Mykenna has had a great year in Kindergarten and is so excited to be moving on to 1st grade next year. Mrs. Peters has been an outstanding teacher and we will miss her.

Meet Sebastian!

Cambrie has been asking for a dog since she was at least 4 years old. Through the years we have used many excuses to not get one. This last year though I have to admit there were times I actually thought we should get her a dog, but Rob was still not on board. That was until one day in church while looking through the "Friend" magazine there was a dog picture and he leaned over and told me we should get a dog. I seriously thought he was joking but he was completely serious. So we decided that for her birthday in September we would give her a dog. This was in February the decision was made so it would give her time to help save money to purchase the dog and take care of it afterwards. She was babysitting and mowing lawns to earn money.

Well this week a neighbor called and told us of a friend that was needing to find a home for a mini schnauzer. We had them bring the dog over to see how he would reacted to our family. After 2 hours I think we knew he would become a part of our family, but we didn't tell the kids this quite yet. We were given the opportunity to keep the dog for a few days to see how he would do and to see if we definitely wanted to keep him. It was a great couple of days and when the owner called we asked if we could keep Sebastian. He is the best dog! So calm with the kids, kennel trained, potty trained and travels well. This is a good thing because he will be traveling with us to Oregon in the summer.

So meet the newest member of the Lake clan....Sebastian!

First Hike of the Summer!!!

For Family Home Evening tonight we decided to go on a hike. The England's came with us as well as one of Cambrie's friends and it was awesome! We went up to Strong Canyon behind Weber State University. It was a pretty easy trail for the kids. It was a little muddy in spots, but just a beautiful hike. The kids have really enjoyed hiking so I think we will do a lot more throughout the summer.

Scout Jamborall

Parker and Rob went to the scout jamborall today. They had such a great time. They spent a lot of time at the lego and train displays. From the pictures you can see it was pretty amazing. Next year I think they will pack a lunch and spend the day there. Lots of fun!

Happy 9th Birthday Parker!!!

Parker is 9 years old!! He has grown up so fast. He is such a special part of our family and words can't express how much we love him! We had some family over for a little party and then a few days later he had Cooper and Indy over for a little party. They went to the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake to watch "Attack of the Space Pirates" and then to the castle park for cupcakes. When they got home they opened gifts and played on the tramp. He has great friends and they had a great time!

Some thoughts about Parker:

*Loves legos
*Loves to build things
*Is very creative.
*Loves to play his nintendo ds
*Is so affectionate
*Gives the best hugs
*Loves playing with his buddies Cooper and Indy
*Loves to watch movies
*When he busts out laughing everyone else laughs with him. It is so contagious!
*He loves his sisters and little brother

Parker you are a gift from Heaven and we love you so much!

3rd Grade Narnia Day

What an AWESOME day we had today with Parker and his 3rd grade class. They had an all day event centered around the Narnia Chronicles book series. It began at 9 am and ended just after 3 pm. It was a fun filled day. So many events, some with magicians, beavers, the White Witch, Mr. Tumnus, a scavenger hunt, Father Christmas, a grand feast, pictures with Aslan, and a great battle and crowning to complete the day. It was INCREDIBLE! This is a day that is truly planned all year long and so many people are involved. What a great day!!!




This video is of the battle. The parents were fighting with the white witch against the kids. Isn't it awesome.

Scout Space Derby

This year the scouts held a space derby instead of a pinewood derby. Parker was so excited to participate. Of course we had great intentions of completing the spaceship days before the event, but ... yes, you know us better than that. The night before Rob was sanding away and gluing pieces on until midnight. We then painted it the next morning. Parker had a good time winding up his space ship with the automatic winder all night long. We ended up putting a part on backwards making his ship only go about 2 feet, which would get him a little down. But all in all it was a fun night!

Family Fitness Fair

Weber School District put on a Family Fitness Fair for the employees today. Between soccer games we took the kids to check it out. It was so much fun! The kids spent most of the time playing in the blowup toys. We also did some bowling while we were there and got a free bowling pass. Thanks Weber School District!