Keeping Up With the Joneses

We were trying to soak in the last few days of summer last weekend. We had a wonderful day. First, Mason had a soccer game and enjoyed it a lot more than last time. Then we packed up and went to Seven Peaks to get our 2010-2011 Season's Passes (Marshall scored an awesome deal on Seven Peaks/ Trafalga passes). We went swimming for a few hours, and then headed home for naps. A few hours later we headed out to Trafalga in Lehi to check it out. The kids loved it!

I took the boys to Waterton last week while Marshall stayed and supervised the house painting and worked overtime. We had a fantastic time. Here are a few highlights. Max loved hiking in the backpack. Grandma and Grandpa with the boys hiking at Cameron Lake. This was the highlight of Mason's trip. Grandpa helped him build a "boat" out of logs and it actually floated! He loved it and couldn't stop talking about it. Myles flying a kite at the park. Mason and Myles getting ready to go fishing with Grandpa. They didn't catch anything but had a great time trying. Mason driving the boat. Mason and Myles at the top of the Prince of Wales Hotel hill. Myles absolutely LOVED boat rides. He especially loved chasing the birds. One of many bears we saw in the week. Saskatoon berries. The kids loved picking these. We tried getting them to save them for later, but they ate them by the handful!

Blackberry Photo at Cardston ER We've had a fantastic week in Waterton including all the fun things the kids love--boating, hiking, picking berries, flying kites, hot dog roasts, candy store, and the playground. I'll post pictures when I get home to a better internet connection. We've been so cautious this year after such a big accident last summer. We didn't do any water sports, avoided bridges and running water, only went on really simple hikes, and kept the kids right by our sides all the time. So we just can't believe Mason had another accident! Yesterday I was taking a nap with Max and Myles while Grandma and Grandpa took Mason to the park. He was playing on the glider thing when he jumped off too soon and hit his chin on the wooden platform on his way down. They grabbed him and ran home where we cleaned off all of the blood so we could assess the damage. It was obvious he would need stitches and the first thought that came to my mind was "Marshall is...

Max had his 1-year well child check today and did great. He got three shots and only cried for about 10 seconds before cuddling up to me and calming down. The doctor was again concerned about his weight but after considering that the other kids struggled with weight as well, he feels like we should be okay if we just keep doing what we are doing and try to get him to eat as much fat as possible. Here are his stats: Weight: 17.5 lbs-- .82nd percentile. Yes, that is POINT 82 Height: 30.25 inches--67th percentile Head: 18 inches--31st percentile Max is such fun to have in our family and keeps us laughing constantly. He is such a happy kid and hardly ever complains. He isn't walking regularly yet (he can walk about 4 steps) but we think that is because whenever he tries one of the older kids bumps into him. Our favorite thing about Max is how he imitates us. When we point our finger and scold a kid he gets a stern look on his face, starts waving his finger, and scolds his brothers. It...

On Saturday I was sick with a nasty summer cold, but Marshall took the boys to his cousin's daughter's baptism. Mason likes baptisms, but Myles is still stuck on the "baptism by fire" thing someone mentioned to him last year and is terrified of getting baptized. As soon as she came out of the water he said "I'm never getting baptized!". Later that evening we decided to get out and take the boys (including cousin William) bowling because Mason had been asking to go forever. They had a great time, although Mason was very disappointed that he was the only one who didn't get a strike. Next time! Of course, I forgot to bring the camera, but. . .I had my new iphone ! Cousin William Myles Mason

Today my baby turned one year old! I have no idea where the year has gone, but it has been a great one and I'm so happy to have him in our family. We had a birthday party for Max tonight with his cousins and aunts and uncles, but unfortunately Marshall had to leave for New Orleans this morning so he had a quick birthday hug with Max before taking off. I think Max knew it was his special day and was all grins! He absolutely loved the cake and expecially the icing. After cleaning Max up he spent some quality time with Aunt Nicole's new dog. I think his face is priceless! Love you baby Max!

Okay, I know I have so many friends and family members who are incredibly great decorators and have a much better eye for this stuff than me, so I am calling on you to help me. When we moved into our house over a year ago, I knew the main floor needed painting. I even got quotes from painters. But when it came down to it I didn't trust myself enough to pick paint colors and spent the money on furniture instead. Well, now I'm ready to paint again and have some colors in mind but really want opinions and/or suggestions. Basically the main floor is about 1800 square feet. There is an entrance which crazy high ceilings, then off of that a living room on one side and a dining room on the other. Ahead to the right there is a bathroom and my office, and to the left a hallway and then the kitchen/family room. They are all Restoration Hardware colors that I will have matched with Benjamin Moore paint. These swatches probably aren't all that accurate, but some of you might be familia...