4th of July

Today James was ordained to the office of a Deacon and received the Aaronic priesthood.  We are so thankful for the Priesthood and the opportunity we have to have the priesthood bless our lives. Today, I was released from cub scouts and primary pianist and they have called new people to fill those callings.  Now I will only be doing Primary presidency 1st counselor.  It is quite a relief.   

Friday, I picked up Charlotte from Shanna in the morning and brought her to my house.  Shanna was able to do a few good solid hours of homework.  I pushed Charlotte on our walk with my friends and then I fed her applesauce and she played for a while and then she got fussy.  I took her back home about 12:30.  It was fun!

 Kendra and I taking a break and watching Beauty and the Beast.  Jacob and James were very cute with Kendra, kind of like they are with Charlotte or Buddy the puppy.  One time I came in the dining room and they were coloring with her.  I wished I could take a picture but I knew I couldn't!

 Dad bought some fireworks and we enjoyed watching them.  James helped Dad light the fireworks.

Gloria, Mark & Kendra Small came to visit from Tuesday through Thursday.  Mark and Gloria stayed in your room and I cleaned out the room downstairs by Jacobs room and put a bed in there for Kendra.  Tuesday Night we had a Washington reunion while the Small's were here.  It was so fun to see everyone.  

From left to right, Kindahl & family, Lewis's youngest daughter (red head), Tyler + his little kids in front, Kendra, Nikita + boyfriend, Max, Ivan or Andre (not sure which one), Micah Wise (stocktons brother), Seth & Rachel (cute Huh?) 

James friend birthday party on Monday.  They had Pizzas and Costco cake ( I guess I forgot to take a pic of the cake) Yeah also, I guess the bad thing about having swim birthday parties is that everybody is half clothed in the birthday pics.

 J

Makell Grotepas is getting married.  

Christian, Shanna & Charlotte stayed over last Sunday for James family Birthday party.  We had burgers, home made fries and ice cream cake.  

Charlotte got to have a bath in the kitchen sink.  

Christian got up early on Monday morning and went to work.  He picks up food from grocery stores and takes it to shelters.  Sometimes he picks up from Smiths by our house.  He did on James birthday so we walked down there to see him in the parking lot.  

This was the first glimpse of Charlotte when she woke up when they were sleeping over.  

James 12th Birthday

Wednesday I took james and friends to black ridge reservoir. Shanna and Charlotte came too! We had fun. I put up the shade sports tent for Charlotte. The boys brought all kinds of floatie things like the tubes from the pool etc.  and life jackets.  They had a lot of fun! We had pack meeting that night.

 I was walking around the neighborhood in the evening and I came across these sweet sister missionaries! 

 Shanna sent me this cute pic of Charlotte playing outside! 

This weekend Jacob had a tournament and played in one game and then hurt his back somehow and couldn’t play in the rest of the games! James had 2 football games on Saturday.  One day this past week, I went and helped grandma clean and organize her office.  Austin Ramsey came home on Thursday! I went and visited him at their home on Friday the next day.  He was super tired and had jet lag bad! He seemed really good.  Alex Ramirez was there with him.  He has been back for a while.  They will be roommates in the fall at BYU provo.  

Michelle, I was so happy to get your letter this week in the mail! I have read it a few times! I love that you have been able to clearly plan and define what you would like to do when you get back home! It makes me happy no matter what it is but that you have clarity in the direction that you want to go in schooling etc!  I have been working hard to get things organized in our home and I have been moving furniture around etc! It was just so crowded in the kitchen I wanted to turn the front room into the dining room! There is also so much traffic through our little dining room area that it helps to have no table there. We had James birthday dinner with grandma and grandpa, shanna, Charlotte, Christian here tonight and it was so nice.  Everybody could get in and out of their chairs without affecting anyone else! It was great! I love you so much! I am so thankful for you and all that you are doing! You are amazing! James was so excited to get his birthday letter and snickers! Dad also received his letter! 

Happy 20th Birthday Elena and Michelle!

Happy Birthday! How did you like your birthday package? Can you take a picture of what we sent? It was so long ago, I cant remember.  Today we celebrated your birthday together with Shanna, Christian, Charlotte, Grandma & Grandpa Jacobs and some new single guy that moved into the ward.  We invited him over for dinner.  We had lasagna for dinner and I made a big green salad and a dessert bar with 4 different kinds of ice cream (some non dairy of course), bananas, strawberries, blueberries, homemade caramel and hot fudge! 

 These 3 pictures are what I posted for your birthday!

 James had his 2nd football game.    He is having fun playing football.

Happy Birthday from all of us!

We went to the zoo with Kellie, Nathan, Katelyn, and Tyler Hansen! It was a fun day.

We went to Blackridge Reservoir on Thursday and had a lot of fun.  Shanna and Charlotte and Jenna came with us for a little while.  It was fun! Shanna and Charlotte didn't last very long but we got them there.  Moms and kids from our neighborhood are doing a fun outing each week.  

Father's Day!

 Today is Father's Day! We had a good day.  I am so thankful for Dad and Grandpa J and Christian! Such great Fathers! Shanna, Christian and Charlotte came over for a little while tonight! Charlotte was really tired and fussy! They didn't get to stay for long.

 Last night, I had the chance to go to Tony and Shirley Lucianos son James' wedding reception downtown slc at the joseph smith memorial building. It was quite the Washington reunion.  2 former bishops, lots of  friends who live in Utah now and some that still live in Washington and traveled here.  It was so fun to see everyone!

 Shanna and Christian went to the temple on Saturday and I got to have Charlotte with me! She went with me to watch james play a flag football game.  She was grabbing and shaking the umbrella the whole time.  It was fun to have her over!

 This is delicious frozen fruit ice cream.  I blend small pieces of frozen banana and frozen berries pulsing and pushing down with a spoon and blending until smooth.  Nothing else added, Just frozen fruit.  So Yummy!

 I visited Shanna and Charlotte earlier  this week.  She is sitting up.

 This is the pole at little ceasars drive through that Jacob wrapped the suburban around.

 This is a swim suit I bought for Charlotte.  It is so darling! I cant wait to see it on her!

 Christian, Shanna & Charlotte came over to swim this week.
James and I also spent an afternoon this week at Classic Fun Center Water slides.  We went with moms and kids from our ward.  James had a lot of fun and I loved talking to the moms! It was great to get out.

Summer Fun

I didn't take any pictures this week.  I will do better next week. It was the boys first week home from school for the summer.  We just kind of relaxed and didn't have too much going on.  Usually the way that I write my weekly letter is by writing about each of the pictures.  That is way more exciting.  Wednesday, we had the most going on. I went and sat with my parents while waiting for my Dad to go into a colonoscopy and then I had a cub scout den meeting at my house.  We taught them about safety in swimming and they got to swim in the pool.   Jacob was thinking about not doing club comp soccer this year but then he decided to and he got on his same team.  We went to a team meeting. Next Jacob and I went out to the Wrights house for a farewell party for Yurim (their exchange student from Korea).  Did you meet her? She came right about the time that you went to the MTC.  Dad and James went to Dad's Hockey thing.  Thursday, James, Shanna, Charlotte and I went to Walmart and did some shopping.  We found some shorts and tshirts for James.  He had no clothes that fit him.  He was really happy to get some clothes.  Shanna did her grocery shopping.  I pushed Charlotte around the store.  We got a few groceries as well.  James decided to play flag football for the summer to try it out.  He had his first practice. He seems to like it.  He will have his first game next Saturday.  Friday, we had a 3 hour primary presidency meeting. With a new presidency we have a lot to figure out how we want to run primary.  Friday night I got to go to Francine Wrights house for girls night.  It was great to talk to Francine and the other ladies that were there.  Everyone has hard things they have to go through in life.  Jacob started working for Grandpa Jacobs on Friday for half a day.  He called him and asked him if he had any jobs he could do to earn money.   He drove himself down there.  He drives himself to soccer.  IT IS SO NICE! James and his friends were swimming every single day this week.  Saturday, I cleaned all day and we even had Zerorez come and clean the carpet in the big family room downstairs and the piano room upstairs.  It looks so good.  I love clean floors.  Today, I went to ward council (representing the primary presidency) and Dad went (ward mission leader) .  I really enjoyed ward council.  I conducted Primary for the first time today.  I started going back to ward choir a few weeks ago but I have been the only alto going and when we practiced a song last week to sing today in sacrament meeting, it sounded awful so I texted everyone that I could think of that sings alto in our ward.  We ended up with 4 altos and a few more sopranos.  It went a lot better than I thought it would.  Shanna, Christian & Charlotte came over for dinner tonight.  I love their company.  It is fun to have them close.  Shanna sent some pictures to me so I have some pics to include.

 Yurim - Happy 16th Birthday and farewell party.

Memorial Day & Shanna's Birthday

 Yesterday was the Stanley Family Reunion at the Hillcrest Park.  It was great to see everybody.  Jacob and James both came and Charlotte, Christian & Shanna.  They served hotdogs.  I made a pot of taco soup, salad & PB&J oatmeal bars! (I love those things)   It is weird how Dad's siblings are all getting so old.  Friday night we went to our first Ward Campout at Hobble Creek Canyon campground.  IT was really nice campground and weather.  Our air mattress doesn't hold air.  It was pretty cold during the night.  I stayed warm because i brought a really warm sleeping bag.

 Jacob let me take him out for lunch after he was finally done with school.  Then we went and visited Charlotte and Shanna and delivered a dress and shirt that i bought for her Birthday. It is really cute to see how Jacob interacts with Charlotte.  He does little goofy things to get her to laugh and smile just like the rest of us.

 We celebrated Shanna's Birthday and these are the pics i found for her birthday.

 This is the cake that was made for the end of year soccer banquet.  I saw the lady bring it in and then realized it was Sutton Chance's mom.  We talked for a while.  I guess Sutton's little brother Isaac is on the HHS Varsity soccer team.  Sutton's Dad came over and talked with us after she left and told us that they had divorced while Sutton has been gone.  Sad.

Dad and I took Shanna, Christian & Charlotte out for lunch to costa vida on Shanna's Bday.  

 Memorial Day and Shanna's birthday celebration!  We went to the Orem Cemetery and saw grandma and grandpa Stanley's & Grandma Lucy's graves.  They were such special people in our lives.  On our way back home, Charlotte was pretty fussy so we stopped at maceys in orem and we all went in and bought some snacks and ice cream cones.  (They actually have some pineapple or lemon sorbet (non dairy frozen treat).  Shanna fed Charlotte in the car.  Next we went to Cabella's. We were planning on a little hike but the sky was pretty stormy.  Next we went to Called to Surf at a new location right by the outlet mall by Cabella's.  We bought Shanna a shirt.  Then, we came home and grandma and grandpa Jacobs came over and we had a Shanna-Q!  (BBQ) for Shanna's birthday.  Burgers and all the works!   Strawberry shortcake for dessert.  I made the strawberry lemon cupcakes.  They fell when they came out of the oven so they were like little tiny cake bowls to hold the strawberries and coconut whip cream.  They were yummy!