Happy Birthday Markham!

Markham had a great 7th birthday while we were in St. George. Markham was our "miracle baby", being born premature. Every year, I am grateful all over again for the blessing of having him in our family. He is an early riser and works hard to take care of all of his responsibilities everyday. He is a wonderful son and we love him very much!

More St. George Pics

My baby doesn't look so small anymore! Our boys loved climbing in Snow Canyon and then playing in the sand dunes there. Hiking Snow Canyon was Markham's favorite part of his birthday. They begged us to go everyday we were there. Markham also enjoyed swimming and taking pictures with our underwater camera...too bad we discovered after the fact that there was no memory card in it!!!!!

State Chess Tournament

Saturday was the State Chess Tournament. Glen took our three boys and our nephew, Price. The tournament was held at the University of Utah and everyone played six rounds, so it lasted all day. James played well and won three of his games. He earned a medal. Noah placed 21st our of ninety 3rd graders. Markham placed 20th out of seventy-eight, 1st graders. Markham also placed 8th at the tournament we played in a couple of weeks ago. Everyone had a great time!

Fun in the Sun!

Last weekend, we went to St. George with two of my friends and their families. We had a great time and were so grateful to enjoy the sunshine. Here are James and Noah "mid-air" catching the ball for the pool game their dad made up. They had so much fun!

New Words

Oma taught Samuel to say Markham's name. He says it "ga cum". Markham loves hearing Samuel say his name so much he will tease him to no end. So, "ga cum" is usually said in a "don't do that" tone of voice. Samuel has also learned to say, "aim" for James. When he saw a picture of himself he excitedly said, "me"!

Cub Scouts

Our pack had a space shuttle derby last Thursday. The boys had a great time! It may have been more fun than the pinewood derby because the competition wasn't so fierce. There were plenty of treats and prizes for everyone. The next morning James came down for breakfast, sat at the bar and said, "Last night was really fun!" You can't do better than that!

President's Award

This is the "award" that Glen received for President's club. It is really cool because it is a Kosta Boda bowl that was made in Sweden. Glen's sister, Lorena and her family, are living in Sweden right now, so we think of her whenever we see it!

Without Any Ire

I have always loved this painting and wanted to hang it in our front room. We found a lady who lives close by and has a framing business out of her home. She helped us pick just the right mat and edging. I love how it turned out!
We also framed a piece of art that Glen bought in South Africa. It is so exciting to finally have this framed. The frame was perfect for the piece.

Library

For Christmas this year we got bookcases and finished our library. It is wonderful to have a place to display the neat things Glen brought back from South Africa. The boys love to play chess at the table with their friends. I love having all of our books so accessible now.

Riverton Chess Tournament

The boys brought home a flyer from school for a chess tournament and Glen thought it would be really fun for the boys. So, James, Noah, and Markham all played in a tournament in Riverton a couple of weeks ago. Noah ended up placing 8th in his division and walked away with a trophy. James and Markham got cool medals. They all had a great time.

Glen and I hiked up to see the Napali coast. It was beautiful!

We took a helicopter tour that showed us the whole island of Kauai. It was unforgettable! I am grateful I did it even though I did get motion sick.

Glen loved the snorkeling! It was my first time and I thought it was incredible to swim with the fish!