What do we do in the Summertime???

Every summer I have great intentions of doing tons of cool and fun things with my boys... before I ever get organized the summer is almost over. This year I decided to make a jar of 50 things we can do for fun during the summer. Some require my attention others are more simple and just remind them of something cool they can do on their own.

I cut all 50 ideas out, folded them, and put them into a jar I had. I glued a little piece of leftover fabric on the top and then made a little tag and modge podged it onto the jar. It took me all of 10 minutes to put together.


Each night I'm going to have them take turns pulling an idea out of the jar for the next day. Here is our list of 50 for this year:

1. Organize a bike Parade
2. Paint rocks
3. Water balloon fight
4. Nature scavenger hunt
5. Make art for an evening art show
6. Wash the car
7. Build a fort
8. Play dough
9. Squirt bottle water fight
10. Jump on the trampoline with ice cubes
11. 'Stained Glass Windows' - Cover the sticky side of contact paper with several colors of tissue paper, make sure to leave about an inch edge all the way around so it will stick to the window
12. Flashlight tag
13. Write a letter to cousins/grandparents
14. Backwards Day - Have dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner, eat dessert before lunch
15. Paint a picture with lemon juice on white paper and hang it in a sunny window and see what happens in a few days
16. Hold a bike wash
17. Make a map of your bedroom, house, or neighborhood
18. Plan an imaginary trip around the world, where would you want to go?
19. Practice your soccer skills
20. Create a mosaic
21. Sponge Tag - get 2 or 3 large car sponges and several buckets of water. Whoever is "it" grabs a sponge and gets it wet. If you are hit with the sponge, you are it.
22. Do a hidden picture from the highlights website
23. Organize a game of Dodge Ball
24. Make up a code and then write a letter
25. Create a sand art picture
26. Tic Tac Toe
27. Use binoculars
28. Play catch
29. Plan and create a picnic for your stuffed animals
30. Learn magic tricks, plan a magic show
31. Make bookmarks
32. Build something fun with legos - our house, our town, Disneyland, Sea World, Space ships, the Temple....
33. Math games
34. Visit a farm
35. Decorate a shoe box for all your summer treasures
36. Cut open old record covers from good will and make a card to mail to a loved one
37. Make cookies and visit a Grandma in the neighborhood
38. Plan a lemonade stand or bake sale and donate the money to a good cause
39. Make a collage from magazines
40. Create a Hot Wheels obstacle course
41. Visit the fire station
42. Invent your own board game
43. Letterboxing
44. Tie-dye some t-shirts
45. Have a paper airplane contest
46. Freezer Baggie Ice Cream
47. Plan dinner and help cook
48. Re-decorate your room
49. Design your own roller coaster with kinex
50. Draw a mural on the wall in chalk

Have a FUN summer!

Garden Start 2011

We planted later this year than last year and in a couple weeks the plants have grown more than they did in a whole month last year. I don't think I will ever plant before May 1st again!

I can (hopefully) do hard things too

Two days before Thanksgiving I gave my Mom this necklace. I had seen it in the r house couture shop and loved it. As the reality of my Moms diagnosis sank in deeper and deeper I couldn't get my mind of the necklace. I thought about getting it for her for Christmas but when you know your dying...why wait. I gave my Mom all her presents before Christmas this last year - Carpe Diem! :)

On Thanksgiving day each year she walked a 5K in Palm Springs. She had spent the last year working so hard getting healthy, eating clean, and getting strong and yet she would be forced to ride in a wheelchair this year. I knew it was going to be a bitter disappointment for her so I gave her the necklace the night before the walk. When I saw the emotion on her face as she read the message I was glad to see that she too was extremely touched by the simple message.

Thanksgiving Day 2010

Now the necklace graces my neck.


I have been having a really hard time lately. Her birthday, the 3 month anniversary of her passing, and Mothers Day all within 2 weeks was brutal. I fell behind in everything! The fog that seemed to permeate my mind while she was sick returned. I don't know how to describe it but no matter how hard I try to remember things and care about things everything just leaks out and I'm left with a misty fog that prohibits any sort of clarity of mind. It immobilizes me.

The farther I fell behind the less I cared. I tried to care. I wanted to care. I just didn't care.

And then the burden became even heavier with the realization that this time I couldn't call on my Mom for help. About once a year I would get behind and overwhelmed and that's when I would call my Mom and she would come and help me put things back in order. She never judged me for overextending myself because she was an overachiever too. But this time she is not here to rescue me and make it all better. Once again the reality hits home how my life has changed.

I have so many friends and loved ones that I know would step in at any moment but its just not the same. When Mommers came there was no fear of putting her out, no need to tell her what needed to be done, no need to explain myself - she just understood and intuitively knew what to do. That's what made her my Mom.

I have spent the weekend trying to get back on top of things and John has been wonderful in helping. I am getting there, I just need to find the motivation to stay there. Why when life gets hard does the desire to do everything good for me disappear? Eating healthy, exercise, reading my Scriptures, friends...it all seems impossible to do even though I know it will make me feel better.

Maybe I needed to write this simply to understand what I'm feeling, to purge the feelings out of me so I can let them go.

I will continue to wear her necklace as a reminder that I can do hard things too. After all, I learned from the best.

A Successful Saturday!

Nothing creates a smile quite like succeeding at something that once scared him to pieces!

Nice work buddy!

Mom knew you could do it.
Thanks for trusting me and not giving up! I love you!

Disneyland!

I normally don't take my good camera to Disneyland but this trip I decided I wanted to. I regretted it 5 minutes into the park when Beckham tried to "help" me unhook it in the bathroom and it crashed on the floor (my lens was a little jumpy when it focused but it still works - thank goodness).

When I saw these pictures though I was so glad I took it!

(balloon photos compliments of my Dad)

While my Mom was sick I had plans to get a babysitter one night and go back to Disneyland and practice shooting. I never got the chance but Disneyland is the perfect place for taking pictures!

I also eat my words that Fantasmic is WAY better than world of color. Don't get me wrong - I still prefer Fantasmic...but seeing World of Color from the front makes a huge difference! It was awesome.

Bye Bye boring Belagio fountains!

Progress...

Some things are getting done around here!

While sadly, others are not....

Can I subcontract out my cleaning please????

Mothers Day Motherload!

I don't think the boys could have given me anything as special as these!

Where to begin....

We left my Dads house at 4:30 this morning after a wonderful long weekend that included my home ward auction, Mothers Day, Disneyland, Sea World, swimming, Grandpa Larry, Grandpa and Grandma Henderson, going through my Moms office, 2 trips to the donut shop, 7-11 for slurpees, and sorting 7 bins of the Rober Family life from 1977 until the present.

Whew, no wonder I'm beat!

I am surrounded by boxes, laundry, and everything else we dumped in the middle of our floor along with 2 grouchy boys. I'm weeks behind in blogging, have 2 photo shoots to edit along with our trip pictures, and we start some major yard construction this week! I'm so excited about our yard!!!

There is so much to look forward to but so much to do at the same time! Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining - I'm so happy about everything! It just would have been nice for all this great stuff to spread itself out just a little bit.

At least I got my summer header up and this post is a start at getting my blog back in order....now I just have to go figure out where to begin on my house.

I think I will start with a prayer!

Mothers Day

I went into this week expecting it to be really hard and while it has been hard I have been pleasantly surprised to find that this week my heart has been filled with more gratitude than grief. My heart and mind have been overflowing with all of the reasons I am grateful you are my Mom.

Did you remember that last year we were together? What a gift! I am so grateful we got to spend your last Mothers Day together!


I remember before church you getting all weepy and teary while trying to tell me how proud of me you were. You told me you were proud of the Mother and woman I had become and that nothing brought you more joy than to see that. I'm sorry to say that I brushed you off and changed the subject, but I am so grateful you took the time to express those thoughts. Ive reflected on those words many times in moments of self doubt. They especially meant so much because at that time they didn't have to be said.

One year ago you were the picture of health and wellness.


You were feeling great after having just recovered from your back surgery and you were so happy to finally be feeling fit and pain free. It would only be a month or so after this that you began to notice the weakness in your hand. I still cant believe how much has changed in just one year. It is still so surreal!

We were with you again this year. We brought you flowers and took a few minutes to sit with you. It is so beautiful and peaceful there, especially in your little corner of the cemetery.


The cemetery was packed with people honoring their Mothers and Grandmothers. It was so cool to witness and it reinforced once again the power of a Mothers love for those she has loved.


We remember you today Mom. We honor you and the sacrifices you made to be the wonderful Mother you were. I gave the boys some Grandma Silly kisses from you while at your graveside and they giggled with pleasure just like they use to when you did them.

Love you forever Mom!

Happy Mothers Day!

Summer Swim Lessons

Last year we got complaints that we didn't tell people we were doing swim lessons before our classes were full. So this year I'm announcing them here so no one can be mad at me that they didn't know :)

There are 4 different sessions that run Tues - Fri.

June 7-10
June 21-24
July 12-15
July 26-29

Cost is $15 per session. E-mail me if you want to sign up!