Boys 1st Camping Trip...with me

So we went camping to Mt. Lemon for Father's & Sons. It was the boys' first time, and the first time I've been camping since any of the kids were born. The boys had a blast! We made a camp fire in the evening and they helped gather firewood and pine needles.

We made Smores, (of course, what's a camping trip without that) and the boys learned how to roast marshmallows. After burning the marshmallows, I had to take over.

They were pretty funny when I rolled out the sleeping bags. At first, they didn't grasp the concept that you have to get INSIDE the sleeping bag. They were trying to use it as a blanket, then they laid on top waiting for me to put a blanket on them. Quite comical.

Ammon woke up in the middle of the night and said "I want a pillow" which, I was mad at myself, cause I forgot them and I wanted one too!

We went hiking to a little lake and the boys wanted to catch fish with their bare hands. There wasn't a good spot to do it cause there were people everywhere. So the boys decided to climb a mountain.

Here are the pics of our adventure. Unfortunately the pics are horrible quality cause they came from my phone, but here they are:

A spider web attached to a tree limb

Do I even need to explain this? (at the top)

Looking down from where we came

Coming down

Since we got home, they've been harassing me about when we're going to go again. Luckily, we are on the first weekend of July. Headin' to Sedona to get away before I have to watch ALL the kids for a week while Amber goes to girls camp.

Speaking of Amber, we were on our way to her sister's graduation in Mesa the other day and as we came out of Sprouts, Amber said, "Hmmm, my eye is puffing up a little bit." Well from about Higley to Lindsay her eye got really big, not only her eye lids, but there was a yellow puss ball looking thing on her eyeball.

The picture really doesn't do it justice, but we went to the Urgent Care on Gilbert road and they couldn't help us.

So we went to Banner Desert, (Amber's favorite place) and they said she had a cut on her eye. The cool part was when they put some eye drops in her eye and placed a black light over her face,

Sweet!! That was definitely worth the 4 hour wait! Anyway she had like a little hole on the side of her cornea. She didn't remember feeling anything going into her eye, it just started swelling up. Wierd.

Dude, a bunch of stuff has happened since last posting. We found a scorpion in the street in front of our house.


We ended up killing it with our secret formula Raid. It looked pregnant, either that, or it just got done eating. After we sprayed it, it started to sting itself.

Well friends, that is about it. I'll post new pics of the girls soon, since I know that's all anyone cares about anyway.

Thanks to all, as always, for your help and love. We don't know how we'd do it without all the support.


"In today's world of pop psychology, junk TV, and feel-good self-help manuals, this advice may seem counterintuitive. We are sometimes told that the answer to our ills is to look inward, to indulge ourselves, to spend first and pay later, and to satisfy our own desires even at the expense of those around us. While there are times when it is prudent to look first to our own needs, in the long run it doesn't lead to lasting happiness."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Happiness, Your Heritage," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 119–20

Amber On The News!

Congratulations to my awesome wife!! A little late but I put a submission in and the National Maternal Society awarded Amber with the "2009 Mother of the Year" Award. Not only that but she got recognized on CNNBC. (I think she's trying to steal my spotlight). Be sure to check it out.

(On the top right hand side above our family picture)

It brings a tear to my eye. I Love You Honey!

Happy Mother's Day!


"Being a mother has never been an easy role. Some of the oldest writings in the world admonish us not to forsake the law of our mother, instruct us that a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother, and warn us not to ignore our mother when she is old (see Proverbs 1:8; 10:1; 23:22).

"The scriptures also remind us that what we learn from our mothers comprises our very core values."

(President Thomas S. Monson, "If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear," Ensign, November 2004, 116)

April Pics

Since we haven't posted anything for like....a month, here's a little something. first, a pic we took after church on Easter, Amber's idea. It's hard to get the girls lookin' in the same direction when YOU"RE the one takin' the picture.
Fun ones of the boys chillin' on the little lake at Anthem park


....And Faith in rare form...NOT CRYING!! Good news though, I found if i put rice cereal (I know, I know, I'm not supposed to) in her bottle, she doesn't throw up and she actually has started smiling. I think she's more satisfied with the thicker formula. Amber will thank me later.
Other than that, there's not a whole lot goin' on right now. We're still working on the house, and we're not too far from being done with the downstairs.

Amber and I got new callings. Amber is an Assistant Ward Girls Camp Director. For all you that know Amber hates to camp....this will be a fun calling. I got called to be a Ward Missionary.

Until next time..thanks to all for your love and support!


"Now, some of you may be shy by nature, perhaps feeling yourselves inadequate to respond affirmatively to a calling. Remember that this work is not yours and mine alone. It is the Lord's work, and when we are on the Lord's errand, brethren, we are entitled to the Lord's help.
Remember that the Lord will shape the back to bear the burden placed upon it."

(President Thomas S. Monson, "The Sacred Call of Service," Ensign, May 2005, 56)