A double scoop day

I guess it has been awhile since I've posted anything. The first part of summer about killed me since I was taking Economics in a 6 week period and doing swimming lessons with the kids, but we managed alright. Things have really slowed down this week and the kids are driving me up the wall. The past two days Jarom and Jessica have been going at it constantly. Because they essentially have the same dominant personality, they clash all the time. I was so stressed out today that when Paul got home from work I headed out to get a double scoop ice cream cone - something I don't usually do. It was that bad of a day. I don't want to feel like I have to spend the whole summer vacation being a disciplinarian, but it drives me up the wall when my kids do not treat each other well. I feel like it is a reflection on me. Like somehow I am a bad mom because my kids don't always like each other. Now I have a glimpse of how fighting with Nate (my younger brother) probably stressed my parents out as well.

We had a nice 4th of July visit at my parents home with my two sisters and their families. Sadly the other 4 siblings couldn't make it due to dental school, OB/Gyn residency, a mission and running their own business. We missed all you guys!!!

On the morning of the 4th, all the adults headed out to Kartchner Caverns. My mom had already been previously so she stepped up to the plate and offered to watch 8 wild grandchildren. The kids had all woken up at the crack of dawn and were playing in the backyard on the swings at like 6 am. We had to leave about 7am for the caverns. And as we were walking to the cars (note: my parents live on the base of a mountain so essentially their property is like a wild life zoo.) Anyway most of us walked across a set of pavers to my dad's car, when my sister Andrea let out a little yell and we looked back to see a rattlesnake not 6 inches from one of the paver's we had all just walked across. It was just sitting there. Not making any noise, not even moving.
My brother in law immediately ran for his .22 but couldn't find ammunition. And because the kids were playing in this part of the yard earlier (yikes!) we decided we had to kill it so no one would get hurt. Andrea and I scrambled into the back of my dad's truck while Paul started throwing big rocks at it. Unfortunately it had to suffer death by stoning and an eventual beheading, but we couldn't run the risk of having any of kids encounter it. We stretched it out later and it was almost 5 feet long! My dad saved the rattler and the kids got a kick out of holding it.




Check out the rattler

Here is my little guy running around naked.

Kory and Paul firing up the grill for a

good old 4th of July Feast.

Jessica, Joel, Lacey & Jarom on the steps

in front of my parents house

Me and the kids at the fireworks show. Paul stayed back

with Joel who was very tired and would not have handled

staying up until 10pm.

Me and my mom and 2 of my three sisters (the other one

lives in Texas) Emily, Erika, Mom, Andrea

A fun picture of my kids and Andrea's kids. (Clockwise from

the top: Jarom, Josh, Audree, Lacey, Sophee, Jessica, Kaylee)