My sweet cousin Lexie came to visit!

We were able to have my cousin Lexie for one short weekend. She is really growing up and we just loved having her. My kids wanted to play with her the whole time. And unlucky for her, the weekend she was here, she got to help us move. She lives in Texas and we hope to have her again sometime!

This is Joshua's toy. We (mostly him) have had a blast riding it in the field behind our house. The kids were allowed to go on short rides in the culdesac. Which, of course they thought was thrilling!

More pictures from the Cabin! We hope to make another trip up there soon
to help paint it a lovely shade of green. So, you can anxiously await even more
fishing pictures!

We love the Cabin!

The Cabin is one of our favorite places to go on vacation! I have been going there since I was a baby. I love that now, my kids are able to grow up there too and enjoy the same experiences that I have had. Adalyn first went when she was 5 months old and has gone many times since.


The Cabin sits above Fremont Lake in the Windriver mountains and the deck looks out over the water. It is just beautiful!

Memorial Day at the cabin

It was the coldest weekend that we have ever had at the cabin. When we got there, the desk was covered in snow! We were very grateful for the baseboard heaters! We still had a wonderful time and caught a few fish.

Kindergarten Graduation

Well, say goodbye to kindergarten!! Her graduation program was so cute. The kids sang many really cute songs. They spent a lot of time preparing for this program and it was fun to watch the kids and their excitement.

Smart Start T-ball

Ethan did Smart Start T-ball twice a week for the month of June. He really enjoyed the one on one with Mom and Dad. It gave him the opportunity to learn to catch, hit and throw. I think his favorite part was the t-shirt and hat that he got to wear each time.

T-Ball

Now, Addy really loved T-ball. It was a much more interactive sport for her than soccer. She loved going to practice and was quite the hitter. I hope we have a future in softball.














































This was her first game, and first time at bat. I think she just couldn't believe she hit the ball and made it to first.

Father Son Campout

I am not sure that there is anything that little boys enjoy more than camping with Dad!

Spring Soccer was so cold and so fun!!

Adalyn enjoyed soccer. She had several friends on her team and the snacks were her favorite part. There were several games that were so cold, they were almost unbearable. I have heard that fall soccer is much better! Overall, we enjoyed our first season at the soccer field and look forward to many more games.

Addy's Zoo Program

Yes, I know school has been out awhile, but like I said, I am very behind! Adalyn had a zoo program at school where they sang songs and performed. It was so cute! She was an eagle and loved being in front of the crowd!

Gerald H. Norris April 20, 1927- June 24, 2008

My Grandfather passed away this morning. It has been a sad day for me and my family. He will be dearly missed and was an amazing man. He left an incredible heritage of faith in the Lord, and the importance of loving family and working hard. He taught us all to love the outdoors (especially fishing). He built a cabin on the mountainside and a lake house on Bear Lake, that have both provided so many opportunities to spend time with loved ones, build relationships, enjoy the beauty of our earth, find rest from our busy lives and draw closer to the Lord. I could feel how much he loved me and my husband and our little family, just by the way he looked at me. I always felt so surprised when my Grandma would tell me on the phone that my Grandpa was praying for specific things that I needed (there are fifteen other grandchildren and their spouses, and so many great grand children, I have lost count, at least 17...) I know that he loved each of his family members and I will always appreciate how much he loved Joshua and accepted him into the family with open arms. I will miss his big smile meeting us at the gate at Bear Lake, and his stories of long ago. I will miss his example of service and his quiet leadership in the home. Grandpa we all love you and will miss you so much!

Sis in law Cara's BYU graduation

Wow! Graduation was awesome! Of course graduation is emotional for me. What a tremendous and important thing-to graduate from college. We are so happy for Cara. She graduated with honors in the BYU nursing program. She is now a RN.



Cara's Mom graduated also. The same day as her youngest child. What a special day for them all. Cara's Dad is a professor of finance at BYU, so he was a part of the ceremony as well.

It was an awesome thing to see thousands and thousands of graduates in their gowns. I wasn't expecting to see so many outside in the parking lot waiting to go into the marriot center. Even the kids were expressing their disbelief as we drove by. What a great sight to see.

Best ever Banana Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

These really are the best banana cupcakes ever! We eat them for breakfast, bedtime snack and everywhere in between. We lay in bed and think about eating them. Now, I know that the "Jens" are still waiting for a sample! Yesterday I doubled the batch so I would have enough for stitch club, YW's, and friends. Well, I ran out of time to bake them yesterday before I had to run to an appointment. My incredibly sweet friend Jill offered to bake them up, while she babysat my kids. Unfortunately!, her oven was colder than mine and they baked up to a big mess! So, I tried, I promise!! (Please don't blame Jill, she feels bad enough even though it is not her fault! She even baked cookies quickly so I would have something for stitch club!- Jill Brown is one of the nicest friends I have ever met!) Okay, the moment you all have been waiting for-

3/4 cup butter

2 1/8 cups sugar

3 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I use milk with 1 1/2 T. lemon juice, let sit for 5 min.)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• chopped walnut (opt.)

This frosting is one I made up myself. Joshua doesn't like traditional thick sweet cream cheese frosting, so I made this and he said it is the best cream cheese frosting he has ever had. I think it tastes like cheesecake spread on top!

1. Preheat oven to 275°. (electric oven) If your oven runs cold, you may want to do 300.
   
2. Grease two muffin pans
   
3. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
5. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
7. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
8. Stir in banana mixture.
9. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 30 min (or more) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.
11. This will make the cupcakes very moist.
12. For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
13. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla.
14. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
15. Spread on cooled cupcakes.
16. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

Unusual talents or gifts that kids have

Today, I am going to share am unusual talent (kind of) that one of my kids has. I want any of you that have kids with unusual or weird talents or gifts, to comment and share with me! This could be fun to see what everyone comes up with.

Adalyn started walking at 8 1/2 months. Like most children, she immediately took a liking to trying on other people's shoes, in all sizes. Now, here is the unusual talent: She never once has put shoes on the wrong feet. We even tried to trick her many times, by placing the shoes next to each other and switching them, so they are on the wrong side. She immediately switched them back with her little hands and put them on. She did this as a baby, before she could even talk!

Now, please leave a comment sharing your kids' unusual talents!