More Ethan

Ethan: "Mom, if Harry Potter were in real life, Heavenly Father and Jesus would love him, too, riiiiight??"

A Child's Prayer - Part II

I finally explained to Ethan that you have to buy ice cream from the ice cream man and the reason he didn't stop is because we weren't outside waiting with our money when he drove by. So tonight's prayer included this: " . . . And please bless me to get some money so I can buy some ice cream from the ice cream man . . ."

Sigh. I swear I'm listening. Ice cream is in Ethan's future.

A child's prayer

The ice cream truck passes our house every afternoon and Ethan is always sad when he doesn't stop and hand out ice cream of his own volition. The other night in his bedtime prayer, he said ". . . and please bless that the ice cream man will like us and stop at our house some day." Do you think I should just buy the poor boy an ice cream?!

A soccer sensation

Ethan has begun his short 6-week soccer season. I am thrilled to announce that it is a much better fit for him than t-ball. Lots of running and kicking - right up his alley! He even scored 2 goals in the first 2 minutes of his very first game! What a little stud.

This picture cracks me up. He's always stretching - so vigilant about it sometimes that he misses the start of the play!

Lucky #7 - my number all through high school - and look at that form!

He informed everyone while running off the field that he needed a substitute so he could have a break and lay in the sun. Yep . . . he's definitely my son.

Quick trip to Rexburg

The little boys and I left after church on Sunday for Rexburg for a visit with Lee and Danika. We stayed with them in their darling apartment and had a magnificent time. The boys are still asking when they are coming to our house . . . although L&D are probably relieved to be able to sleep in past 5:50 or so now that we've gone.

Some of the highlights include playtime at the ropes course, the splash pad, catching "suicidal grasshoppers" in the field across from L&D's apartment and spending as much time outside as possible. Thanks for such a fun visit Lee and Dani! We'll see you soon.

A conversation

As mentioned before, Ethan is obsessed with He-Man these days. Yesterday he begged to be in his underwear like He-Man, so of course I conceded. When he started getting his sneakers on to outside, however, I drew the line. I told him He-Man had to at least wear shorts outside. Tantrum ensued. "He-Man doesn't wear shorts - he only wears his underwear!" I tried to explain that He-Man's "underwear" were really shorts and they were just small and tight because he couldn't find any awesome shorts like Ethan's at the store, so he had to take what he could get. That helped . . . a little.

5 minutes pass . . .

"Mom, can I be spiky-hair Robin from Batman instead?" I agreed because Robin always seems to be fully dressed. Then he explained . . . "Yeah," he replied, "But he wears his underwear on TOP of his clothes!"

Oh my . . . I'm beginning to wonder why I buy this boy any clothes at all!

Crawdaddin'

Another trip to Utah last week to help Mike and Michelle and Dale and Elaine move. Lots of work . . . and lots of fun. We broke up the packing and moving with a windy day at Strawberry Reservoir on our annual (or at least attempted annual) crawdad fishing trip. Greg and I first went the first August we were married. I felt so confident when we arrived because I had equipped us with wire hangers and hot dogs. Hmmm . . . maybe that's why I never caught many at the lake growing up.

Thanks to the mercy of another group leaving, Greg and I ended up with 10 lines of twine attached to 10 raw chicken thighs . . . and as fast as we could pull the lines up and fling the crawdads to shore and into our bucket, we'd start over and haul in another load! So, needless to say, we don't show up with hangers and hot dogs anymore. Long lines with raw chicken are the ticket. I don't even love to eat the little buggers (although I will), but the experience is long anticipated and the are fun is fondly remembered.

Our total count this year: 815 . . . and we could've kept going! I think next years we'll go home after a couple hundred, as that seems to feed a crowd just as easily . . . and with much less work!

Greg and Rich bonding with the crawdaddies.

Thanks for the 4-wheeler rides, Uncle Mike!

Everyone had several chances to hold the critters . . . except Porter who wanted nothing more than to get his hands on one.

Greg, Rich and Mike: The nitty gritty cleaning. I helped . . . I swear. But I have to admit I wasn't too disappointed when called away to tend to the chilluns.