Fun with Laura & Mike

Normal life STOPS when the Carlstons come to visit! It becomes Family Time, field trips, game time, and good ol' PARTY time! We are all so glad they came for a couple days! Thanks to Eileen & Larry Carlston for making it all possible!

Looking at Ella in this first picture reminds me so much of Laura at this age!



I love this picture of Ella at my piano. Her posture is good, her concentration is focused. How adorable!




Fun at the Zoo
Ella, Janie, Laura, Mike and Grandma went to the zoo together to play on the one day when it was HOT-- in the 80's!... enjoying the animals, bird show, lunch, and carousel together.








DISCOVERY MUSEUM











Build a Bear/Kitty time!
Laura, Mike and Ella had never been to Build-a-Bear. And with Mike being such a stuffed animal ANIMATOR, I knew it was a must visit. After the Discovery Museum at Gateway, we wandered over to that store. What a fun time they had looking, choosing, stuffing, and naming the kitty Ella chose. She looked so HAPPY!





Naming her kitty - "Samantha"



Happy Ella - on way home from an Ella-Day! What a Holiday!



Out to Rumbi's - purple Ella by purple tree!



At Julie's home - game night!



Ella at piano again - At Great Grandma Thomas's home.



Grandpa with his baby girls



























HAPPY TOGETHER COUSINS

Jumpin' Janie

Fun night on our deck... Janie keeps trying to jump or hop and keeps us laughing!

Wheels on the Bus

Laura & Mike came for a few days making it a holiday for all of us. This song I was able to video one night as we sat out on the deck with the whole family. Ella really knows the actions to this song, and Janie had fun watching!

Front yard makeover May 2010

We decided on a front yard project--to take out the side walk along the front of the house, and soften it with plants and a front porch and walkway. We're about half done with the project. Here is how it looks so far...

This is a view of our front yard last year.



Crew tearing out sod and sidewalk.





Cute Janie with view of beginnings of new front deck.





Sandstone dry-stack wall in process.







Hope it all works and comes together like we hope!

MAY 2010 Janelle's Masters Degree!

May 1st, Saturday, Janelle received her Master's degree. The day before Laura, Jon, Janelle & I drove down after Women's Conference in Provo to Cedar City to watch this blessed event! I'm so glad we did. It brought tears to our eyes to see and feel such a grand event. You can tell just how thrilled we are!



Jon and Happy Laura! She had flown here for Women's Conference and got to be in on the graduation.


Janelle with her teacher friend, Karalee.




It's funny to think how this was basically the first and last time Janelle was at SUU for a school event. It shows how times have changed since Jon and I went to school. All her classes were online or by a traveling professor. Janelle had been to this campus before as an EFY counselor, but not as a student. Now she graduates from here with her Masters!