Cabin Pictures

James and Bethany :)

Richard and Celeste doing a little Karaoke

S'mores

Wow

Richard and Robbie's spontaneous and synchronized backup dancing

Savanna singing one of the many verses of "Mother Goony Bird"

Baby Jaxon

Playing kickball in Uncle Robin's yard (the team that won)

The Long-awaited TALENT SHOW:

At the Manti Temple

Launching water balloons before the rain/hail

A great time at the cabin!

Wow! We packed alot into 3-1/2 days! What a fun time we had together, inside and out, while we dodged thunderstorms and rain. Ping pong, foos ball, air hockey, table and group games, walks to the reservoir, muddy 4-wheeler rides, watching (and hearing) sheep and new lambs, kick ball on Uncle Robin's front lawn, pool in his basement, frisbee, a treasure hunt for the kids (they made, put around, then found the clues), karaoke, a marshmallow roast and 'some more's,' an amazing talent show! (can't say enough about that), to church at Uncle Robin's Ward, photos at the Manti Temple, birthday dinner and games for Brady, shotgun shooting, DDR ('dance dance revolution'), water balloon launching, playing with the babies, and way too much food! Thanks everybody for the special meals you prepared. It was a memorable and wonderful family time. Plan on next year, Memorial Day weekend, same time, same place. And start preparing your talent now. :) Love to you all! Mom

Austin's Preschool Graduation

Austin had his graduation from preschool today. The kids sang a lot of songs, including Austin's favorite, "Fifty, Nifty United States."

In answer to his teacher's question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Austin answered, "A football player." At home, he expounded on that to also include a "baseball player, a soccer player, and a police officer."

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Dear Daddy,
Happy Birthday! I love you. You are special and I like when you wrestle with me. You are cool because you like to play football with me and Austin. You are special because you are a special daddy. I love you!
Love, savanna

I love playing with my Daddy-- no one makes me laugh harder!!

Love,

Jaxon
I love you Dad. Yessiree. I wanna have a great day at your birthday and have a fun time and I love you Dad. Bye.

austin

To My Beloved Children

I can't tell you how much I love and respect and treasure each one of you! My feelings are so much deeper than I could ever convey. I was so touched by your thoughtfulness to me for Mother's Day. Each of you are amazing and so important to me. Laurie. Brady. Savanna. Austin. Jaxon. James. Bethany. Alessia. Cardston. Robbie. Tamra. Richard. Celeste. Julie. Nelson. Jonathan. Carrie. As I say each of your names and picture you in my mind and think about your special qualities, tears well up in my eyes and my heart overflows with tender feelings for each of you. I thank you with my whole soul for the people that you are - full of integrity and righteousness and sensitivity and compassion and humor and intelligence and dedication - and on and on. I am so deeply honored to be your mother (and mother-in-law and grandmother). Let's always stay close as a family and put each other's needs first. Please let me help you in any way I can. You are everything to me!
All my love, forever and ever!
Mom

Austin Bostin Gostin

"I love you Grandma. Yes siree. I like to play games with you and I like to play basketball with you and I like ta ride my bike with you and I like ta go outside and play with you on the swing set. And then I want to play with you after that. Inside. And play a game. Whoa- that’s a lot of typing. (Julie- Should we be done?) Um- I think there’s more stuff. Whisper- Nelson help me say the words. I like to ride my bike with you and I wish I could live in a new house with you and that’s all. Actually, there’s more. And A-U-S-T-I-N. I love you Grandma. I like to ride bikes with you and ride bikes with you and play outside and play a game with you. And I love you Grandma, too, so much. I like to play outside with you and sleep over at your house. (Julie- Okay- we need to be done Austin. ) No! I want it to be filled all the way! I like to ride bikes with you and play outside with you. . . Can you help me go to Savanna's Webkin?"

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother’s Day, Joan! It’s great to have you as a mother-in-law. I feel like I receive twice the motherly concern, twice the love, and twice blessings from a mother. I want to tell you a few of the things that I appreciate about you and your example for us.

One thing that I really appreciate about you is your example of forgiveness. It seems to me that this is something that is always a work in progress and something that you are constantly improving. You seem to be willing to give others the benefit of the doubt and to see things from their point of view. I am impressed with your deep understanding and application of the atonement as you see others nearer to the same perspective as our Heavenly Father sees us.

Also, I feel like I am blessed by your example of generosity. It makes me have a greater desire to use my means and talents to benefit others. This is another area in which I believe you put others before yourself and your own wants.

Finally, I am blessed by your example as a parent -- by the way you humble teach and strengthen your children. How blessed I feel to have an additional influence beyond my own parents to guide me in my own life and teach me the ways of raising my own future children in righteousness.

I love you,

Nelson