A little more boating

Steven & Hillary are in town, so we decided to run up to Echo Tuesday and let Steve have a ski. Mike and Steven are two peas in a pod. And it's so fun to see them together. Steve lives back east and Mike misses his brother.....they have a lot of fun together. We were excited to have Jim and Renae along for the fun.

Here's what I got when I told Brandon to smile:

The girls tubing....Sydney wasn't liking this at all tonight.

Ask Jim about his rope throwing abilities. I'm sure he was doing it on purpose...hitting Steven in the face, throwing the rope out of reach and making Steve swim for it, etc. Mike and Steve enjoyed throwing their wet life jackets on their Mom. Mike even made a point to step over (on) her and drip as he came into the boat.

The whole evening we could see lightening to the southeast of us. But, we hung out until the wind picked up. When it picked up, it was BIG wind! Here is a look off the boat as we were putting it on the trailer. The water was coming up over the swim deck and splashing us.

After we loaded, we decided to drive into Taggart and eat at Taggart's Grill again. This is when I was told that Jim once had to be 'escorted' off the lake by the ranger because it was lightening, etc! Info that would have come in handy earlier in the evening! It was a fun night!

Mike, Steve, Darin and I also went to sushi lunchi today at Ginza. Yummy sushi. Grumpy waitress. Good company! My goal is to learn to eat sushi with the chopsticks. Darin said we are unable to do this because we grew up eating cake mix out of the box with a spoon. We aren't refined enough! I was glad D was there so I wasn't alone in my W.T. display of sushi eating!

I even went shopping at Cosco for supplies for the ward party we are in charge of Saturday night without the kids! Thank goodness for summer babysitters! It was a nice little break.

The mayo jar and 2 cups of coffee

I copied this from my friend, Jme's blog:

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

Then, one of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee (or some ice cream!) with a good friend."

Amanda and Kate can water ski!

Amanda's first try! We didn't get a picture of the 2nd try, but that's when she really rocked it!
Kate's first ski! She screamed the whole time, but did a great job!

Amanda and Kate tried waterskiing last night and they SKIED! It was so exciting! We all were so proud of them. We had a good time with Rog, Coze and their family. The big girls liked tubing. Roger got in a good ski. The little kids liked riding in the boat. Cozette and I enjoyed the fun evening. We didn't get off the lake until it was dark.

Amanda and Kate doing tricks on the tubes.

Brandon helping his Dad pull in the ropes to the tubes. Brando likes to help Dad on the back of the boat. Below: Babes on the back of the boat.

Elyse and Kate on the tube.....just sitting.

My hunky hubby the captain! Sydney the first mate!

Sorry, Roger...this is the best shot I took of you. I know your spray is much higher and your elbow touches the water!

Mom's Sunday dinner!

Because it was Mike's birthday, my Mom invited us over for Sunday dinner. I love going to her house for dinner, especially because I have never been able to master the Sunday dinner. Pot roast, mashed potatoes, yorkshire pudding, gravy, salad, peas. YUM! Thanks, Mom! After dinner, the rest of the fam showed up and we had cupcakes and ice cream and my Mom got Mike a special cheesecake! (Here's Dad and Dan at the party. I had more pictures, but accidentally deleted them to take pictures for my next blog post.)

Mikey's birthday present

So, I had a little present planned for Mike with his friends from the neighborhood (not Bruce, Steven!) on Saturday. I had a great time keeping a secret from him. He tried to bribe the girls into getting the secret from me (I, of course, did not tell the kids) by offering to buy them bikes, build-a-bear, etc. But, I prevailed. This was a major win for me because for the first 10 years of our marriage, he guessed all the Christmas presents I would get for him. ANYWAY, before he left on Saturday morning to help lay sod at a neighbor's house, I told him that he and the guys were going to Larry Miller's sports park to race cars!
But, the plan was foiled, because when they got there, the race track for the cars was being raced on! Bummer! But, they got to race in the kiddie cars in the parking lot. CRAZY! All the wives decided that we will send them out to try the big boy cars again, but we think they still had a nice time. For journaling sake, he went with Casey F., Tony C.(who have birthdays all within the week of Mike's) and Darin J and one of Casey's friends, Brad. Here are a few pictures of someone racing...not our guys, but you get the point.

Now, Mike says that I didn't really get him a present! So, I gotta come up with something good. Any suggestions?

Mrs. Backer's Birthdays

A fun tradition from the Arveseth's that my husband insisted we continue in our own family is to get Mrs. Backer's birthday cakes! They are beautiful and tasty cakes. Mike loves the frosting. In my family growing up, we were lucky to get a cake made from the Betty Crocker box (we like to eat the powder with a spoon!) and almost never frosted the cake (we ate the frosting separate, too). Mike still likes to tease my family about our birthday cakes! We are celebrating his birthday at my parent's house tonight. I wonder what his cake will look like?

Anyway, the kids and I have added to our Backer's cakes tradition by getting them a gingerbread girl (for the girls) and boy (for Brandon) cookie. They have these cookies year round and I'm not sure why the kids think it's so much fun, but they love the cookies! We picked up Mike's cake on Friday and then all went to Market Street for dinner. He was in Salt Lake doing CPA stuff, so we went to our favorite Market Street in Cottonwood. We got king crab legs (we have the frequent diner birthday B1G1F) and shared with the kids. The girls LOVE crab legs and Mike and I are lucky to get any. When we got home, Sydney went to a birthday party for her friend, Hannah, and Amanda gave Daddy a back massager for his present. We then we dived into that yummy Backer's cake!

A little produce

The girls and I ventured out to the vegi garden this week. We had some great carrots and corn! It was fun to see how excited the girls were about these vegis! Now, if they'd only be as excited to eat them!

Happy Birthday Mikey!

Happy Birthday, Mikey! Once again we are the same age! I want you to know that the kids and I love you so much! We are so lucky and so blessed to have you as a husband and father. I honestly thank my Heavenly Father everyday that I have you in my life. I love what a great Dad you are to our kids. The adore you! I get asked at least a million times each day where you are and when are you coming home. You make us laugh and always have fun at what we are doing. You have given me the most beautiful children. I'm so grateful for your quiet understanding when you come home and the house is in chaos. I love how you make sure the kids get to have many experiences and how you take the time to explain little details to them. I feel so lucky that you love me!

I hope you will have fun tomorrow with your 'gift' and no, I am not giving anymore hints and I'm not telling the kids so you cannot bribe it out of them! I love you! XOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXO

Could you do it?

I attended Ward Council today. Mike got called in to help with an office move this morning. So, he left before church and amazingly enough...the kids and I made it on time (8:30am!). I had to sub jr. Primary chorister and teach Sunbeams today (with Brandon because he wouldn't go to nursery)...then go to Ward Council. I'm a little worn out this afternoon....ok, totally off the subject. Anyway, we were discussing some goals for the ward and had a discussion on emergency preparedness. Trying to come up with ways to give people a little wake-up call and see what could be done to get those in the ward prepared.

One guy said in their old ward, the bishopbric showed up on the doorstep of 10 families one Sunday and said, ok, we want you to live off your food storage for one month. No going to the store at all! Then, they reported their experiences in Sacrament meeting a month later. I got a little pit in my stomach! We have enough food for a month, but not enough toliet paper, soap, water, etc. This brother went on to say that people in the ward would drop by pizzas, a few personal items, but it really made everyone think....could we do it?

I do have to make a run to the store tomorrow anyway and will add to my list a few extra rolls of t.p. and some water. I don't know if we would be one of the families picked if the Bishop decides to do this, but it really shouldn't be an issue if we were 'picked' or not. We have been told for years on end to get our food storage, finances and 72 hour kits in order. We may not always need them for a natural disaster, but what about job loss or illness? Mike and I are committed to doing better in this regard, but it is a process. We just need to keep it a priority! Could you do it?

Deep Thoughts....

Anyone remember that segment from Saturday Night Live called 'Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy'.....

So, I have been thinking deeply (I know, it hurt a little) this week about something 2 of my friends told me about their husbands. I made dinner for one friend Monday night who has been battling kidney stones and dinner for another friend on Tuesday night because her daughter had her tonsils out. Each of these friends told me that their husbands always get mad when they are the ones taking dinner to others. They can't understand the need and think it's a waste of money (both families are very capable of giving someone a meal...it wouldn't hurt financially at all). One gal told me that her in her husband's family they were never service-oriented and it was always 'look out for number one' She struggles to show her children how to be service-oriented, without much help from her husband. She also has to try to teach him this value. He's a grown man!

Well, the kidney stone friend said that her husband now gets how great it is to have a hot, homemade meal brought in when you are struggling. She had been very ill for at least a week and he had major issues at his work and to come home and have this minor, but major thing provided for him, touched his heart.

I told Mike that I was so grateful for my parents and his parents instilling in us when we were very young the value of service and being examples of service even to this day. I love that we don't even think about the sacrifice part of service, just how can we help someone out. As a parent, I cringe at the thought of teaching my children the lesson of being selfish. That comes so naturally, and we are to tame the natural instincts to become more Christlike. I was always witnessing my parents giving service to others....and without recognition. As well as Mike's parents. How blessed are we? And now I realize even more the importance of being a good example in this regard. How simple a concept, but how lasting are its affects.