Memorial day

Isaac loved sitting in the caretaker's 4 wheeler

sea of flags

beautiful scenery

Vocalocity

presentation of flags

The US flag that so many have fought for!

Bagpipers coming in

Honor guard

Scottish bagpipers

One part of my job as an insurance agent is being a pre-need sales agent.  What that means is that I can sell funeral plans for those that want to plan and pay for their funeral before it happens.  I think this is very important, especially since I have lost both of my parents and neither of those were planned.  But when my grandparents died, it was so nice and easy on the family to have the funeral paid for.  So I really believe in this.  I work for a local mortuary, Myers mortuary.  They are in Brigham City (where my parents were cared for), Ogden (where my mom's parents were cared for), Roy and Layton. They also own a cemetery in Ogden.  It's called Evergreen Memorial Park.  It is a very nice cemetery and for Memorial Day, they put out a huge amount of flags out.  They ask us as pre-need agents to be there for all of Memorial weekend to help people find grave markers, etc. They also do a Veteran's remembrance program Sunday night with bagpipers, an honor guard and a local vocal group.  It was very nice and I enjoyed it all.

Jeremy's music program

Jeremy has had a great year. He did half the day in English and the other half in Spanish.  He always had great grades and his teachers said he was a great student.  We are very proud of him also.  For the end of the year, the first graders did a singing program for the parents.  Jeremy did great.  He is excited for 2nd grade but is sad to leave his teachers.

Alex's preschool graduation

Our proud graduate

the kids had fun playing tetherball

Isaac wanted his picture taken too!

getting ready for their program

the kids did a very patriotic singing program

crossing the bridge symbolizing moving on

one of his best friend's from school, Halle

Miss Helen and our graduate

The end of the school year is here and that means graduation.  Alex has finished preschool and he is very excited to go to kindergarten, especially to go to the same school as Jeremy.  He will miss his preschool, friends and especially Miss Helen. She has been a great teacher. He had graduation again at the fish farm. We are so proud of Alex!

Summer sports

Alex and Jeremy have started to play summer sports.  Jeremy is playing baseball, his favorite sport.  Dad is coaching him this year and they are the Cubs after the Chicago Cubs. He wishes he was a Yankee, his favorite team.  North Ogden city got all the teams shirts and hats with one of the  major league teams on them. Alex is playing kickball and he is a Rockie for the Colorado Rockies.

Alex lost his first tooth!

A couple of weeks ago, Alex reported to me that one of his teeth were loose.  When Jeremy was losing his first tooth, it was quite the ordeal.  He wiggled it for weeks. Lots of crying and telling him it would be okay that it would come out eventually. Alex was quite different. He wiggled it for about a week and one day he was driving with Grandma after they picked Jeremy up from school and he just pulled it out.  No tears, nothing.  I came to pick up the boys and he showed me.  I wasn't prepared for Alex to start loosing teeth but both he and Jeremy got their teeth pretty early (about 4 months) and Jeremy started loosing his at 5 so I guess it's time!

Jai the bunny

Recently, we inherited a new pet.  The boys have had a fish or two and even a little frog, but since Jeremy has allergies to dogs and cats, we just haven't gotten anything more than that. So a few weeks ago, Grandma Gerritsen goes into her garage and finds a bunny has taken residence there.  Grandpa wasn't too happy because the bunny was eating his tomato plants.  So after a few days of this, they asked us to capture it. We went to the local IFA and purchased a cage, food, etc. (it is quite expensive by the way!) and set about to capture it.  It took a couple of days but the bunny was finally coerced into the cage.  The boys set about to name it and everyone picked a name. Jeremy picked Jai for Jeremy, Alex and Isaac, Alex wanted Ninja, I can't remember what I picked and Dad picked Thumper. We put all the names in a hat and Grandma picked...Jai.  So Jai it is.  He is a good bunny.  I think he got out of someone's cage. I had taken Jeremy once to an IFA to see little chicks and baby bunnies and he broke out in big hives.  He told me with Jai he wasn't breaking out.  So I thought the allergy was gone.  I try to let Jai jump around the yard once a day.  Well one of those days, Jeremy caught him and I told him to hold him close to his chest so that he wouldn't get away.  We got Jai back in the cage and I noticed that Jeremy had huge hives all over him.  He was one miserable boy, not only because of the hives but to know he was still allergic to bunnies! But we all still love Jai and hope he's around for awhile.

Ward Pinewood Derby

The Elder's quorum decided to hold a Pinewood derby and included the whole ward. Ben was able to make and design a derby car and we think it was pretty cool even though it didn't win any of the races.  He hadn't made once since he was a scout and even then, his dad made it for him.  So he learned how to melt down the metal and put weight on the car.  Now he is ready to help Jeremy when he gets in Scouts.

Isaac and his sandbox

One of the things about the house we are living in is that we have a back door that the boys can run outside and play in the backyard.  I can still see them out the window and run out there if they need me.  We have had our sandbox over at a friend's since our move and we went and picked it up a few weeks ago.  Isaac loves to get in it and I will often find him out there just a playing away.

Work!

As parents, Ben and I have struggled to try to teach our boys to work.  There seems to be so many conveniences that why do any work?!  So it was delightful to see the boys try to help Dad mow that I had to capture it on film. Isaac loves to help us and Jeremy also.  Alex is still where he likes Mom to do what seems like everything for him!

Safety fair 2011

For the past 3 years or so, our area has had a safety fair that the boys love to go to.  There are lots of free activities and our friend Jack came with us. The boys did everything from learning about power lines, to seeing 'real' Harry Potter wands (they love to play that with the boys next door) and in the pictures above, the local IHC clinic let them have a bear that they took to the 'doctor'.  Alex's bear was named Harry Potter and he had a broken arm.  It was a lot of fun for them.

Dinosaur park

Earlier this year,I bought a pass to the Dinosaur pass and we finally had the chance to use it. Jeremy was at school but the younger two had a great time.  Hopefully this summer we will go back again.

Pictures for sale!

The boys have made friends with the boys next door and one day, they all had the great idea of selling pictures they drew.  Coming from an very entrepreneurial Dad (he sold many things when he was a kid), this wasn't too much of a stretch for them.  Since the boys next door live on the end of the street that meets another street, it was a great location.  The day started out pretty slow and we as parents didn't think that they would sell anything.  But then they moved locations and sure enough, surprised motorists took pity on them and bought their over-priced pictures (they sold them for $1.00 and had priced most of them more than that!).  By the end, they had about $10 and split it between the 4 of them.

Haircuts!

Haircuts. It is a must in our home to keep our boys looking sharp and Mom doesn't do well with the clippers.  So we have a place that will cut the boys' hair for $5.  Isaac is okay if he has a sucker in his mouth and sits on Mom's lap.  This particular time, he went through about 3 suckers.  He always has a mouth full of hair.  Jeremy used to get it in his mouth so I told him to close his eyes and mouth really tight.  More than once he has fallen asleep!

Bike safety

ready set go!

Jeremy

Alex

Isaac chilling in the wagon

Our ward had a bike safety activity.  The kids had to wear their helmets and go on an obstacle course and learn proper stopping, etc. It was a fun activity.