Abby's 7th Birthday PICTURE EDITION

She wanted a triple decker cake....I did the best I could.

Cici's Pizza!  We love Cici's!

Riding the roller coaster ride at Chuckie E. Cheese

SKEE BALL!

Wow!  Abby, that's a LOT of tickets!

Flying on the bike

It's great to be 7!

"I always wanted this!"  She actually said that.
Thanks Grandma and Papa!

Oops! How did I forget!

Abby Turns 7!  I can't believe my baby is one year away from getting her ears pierced, but more importantly getting baptized.  She is very excited about both, but she asks just about everyday if she can get her ears pierced now and wear make up, but that's not until 12 at least.  She's so funny and still keeps us on our toes.  Lately she has been sneaking into my make-up.  She's pretty good at putting it on, by the way.  I swear she is 7 going on 17.  Along with that she is a very bright girl.  She is doing well in school and has made lots of good friends.
Anyway, so for her birthday we did not do a friends party this year,  but instead just celebrated by going to Cici's Pizza, Chuckie E. Cheese (for games), and then came home for cake and presents.  She had a great day!  For some reason I can't find the pictures of her birthday celebration, so here is a little montage' of Abby's life so far....I'll post them when I find them...they're probably on the laptop.  :)

On the rocking horse Elsa painted for her for Christmas

Sweet Abby at 9 mo.

Playing in the leaves at G-ma and Papa's on Thanksgiving

Abby as a bee for Halloween 2007
Look at that hair!

She wanted curls for church. 

These two were so cute together.  Notice Abbys hair cut.
I gave up trying to hide her "bald spot".  

Abby and I loved to walk the kids to school,
this day we found a rainbow...Abbys favorite!

Abby loved to help me bake...and she still does!

Her 1st day of Kindergarten

Abby age 4

Abby wanted to be a Gingerbread Girl...not just a Gingerbread man....GIRL.  She was very specific about that!

Look at that tooth-less grin!

What a beautiful little lady she's turning out to be.
We love her with all our hearts!

Calvin turns 12....I can't believe it!

Wasn't he the cutest little kid?!  Seems like yesterday!

 What a fun weekend we had!  With LOTS of pictures!
First of all, it was Calvin's 12th birthday on Friday.  He went with Dallin and Dad on a camping night with the Boy Scouts.  (Clint went because he just was called to be the 1st counselor in the Young Men's presidency.)  The camping trip was actually at a member's home where they pitched their tents in the backyard, then ate lots of good food and watched "October Sky".  They did it last year too and decided to make it a tradition to do it the same time every year.  Calvin barely made it this year.  They all had fun and ate good food.  We all know that food is where it's at with men and young men, right?  Anyway, then on Saturday, Grandma and Papa Anderson, Aunt Steph and Tracy came to be here for Calvin's ordination of the Aaronic priesthood.  But before that, we celebrated his birthday on Saturday night with a good meal, home made (from scratch) chocolate cake, ice cream, and who can forget presents.  He got some pretty nice things including a very nice, new suit from Aunt Steph, a new journal and money from Grandma and Papa Anderson, a skateboard, a nice baseball glove, and a lego, Yoda watch from Mom and Dad.  He was pretty happy!
Then, on Sunday, was our stake conference where we got a new Stake President.  We will miss Pres. Dayley, but are excited for our new one, Pres. Winder.  He was our bishop in our last ward, so we know him pretty well.  Great man, and his family is awesome too.  After stake conference, we waited for all the ordaining's to the Melchezedek Priesthood to be done, including a young man that Clint got to know and love really well while Clint served as his young mens leader a few years back.  Now, this young man is getting ready to serve a mission.  Then, when everyone left, our bishop, 1st counselor, Grandpa (Papa), the young mens pres. of our ward, and of course Clint ordained Calvin to the Aaronic Priesthood as a deacon.  We are all so proud of the choices that he has made in his life so far and are anxious to watch him and his brother grow in the gospel.  We then, went up to the temple and took some pictures, then came back home to eat and just hang out there for the rest of Sunday.
On Monday, we all, except for Clint he thought he could be done with work by then, went to the Sharks Reef at the Mandalay Bay in down town Las Vegas.  It was fun just to hang out and have fun with everyone.  After that, my parents had to get back on the road to get home, so we said our "good bye's".  Then Aunt Steph and Tracy, the kids and I met Clint at the mall where we had to exchange Calvin suit coat because there were two little holes in it.  But no problem, we exchanged it then walked around the mall, Calvin bought a game for his game system with his birthday money and we ate lunch.  Then, the kids and I came back home, Clint had a couple more things to get done at work and Aunt Steph and Tracy went and checked into their hotel.  Then later that night, we met them at Metro Pizza and stuffed our bellies and visited.  It was one of those weekends that I wished would never end.

Our family

Every one who came....except Tracy who was taking the picture.

Abby was so funny...she was being the photographer.  She wanted everyone to stand in a line with their
fingers to their mouths, then she would pick us one at a time and put us in her picture.  

She was still picking people...

Now all that was left was "the kids"

What a handsome boy!

At the Shark Reef

Calvin, Elsa and Abby touching the Rays and  Horseshoe crabs

Jelly fish

We were looking at the sharks in this one

These guys were in the tunnel with sea creatures all around them.

Everyone except for Tracy and me in the tunnel.

Star fish

Octopus

The girls with Grandma and Papa

The boys with Steph and Tracy

Me, Grandpa(Papa) and Abby

Dallin looked a little concerned here

These sharks must've really liked Tracy.  They kept coming right up to the glass
right over her head....this was the best pic. My camera wasn't fast enough because of
the flash.

Awards For All the Boys

A few weeks ago, we attended a Court of Honor for the Boy Scouts where Dallin and Calvin were awarded some merit badges and ranks.  Clint also got a special award.

 First, Dallin was receiving some merit badges that he earned at Scout camp and Merit Badge moments.(They all have the option to go to these every Tuesday before their usual mutual activity.) 

Calvin was receiving some merit badges as well and a rank advancement.  He is now a Tenderfoot Scout.  

Back in 2009, Clint had the opportunity to go to Wood Badge for a week, then he had some ticket items that he had a year and a half to get completed or else he could not get "Beaded" and could never try again.  Kind of like the Eagle Scout award.  Well, he did it!  It wasn't until now, in 2012, that he actually got "Beaded" and is now official.  

We're so proud of all of them for their fine achievements!  

We love Shel Silverstein over here!

Elsa loves to read all the poems and stories from "Where The Sidewalk Ends", "A Light in the Attic" and "Falling Up".  One night she recited this poem to me and I got out the camera and captured it on film.  Then Abby got excited about it and hurried and memorized a poem so she could be filmed too.
Elsa's poem is called, "Snowball" and Abby's is called, "Arrow".  I think...I could go get the book and find out what the name is, but I'm feeling lazy right now.  I'm pretty sure that's what it's called though.  Enjoy!