Flag Boys

Jackson and Boomer are official entrepreneurs.  With a lot of help from Mom and Dad they started a flag business and we have our first six customers.  A big thanks to our neighbors! Here's the boys putting up the flags this morning.

Our 6 flag days:

Presidents Day

Flag Day

Independence Day

Memorial Day

Veterans Day

Labor Day

Other days to fly the flag are (which we will not be participating in):

New Year's Day, Inauguration Day (January 20)

Lincoln's Birthday (February 12 ) Easter Sunday (variable)
Mother's Day, Armed Forces Day, (third Saturday in May)
Constitution Day, (September 17) Columbus Day (second Monday in October)
Navy Day (October 27),  Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day,
and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States
as well as:  The birthdays of States (date of admission) February 14 for Oregon

There are pages of rules on correct flag etiquette..Rules which we are probably breaking.. Right now, we have just two rules for the boys: 1)get the flag down before sunset and  2)keep it from touching the ground.  Happy President's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day

Welcome to our blog. This year we sent out Valentine's card instead of Christmas cards. It worked out so well I think we might just do it again. There seems to be a tradition with Christmas cards to write a letter so we'll follow suite and brag about each child individually

1) Sadie is our yeller and our table dancer. Even though she is two she has no desire to talk. (Why should she when she can get what she wants by yelling?) She likes to sneak candy and is crafty about finding ways to get it even when we strategically place it in difficult to reach places. She likes relaxing with a good board book, her favorite blankie, and a pacifier. She is our curly headed little girl and we love her.

2)Boomer is Mr. Emotional and cries at the drop of a hat. "You hurt my feelings" is his most used phrase these days. He makes friends easy and everyone loves him.  Curently, Jon is brainwashing him to believe that he will grow up and be a quarterback for BYU. (Mostly because tuition is inexpensive) He's a fun little guy and generally very easy to be around.

3)Jackson is getting so big. He has lost three teeth and has another loose one which is causing his smile to look like a Jack-o-Lantern but he's still a handsome little guy. He is reading now and is addicted to Angry Birds (a game on my phone). He also likes Pokemon and Bacugan. He thinks Kindergarten is "OK" but mostly boring. When he gets home he jumps around the furniture, hoping piece to piece, like a caged tiger. Even though he doesn't like hugs and kisses we still love to give them to our Jackson boy.

4) I (Michelle) was deep into training for a half ironman triathlon..but fell of the wagon when we went on the cruise.  I need to pick it back up again, it is an antidepressant for me.  I feel so much happier and patient when I am exercising.  I got a new juicer and we are loving it.  It's the only way I can get kids to eat kale and spinach..awesome!! Other than that I just try to clean the house and comb my hair everyday.  I feel pretty good when they both get done, but, unfortunately, that doesn't always happen.

5) Jon probably doesn't want to talk about it right now.  He has had a frustrating year with The Maids but really enjoys being a business owner. He works hard and everyone is excited when he comes home.  The boys want to wrestle with him and Sadie likes to join in too. He's a great guy and we're glad he works so hard for us.

We're so blessed to have you as friends and family.  Thanks for stopping by.

PS  Leave a comment so we know you were here.

It's about the journey not the destination.

About two years ago Jon used his credit card rewards to get Carnival Cruise tickets (just after Sadie was born).  We thought it would be a great vacation with a newborn.  When we tried to schedule the cruise we were informed that babies under six months old are not allowed. The tickets were expiring this February. We tried to give the tickets away but we weren't finding any takers.  My Dad said he didn't want the tickets but said  "If you can go next week then we can watch your kids."  We quickly booked our tickets and were on our way to our very first Cruise. 

The cruise stopped in Catalina Island (LA, California) and went down to Encinada, Baja Mexico.   We did a Kayak trip in Catalina and went see a blow hole (boring) in Encinada where we ate some fantastic tacos.  Other than that the majority of the time was spent of the cruise.  We exercised everyday (Jon ran 2 miles...the most he's run off a basketball court in about 7 years). We enjoyed the dinner in the dining room and the staff was amazing. (Those Filipinos know how to smile.)

Jon showing his approval of the accomodations

We enjoyed our dorm style room with two twin beds that were harder than sleeping on the ground.  We enjoyed the high school type entertainment, we enjoyed the exercise we got from walking 8 flights stairs due to the crammed elevators. We liked the freezing cold above the ground swimming pools and squeezing into the tiny "hot" tub with 15 other people who were drunk and using their best sailor language. We also loved doing Karaoke with the  Salt Lake "Merry" Men's choir.  ( a crack up)

It was great to get away. But I have decided that a cruise is about the journey and Jon and I are destination people. We really enjoy going to new places, being with the people, eating the local food and most importantly being on the beach in the sun.  However, we do think it would be fun to get a few friends together for a luxury cruise in the Mediterranean sea. (In about 5 years)  Any takers? 

PS  A great big thank you to my Dad and Ginny  for watching our kids!